OPINION READER’S FORUM
Founded in 1906
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2021
A4
OUR VIEW
Stepping up to help make a diff erence
A community functions and succeeds
through several diff erent agencies, insti-
tutions and, most of all people.
Yet, one factor that often gets over-
looked is the importance of volunteers.
Volunteers are probably one of the
most important — and unsung — pieces
to community success and we would urge
anyone who is interested in giving back to
step up and help.
It isn’t as easy as it sounds, we get that.
We are all busy. We all have bills to pay
and work and other obligations that crowd
into our lives on a regularly — ready daily
and hourly — basis. Pondering a decision
to complicate our already busy schedules
can be diffi cult and often leads to an indi-
vidual bowing out of volunteering.
We’d hope, though, that potential vol-
unteers will look at the other side of the
coin. Volunteering to help a local agency
or nonprofi t delivers its own set of
rewards. You get to be part of something
and make a diff erence.
The allure of making a diff erence is a
Ben Lonergan/Hermiston Herald, File
Tom Bratton, a volunteer with the Hermiston Kiwanis Club, cleans a large pepper on May 27,
2021, during a work party at the newly renovated Funland Playground in Hermiston.
strong one and we are glad of that. People
seek affi rmations in life from any number
of diff erent avenues but the knowledge
they can make a diff erence, no matter how
COLUMN
seemingly small, is a strong motivator.
Volunteers already do lots of work
throughout the community that you and I,
though, hardly notice. Big events to small
venues function and succeed because of
people who are behind the scenes, often
volunteers, chose to give their time to
help.
Every community needs a strong
group of people who want to help. There
is, of course, usually no monetary com-
pensation if you volunteer, but that isn’t
the point. Or shouldn’t be. The point is
to give back to the community, to fi nd a
way to enhance other’s lives and to help a
town or city thrive in a unique way.
There are plenty of places where a per-
son can help, and we need them. When a
community can count on a solid corps of
volunteers to step up it benefi ts everyone.
So, if you are looking for something
to do, or a way to make a diff erence, fi nd
a way to volunteer. In the long run you
won’t be disappointed, and our commu-
nity will be better for it.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
I am going full TOW to the
max, and I hope you do, too
I
n recent days, I have
been hearing a lot about
“the Oregon Way.” I still
do not know the etymology
of the phrase, or even what
would make the Oregon Way
diff erent from the Washing-
Erick
ton Way; the New Jersey
Peterson
Way; or even the Llanfairp-
wllgwyngyllgogerychwyrn-
drobwllllantysiliogogogoch, Wales, Way.
Still, I get the gist of it, and I think the
Oregon Way is just what we need right
now.
A U.S. senator visited the Hermiston
Herald offi ce to hold a virtual town hall,
and it was from him that I fi rst heard the
phrase. In the context Ron Wyden used it,
“the Oregon Way” — which I will refer to
from this point on as TOW— means civil
discourse and debate which occurs locally,
rather than in Washington, D.C. or some
other faraway place.
Possibly, TOW can be explained in the
same way the Bible describes love. TOW
is patient, TOW is kind. “It does not envy,
it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not
rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily
angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.”
Is that a stretch? Maybe, TOW is bet-
ter understood with a more contempo-
rary reference. We can take a look a poli-
tics in recent days, or months, or years or
decades … It is hard to know when things
went so badly.
Discourse these days seems more con-
tentious than necessary. Personally, I have
lost friends and family members because
we stopped being able to tolerate one
another. In most cases, we quietly discon-
tinued our association with each other. In
a few cases, our breakups have been acri-
monious. Our fi nal discussions were loud,
and our feelings to this day remain bitter.
In some cases, rage is just. It is moral
to support the right side of an issue. And I
believe that a person should stand up for,
and even fi ght for, the protection of peo-
ple who are in need.
Still, most of the arguments I see are
not of this sort. Sometimes, people fi ght
tooth-and-nail for the wellbeing of indi-
viduals, corporations, and associations
that are already monstrously powerful.
We need to come together to come
to a full understanding of right and
wrong, good and evil. And to do this,
we will need to reach out to one another
in a spirit of love, TOW-wise. We need
to talk.
When we talk, we see we have more
in common than not. The love we have
for our families, the desire for all people
to thrive and the hope for our children to
enjoy better lives than we have — these
are common to us all.
We all love our mothers, right? Well,
most of us love our mothers. I love my
mother.
Anyway, I wonder at what we might
accomplish if we come together with bet-
ter hearts and minds, showing empa-
thy, humility and understanding wher-
ever possible. We can change the world.
We can do things TOW (TOWly?) to the
max, advancing civility and love to a thus
far unforeseen extreme. Wouldn’t that be
nice?
And maybe it is not too late for the
world to be corrected or for individuals to
salvage a few friendships here and there.
As I sit here, I am thinking about reach-
ing out to one person who voted diff er-
ently than I have in the last few elections,
and I am going to try to understand that
person. I am going to meet them as a fel-
low human being, a person who lives in
a nearby place and who has have simi-
lar beliefs, even if we are combative about
key issues.
Whether this is what TOW is, it is how
I am going to express the TOW in my
heart. I’m going to do things TOW way.
———
Erick Peterson is the editor and senior
reporter of the Hermiston Herald.
Well done on CityFest coverage
I would like to take this opportunity
to commend the Hermiston Herald for its
coverage of the Greater Hermiston City-
Fest with Andrew Palau. CityFest is just
another shining example of the sacrifi ce
of time, talent and treasure that people in
the Greater Hermiston area will make to
bring an event of this magnitude to bene-
fi t the people of our community.
If you were able to attend one of the
events, I am sure that you will agree with
me that the message was hope-fi lled and
you left the event with a greater appre-
ciation for how our Lord can work in
our lives even during these challenging
times.
I also pray that many people were
touched by the message of Christ’s sav-
ing grace and will put into action their
commitment to living a holy life (not just
for the saints like St. Mother Teresa).
We are blessed in our area to have a
plethora of faith communities who are
more than willing to reach out and wel-
come anyone who desires to grow in
their faith. Christ reminds us in His para-
bles that all we need is faith the size of a
mustard seed and a willing spirit.
I would strongly encourage every-
one to prayerfully consider strengthen-
ing their faith by attending a church ser-
vice this weekend. Again, I thank the EO
for covering this event and, as Father
Maxwell prayed at Mass at Our Lady of
Angels Catholic Church, let us all pray
for the safety of those who attended.
May God bless you!
Kristen Smalley
Hermiston
COLUMN
Echo-Stanfi eld soccer is starting something special
he fi rst chap-
were typically a
ter in the
player down, seven
Echo-Stanfi eld
v. seven, or 10 v.
Girls Soccer jour-
10 without subs.
ney has been quite
We knew that we’d
incredible.
have low numbers
Last year, as with
for the fi rst cou-
most other sports, we
ple of years, and
McKenzie
had a short and jam-
although it was
Rose
packed season. Never-
challenging, we
theless, it still was the start
exceeded expectations.
of the fi rst ever Echo-Stan-
While we didn’t win a
fi eld girls soccer season.
game, we didn’t lose all of
We played seven games in
them, either; tying Uma-
a one-month window, with
tilla both times (1-1 the
only 10 players. Since you
fi rst game, 2-2 the second),
play with 11 on a fi eld, we
which has had their soc-
T
cer program around for a
while. Though a tie isn’t as
impressive on paper as a
win, it meant a whole lot to
us and our confi dence as an
emerging soccer team.
As a matter of fact,
Umatilla was the fi rst team
we played. Then-fresh-
man Mayela De La Fuente
scored the fi rst goal of
the program (and game)
off a penalty kick. That
fi rst goal really proved to
us, and many others, that
Echo-Stanfi eld Girls Soc-
cer was real. After numer-
ous years of asking, encour-
aging and arranging to get a
girls soccer team, it actually
happened. That fi rst game,
that fi rst goal, will remain
special in my memory (and
I’d imagine the same with
the rest of my team).
Unlike the other teams,
we were without any
seniors; in fact, half of
our team were freshmen.
In addition, only three of
the girls ever played soc-
cer before, leaving seven
that had to learn the game
of soccer from the begin-
CORRECTIONS
Printed on
recycled
newsprint
VOLUME 114 • NUMBER 35
Andrew Cutler | Publisher • acutler@eomediagroup.com • 541-278-2673
Erick Peterson | Editor/Senior Reporter • epeterson@hermistonherald.com • 541-564-4536
Audra Workman | Multi-Media consultant • aworkman@eastoregonian.com • 541-564-4538
Tammy Malgesini | Community Editor • community@eastoregonian.com • 541-564-4532
Andy Nicolais | Page Designer • anicolais@eomediagroup.com
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
The Hermiston Herald (USPS 242220, ISSN
8750-4782) is published weekly at Hermiston
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.
Member of EO Media Group Copyright ©2021
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) 278-2673 with issues about this policy or to report
errors.
SUBMIT A LETTER TO THE EDITOR
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.
ning. How they did so well
in such a short amount of
time speaks to our drive and
commitment as a team.
It’s downright incredi-
ble how fast they learned
the game, understood soc-
cer strategy and devel-
oped skills. This feat can
undoubtedly be attributed to
the coachable nature, high
work ethic and patience of
the team.
This year, our team
expanded to 12 players,
allowing us to now play
a full 11 and have a sub
(which will be a huge bene-
fi t). Four of our players are
seniors, and though that is a
little worrisome in regards
to future years, we hope to
increase the soccer interest
in our schools.
We are extremely thank-
ful for the support from our
parents, guidance from our
school boards and patience
from our coach.
———
McKenzie Rose writes
the “Hermiston History”
section every week for the
Hermiston Herald.
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.