OPINION READER’S FORUM
Founded in 1906
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 16, 2021
A4
EDITOR’S DESK
No one should be afraid in their own home
Every week as I write up high-
lights from the week’s police activ-
ity for the Hermiston Herald’s police
log, the same phrase pops up over
and over.
“A domestic disturbance was
reported ...”
Sometimes the log from 911 dis-
patch simply gives the address.
Other times, a note gives a glimpse
into what happened — a man and
a woman were scream-
ing at each other in their
front yard, or a young
child called to report
her father punched her
mother.
Domestic violence
Jade
McDowell
is a scourge on society,
NEWS EDITOR
and our community is
no exception. If there is
one place someone should feel safe,
it’s their home. But for some people,
home is a place where they are con-
stantly walking on eggshells, braced
for the next attack.
The results go far beyond bruises
and cuts. Physical, sexual and emo-
tional abuse at home leaves a trail of
destruction in its wake — post-trau-
matic stress disorder, sexually trans-
mitted infections, trust issues, job
loss, traumatized children and so on.
The stereotype of domestic vio-
lence is a husband hitting his wife,
but the real picture of violence in the
home is varied. It can include unmar-
ried couples and same-sex cou-
ples, women abusing men or abuse
between non-romantic pairings, such
Hermiston Herald, File
Area community members walk to raise domestic violence awareness in 2014 during the
Domestic Violence Service’s annual Walk of Remembrance.
as a grandparent and grandchild. It
can also include a variety of abuses
that stop short of hitting someone,
including stalking, threats, blackmail,
breaking things or coercing people
into sexual acts they don’t want to
participate in.
Any perpetrators of these behav-
iors should be deeply ashamed of
themselves and seek professional
help from a therapist immediately
while removing themselves from
a situation where they might be
tempted to abuse again.
If you are someone who doesn’t
feel safe around a family member,
signifi cant other or an ex-partner,
please do what you need to do to put
yourself in a safer situation. Don’t
believe the lies that it was your fault
for provoking them, that you have no
other options, or that it won’t happen
again. I promise if it happened three
times, it will happen four.
There are people waiting to help
you the moment you say the word.
Some of them might be friends and
family who have been concerned
about you but thought you might
push them farther away if they tried
to intervene. Others are strangers
with resources just waiting to help
survivors.
Domestic Violence Services,
Inc. in Umatilla and Morrow coun-
ties off ers up a long list of help for
domestic violence survivors and their
loved ones. Those include:
COLUMN
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Keep kids writing by sending notes
t’s hard to believe school is out
for the summer or soon will
be. There was no in-person
schooling all year in some places,
and others had all diff erent modes
of learning happening.
No question as far as education
goes, this was one atypical year
worldwide, and here we are back
to summer vacation and that age-
old question, “How
do I keep my child/
children engaged in
academics?”
Writing is the
highest form of lan-
guage processing we
have in communica-
Scott
tion, making it one of Smith
the most challenging
skills for some students, and is
why children often resist it. Writ-
ing is a learned skill, not a nat-
ural skill like eating. Therefore,
it requires more brainpower and
work.
The question becomes how do
we keep children writing over the
summer or other times when they
are not in school? One thought
might be through letter/note writ-
ing during the summer. They can
write one or two notes each day.
They can write to family and
friends or even members of your
household. The objective is to
have them write.
Having children write cards to
others no matter what age forces
them to use multiple cognitive
skills they will need in their adult
life. Because it’s hard, you can
expect some possible resistance
I
Shelter and supplies for those fl ee-
ing an abusive situation
A crisis line
Confi dential advice
Help seeking restraining orders
and other court advocacy
Life skills classes
Parenting classes
Support groups
Safety planning
Referrals to other resources
Advice and support for family
members concerned about a loved
one in a domestic violence situation
Some companies and government
agencies also recognize the fi nancial
diffi culties of leaving an abuser, par-
ticularly if they were the sole bread-
winner in the home. There are fee
waivers for domestic violence vic-
tims in certain situations, such as
leaving a shared cell phone plan.
If you are in an abusive situa-
tion and are ready to think about
changing your situation, you can
fi nd local resources from Domes-
tic Violence Services by visiting
dvs-or.org, calling the 24-hour crisis
hotline at 1-800-833-1161 or, for less
urgent matters, calling the Hermis-
ton resource center at 541-567-0424
Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to
5 p.m. As abusers sometimes track
internet browsing and cell phone
usage, it may be better to use some-
one else’s device to reach out.
No one should ever feel trapped in
an unsafe or emotionally toxic situa-
tion. Help is available. Don’t hesitate
to use it.
because they have to recall infor-
mation, transcribe that informa-
tion into words, and then write it.
Taking the time to tell you who
they are writing
to and what they
are writing about
fi rst scaff olds the
skills to assist
them in writing to
the person.
Their card/note
should be at least
three to fi ve sen-
tences. With real
young children,
you can have
them draw a pic-
ture and then tell
you about their
image, while you write it out for
them, but older students need
to write their own. Also, hav-
ing them tell you and writing it
out for them can be benefi cial for
younger children. They can read
it back and, better yet, copy it to
their card or paper.
Over this past year, with the
pandemic, most everyone has felt
disconnected at some point or on
some level. It has been an emo-
tional time for everyone, from
kids to the elderly. Steven Petrow
states in his column that hand-
written notes and cards have a
more signifi cant impact, not only
for the person receiving but also
for the person writing the mes-
sage. This creates a multi-purpose
use of this time to have your chil-
dren write notes to others over the
summer.
Reading is not left out in this
process either. Once written,
have them read it back and edit
as needed or as you wish. Don’t
stress over mis-
takes because,
as they con-
tinue writing
cards, their writ-
ing will improve,
and friends and
grandparents will
love cards in any
condition.
Hand-written
notes are the best
if possible. There
is research show-
ing that hand-
writing is linked
to higher brain function. Younger
children’s manuscript is excel-
lent. Cursive penmanship can
help struggling students’ brains
process to connect the letters and
focus attention.
Hopefully, they will also
receive notes from people they
have written to, which will
engage their reading and compre-
hension skills when those notes
come.
This type of passive learn-
ing will have a more educational
impact on your children than try-
ing to have them read and write
as if they were in school every
day.
———
Dr. Scott Smith is a 40+-year
Umatilla County educator and serves
on the Decoding Dyslexia-OR board
as their parent/teacher liaison.
IT HAS BEEN
AN EMOTION-
AL TIME FOR
EVERYONE,
FROM KIDS
TO THE
ELDERLY.
CORRECTIONS
Printed on
recycled
newsprint
VOLUME 114 • NUMBER 23
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
Tammy Malgesini | Community Editor • community@eastoregonian.com, 541-564-4539
It is the policy of the Hermiston Herald to correct errors as
soon as they are discovered. Incorrect information will be
corrected on Page 2A. Errors commited on the Opinion page
will be corrected on that page. Corrections also are noted in
the online versions of our stories.
Please contact the editor at editor@hermistonherald.com or
call (541) 564-4533 with issues about this policy or to report
errors.
SUBMIT A LETTER TO THE EDITOR
To contact the Hermiston Herald for news,
advertising or subscription information:
• call 541-567-6457
• e-mail info@hermistonherald.com
• stop by our offi ces at 333 E. Main St.
• visit us online at: hermistonherald.com
Herald, 333 E. Main St., Hermiston, OR 97838,
(541) 567-6457.
Periodical postage paid at Hermiston, OR.
Postmaster, send address changes to
Hermiston Herald, 333 E. Main St.,
Hermiston, OR 97838.
The Hermiston Herald (USPS 242220, ISSN
8750-4782) is published weekly at Hermiston
Member of EO Media Group Copyright ©2021
Letters Policy: Letters to the Editor is a forum for the
Hermiston Herald readers to express themselves on local,
state, national or world issues. Brevity is good, but longer
letters should be kept to 250 words.
No personal attacks; challenge the opinion, not the person.
The Hermiston Herald reserves the right to edit letters for
length and for content.
Scholarship drive builds community
Hats off to the Good Shepherd Community Health
Foundation for hosting their annual Drive for Scholarships
event on June 11. It was so refreshing to see so many peo-
ple that I haven’t had the opportunity to see for 18 months,
or more, while supporting such a worthy cause.
I look forward to many more great events that build
community and remind us of the greatness we can accom-
plish together.
Mark Morgan
Hermiston
Wind power benefi ts environment, local economy
At EDP Renewables North America (EDPR NA), we
celebrate Oregon’s progress in becoming a leading state
for renewable energy. To reach our environmental and
economic goals, we must build a sustainable economy
for our state, which is precisely why Global Wind Day
is important to our future, and why the Rattlesnake Road
and Wheat Field Wind Farms are living examples of this
celebration.
Thanks to a dedicated eff ort alongside local communi-
ties, landowners and business leaders, EDPR NA’s Rattle-
snake Road and Wheat Field Wind Farms have success-
fully provided clean energy for over a decade. Since the
turbines were commissioned in 2008, more than $23.3
million has been spent within 50 miles of the wind farms
and put back into the local economy. The projects created
more than 100 jobs during construction and 26 full-time
positions to support the operations and maintenance of the
wind farms.
Along with saving critical resources, these two projects
have brought over $20 million in local spending to the area
and over $23 million in payments to local governments,
supporting roads, schools, and public safety. Our projects
are fl ourishing thanks to communities around us, and we
value their support over the past decade.
While we have seen progress with our projects, build-
ing a sustainable future has become more urgent with each
passing year. Through the clean power the Rattlesnake
Road and Wheat Field Wind Farms produce, we can con-
tinue to create an economy that protects our planet while
generating new jobs and opportunities for all Oregonians.
Jarod Wizner
Arlington
Letters must be original and signed by the writer or writers.
Anonymous letters will not be printed. Writers should include
a telephone number so they can be reached for questions.
Only the letter writer’s name and city of residence will be
published.
OBITUARY POLICY
The Hermiston Herald publishes paid obituaries. The
obituary can include small photos and, for veterans, a
fl ag symbol at no charge. Expanded death notices will be
published at no charge. These include information about
services. Obituaries may be edited for spelling, proper
punctuation and style.
Obituaries and notices may be submitted online at
hermistonherald.com/obituaryform, by email to obits@
hermistonherald.com, by fax to 541-276-8314, placed via the
funeral home or in person at the Hermiston Herald or East
Oregonian offi ces. For more information, call 541-966-0818 or
1-800-522-0255, x221.