Letters

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…

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 …

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…

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.

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.

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.

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 …

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

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…

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…

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.

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.

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…

Having just received my first dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, I am relieved and very, very grateful.

Over in Hermiston, privately financed construction of single-family houses is booming with 101 permits issued in 2020. This was driven by the strong growth in living-wage jobs, made possible b…

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 reelection to…

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

I really enjoyed the humorous article about mink as the precursor to depopulating the world. I wonder how many living in Eastern Oregon have ever seen a domestic or wild mink? I thought I saw …

Almost three weeks ago, the Wall Street Journal published an article ("Hollywood Renews Love for Westerns," March 8, 2021) that holds promise for Pendleton.

We are traversing challenging times. In part, this is due to a direct assault on the concepts that underlie the First Amendment assurance of freedom of speech.We can continue to utilize the So…

In September 2019, I traveled to El Paso, Texas, as part of a delegation from the National Association of Counties Immigration Task Force. The trip was arranged in the wake of concerns about i…

The Border Patrol recently reported that the border “is not secure” as they are overwhelmed with the number of immigrants crossing illegally. The immigrants are evidently responding to the pro…

In Oregon’s 2020 legislative session, for the second year in a row, Republicans walked out of the Capitol breaking the quorum and preventing many important proposals from being discussed and v…

The Arctic Ocean is warming up, icebergs are growing scarcer and in some places the seals are finding the water too hot, according to a report to the Commerce Department from the Consul­ate at…

Pendleton City Manager Robb Corbett has announced, despite the pandemic, increased tax revenue from marijuana and alcohol sales will result in an end-of-the-year cash balance that exceeds that…

Certain expectations exist in representative democracies. Chief among these is that elected legislators attend floor sessions of the chamber to which they were elected, and attend meetings and…

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…

I am writing this in response to the recent front-page East Oregonian article on Wil Phinney's 
tenure as the editor of the Confederated Umatilla Journal.

Fuel has raised 50 days out of the last 54 days. Oil futures are starting to raise to $100 a barrel. The world runs on oil; with the rise of fuel every consumer good will also rise. Yet, the
 …

I hope that all voters remember when they get their American Rescue check that not a single Republican voted to help you.

The column by Kim Puzey (To save community college, consider a K-14 structure/Saturday, March 13) about how soon BMCC won’t be able to pay its bills is inevitable.

Maybe you say, “The government is making too many regulations that interfere with running my business the way I want.” But really, who makes those decisions?

In 2019, state Sen. Michael Dembrow made the following remarks about the GOP walkout protesting cap and trade: “We know that the voters want us to be creating this program. Every legislator th…

There is a question I would ask, if given the chance to confront the myriad people who demand the rollback of COVID restrictions, demand the “right” to go maskless, demand a return to in-perso…

Lessons learned! Sound familiar? It’s commonly followed by “never again” in the aftermath of one of Mother Nature’s temper tantrums. Once the initial shock subsides and recovery commences, the…

I must write to express my alarm at the proposed House Bill 3115. As I read it, this gives over all public spaces, city, county and state parks, sidewalks, city parking structures, city halls,…

I agree with George Wuerthner in his comment (National forests, BLM lands should be off-limits to logging, Feb. 13) that forests are restored by natural processes. That’s about all, though.

Our family has lived in and loved Baker Valley since we settled here after World War II. My mom and dad built our family home, raised cattle and worked to support the community here. This wild…

I ranch near Union and irrigate from Grande Ronde tributaries — Catherine and Little creeks. I was not caught off guard by the introduction of the River Democracy Act because I, like all Orego…

This is pure insanity. Salem is trying its best to close up our bars by raising the tax on beer 2,800% with House Bill 3296. The Pendleton Police Department is helping by handing out those hig…

As an Eastern Oregonian who values public lands, clean water, and wildlife habitat, I was appalled by the East Oregonian editorial "New river protections may have unintended consequences” (Mon…

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 v…

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…

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…

Why doesn't the city of Pendleton clear all of our sidewalks of snow? 
Not once in 15 years has the city of Pendleton shown "us" residents 
that they work for "us."

This year, the selection committee for the Hermiston Distinguished Citizens Awards banquet hit a home run with the persons/entities that were recognized and honored.