Oregon's public records law long overdue for overhaul
In July, the News-Register asked the city of Newberg for emails exchanged between then-City Manager Jacque Betz and Police Chief Brian Casey, then embroiled in an ugly battle ultimately costing Betz her ...
Is there room for common sense amid the policies and procedures?
Item: The Portland School District’s legal counsel orders district choirs to end 20 years of participation in the popular Festival of Lights program, staged over the holidays at The Grotto, a Catholic ...
Tribe on right 'track' with Wood Village acquisition
The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde has been an indigenous casino leader in terms of dollars and attendance since opening Spirit Mountain Casino, which soon became the state’s No. 1 tourist attraction, ...
Infusion of rigor pays big dividend for pupils
Yamhill-Carlton Intermediate School earned some of the state’s top marks in this year’s new Smarter Balanced testing, and it was no accident. Principal Michael Fisher and his staff embraced ...
Commission should seek way to video record its meetings
Last week, Yamhill County Commissioners Stan Primozich and Mary Starrett denied Commissioner Allen Springer’s proposal to spend $12,000 on a video recording system, with an eye to airing their Thursday ...
New opportunities arise out of Evergreen collapse
There is much to like and little to dislike in Yamhill County’s bid for Building 3500 on the Evergreen International Aviation campus. The 25,400-square-foot building, flanked by carbon copies on ...
McMinnville is on the right track as Alpine vision takes focus
In post-recession America, there is room for expanded vision when it comes to community development. And plans unveiled by the McMinnville city staff last week for Alpine Avenue, which is in line for an ...
Pulling for the good among the bad, ugly
By design, newspapers deliver a compendium of information — the good, the bad and the ugly. At times, the bad and the ugly seem to dominate, to the point readers ask, couldn’t we limit ourselves ...
Renovation of high school the most plausible solution
Much has gone into planning for a McMinnville schools bond headed to the ballot next spring. McMinnville School District recently announced its proposed plan, which at this juncture seems the most reasonable ...
Shelter deserves nod to expand operations
Anytime an application is made for a new subdivision or apartment complex, neighborhood opposition, often vehement and vocal, has become the norm. Such opposition enjoys an open invitation, bordering on ...
Oregon bridges soon to become a major problem
The Oregon Department of Transportation’s recent Bridge Condition Report noted a couple of positives. But overall, it painted a very gloomy picture of the state’s bridge infrastructure. The ...
Students off to strong start with expanded Kindergarten
The tide inexorably carrying the nation toward full-day kindergarten, up from half-time, has finally washed across the West Coast. And to that we say, better late than never. We would much rather invest ...
State of the City address lacking vision for future
In his State of the City address last week, delivered at a McMinnville City Club luncheon, Mayor Rick Olson presented more rosemary-flavored trimmings and less main course meat than we might have hoped. Of ...
High times for pro pot agenda
Pro-marijuana forces have been saying for decades that it’s not a matter of “if” the psychoactive drug will be legalized, but rather “when” and “how.” That thought ...
Careful reflection leads Wyden to back arms treaty with Iran
After initially voting no, Oregon’s senior U.S. senator, Ron Wyden, switched sides to help President Obama collect the 60 votes needed to enact a sweeping new trade pact earlier this year. So it ...
