Milt Reynolds: Thinking Out Loud

Plain-Talk versus 10-Code The Hermiston Police Department has recently changed their policy regarding emergency communications, returning to the time-honored, traditional yet inconsistent, 10-Code System . I'll bet a couple of doughnuts that the only people vitally interested in this news will be police officers, firefighters and medics . Oh, and all of us scanner-radio addicts. This earthshaking news hit the newspaper just a week ago, meriting one 24-word sentence. After briefly describing Acting Chief of Police Jason Edmiston's summary of the year's crime events, the reporter added this tantalizing tidbit : "He also reported HPD will revert back to the 10-code, a standard communication system used by police, that was changed after Sept. 11, 2001." (Source: Hermiston faces 'anemic' revenue for 2011-12 , Holly Dillemuth, Hermiston Herald, January 24, 2012) I realize that the news is tantalizing only to a narrow slice of Hermiston's popu...

Columbia Gorge Horsetail Falls

Residents of long-term care facilities sometimes have little or no contact with the outside world. Many feel they lack control over their lives. A friendly volunteer who visits regularly can be a bright spot in an elderly resident's day. Many residents are alone and would be very happy to have your visits. This may also help ensure they get good care if someone from the community is looking in on them regularly. Long-Term Care Ombudsman are advocates for residents of nursing homes, board and care homes and assisted living facilities . Ombudsmen provide information about how to find a facility and what to do to get quality care. They are trained to resolve problems. If you want, the ombudsman can assist you with complaints. However, unless you give the ombudsman permission to share your concerns, these matters are kept confidential. Our local ombudsman's office investigates complaints and advocates for the rights of long-term care residents in Milton-Freewater, Heppner, ...

At the seashore in November...beautiful weather, wonderful company (Robin, my delightful wife), comfortable lodgings (Ester Lee Motel), scenic view of the Pacific Ocean...God has given us a Most Excellent Situation. We've named our in-car GPS navigator, "Maggie", short for Magellan, given to me by Robin for my 52nd birthday, celebrated last week. Our drive to Lincoln City was easy, with several stops for short breaks and sustenance. Weather was rainy in spots, but nothing dramatic. Maggie has served us well...she makes it easy to find convenience stores, rest stops, and gets us back on track if we detour or miss a turn. It rained last night when we arrived at Lincoln City, but today has been absolutely beautiful! Sunny, warm, no wind...beautiful sunset this evening, and I was able to see the "green flash" that I've long heard about. The sun was sinking fast and I snapped several pictures with the digital and then with my Minolta SLR film camera. Just as...

In two unrelated incidents on the same day, an Oregon County Deputy arrested two motorcyclists for Reckless Driving, Reckless Endangering and Violation of Basic Rule . On the 24th of October, at about 2 pm, the deputy was driving an unmarked vehicle. He observed a motorcycle approach in the oncoming lane, performing a "wheelie" , continuing past with the front tire in the air for at least 15 yards. The deputy turned around and followed the motorcyclist, which was traveling at speeds over 100 mph through residential areas and curves. At about 3:30 pm on the same day, the same deputy observed a group of four motorcycles traveling together. Approaching a stop sign, three of the cyclists stopped, but the fourth did not, accelerating in front of the deputy who had the right of way and was attempting a turn onto the highway, cutting him off. The deputy caught up to the motorcycle, estimating its speed at about 110 mph, passing another vehicle in a series of blind curves, in a...

Hermiston Public Library You Are an Essential Piece of our Puzzle! Hermiston Public Library needs people like you to volunteer. Give an hour or more a month? Pick out books for a resident of an assisted living facility? Make a new friend? Read to/Listen to a child read? Straighten books on a shelf? Prepare craft items for Story Time? What do you get back from volunteering? New experiences and skills Service to your community. Volunteer service shows how you care about your town and its residents.