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 ...

Diversified farming the eldest of region's epicurean trifec

The roots of Yamhill County’s epicurean culture, planted long ago, continue to blossom. These days, the fruits of that sowing are being measured not just in tourism dollars, but also in celebrations ...

Imposing moral values on others is neither Christian nor Am

While a culture wars case was making national and even international headlines this week in Kentucky, a case raising similar issues was making a less ostentatious but equally riveting stir in Oregon. The ...

Pot not the only drug deserving a spotlight

The state of Oregon — and much of the nation, for that matter — has been wrapped up in discussion of pot. Unfortunately, that’s diverted talk from the drugs that actually continue to ...

Causes of conflagration clear, but solutions won't come eas

One of the worst wildfire seasons in history has struck Alaska, Canada, Mexico and the continental U.S. The heat of August seemed to herald the eruption of a wall of fire along their westerly reaches this ...

Thinking bigger about our water conservation

With water resources drying up all along the West Coast, it’s time to become proactive instead of just reactive in our everyday efforts to conserve water. One successful method, water harvesting, ...

Many signs that the public is tired of partisanship politic

It’s a definite sign of national frustration when Donald Trump, ooozing with bombast and arrogance, takes a double-digit lead in Republican polls. On a lesser scale, we see that identical frustration ...

Sorry outcome to cap series of bad choices

Yamhill County is prone to controversy under its current crop of commissioners, which makes for riveting political theater. The city of McMinnville shows occasional flashes of puzzling behavior itself. ...

Takes spark imagination, carry on spirit for future generations

It’s natural to fear treasured traditions may be lost on future generations. With Millennials growing up in tech-dominated times, classics, antiques and oral histories face uncertain fates. But ...

Independent Party needs infusion of citizen support

There is nothing more toxic to the political process than partisanship, and Oregon is rife with it. The Republican Party’s nationwide rush to the right — it has shifted 22 points toward the ...

Ordinance won't move needle, will draw ire

Last week, the McMinnville City Council passed an ordinance placing as much restriction on carrying guns in public as Oregon law allows. We’re sure councilors had their hearts in the right place, ...

Alpine 'festival street' can bolster development

From more wheelchair accessible sidewalk corners to landscape-changing capital projects, work tied into McMinnville’s transportation bond will have a lasting effect on the city.  But one project ...

For old-fashioned family fun, it's hard to beat county fair

Outside Native American culture, which dates back thousands of years, the American West lacks institutions and traditions with real age to them. After all, the huge waves of settlement by emigrants from ...

Emotionally wounded souls need treatment

In a matter of 10 months, a community that has gone many years without a fatal officer-involved shooting has experienced two. While the earlier incident fostered more questions than answers, the more recent ...

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