OPINION READER’S FORUM
Founded in 1906
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2021
FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK
A4
OUR VIEW
Helpers Child care center a source of pride
abound A
O
ver and over
again, the peo-
ple of our area
remind me they are amaz-
ing helpers. The kindness
I have seen lately has been
so great, I hardly know
Erick
where to start.
Peterson
Let me begin with
the people I encountered
while I was trying to fi nd help for a
friend. A friend came to my offi ce look-
ing for help obtaining a job. This sent
me down a rabbit hole of helpers.
People at the Hermiston Public
Library said they could assist my friend
with a resume. The director of a local
employment center said she could help
my friend, too. A local employer even
said he would be happy to receive my
friend’s resume. And this was not the
end.
Based on the willingness of the peo-
ple with whom I have spoken, my friend
soon will receive help. She will be back
on her feet, employed and headed in the
right direction. I feel optimistic for her.
There are many helping groups in
our area. Look around at signs in parks,
on buildings and beside trails. They
include Lions, Kiwanis and Rotary; they
are just a few. Other volunteer groups
are devoted to serving schools, libraries
and more. Churches are also involved
in helping. And this is just the amateur
helpers.
Think of all the people who help oth-
ers as part of their profession. Profes-
sional helpers, including fi refi ghters,
mail deliverers, police offi cers and road
workers. An entire army of people exist
to help. Also, there is the literal Army.
Our armed service people help, too.
In my work at the Herald, I encoun-
ter many people who are working to
help others. Much of my job is bringing
attention to them. I think it is import-
ant to let people know of their service.
So when a parks and recreation direc-
tor or a city attorney retires, I will do
my best to let you know about it. Some-
times, they will be off ering help that you
can use. Perhaps, you will be inspired to
also help. Or maybe you will take note
of their service and compliment them
for it.
If you encounter helpers who are not
receiving the credit they are due, I hope
you will reach out to me. Give the news-
paper a call. I love to do stories about
helpers. Frankly, stories about helpers
are my favorite stories to do.
This is not to say that all goodness
will be recognized. Most of the kindness
I have seen around me is not exactly
newsworthy. For instance, a friend
recently helped me dispose of a cou-
ple of couches. He came to my home,
helped me lift them into his truck, and
we tossed them in the dump together.
This friend even tried to pay the dump
fee.
This amazing friend would ordinarily
go unnoticed. He only gets a mention
here in this newspaper because I wrote
this entire column to thank him.
When he and his wife welcomed me
and my wife to join the Lions Club, we
saw another way we could help others.
We look forward to being part of the
club very soon.
As a reporter and editor, I will con-
tinue trying to tell the stories of the
helpers around our area. As a Lion, I
will be joining other local residents to
be a helper (ROAR!). And as an indi-
vidual, I will be trying to be a good
neighbor.
If I can help you, please let me know.
———
Erick Peterson is the editor and
senior reporter of the Hermiston Herald.
t least recently good news can
seem hard to fi nd but for those
looking for a story that showcases
what community and business can do
tighter one needs to look no further than
the Families First Child Care Center in
Boardman.
Last month, U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden vis-
ited the center and was suitably impressed.
So are we and so should area residents.
The center serves 53 children between
the ages of six weeks and 12 and provides
a viable outlet for parents who must work.
The center is more than a daycare and
provides educational opportunities for
youth.
The program succeeds on a limited
budget, but it also is a triumph because
it secured the support of some key, local
businesses. The Port of Morrow, Board-
man Foods and Threemile Canyon Farms
are key supporters of the child care center.
Businesses provided fi nancial support
while the Port of Morrow created a place
for the program at its new facility.
Wyden vowed to bring the Families
First Child Care Center concept to the
attention of other lawmakers in Washing-
ton, D.C. We hope he does.
That’s because this program is clearly
a success and represents the best example
of private businesses and concerned res-
idents uniting in a common goal to help
youth.
Sometimes such a venture doesn’t
work, or it is only partially successful.
Not this program. The primary reason,
we believe, is the dedication of the busi-
ness owners who saw a need and decided
to step up and make it successful.
The program is also a great example
Ben Lonergan/Hermiston Herald
Sen. Ron Wyden, center, waves to students at the Families First Child Care Center during a
tour Aug. 31, 2021, of the Neal Early Learning Center in Boardman.
of local people solving a local problem.
Often it can seem easier to let state of fed-
eral agencies take on a particular home-
town challenge but that isn’t always a
good idea either.
Finding child care for workers and
other parents isn’t just an area problem,
either. It is a nationwide challenge that
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
COLUMN
Education corner
W
e all have busy
lives fi lled with
activities from
the moment we wake up
until our head hits the
bed. Yet quite often, at
some point in the day, you
might hear “I’m bored” or Scott
Smith
“I don’t have anything to
do” from one of your kids.
Some child-development specialists say
we often fail to teach our children one
important life skill, dealing with bore-
dom. In addition, children’s days are
fi lled with activities planned by oth-
ers and can fi nd it diffi cult to direct
themselves to an activity of their own
interests.
In her research, Sandi Mann from the
University of Central Lancashire looked
at what we often associate with bore-
dom, lack of something to do. When we
view boredom from this lens, it allows
children to depend on others for their
activities, and restricts their creativity.
This is not just at home but in our edu-
cational system as well. Our schools
have cut students recess times greatly
over the past 20 decades. This has
impacted children’s abilities to develop
friendships, work with others, and cre-
ate activities with others independently.
Who would have ever thought mak-
ing sure that our kids always had activi-
ties and events to attend or do might be
harming them? Developing and learn-
ing how to create their own interests
and fi ll their downtime is a life skill we
expect our children to execute. Yet, as
adults, we often experience frustration
when our children face downtime. The
child hasn’t learned or developed the
skills to fi ll this unknown time. Instead,
they become dependent on others to
fi ll their day with activities, and when
faced with unplanned or free time, we
hear, “I have nothing to do, I’m bored.”
Providing a “downtime” where a
child has to spend time on their own
is not free time for the parents at fi rst.
Learning not to be bored is a process and
takes time. You cannot start with 60 min-
utes of “downtime.” You have to build
up to 60 minutes. Start with 10 minutes
and provide a couple of choices, such
as reading a book or drawing a picture.
When you hear those beautiful words,
“I’M DONE!” All you have to say is,
“You still have more time to choose
something else.” This is where the learn-
ing takes place, so be ready for the push-
back. Stick to the 10 minutes. After a bit,
you’ll be able to increase by fi ve-minute
intervals. Just as you cannot run a mar-
athon the fi rst time out and must build
your endurance, the same is true in learn-
ing how to deal with boredom. By pro-
viding your child with downtime, you
can teach them how to engage in activ-
ities independently and not depend on
others to create activities for them.
Some schools have cut their recess
times during the school day because of
the demands on instructional time and
to avoid dealing with student misbehav-
ior. They found that cutting recess time
cuts down students’ misbehaviors, yet is
that best for them? Instead of using this
time as a teaching/developmental time,
schools shorten the time to run and play,
shortening the time to practice these
developmental skills.
We so often assume children can use
free time for productive things when
it is a skill that parents and teachers
need to foster. Take the time to guide
children out of boredom and model
and share what you are doing during
your downtime.
———
Scott Smith is a 40-plus year Umatilla
County educator and serves on the
Decoding Dyslexia Oregon board as its
parent/teacher liaison.
CORRECTIONS
Printed on
recycled
newsprint
VOLUME 114 • NUMBER 36
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
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grows worse by the year. The COVID-19
pandemic hasn’t helped either.
We do hope that Wyden can high-
light this wonderful program so that other
states in the nation can reviews it and cre-
ate a similar agenda.
All that were involved in this program
deserve a thanks from the community.
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.
Saturday was a great day
for veterans
You should have seen their faces!
Nearly 100 veterans and professional river
guides from throughout the Pacifi c North-
west took to the Columbia River on Sat-
urday, Sept. 11, for a day at “ Fish’n the
Brave.”
The smiles on their faces said it all, as
each boat, proudly fl ying the U.S. fl ag,
returned to Umatilla Marina in the early
afternoon.
Those smiles were proof that it doesn’t
get much better for a vet than spend-
ing the day with fellow veterans and
with guides, who are honored to donate
their time, boats, equipment, fuel and
door prizes for this annual free event for
veterans.
Tony Fisher, of Fisher’s Catch Out-
fi tters, Tri-Cities, initiated the adventure
six years ago. Today, more sponsors are
coming alongside including the city of
Umatilla, its chamber of commerce, the
American Legion & Auxiliary and a mul-
titude of businesses and groups through-
out the Columbia Basin and the Pacifi c
Northwest.
The next Fish’n The Brave won’t be
until Nov. 11, 2022. Our veterans organi-
zation salutes this program and proudly
supports its mission. If you know any vet-
erans who would love a day of fi shing on
the Columbia next year, I urge you to get
their names on the roster at 509-727-7137.
Every freedom we enjoy in this coun-
try was purchased by the sacrifi ces of vet-
erans. Please, always honor the fallen and
support the living.
Cathy Stolz
Hermiston
It’s time for an intervention
Why, why, why haven’t the Trump
children initiated an intervention by now
for the sake of our democracy?
Janet Boyd
Hermiston
Letters must be original and signed by the writer or writers.
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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
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Obituaries and notices may be submitted online at
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Oregonian offi ces. For more information, call 541-966-0818 or
1-800-522-0255, x221.