Bladine: Invasion of Ukraine sparks old memory
Thoughts of writing about the Yamhill County recall campaign disappeared when I considered the scope of commentary already scheduled for today: commentary from the recall petitioner and the commissioner ...
Bladine: City should resist utility surcharges
Surcharging McMinnville water bills to finance general government services is a topic featuring many numbers requiring complex calculations. One simplification would be to declare it a bad idea and move ...
Bladine: How will COVID change the world?
We see the physical manifestations of a two-year pandemic: masks, quarantines, social and civic separation, empty offices, canceled events, to name a few. What remains to be learned is how our shared exposure ...
Bladine: Patriotism doesn’t thrive in secrecy
There’s big political news afoot, but I was sworn to secrecy this week by Donald Trump Jr.’s email: “This confidential invitation is meant only for you — do not share it with anyone. ...
Bladine: Millegan stories move to Roseburg
Local news updates on legal and investment sagas involving James W. Millegan and family have been sporadic. Things are different in Roseburg, where the Millegans — J.W. plus sons Quinn and Drew — ...
Bladine: Evolving stories on Starrett and Kristof
When volatile political issues are morphing at week's end, commentary written on a Thursday morning is risky at best. But sometimes, the screeching sounds of impending train-wreck-like events are just ...
Bladine: Pandemic disturbs the days of our lives
Two destructive forces – uncertainty and disruption – continue to converge among people experiencing and suffering from the COVID-19 virus. Uncertainty breeds fear, and fear creates all sorts ...
Bladine: ‘Right stuff’ needed for downtown work
It was heartening this week to see the level of civic engagement and commitment to the next great phase of McMinnville downtown development. The Third Street Improvement Project has been launched with ...
Bladine: Newspaper views areas of change
Change is in the air — in here, out there, everywhere. We know the famous line, “The only constant in life is change.” That idea traces back to Heraclitus, a pre-Socratic philosopher ...
Bladine: Another year of looking away
Well, this has been some year. A year of upheaval in every sense of the word – disturbance, commotion, disorder, confusion, turmoil, mayhem, bedlam, pandemonium, havoc and even anarchy. It was ...
Bladine: Taking a look back for holiday thoughts
Looking ahead, it sometimes helps to look back. While searching for relevant words to pass along this Christmas Eve, I found a few from past columns. From 1999, a suggestion that people of any means can ...
Bladine: Holidays filled with uncertainty
Pandemic-related numbers are mind-numbing, even as they help us make better decisions. Behind the numbers, real people continue to suffer and die from the COVID-19 virus. Here are some disquieting statistics ...
Bladine: Inside elements of David Jubb cases
Waves generated by the alleged sexual transgressions of former Linfield University Trustee David Jubb evolved into a tsunami of controversy, recriminations and, ultimately, positive changes at Linfield. In ...
Bladine: Oregonians resist ‘vaccine hesitancy’
One of the most interesting cultural studies this year involves “vaccine hesitancy,” a key factor in the race to put down a worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. In September, researchers at Northeastern ...
Bladine: Don't just shop local; think, act and be local
Black Friday — the day after Thanksgiving — long has been the day our annual “Shop Local” promotion leads off the Viewpoints section. In this 32nd year of that campaign, we want to start with the epilogue of our 2020 installment:
