In J.R.R. Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings,” Khazad-dûm is an ancient dwarven stronghold used to mine Mithril: a precious metal renowned for its strength and beauty. Unfortunately, the dwarves dug…
The Pendleton School Board is in need of fresh leadership.
I readily endorse Ms. Briana Spencer for a member of the Pendleton School District 16 Board. I, as the executive director of a nonprofit organization, Enough-Iz-Enough, as well as a Mission an…
Pendleton will have an array of choices regarding where it can spend its share of the mammoth federal $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act.
Briana Spencer first came to my attention during the #BlackLivesMatter events in the spring and summer of 2020. Since that time I've gotten to see her in action as an advocate, an activist, a …
It is with great enthusiasm that I write this letter to announce my endorsement of Briana Spencer for the Pendleton School District Board Position 7 candidacy.
I’m writing to show my support for Briana Spencer to be elected to Pendleton School District Board Position 7.
It is my privilege and honor to endorse Briana Spencer to the Pendleton School District Board Position 7. I have been a Hermiston and Umatilla County resident for the past 30 years, and I find…
It’s here again — National Poetry Month. If you were taught, as poet Billy Collins joked, that you had to “tie a poem to a chair and beat a confession out of it ... to find out what it really …
One month ago, I wrote about three areas in which the U.S. needed to catch up with the rest of the world’s wealthy nations : health care, education and child care for workers. Of these, the mo…
Testing has become quite controversial in education. We often hear about students’ test scores or teachers reporting test results. Then in social groups, you might experience people discussing…
I would like to put in a good word for Senator Bill Hansell in his stand for constitutional law. It seems as if every time he stands up for what he believes in, someone finds a reason to object.
A kick in the pants to the closure of Aspen Springs Psychiatric Hospital in Hermiston.
Pendleton’s city manager, on the behalf of the mayor and city council, is reaching out with a new survey to get a feel for public sentiment on future goals city management should pursue and th…
The Pendleton School District needs solid leadership, and Briana Spencer is the right candidate to fill Position 7 on the board.
This last year, we spent far too many hours isolated in our homes. We fought off a loneliness that at times felt endless and hopeless. Such focus on our own lives — the things instead of the p…
The spring/summer of 2020 forced many of us to evaluate and prioritize our political, social and practical activity. Consequently, when activism driven by social injustice collided with COVID-…
Briana Spencer has the energy, focus and commitment to community to be a strong member of The Pendleton School Board.
The reports from the Department of Human Services Critical Incident Review Team are some of the most heartbreaking things that the state of Oregon produces.
For those not familiar with the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence, this is what is said: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they …
All weather data has value, but some types are more valuable than others. For a meteorologist, a spotter report, or what we refer to as “ground truth” data, is extremely valuable. A spotter re…
Oregon lawmakers did something good recently when they approved Senate Bill 513, a measure that requires high school students to complete one semester of civics before they graduate.
This letter is to introduce Mrs. Sally Anderson Hansell, who is running for a position on the Hermiston School Board.
A large percentage (43%) of Oregonians do not believe they can make their community a better place to live, according to a recent Oregon Values and Beliefs Center survey. That figure becomes a…
Bailey Munck. What an incredible "silence breaker" at 17 years old. She too deserves to be on the cover of Time magazine, like the women in 2017 who launched the “me too” movement and began to…
I frequently read newspaper articles claiming the Bonneville Power Administration has spent at least $17 billion attempting to recover Columbia Basin threatened and endangered salmon and steel…
One good indicator of impending spring is the number of ladders rattling around on pickup racks. The carpencheros are getting back to business while government folks are talking about building…
I am writing this letter to express my support for Pat Gregg, who is running for Pendleton School Board, Position 7. I have known Pat for over 10 years and find him to be intelligent, hard-wor…
A tip of the hat to Umatilla County for moving down from high to moderate risk this week.
On Thursday, April 15, our public utility commissioners will hold their final hearing on Idaho Power’s 2019 energy plan, which includes the B2H transmission line.
“April is the cruelest month,” wrote T. S. Eliot in his poem “The Waste Land.” April has certainly seen its share of tragedies through the centuries. But 79 years ago, on April 18, combat avia…
Now more than a year on, state legislators across the country are taking steps to check the nearly unlimited emergency powers governors have assumed to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.
House Bill 3305 is a, as usual, poorly thought out bill that will help destroy agriculture business and farming in Oregon. As well, it will divert the traveling recreation public away from Oregon.
It’s not a bad thing that we’re talking about election systems in the spring of an off-election year, even if the tenor of the discussion is (unsurprisingly) decidedly partisan.
Serving on the Umatilla Electric Cooperative Board of Directors is not a glamorous job. But it’s an important one.
On behalf of the faculty, staff, and students at Blue Mountain Community College, we would like to express our utmost appreciation and gratitude to the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indi…
The Oregon Legislature is poised to approve yet another gun mandate and while the battle lines over such issues are clearly drawn, the real lesson for voters is they must remain involved and w…
The pandemic has impacted all of us. At worst, Oregonians have experienced the death of loved ones and friends. For others, it has brought economic pain and the loss of cherished family and co…
One-third of Republican respondents told pollsters earlier this month that they don’t plan to get COVID-19 shots. An additional 20% said they haven’t yet made up their minds.
I got dressed quickly. Somehow, I had missed the sunrise in my attempt to wake up early. There wasn’t time for a shower, and touching up my blush and mascara was going to have to be good enoug…
Last month, we joined millions of others across the country in celebrating National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month by reflecting on the milestones in our fight for equality that ha…
The days are finally getting longer and it’s time for spring cleaning. After a long winter, it’s an excellent idea to clean and refresh your home. Since your body is actually your primary home…
