A4 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2022
OPINION READER’S FORUM
Founded in 1906
WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2022
A4
OUR VIEW
Of course Hermiston is a beautiful town
his week, we would like to
state something that we all
know — Hermiston is a beau-
tiful town. This is true, despite what
some YouTubers might think of us.
Not a month goes by that we do
not hear about it. Someone from our
community will reference a video
like “10 places in Oregon you should
NEVER move to.” This particu-
lar video mocks us for our melons,
claiming they “might be the only
sweet part about living here.”
Further, it rips into us for either
not working or not wanting to work,
having a low graduation rate and a
high crime rate.
All of the numbers used by the
YouTuber are off , showing how he
does not know about our Hermiston.
And if you have any doubt about the
guy’s ignorance, he mispronounces
Umatilla.
It is frustrating to hear people
try to shame us for living in a town
they have never visited. Likely, they
know us by a few pictures of our
worst neighborhoods, taken during
T
Kathy Aney/Hermiston Herald
Kathy Aney/Hermiston Herald
Hermiston Butte rises from Butte Park in west Hermiston on Monday,
May 16, 2022. Hikers who go to the top will get a 360-degree view of
the city.
The Umatilla River fl ows past Riverfront Park in Hermiston on Monday,
May 16, 2022. The day-use park features a walking and running path,
benches and picnic tables.
the gloomiest months. They combine
those images with some ridiculous sta-
tistics, and they think they know us.
They don’t.
One needs only walk to the top of
the Hermiston Butte on one of our
many bright, sunny days. As they
take this trip up the landmark, they
will witness happy families. They
will see green grass and an amazing
playground on one of the best parks
anyone will see anywhere.
At the top of the Hermiston Butte,
in all directions, one can see our gor-
geous home. It is largely a tidy place,
devoid of the ugliness that is found in
many other locations.
We do not need to, nor should we,
compare ourselves to others, espe-
cially for the purpose of dunking on
someone else’s town, though. The
truth is, Hermiston is a beautiful
town, even without insulting some-
one else’s residence.
There are many beautiful places
within our town, just like there are
good-looking locales throughout our
state. And, like those places, there are
lovely people. They deserve respect,
and we do, too.
COLUMN
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Finding another Hermiston a world apart
CAROL
CLUPNY
SHAKING HANDS
ocal author Ronald E.
Ingle wrote “Oasis in
the Desert: The Story
of Hermiston from Sagebrush
to City.” In the early chapters
he established that the city of
Hermiston, Oregon, shared its
name with a tiny hamlet near
Edinburgh, Scotland.
My husband, Charlie, and I
happen to be visiting Edinburgh
as we travel Europe in celebra-
tion of our 40 years of marriage.
Charlie was determined to
fi nd Hermiston, Scotland. If
you know Charlie, you know
you don’t get in his way when
he gets his mind set on some-
thing. And we were off to fi nd
the place.
A quick internet search cor-
related with Ingle’s research
that there is a novel “Weir of
Hermiston” by Robert Louis
Stevenson. It went unfi nished
when the author died suddenly
of a cerebral hemorrhage.
Further reading informed us
that there is a castle Hermiston
still in existence. There was a
mansion there at one time.
We found a modern map to
show Hermiston Road, Herm-
iston Motor (a used car lot)
and Hermiston Park and Ride.
Chatting with some locals we
learned there was a new hotel at
the old Hermiston site. Gee, we
could have stayed there.
Instead, we rode a tram to
our Edinburgh airport hotel. It
took us right past Hermiston
Gait Shopping Mall. We both
noted its location so we could
return for a little fun.
Brandon Artz, director of the
Hermiston, Oregon, Parks and
Recreation Department, had
sent along a fl ag of Hermiston
L
Carol Clupny/Contributed Photo
Carol and Charlie Clupny pose with the Hermiston, Oregon, fl ag on May 8, 2022, while in Hermiston, Scotland.
ON A BLUSTERY DAY IN MAY, THE
HERMISTON, OREGON, FLAG
WAS DISPLAYED IN HERMISTON,
SCOTLAND.
for a photo opportunity.
With the fl ag in hand, we
found our way back to the
Hermiston Gait shopping mall.
A woman at the tram stop
waited patiently as Charlie
explained what we were doing.
She was delighted to participate
in our plan.
On a blustery day in May,
the Hermiston, Oregon, fl ag
was displayed in Hermiston,
Scotland. To mark the occa-
sion, we had some coff ee, did
some people-watching of local
Hermiston people and fi nally
got some presents for the peo-
Printed on
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VOLUME 115 • NUMBER 20
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ple we will meet in our future
travels.
We now have a story to tell,
and so does this woman from
Scotland.
It’s a small world. And there
are other stories to be told, by
storytellers we know.
Mother’s Day lunch was
shared with author and for-
mer Hermiston resident Karen
Spears Zacharias, her daugh-
ter and a friend at an Ital-
ian restaurant in Glasgow,
Scotland.
Before we left Hermiston,
I learned that Karen would be
studying in Scotland and con-
tacted her about the possibility
to meet up. She made it happen.
Why is it always so fun to meet
people from home in a foreign
country?
Other small world
experiences
We were seated at a restau-
rant in Oban, Scotland, and
heard a familiar accent. It had
to be a northern Oregon accent.
The couple next to us hailed
from the Hood River area, less
than two-hour drive from us in
our Hermiston, and on a tour
bus we met a family from Texas
who knew exactly where Herm-
iston was located.
It really is a small world.
█
Carol Clupny has lived in Hermiston for 42
years. She is the author of “The Ribbon of
Road Ahead: One Woman’s Remarkable
Journey with Parkinson’s Disease.”
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.
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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
‘We have only one good name’
In the planning and formation of
Blue Mountain Community College the
fi rst President, Wally McCrae, said res-
idents of Umatilla and Morrow coun-
ties made it clear that they wanted the
college to off er courses that would be
transferable to colleges and universities
and to provide vocational programs.
Over time “old blue” has kept that
covenant with our constituents. Blue
Mountain is often called a “gem” and
“the college”. Much could be written
about why Blue Mountain Community
College has enjoyed such strong sup-
port and has earned that reputation.
I write from the “old blue” perspec-
tive that I know best. For thirty years it
was my privilege to teach animal sci-
ence courses at BMCC. Our agriculture
department off ers courses that transfer
to colleges and universities as well as
vocational “hands on” classes and labs.
Between 1976-1980 the Blue Moun-
tain ag department established trans-
fer agreements with Oregon State Uni-
versity, Washington State University
and the University of Idaho. To date,
the success of BMCC ag students has
earned them Bachelor of Science and
advanced degrees from at least 12 uni-
versities. Students credit their suc-
cess to the advising and academic rigor
at BMCC in all disciplines includ-
ing math, chemistry, English, biolog-
ical and social sciences. There have
been thousands of very successful Blue
Mountain agriculture students in a vari-
ety of careers ranging from horticul-
ture to high school agriculture instruc-
tors to veterinarians. Most now live and
work in our local communities and help
to build the economic base. There have
been students selected for the presti-
gious “who’s who among university
students”. Some of these local agricul-
ture instructors have gone on to become
administrators in their own respective
schools.
“We have only one good name” is
a truth applicable to colleges and peo-
ple. As the college board deliberates
and makes critical decisions, I strongly
encourage members to not lose sight of
the directive given many decades ago
to maintain core academic courses in
tandem with vocational programs.
Paul Davis
Pendleton
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