Joni Mitchell famously wrote “You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone,” a lyric that applies in 2021 as much as it did back in 1969 when “Big Yellow Taxi” was written.
There was not much fanfare, but the official reopening of the Oregon’s Capitol last week should be good news for all voters.
Beginning June 26, Northeastern Oregon and south-central Washington experienced one of the most historic and unprecedented heat waves the area has ever experienced. Reported impacts throughout…
It was a bit surprising to discover that some of the rivers proposed for Wild and Scenic designation were dried up or creeks, streams or gulches — not really rivers at all.
Here we are, at the beginning of what could prove to be worst wildfire season ever, and the world's best firefighting tool sits unused and not ready to go because of decisions made by the U.S.…
It's laudable that the Divide Camp uses nature to heal the wounds of our veterans, but trapping has no place in this therapy.
Twenty-five years and more than 100,000 calls for service.
With our state so angrily divided, I was heartened to learn about the Malheur Community Empowerment for the Owyhee Act, a collaborative and realistic plan that brings together diverse groups…
They’re dubbed “news deserts” and denote a community that lacks any type of independent news sources such as a daily or weekly newspaper.
At least at first glance, the idea that police departments should be abolished in favor of other methods of protection seems so counterintuitive, it’s difficult to know where to begin.
We take it for granted, yet it is almost supernatural. We all begin our lives in it, need it daily, yet it’s becoming harder to find. Sixty percent of your body is water, 70% of our planet is …
The state and the federal government are not going to decide if students in Bend will wear masks when they return to school in the fall. Oregon school boards and school administrators will dec…
Before the pandemic, the Oregon Employment Department answered 90% of its calls within five minutes.
The Oregon Department of Transportation has spent on average 1.1% of state highway funds on pedestrian and bicycle improvements over the last 30 years. At that rate, it would take the state 15…
Every July 4 since 1995, I've worn the same T-shirt. It is now full of holes and shredded. It is a commemorative shirt. On the front is an artist's rendering of a wildland firefighter kneeling…
Your “Our View” column I have to believe is also the view of The Observer. Let’s examine your view in the June 15 paper, “Mob violence has no place in American democracy.”
We must get money out of our democracy and make our votes count. Sens. Merkley and Wyden must do whatever it takes to get the For the People Act passed in the Senate and signed into law.
I was delighted to learn that “civics” is now required in the high school curriculum; however, there is a lot of fake news out there.
At first glance the La Grande City Council meeting last week wasn’t anything to write home about.
Those of us who live west of the Rockies are all too familiar with the profound East Coast bias in the media. From sports to politics, or even business, if it happens outside of New York or Wa…
We have made a point to bring up the danger from range and forest fires before on this page and in this space, but as the temperatures climb the risk bears repeating.
The electric power company brochures and pamphlets are printed on stained and faded cardstock, in the limited palette of inks available in the 1920s and 1930s. Along with newspaper ads, those …
It may not be a dream come true for you, but you will be able to participate in more government meetings from your couch.
Back in March of 2020, the best defense against COVID-19 was to limit exposure. There was no official cure and no effective treatment.
There is little doubt sitting on a local elected board can be a hard job. Hometown politicians do not get paid much and they receive, at times, plenty of criticism.
Starting in July, EO Media Group is launching Go! Magazine, a regional weekly arts and entertainment publication designed to do exactly what it says — get readers to “go” out and experience al…
With the Fourth of July holiday looming, it is often easy to forget just how close the whole American independence effort came to failure.
The 2021 legislative session started with the hope that the state Legislature would honor our Vietnam veterans by passing a bill to establish a Vietnam War Memorial on the Oregon State Capitol…
If you are a newcomer to Oregon and yearn for booze, you learn quickly that you can only buy hard liquor in state liquor stores.
As a Union County commissioner I do not support the efforts of Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley to designate an additional 4,700 miles of Oregon’s streams and rivers as wild and scenic, as def…
About the only good thing about the heat wave that is now descending upon much of the West is the Grand Ronde Valley will not suffer alone under the stifling rays of the sun.
Fresh off the Labor Day fires, and in the midst of a drought, I imagine many of us shared a feeling of dread when we heard of early June wildfires. Thanks to breathless reporting, west siders …
Oregon’s public records advocate should be an advocate for openness and transparency.
There never seems to be much good news regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, but the information that new data shows the infection continues a gradual decline in the county should be encouraging.
There never seems to be much good news regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, but the information that new data shows the infection continues a gradual decline in the county should be encouraging.
It was 102 degrees in Medford on June 1, 2021. Let me say that again just in case it didn’t fully sink in: Medford suffered temperatures as high as 102 degrees in spring, making it harder for …
Some high school graduates are proficient in calculus while others struggle with algebra.
The American capitalistic system is based on the theory of supply and demand. When there is not enough product to supply the number of people who want and can afford it, the prices increase. W…
It’s that time of year when construction crews will be out on local roads completing a series of projects and for locals that can mean delays and long waits.
I read an article a few weeks ago about Initiative Petition 13 (“Anti-animal ag initiative raises alarm among Oregon farm groups,” May 20, 2021). I couldn’t believe our state would even consid…
The Oregon State Hospital is nearly full. Members of the military have been called in to care for patients in need of 24-hour on-site nursing and psychiatric care. What led to the crisis unfol…
Picture this: You’re sitting at home, enjoying dinner with your family, when you look outside and see smoke billowing from a short distance away. You walk outside and join your neighbors, who …
Typically, Americans don’t spend a lot of time looking backward but we must know our own history so we can navigate the future.
In the 2019 legislative year, there were 236 Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives, four of whom were from Oregon. Out of those 236, though, the Oregonians were nearly indistinguishab…
The Oregon Secretary of State’s Office audits tell us what we know but need to be reminded about: State government makes mistakes with money.
In Union County our moment to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and Build Back Better is now. We must meet the scale of the crises we face with big investments in our economy, infrastructure …
I would like to propose we start a mail-in to suggest a new name for the EOU libary. Here are my four suggestions: 1. Sharon Porter Library, 2. Carla Arnold Library, 3. Matt Cooper Library, 4.…
Cliff Bentz, in his recent newsletter, wrote that he voted against H. R. 1333, because it “weakens our national security by preventing the President from suspending immigration from unstable r…
Some called it an historic moment, but the expulsion of Rep. Mike Nearman from the Oregon House of Representatives was really more about making a clear statement regarding unbecoming conduct b…
The Forest Service continuously justifies logging our forests based on what it calls “forest health.” The agency claims logging will “restore” resiliency. But few ask what exactly constitutes …
It seems unlikely that members of the Oregon Education Association, the teachers union that lavishes most of its campaign contributions on Democratic candidates, will ever pine for Republicans…
I asked the man strolling on the beach why he was wearing a life jacket. Trying to be patient, he explained, “My goodness, don’t you know the ocean is dangerous? Millions drown every year.”
Oregon’s political life bursts with conflict. But the state will be in trouble if the political life is not anchored in a way that serves and represents all the people who live here.
On Flag Day, June 14, we commemorate the adoption of the American flag. For more than 200 years, Old Glory has served as a symbol of our nation’s freedom and as a source of pride for our citiz…
Recently, I heard of a worker shortage. A trip to La Grande showed evidence with many offers to hire. An online visit to the U.S. Department of Labor confirmed that, as of March, our nation is…
My life psychology has always been “plant a seed or perspective and then watch to see how it grows.” I personally believe a state policy and/or regulation should be positive for all concerned …
