OPINION READER’S FORUM
Founded in 1906
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2021
A4
OUR VIEW
Homeless shelter plan meets an important need
The Umatilla County Board of Com-
missioners made a good decision last week
when it agreed to allow a warming station
and temporary living huts to be installed on
10 acres of county land to address the ongo-
ing homeless challenge.
The property, at the intersection of Lind
and Bensel roads in Hermiston is a suitable
place for the temporary facility.
While the project is mostly spearheaded
by a new state law that mandates city cod-
ify ordinance that protects people from
fi nes and fees for sleeping on public lands,
the decision by the board was correct.
The homeless shelter plan also is the
result of a united eff ort between the county,
Umatilla, Hermiston, Echo and Stanfi eld.
That sends the loud and clear signal that
while the new state law is the fuel behind
the homeless shelter blueprint, local offi -
cials can work together to fi nd a solution
that works.
The homeless situation isn’t going to go
away, and this new plan refl ects that reality.
Every winter the same issues regarding the
health and safety of those struggling arrives
and offi cials or nonprofi ts struggle to meet
the need.
Ignoring the problem hasn’t worked and
it isn’t a method toward success. We can’t
simply turn our heads away from the home-
less situation. We need to address it through
proactive, viable measures that furnish
everyone with a solution. Elected offi cials
could have simply kicked the can, so to
speak, on this problem down the road. That
PETERSON’S POINTS
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Confession of a lying letter-to-the-editor writer
I have a confession
to make. This is some-
thing of which I am
both embarrassed and
ashamed, but I think of
it as a learning opportu-
nity. It could be some-
thing you can learn from Erick
as well, especially about Peterson
courage and morality,
but also as it concerns writing letters to
the editor.
Years ago, I served an internship for
an entertainment magazine. It was in a
big city, it was my fi rst major, full-time
media job, and I was willing to do any-
thing I was told.
My fi rst assignment: write letters to
the editor. And I did it.
I wrote several letters to the editor
and signed fi ctitious names to them.
They ran in the magazine as if they
were from our magazine’s readers.
At the time, I was even proud of it.
Between these letters, bylined articles
and numerous uncredited blurbs, I was
writing a hefty portion of the publica-
tion — as an unpaid intern. Then, as
now, I prided myself in the amount I
produced.
I even found historical precedent
for my actions, as I remember a vague
(and possibly false) memory of a uni-
versity professor once telling me that
philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer used
to write letters to newspaper editors
under diff erent names, using the oppor-
tunity to state the errors in his own
published works.
Now, I am no Schopenhauer, but I
thought this was an interesting idea. So,
I wrote my own letters to the editor in
which I would attack myself as a writer.
For example, one month, I wrote a
review of a restaurant. In the following
month, I submitted a letter to the editor
in which I, writing under a false name,
wrote an opposite take on the restaurant
and a takedown of the reviewer (who
also was me).
I did, though, get a pretty good han-
dle on what made a good letter to the
editor.
1) A good letter to the editor should
be local. It should reference things seen
in a community, recognizable to every-
one who might read the letter.
In our community, a good letter
might reference graffi ti on the Umatilla
Bridge, the hardworking Lions Club
members volunteering at Hermiston’s
Butte Park or the lines at our neighbor-
hood Safeway.
2) A good letter to the editor should
be productive. It should call people to
action, express gratitude or uncover
corruption. Rather than be an unpro-
ductive rant, it should encourage cor-
rect action.
3) A good letter to the editor should
be honest. This is obvious (though I
was not taking this advice when I was
writing my false letters).
4) A good letter to the editor should
be short and well-written. This is the
most important part. A clear-headed
writer can express an opinion in 150
words or less, which is about the length
of a good letter. This letter should be
clear, bravely stating a fi rm opinion.
With these rules in mind, I wrote my
letters to the editor. And when people
have asked me about writing their edi-
tor, I tell them those four things.
Still, when I was writing my false
letters, I was not really trying to develop
ideas about letter writing. Neither was I
merely expressing my ambition or van-
ity, though this all was part of my work.
Rather, I was acting out of cowardice,
and this bothers me the most.
Someone told me to lie, so I lied.
I was nervous about the job, and I
thought that I had to do whatever I was
directed.
With some hindsight, though, I know
that I could have stood up to the person
who made the task. He gave it to me
because someone else pressured him
about the opinions page. He needed let-
ters to fi ll out his page.
Instead of lying, we could have
asked our readers to send us letters
(as I am doing here), or we could have
inserted any other legitimate content.
Believe me, there is no shortage of peo-
ple in the world who are willing to get
their opinions in print. And I think it is
better to print letters from local people
than it is to publish letters and editorials
from people who could not even fi nd
our community on a map.
I look forward to your letters. Let me
know what you think.
———
Erick Peterson is the editor and senior
reporter of the Hermiston Herald.
COLUMN
Stanfi eld ‘road diet’ almost makes wallet thinner
I
f you haven’t driven
through Stanfi eld
lately, I’m here to
provide you with a pub-
lic service announce-
ment — road construc-
tion is taking place on
Tammy
Highway 395 and it
wasn’t very well marked Malgesini
when I drove through
town recently. However, a nice Ore-
gon State Police trooper pointed it out
to me.
I say nice because he didn’t give
me a ticket. And he could have. I was
driving a tad fast coming down the
hill. In addition, I couldn’t readily fi nd
my current insurance card.
As I was driving in what I thought
was the right-hand lane, I asked my
husband what was in the road? “I don’t
know, it looks like debris,” John said.
The very uniformly placed debris
was actually little white tabs that evi-
dently were supposed to alert me that I
was driving in a non-lane. I must say,
had it been yellow, orange or red it
would have been much more obvious.
When the trooper told me I wasn’t
traveling in a lane of traffi c, I was
fl ooded with memories of newspa-
per stories and Facebook posts about
the Oregon Department of Transpor-
tation’s recommendations for a “road
diet” through Stanfi eld. The plan,
which is now being worked on, is to
shrink the fi ve lanes down to three
as well as a bike path and additional
room for on-street parking.
I’m grateful (and so is my billfold)
the offi cer didn’t provide a parting gift
in the form of a ticket. I will certainly
remember the changes in the road the
next time I cruise through Stanfi eld.
In addition, when I was messaging a
friend in Pendleton who was planning
to come to Hermiston the next day, I
told her about the road project — let-
ting her know it’s not very clearly
marked.
It’s been awhile since I received a
traffi c ticket — more than a decade
ago I got stopped for speeding a cou-
ple of times within a few months. I
challenged one of them and the judge
threw it out. However, the other stuck.
I was cruising down Old River Road,
anticipating getting home to tell John
about the great deal I got on a kayak
for him at REI. However, the money
I saved was quickly eaten up by
the ticket.
And prior to those incidents, I got
a speeding ticket in November 1994.
After spending a long Thanksgiving
weekend at my folks’ place in Coos
Bay, John and I were driving through
Portland when I got pulled over.
I was highly disappointed that my
usually ultra protective German shep-
herd didn’t bark at the po-po when
he ambled alongside the pickup bed.
Gastineau didn’t make a peep. Evi-
dently, being a “police dog,” he must
have felt some sort of camaraderie
with the cop. Whatever.
To ensure that wouldn’t happen
again, I began training our dogs to
bark on command to verbal cues in
German as well as hand signs. Oh,
and to avoid getting pulled over for
speeding, I use cruise control as much
as possible.
———
Tammy Malgesini, the Hermiston
Herald community writer, enjoys
spending time with her husband
and two German shepherds, as
well as entertaining herself with
random musings.
CORRECTIONS
Printed on
recycled
newsprint
VOLUME 114 • NUMBER 37
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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The Hermiston Herald (USPS 242220, ISSN
8750-4782) is published weekly at Hermiston
Herald, 333 E. Main St., Hermiston, OR 97838,
541-567-6457.
they did not shows an admirable degree of
foresight and planning.
That’s why this decision is such a good
one. The key piece of the plan is it will be
temporary, not permanent, and that should
alleviate at least some concerns by area
residents.
The plan, as offi cials admit, is still in its
preliminary stages. Many details still need
to be worked out. However, this move to
create the temporary shelter and warming
stations is a good one and we applaud it.
Periodical postage paid at Hermiston, OR.
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soon as they are discovered. Incorrect information will be
corrected on Page 2A. Errors commited on the Opinion page
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the online versions of our stories.
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or call 541-278-2673 with issues about this policy or to report
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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.
There are more
desirable locations for
a homeless shelter
The recent article in the
Hermiston Herald high-
lights the need for a home-
less shelter and other ser-
vices for these at risk
people.
The proposed site on
part of a 10-acre parcel
owned by Umatilla County
at the intersection of Lind
and Bensel roads is totally
unacceptable to any car-
ing person. That site is
so far out and away from
any needed services that it
seems the county has fallen
into the mindset of “out of
sight then out of mind.”
Would you want any fam-
ily member that has fallen
on hard times to be tem-
porarily housed way out
there? I think not!
There are several more
desirable sites in Hermis-
ton to be considered.
1) Former site of High
Desert Marina at corner
of Bensel Road and High-
way 395. Building is now
vacant and has full utilities.
Property is now for sale
and would meet the needs
of this planned activity.
2) A large vacant lot
just east of Hermiston Vet-
erinary on East Airport
Road. This lot has been up
for sale for several years.
This is the road to Umatilla
County Fairgrounds.
3) The most desirable
location would be a vacant
parcel at the end of Port
Drive adjacent to the Ore-
gon National Guard build-
ing. This site has a number
of important features. Util-
ities are in and close by.
It is close to government
services like the Oregon
Human Services Offi ce just
100 yards to the east. The
Blue Mountain Commu-
nity College school build-
ing close by, as well as
Staff ord Hansell Govern-
ment Center.
Groceries and phar-
macies are within walk-
ing distance. Medical
care is close by with easy
access by emergency vehi-
cles. Security concerns are
manageable at this site.
Other social services and
churches are close by. This
site can be easily reached
by visitors and public
transportation is available.
The Stepping Stones
board last year proposed a
shelter modeled after shel-
ters in Walla Walla and
elsewhere that use small
Conestoga huts to shel-
ter homeless individuals.
Unfortunately the site they
proposed was not work-
able, but we think option
three, above, would work
nicely.
Walla Walla has a func-
tioning program, why
can’t Umatilla County
put together a similar pro-
gram? Here is how it can
be done right: www.wwal-
lianceforthehomeless.com/
sleeping-center.
These services are
sorely needed now for the
betterment of mankind and
the glory of almighty God.
Please give serious con-
sideration to the above
concerns.
David and Elizabeth
Riker
Umatilla
Give us an eastern
route for I-82
When Interstate 82 was
fi rst plotted, the preferred
route was east of Hermis-
ton. Studies had indicated
most people coming south
out of Washington would
be heading east after cross-
ing into Oregon. Nothing
has changed except there
are more of them. Con-
sideration of an east/west
bridge route is a desirable
goal, but an east route for
I-82 is more urgent.
In early 1980, when
I-82 was being consid-
ered, the business people in
Hermiston lobbied for and
successfully persuaded the
state to build a west alter-
nate and leave Highway
395 to go through Herm-
iston. Now I have heard
there have been poten-
tial businesses who have
not come into Hermis-
ton because of the traffi c
problems.
Enough already. Give us
an eastern route to I-82.
As for the bridge route,
Elm Avenue should be a
non-starter. There will be
schools on each side of
the route. There is a pro-
liferation of housing adja-
cent to the street. The inter-
section with Highway 395
has resulted in two truck
caused deaths in recent
years and there is a poten-
tial for more deaths. All of
these hazards will dictate a
reduction in speed.
The Punkin Center
route would lend itself to a
roundabout, which traffi c
planners indicate will move
traffi c more effi ciently.
Carlisle Harrison
Hermiston
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, 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.