Letters

This spring I volunteered in the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Adopt-A-Lek program. Hiking across the vast sagebrush sea in the predawn light to watch the greater sage-grouse perfor…

The story that the old high school/junior high school/Armand Larive Middle School/Junior School was haunted probably had its origin in the 1960s.

I just read "Equally good and equally horrible," (published in the Oct. 13, 2021, Hermiston Herald) and it just makes my blood boil.

Bill Aney's recent column about elk on private property caught my interest. The author seemed to object to property owners charging to hunt elk on private land, even though this is done in eve…

Bi-Mart has let our community down. With little notice they sold their pharmacies, including the one in Hermiston, to Walgreen's, who decided to close it immediately. This has negatively impac…

It would have been unthinkable in 1957, when I started teaching in Hermiston, for any person involved with school children to refuse showing they were free of tuberculosis. The certification n…

On Oct. 2, my younger brother told me he has end stage cancer. We do not know how long he will live. New technology to improve cancer early detection and save lives is on our fingertips. Sever…

Sen. Ron Wyden deserves thanks for creating the River Democracy Act. As drought and fire make so clear, protecting watersheds is fundamental to countering the effects of climate change and pre…

Umatilla County residents should follow the old axiom of keeping our mouths shut and just letting people think we’re ignorant and not opening our mouths and removing all doubt.

The Greater Hermiston CityFest was an amazing event. The event had three objectives: bring regional churches together, 63 churches and organizations participated; learn how local churches can …

The recent article in the Hermiston Herald highlights the need for a homeless shelter and other services for these at risk people.

Why, why, why haven’t the Trump children initiated an intervention by now for the sake of our democracy?

You should have seen their faces! Nearly 100 veterans and professional river guides from throughout the Pacific Northwest took to the Columbia River on Saturday, Sept. 11, for a day at “ Fish'…

I would like to take this opportunity to commend the Hermiston Herald for its coverage of the Greater Hermiston CityFest with Andrew Palau. CityFest is just another shining example of the sacr…

Where do you think the laws of science and the laws of the natural world come from? The Big Bang didn't create them. The Big Bang couldn't have happened without them. So what created them? Her…

I really hate having to mask up again. but I also hated flak jackets when I was in Vietnam. But I wore one, and it saved my life. The mask, although from several accounts it isn't considered e…

I recently was given an analogy in defense of Critical Race Theory. "Critical Height Theory — tall people have more privilege than shorties." My reply:

I have one word for those of you that have yet to get a vaccination, fools! I can also add self-centered, selfish, sheeple and, Kool-Aid drinkers to that. If you don't understand the Kool-Aid …

Inmates outside the walls of Two Rivers Correctional Institution for a family play date — what? Forthcoming is a date to have inmates, also known as adults in custody, to be allowed at Hermist…

I recently overheard a couple of older men discussing problems employers were having to fill employment openings. One guy was adamant that the unemployed were all a bunch of "slackers." He cla…

On behalf of all of us at Threemile Canyon Farms, we’d like to offer our sincere gratitude to the Oregon State Legislature for passing Senate Concurrent Resolution 16, commemorating the life o…

Many, many thanks to Larry Fetter (director of Hermiston Parks and Recreation) and his staff for the marvelous job they did in building Funland Playground. This engineering marvel required exc…

It's raw animal instinct to protect the self first. By preserving the self — survival of the fittest — a being preserves its species by allowing the traits most suited to survival to be passed…

It's amazing to me the depths to which society has sunk in recent decades. Discourse, humanity, civility, respect ... all societal traits that are withering and dying, victims of the eliminati…

This is a very belated letter written to express my appreciation for the wonderful job Jade McDowell did covering the Dream Team last spring. She was so kind and supportive and did a great job…

Hats off to the Good Shepherd Community Health Foundation for hosting their annual Drive for Scholarships event on June 11. It was so refreshing to see so many people that I haven't had the op…

At EDP Renewables North America (EDPR NA), we celebrate Oregon’s progress in becoming a leading state for renewable energy. To reach our environmental and economic goals, we must build a susta…

I have a couple of questions for the Hermiston City Council.

I'm writing concerning the article on senior housing. What we need is affordable housing.

After living in Hermiston for 20 years, I have noticed how much our small town has grown in multiple aspects. I have seen Hermiston better their schools, open new businesses and create a commu…

On May 12, while at the Hermiston Bottle Drop, I had the misfortune of tripping over a parking curb and
 falling onto the very rough blacktop, suffering a multitude of lacerations — some requi…

It is great to see so much interest in our Hermiston School Board. In the 12 years that I have served on the board, I have never seen so many candidates run to serve the students and families …

I am writing this letter in support of Lili Gomez for Hermiston School Board Position 3.

As a candidate for the Blue Mountain Community College Board of Trustees, I participated in a candidate forum sponsored by the BMCC Faculty Association. Carrie Sampson-Samuels is also a candid…

I am pleased to see Karen Sherman is again running for the Hermiston School Board.

Over the past 4 years I always spoke up as a school board member on matters the public held. I thank you for the chance to serve. It has been an honor. I support Gain Gardner for the school bo…

I’m proud to be part of an area that cares about our first responders. And now is a time we can show our gratitude for what they do as we create a safer community.

Take a look around and you’ll notice western Umatilla County is growing fast. It’s important that our emergency response capability is able to keep up.

I have had the pleasure of knowing Lili Gomez and her family for the past two decades and it is because of this connection that I know Lili is an exceptional choice for Hermiston School Board …

I am supporting Dain Gardner for the Hermiston School Board. I have known Dain for over 20 years, both personally and professionally. Dain steps up whenever there is a need, so it was no surpr…

I’m writing in support of Measure 30-148 to fund critical equipment, vehicles, and facilities in Umatilla County Fire District #1. These will keep firefighters and EMTs safe in line of duty an…

When there’s a fire, a wreck, a medical emergency, a hazardous spill, or any number of other potentially disastrous situations, local firefighters and EMTs are the first ones on the scene. The…

The fact that COVID-19 cases in the county have rapidly increased since businesses were allowed to open up and the fact that vaccinations are now available to everyone over 16, I am suggesting…

This letter is to support Measure 30-148, the bond to increase funding for our fire district, Umatilla County Fire District #1. As a proud Hermistonian, I gladly point out a few reasons why ou…

This letter is to introduce Mrs. Sally Anderson Hansell, who is running for a position on the Hermiston School Board.

Serving on the Umatilla Electric Co-Op Board of Directors is not a glamorous job. But it’s an important one.

Bryan Wolfe has his priorities straight when it comes to Umatilla Electric’s role in our community. He also has the long-term vision and track record of strong leadership to earn re-election t…

Umatilla Electric members have the opportunity to vote for a true leader and champion for local development in Bryan Wolfe.

The Center for Biological Diversity is absolutely aiming to reshape how Oregon treats animals by seeking to end beaver trapping and hunting last year and this year improve how mink farms are r…

This year, the selection committee for the Hermiston Distinguished Citizens Banquet hit a home run with the persons/entities that were recognized and honored. At previous banquets, the Woman o…

When it comes to tax money there is no level of government that doesn't slobber over getting more, even at the loss of land and freedoms to enjoy it by the owners. Such is the case with the vi…

We are back on Mars with NASA's newest rover, Perseverance. This mission is tasked with answering the age-old question of whether Mars has ever harbored life. We should remember that all the p…

It is disappointing when our side loses. Because of this, we tend to believe it when people say we’ve been cheated. This is called confirmation bias, and politicians on both sides of the aisle…

I was disturbed by a recent letter to the editor suggesting we should be refunded our tax dollars designated for education. I do not currently have school-aged children, but am providing "Nana…