OPINION READER’S FORUM
WEDNESDAY, MAY 12, 2021
A4
EDITOR’S DESK
Churches can be a valuable asset for communities
R
ecently about 200 volun-
teers spread out over Herm-
iston to cheerfully weed
fl ower beds, sweep sidewalks, wash
cars and do other chores. The activity
was one of many “I Love My City”
events hosted in recent years, each
organized by an informal coalition of
local churches.
It was a reminder of
the power for good that
churches can represent.
In a community that is
sometimes too small to
catch the notice of major Jade
McDowell
charitable organizations, NEWS EDITOR
churches or other reli-
giously affi liated groups help fi ll in
the gap.
There is Desert Rose Minis-
tries, for example, which has proved
an invaluable resource for help-
ing homeless residents of our com-
munity, providing everything from
breakfast to sleeping bags. First Bap-
tist Church donated the space needed
to start the Boardman Food Pantry.
Other churches provide the space
and volunteers to facilitate free com-
munity meals, blood drives, canned
food drives, coat drives, informa-
tional events and more. They off er
scholarships, clean up parks and pass
around sign-up sheets to supply local
nonprofi ts with desperately needed
volunteers.
Unfortunately, churches some-
times get a bad rap.
Look in the comment section
under any news article about religion,
and you’ll fi nd people with very hard
Jade McDowell/Hermiston Herald
Members of New Hope Community Church wash a truck at a free car wash during the I Love My
City event in Hermiston on Saturday, May 1, 2021.
feelings toward religion.
That is, to be frank, understand-
able. I say that as someone who has
attended church regularly my entire
life. As valuable as religion has been
for me personally and for many peo-
ple I know, I’ve also seen church be
a pretty awful experience for some
who have suff ered at the hands of
those who choose to wrongfully twist
their religion into a weapon of shame
and exclusion.
Bullies and predators will always
fi nd ways to use things to their
advantage. Take sports, for exam-
ple — some student athletes have
suff ered horrible things in locker
rooms, as coaches use their posi-
tion to groom young victims for sex-
ual abuse, or cruel students use “haz-
ing” as an excuse to torment others.
On the other hand, participation in
sports has given others confi dence,
close friendships and invaluable
life lessons. The resulting feelings
both groups may have are valid and
shouldn’t result in banning sports or
forcing everyone to participate.
In the same vein, we must respect
others’ autonomy in choosing what
they believe about religion, even if
it doesn’t make sense to us based on
our own set of experiences.
For those who do participate in
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Retain Pitney for his expertise
on school board
It is great to see so much inter-
est in our Hermiston School Board.
In the 12 years that I have served on
the board, I have never seen so many
candidates run to serve the students
and families of the Hermiston School
District.
Even though each candidate
brings their own strengths and qual-
ifi cations, I believe Brent Pitney has
earned another term. He has a strong
background in construction at a time
when our school district is heavily
involved in building new schools,
and his expertise is highly valuable.
It would be unfortunate to lose his
experience and training as our dis-
trict moves towards normalcy again.
Ginny Holthus
Hermiston School District Board
of Directors
Keep equipment, facilities up to
date with 30-148
Take a look around and you’ll
notice western Umatilla County is
growing fast. It’s important that our
emergency response capability is able
to keep up.
You can also track the growth in
our area through the number of calls
for fi res and emergency response. At
more than 5,000 calls for service in
the past 12 months, the current vehicle
fl eet is running nearly non-stop. We
need a plan to make sure we’re able
to replace these vehicles as they reach
the end of their expected lifespans.
Measure 30-148 invests in facil-
ities, vehicles, and equipment for
Umatilla County Fire District #1. It
CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVES
will provide our fi rst responders with
modern tools while saving expensive
maintenance costs to keep outdated
vehicles on the road. It also makes
sure they have the most up-to-date
safety equipment.
In the end, making this wise invest-
ment today will lead to cost savings
down the line while giving our local
fi re district the tools it needs to con-
tinue providing a high level of service.
I’ll be voting in support of Measure
30-148.
Bruce Jones
Hermiston
Gomez would be a valuable
asset to Hermiston schools
I have had the pleasure of know-
ing Lili Gomez and her family for
the past two decades and it is because
of this connection that I know Lili
is an exceptional choice for Herm-
iston School Board Position 3. Her
background in education, knowledge
of business management and cul-
tural competence makes her ideally
suited to serve our district’s diverse
community.
Education has always been a high
priority in Lili’s life. The daughter of
immigrant parents, she had been in the
Hermiston School District’s English as
a Second Language program through
middle school. Her enthusiasm for
improving the educational experi-
ence for others started during this time
while serving as a tutor for younger
students. As a fi rst-generation college
student, she has since earned a degree
in business administration, and contin-
ued on to work as a teaching assistant
and English language teacher.
With over half of the district’s stu-
dents coming from Hispanic/Latino
families, Ms. Gomez’s education and
experience would make her a valu-
able asset on the school board. She has
the passion, understanding and cul-
tural awareness needed to work with
the rest of the board members as they
guide our staff , students and their fam-
ilies moving forward. Please join me
in voting for Lili Gomez for HSD
Board Position 3.
Michelle Kane
Hermiston
Support the fi rst responders
who keep us safe
When there’s a fi re, a wreck, a
medical emergency, a hazardous spill,
or any number of other potentially
disastrous situations, local fi refi ght-
ers and EMTs are the fi rst ones on the
scene. They often put their own health
and safety on the line to help others.
Measure 30-148 is the commu-
nity’s chance to give back to those
fi rst responders. The bond pack-
age includes new protective equip-
ment, radio systems, vehicles, and
other tools that protect fi refi ghters and
EMTs.
It also includes upgrades to current
vehicle exhaust systems to reduce the
cancer risk. Protecting these respond-
ers while they’re in the line of duty
and in the long term is important.
For around $4 a month for the
average property owner in Uma-
tilla County Fire District #1, invest-
ing in our fi rst responders make a lot
of sense.
Join me in voting yes on Measure
30-148.
Cathy Stolz
Hermiston
CORRECTIONS
Printed on
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VOLUME 114 • NUMBER 18
Andrew Cutler | Publisher • acutler@eomediagroup.com • 541-278-2673
Jade McDowell | News Editor • jmcdowell@eastoregonian.com • 541-564-4536
Kelly Schwirse | Multi-Media consultant • kschwirse@hermistonherald.com • 541-564-4531
Audra Workman | Multi-Media consultant • aworkman@eastoregonian.com • 541-564-4538
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churches, that collective power is a
force to be reckoned with, as shown
in the examples I gave at the begin-
ning of this column. Those who
are doing religion right — guided
by charity instead of judgment —
achieve amazing things in our com-
munities every day.
Some, like I Love My City, are
highly visible. Others are known only
to the person who needed help and
the religious leader who bought their
groceries or paid their utility bill.
For those who consider themselves
outside the religious community, it’s
important to recognize that when
you’re working to make your city a
better place, it would be unwise to
avoid opportunities to work together
with other groups also looking to
improve the community. Churches
are often good at mobilizing people,
and have strong local networks they
have built up over decades, if not
centuries.
For churchgoers, it’s important to
work to make sure your own church
community is really living up to its
ideals of service, love and integrity.
Speak up if the way those around you
talk about or treat certain groups of
people isn’t aligned with what they
supposedly believe about loving your
neighbor. And don’t neglect opportu-
nities to serve.
Life is a rich tapestry, and when all
colors of threads come together, it is
all the more beautiful.
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Joe Biden
The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500: Comments: 202-456-1111
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