OPINION READER’S FORUM
Founded in 1906
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2021
A4
OUR VIEW
Our great community looks for ways to help
The local area should be proud of the
eff ort made to help those less fortunate
over the holiday season but more needs to
be done throughout the rest of the year to
help stave off hunger in our community.
Volunteers assembled for a Thanksgiv-
ing community dinner and a similar event
for Christmas where they helped prepare
heat-and-serve dinners.
The dinners were possible only through
the work of volunteers, and the fact both
events proved to be a success illustrates
how important civic service is to many
residents
Civic service can be diffi cult. There is
no monetary gain in such eff orts, and they
can take up a lot of time. Yet here we have
groups of people who care – care enough to
donate their time and to jump in and lend a
helping hand.
That type of dedication is commendable
and such sacrifi ces help enhance the com-
munity and send a message that we care
about each other.
The work, though, doesn’t end after the
holidays. That is why it is important for
those who care to remember that their assis-
tance is needed throughout the year. The
ANOTHER VIEW
T
in delivery approach will
radition: The way
require all of us to adapt and
we pass customs or
change. Funding partners
beliefs to each other,
from one generation to the
such as the Oregon Legis-
next, to secure the contin-
lature and the Higher Edu-
ued practice or shared
cation Coordinat-
value persists.
ing Commission will
Tradition, or com-
need to rethink how
mon practice, tells us
they support not just
this time of the sea-
BMCC but all of the
son we are to look
17 community col-
forward to the next
leges. The role each
year, to set our goals, J. Mark
of those 17 plays in
resolutions and affi rm Browning
our various regions
all that it will take to
and communities is
improve upon our fortunes
unique and acutely needed
and futures.
to ensure the long-term sus-
Here at Blue Mountain
tainability of our economies
Community College, we
and citizens. Here at BMCC
have a rich tradition of serv- this is going to require all of
ing our students and com-
us, primarily faculty, staff
munities through educa-
and administration, to think,
tional opportunities that
plan and act diff erently. To
result in brighter futures.
think, plan and act proac-
May this tradition always
tively, to truly be “students
persist! However, adjust-
fi rst” and put their inter-
ments are needed. The tra-
ests and outcomes foremost
dition of our commitment
in our eff orts. This is a tra-
to serve is and must remain
dition which we have held
constant. How we apply that to strongly here at BMCC
commitment to action is
over the years previous.
however in need of change.
New markets, new indus-
Our world is changing
tries, new methods and con-
daily around us. The educa-
sumer trends really are man-
tion consumer has spoken.
dating that we change our
Loud and clear. We must be
approaches for everyone
more adaptable and inno-
involved: our students, our
vative in our approaches,
business and industry part-
our delivery methods and
ners and the region.
our expected outcomes and
This work will begin as
more.
we start to formulate our
The emerging indus-
long-term outlook, bud-
tries, along with very strong getary supports and opera-
futures in many traditional
tional plans in early 2022.
fronts, suggest a myriad of
It’s never easy changing or
opportunities for our stu-
adapting a tradition, to be
dents and for BMCC. We
sure. But the outcomes that
need to adjust. A number of
await students who are read-
community colleges across
ily employable — who have
our country are heading into the skills and abilities to suc-
these new approaches with
ceed in their endeavors —
vigor and equally encourag- make any eff ort worthy of
ing results. We as consum-
our time and commitment.
ers vote through our choices
Lastly, both Kym and
as to how we spend our
I would like to thank the
money. Education custom-
BMCC community, the
ers should expect the same.
Pendleton and area com-
You learn of new oppor-
munities who have been so
tunities in a quickly grow-
welcoming of us as we’ve
ing fi eld such as data and
started our next chapter of
cyber security. Why should
our lives here. You have
you have to wait until the
been warm in reaching out,
next start of an academic
so very helpful in getting
year to begin? Why should
settled — it truly is feeling
you have to wait even until
like home for us!
the next quarter or semes-
May each of you enjoy
ter? Shorter-term courses,
the season and have a won-
more focused training with
derful new year ahead. Go
an eye to outcomes are crit-
Timberwolves.
ical to our future success. A
———
new Blue, if you will, mov-
J. Mark Browning is the
ing forward.
president of Blue Mountain
These types of shifts
Community College.
Printed on
recycled
newsprint
VOLUME 114 • NUMBER 51
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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.
That’s why fi nding a way to help local
food banks is not only a good idea but
the right thing to do. Food banks gen-
erally can count on some help from the
state, but they are always in need of more
assistance.
Finding a way to donate some food to
a local bank is a good, small way to help.
Instead of watching from the sidelines and
dismissing the problem, a donation to a
food bank will help someone, somewhere.
We are a great community, and our
future is bright. Let’s make sure everyone
can participate in that bright future.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
The tradition
of change
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plight of those among us who are less for-
tunate, or homeless, doesn’t have an expira-
tion date. The struggle for many continues
through winter and into spring and summer.
So, it is important – in fact crucial – that
we all stay focused on the ongoing chal-
lenge of homelessness and helping those
who struggle to feed their families.
In a great nation such as this, a mighty
engine of economic democracy, no one
anywhere should go hungry. The fact is,
though, many still do. As a community, we
should not tolerate anyone going hungry at
any time.
Periodical postage paid at Hermiston, OR.
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Hermiston Herald, 333 E. Main St.,
Hermiston, OR 97838.
Member of EO Media Group Copyright ©2021
Greg Smith earns deep
gratitude
This is sent in response to the
editorial “Our View — Where has
Rep. Greg Smith been.”
Over the past several weeks
Community Counseling Solutions
has spent 40-plus hours respond-
ing to a grant application that
would provide increased capacity
to behavioral health services in our
fi ve-county region. We followed the
application instructions and submit-
ted our response, only to fi nd out
on Dec. 21 that our application had
been rejected based upon a diff erent
interpretation of the instructions.
We were devastated.
Given the signifi cance of the
funding, I called legislators the next
day, including Rep. Greg Smith.
Within 30 minutes, I received a call
from Greg. Patiently and intently,
Greg listened to the issue, shared his
concerns with the decision and con-
veyed to his aide and myself exactly
what he was going to do. Over the
next several hours, a multitude of
emails and phone calls were made,
and at the end of the day there was
an email response to Greg from the
state indicating that a path forward
had been found.
I cannot express how deep my
gratitude is to Rep. Smith. Three
days before Christmas he made
himself immediately available to
our small agency’s concern and dil-
igently worked to address the issue.
We now have hope in a situation
that felt hopeless. Thank you, Rep.
Smith, for your genuine concern
and quick response.
Kimberly Lindsay
Director, Community
Counseling Solutions
Heppner
Keep ‘purple’ Umatilla County
in Oregon
As a teenager growing up in
Moscow, Idaho, I heard talk sup-
porting the idea that eastern Wash-
ington, northern Idaho and western
Montana should all band together to
form a new state called “Washida-
mont.” You can see where that idea
went.
Now I hear talk that several Ore-
gon counties should become part of
Idaho with the reasoning that the
rural counties don’t agree with the
politics, policies and laws passed by
the Oregon congress.
Let’s take a look at some of the
ramifi cations of joining Idaho.
Umatilla County has more than
47,000 registered voters. They
would all have to reregister in
Idaho, and that state does not have
mail-in voting except for absen-
tee voters. Umatilla County would
have to reset its election systems,
and many voters in rural areas
would face hardships to vote.
Driver’s licenses would have to
be issued by the state of Idaho. Pass-
ports would have to be updated and
addresses changed. All of this costs
money. Jobs with required certifi -
cations such as registered nurses,
teachers, lawyers, real estate agents
would all have to be recertifi ed, and
again that costs those employees
money. Schools would have to be
accredited according to Idaho law.
It goes on and on.
Oregon state employees who live
and work in Umatilla County would
no longer be employed here — will
Idaho replace these workers? What
about those jobs and the economic
eff ect on the communities? What
about the land that Oregon owns as
state parks and Eastern Oregon Uni-
versity? And if we became a part of
Idaho, how would that aff ect the
current county employees?
Our lives are bound by laws
regardless of where we live; are you
sure Idaho’s laws are better? With-
out a massive review how could
anyone really decide? There could
be any number of unforeseen conse-
quences that frustrate us — no state
has a perfect set of laws.
Many Umatilla County voters
feel disenfranchised from the Ore-
gon Legislature, but I can tell you
growing up in Idaho that the vot-
ers of rural communities felt the
same there. I don’t see that the Boi-
se-based Legislature is going to be
any more aware of Umatilla County
and its voters. The issue is promoted
as “red vs. blue,” but it is more an
issue of population density; where
there are more people, they are
given more attention. That is what
needs to change: giving equal atten-
tion to all citizens.
We are not just red or blue. In
fact, we are purple — a mix of peo-
ple, cultures, political ideologies
and values. If you want change in
Umatilla County, then speak up
with constructive ideas and tell
the public exactly what you want
changed. Just saying that “I’m
unhappy” doesn’t really give much
information; what are you trying to
accomplish?
Let’s hear some positive ideas on
how to promote Umatilla County
and rural communities. Let’s hear
positive ideas that include all our
people on how to solve our prob-
lems. And let’s keep Umatilla
County a part of Oregon!
Margaret Normington-Jones
Pendleton
Everyone deserves share of
good life
I was born toward the end of the
Great Depression. The young cou-
ple who bore me and my siblings
had very few resources, but they
took advantage of the possibilities
off ered through the government
programs that edged the country out
of those troubling times.
A new irrigation reclamation
project allowed young farmers like
my dad to change sagebrush desert
into productive farmland. As time
went on and my parent’s family
grew, a government housing admin-
istration loaned money to improve
our dwelling and the land. Of course,
we eventually paid off the fi nancial
obligations incurred during the pro-
cess. I say “we” because the entire
family worked to make the venture
a success.
I must say that I never heard my
parents complain about taxes. They
were always grateful for the advan-
tages provided by the United States
government. All their children
became productive and valuable
citizens of their communities. We
eight siblings attended the public
school; we all had the opportunity
to attend one of the state colleges or
universities. I had a grant from the
state legislature to attend the state
university to become a teacher.
Looking back and remember-
ing the hard work on the farm,
jobs while attending school and
during summers, I am grateful for
the opportunities that my state and
national governments provided
me. Even now with the advantages
of Social Security and health care
insurance, I benefi t by living in
this country. I do not discount the
advantages of passable roads and
highways, police and fi re depart-
ments and the many other govern-
ment programs that I seldom think
about.
Yes, the United States came out
of the Great Depression because
the government created programs
to assist people getting their basic
needs met. Since then, the country
prospered, and some people have
become extremely wealthy and
often passed their wealth from gen-
eration to generation. Others have
fared less well. For many reasons,
the middle class has virtually disap-
peared, and there are families strug-
gling to provide necessities for their
survival. We have millions of peo-
ple in great need. Raising a family
for many is fraught with hardships
and barriers. Struggling families
need assistance just as the people
at the end of the Great Depression
received help to rebuild their com-
munities and the country.
The whole point of this letter is
to say that I want others to have
advantages such as I had in my 85
years. I remember the hard work,
even physical labor I endured, but
I realize that even then I had help
that is not easily available to every-
one now. My desire is that in this
century people who are disadvan-
taged have opportunities, as I had in
the last century, to build productive
lives and contribute positively to
their communities. We need strong
families and strong Americans.
We need the programs that
will be available when the bills in
front of the U.S. Senate pass and
become law. When our fellow citi-
zens receive their share of the good
life, my share is not diminished. It
is even better.
Evelyn Swart
Joseph
CORRECTIONS
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errors.
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