A4 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2022
OPINION READER’S FORUM
Founded in 1906
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2022
A4
OUR VIEW
Response to Shearer’s fi re reveals our character
I
f it isn’t one thing, it’s another.
Disease, deaths, car acci-
dents and more have beset our
community.
Last week, yet another terri-
ble happening occurred. And, once
again, we would like to express our
gratitude to the helpers.
An explosion at Shearer’s Foods
in Hermiston resulted in a fi re that
consumed its building. Thick, black
smoke poured from the wreckage and
rose high over the town. People from
towns dozens of miles away, said
they could see the smoke.
At the scene, workers were quick
to evacuate by car and by foot. Other
individuals got as close as they were
permitted to meet their loved ones
and see that they were unhurt.
It is amazing that injuries
were minor. The fi re resulted in a
destroyed building. Its ruins were
largely fl attened. It is now a heap of
twisted metal. We wonder how peo-
ple made it out with their lives, let
alone their health.
We have some idea how lives were
saved, though. According to fi refi ght-
ers, Shearer’s was on top of its game,
at least in regards to the evacuation.
Management accounted for all of its
workers, and they were able to notify
fi refi ghters. This being the case, fi re-
fi ghters did not have to enter the
inferno for rescues.
The heroic fi refi ghters from Uma-
tilla County Fire District No. 1 and
other responding agencies did have
opportunity to show their mettle,
however. Brave fi refi ghters worked
throughout the day and much of the
night to put water on the fi re and
keep it from explosive tanks nearby.
They worked in cold conditions,
fi ghting an impossible fi ght with the
fi re. Exhausted, they only quit when
their water valves began to freeze.
By the time they quit for the night,
the nearby tanks were safe, and there
was little to do, except to let the fi re
run its course.
Umatilla County fi refi ghters were
not done for good, though, as they
returned the following day to put
out remaining fi res at the sight. With
heavy equipment, they lifted fallen
walls to gain access to burning hot
spots.
With the fi re extinguished, inves-
tigators will get to the bottom of this
happening. This will be only part
of our eff orts as there is much more
work to be done.
Hermiston will need to fi nd a
way to make up for what has been
lost. Shearer’s Foods, local govern-
ment, schools, employers and more
will need to support displaced work-
ers. They will need good jobs, which
match the ones lost and they need
money to live until they obtain those
jobs.
What we have lost as a commu-
nity — in the Shearer’s fi re and other
recent tragedies — is upsetting. How
fi rst responders have acted gives us
hope. But it is what comes next that
will show us the resiliency and value
of our community.
COMMENTARY
Inconvenience of winter can pay dividends later in the year
MARC
AUSTIN
EYE TO THE SKY
W
inter weather can be very incon-
venient. The intrusion of cold air,
coupled with either fog or low
clouds, makes for dreary outdoor weather,
which isn’t optimal for being outside.
When storm systems sweep in, whether
it’s cold enough for snow to fall in the low
elevations or not, there are frequently major
travel impacts through the mountain passes,
and if snow happens to impact any of the
airports in the region, these travel impacts
can have a domino eff ect. No matter how
you slice it, winter weather can be down-
right annoying at times.
It also can present some great recreation
opportunities if you happen to enjoy winter
sports like skiing, snowboarding or snow-
mobiling, but that’s for another article. We
often hear the statement “keep the snow up
in the mountains where it belongs” for that
very reason.
As frustrating as it may be trying to plan
outdoor events or slipping and sliding as
you make your way through town, winter
is critical for the stability of our climate in
the Inland Northwest. Unlike areas west of
the Cascades that regularly receive precip-
itation into the spring and summer months,
areas east of the Cascades struggle to get
much benefi cial rainfall after mid-June,
leaving multiple consecutive months of hot
dry weather.
While this is a normal seasonal cycle,
if we don’t get enough precipitation (rain,
snow, ice, etc.) during the winter, we fi nd
ourselves experiencing unusually hot dry
summers and worsening drought condi-
tions. This can also lead to longer, more
active wildfi re seasons.
The western U.S. has been in the midst
of a multi-year drought. Drought is no
stranger to the region, largely due to the dry
continental nature of our climate and the
rain shadow (area that receives little rain
due to blocking by mountains) east of the
Cascades. Despite these infl uences, extreme
to exceptional drought year after year is
rare, and it has a number of negative eff ects
on the region.
For one, drought is profoundly impact-
ful on agriculture, including crops, live-
stock and farmers and their families. These
directly impact the regional and national
economy, especially items the Inland North-
west is known for, such as wheat, peas,
apples and potatoes. Another more short-
term aspect of lacking precipitation in the
winter months deals with wildfi res and their
frequency during the summer and autumn
months. With little soil moisture, the vege-
tation that fuels wildfi res, such as grasses,
shrubs and even trees, dry out and cure
much more rapidly.
This leads to an earlier onset of condi-
tions favoring the spread and maintenance
of wildfi res, meaning the fi re season is lon-
ger than it otherwise might be given a wet-
ter winter. Those that live in fi re-prone
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
COLUMN
Serving others without being elected
TAMMY
MALGESINI
INSIDE MY SHOES
hile Nick Kristof’s hopes
to be elected the next
governor of Oregon have
been dashed because of residency
requirements, it is my hope he will
continue to pursue central issues
of his short-lived campaign narra-
tive. Honestly, I think he’s in a bet-
ter position as a private citizen with
friends and supporters with deep
pockets to aff ect change.
And he won’t be “distracted”
with other day-to-day obligations
of being governor. He can take
the time to focus on such topics as
poverty, homelessness and addic-
tion — several of the key points
he discussed during his abbrevi-
ated run for governor.
While I’ve never had the ambi-
tions, pocketbook or connections
to run for governor, back when
I was young, full of energy and
had time I was willing to share,
I ran for a seat on the Hermiston
School Board. I thought I would
W
have made a good addition with
innovative ideas, a connection
with a portion of the community
and I was married to an educator.
After I didn’t garner enough
votes to be elected, I lost inter-
est and focused my attention
elsewhere. Maybe my 20-some-
thing ego was bruised — I have
never run for a position again.
Instead, I dove into efforts that
didn’t require being “chosen” to
participate.
In retrospect, I probably dodged
a bullet. The fi rst city council
meeting I attended in Irrigon as
a reporter lasted more than three
hours. And a couple of years later,
I experienced a similar scenario
during a Hermiston School District
work session and board meeting.
One thing I learned through
this process is I appreciate fel-
low community members who
are willing to give of their time
in hopes of making a difference
in our community. While I appre-
ciate those who step up to serve,
I challenge our elected officials
to remember they represent their
constituents — and to reach out
for public input.
Another thing, that still seems
Printed on
recycled
newsprint
VOLUME 115 • NUMBER 9
Andrew Cutler | Publisher • acutler@hermistonherald.com • 541-278-2673
Erick Peterson | Editor • epeterson@hermistonherald.com • 541-564-4536
Angel Aguilar | Multi-Media consultant • aaguilar@hermiston herald.com 541-564-4531
Audra Workman | Offi ce Manager • aworkman@eastoregonian.com • 541-564-4538
Tammy Malgesini | Community Editor • community@eastoregonian.com • 541-564-4532
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areas are at a greater risk of experiencing
fi re near their homes. Even those who may
not be directly impacted by fi re are likely
to see indirect impacts to air quality due to
expansive smoke, as many in the Pacifi c
Northwest have experienced over the last
few years.
So the next time you’re itching to
head outside and catch some sun, but
instead find yourself facing fog and low
clouds, or snowy icy conditions, take a
minute to appreciate the winter weather.
It really is our water-supply lifeline, aid-
ing our agricultural interests, alleviating
or regulating drought and preventing our
fire and smoke seasons from becoming
so severe.
———
Marc Austin is a warning coordination
meteorologist for the National Weather Ser-
vice in Pendleton. Austin leads outreach
and weather preparedness programs, and
engages the media, emergency management
and public safety communities in building a
weather ready nation.
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 ©2022
strange is the Hermiston School
District and the Hermiston City
Council meet on the same night.
Why is that?
In an election night interview
on Nov. 6, 2018, Mark Gomolski,
who was serving on the school
board while running for a seat on
the city council, said regardless of
the outcome of the race, he would
continue to encourage the orga-
nizations to find a way to meet at
different times so residents could
attend both. It also would be ben-
eficial for the two governing bod-
ies, he said, as they continue to
partner on projects such as using
the aquatic center to host free
swimming lessons for students.
“If we’re going to be doing
partnerships like that, I think we
should be attending each other’s
meetings,” he said.
And here we are more than
three years later with both groups
still meeting at the same time.
———
Tammy Malgesini, the Hermiston
Herald community writer, enjoys
spending time with her husband and two
German shepherds, as well as entertain-
ing herself with random musings.
CORRECTIONS
It is the policy of the Hermiston Herald to correct errors as soon as
they are discovered. Incorrect information will be corrected on Page
A2. Errors committed 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
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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
Thank you, Hermiston
One of the beautiful things about Hermiston that has been
revealed over the past two years is the community’s dedica-
tion to putting small diff erences aside and focusing on the
big issues.
These have been diffi cult and trying times for every-
one. We have all had diff erent beliefs and ideas about how
to respond to the virus, protect our families and endure
setbacks.
But in Hermiston I have seen people committed to living
together, despite these diff erences. The schools are a com-
mon space where all our children learn and grow together. I
have seen the investment from people across the ideological
spectrum to ensuring our students are receiving the best edu-
cation possible.
I want to share my deepest thanks to the Hermiston com-
munity for stepping up for kids through this pandemic. We
are truly a diverse community, and that diversity has been an
important part of our strength.
I am so grateful to live and work in a community willing
to put our future fi rst.
Tricia Mooney
Hermiston
Congratulations Hermiston
I would like to congratulate all those involved with the
grounds and appearance of Hermiston High School. They
have kept the campus looking immaculate no matter the
weather, the pandemic, or time of year.
Congratulations also to coach Jay Ego and the Hermis-
ton High girls basketball team. That was a wonderful win in
a big-time league.
Mike Mehren
Hermiston
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