By Nicole Montesano • Staff Writer • 

Activist running for McMinnville mayor

Only current online subscribers may access this article and/or our N-R e-editions.

One-day subscriptions available for just $3.

For all subscription offers, click here.

Already a subscriber, please .<0/p>

Comments

Lulu

Does this mean she's already whipped California into shape and has moved on like the Lone Ranger?

Jim

At least Heidi speaks her mind and doesn’t hide in an office.

GRM

@Luly. obviously.

Aorta1775

Thank you News Register. I just would like to clarify two points so that it is clear to your readers.

1. I did not "shutter" the Facebook group Take Back Mac. I was an admin. in the group and the most vocal but the group was desolved by the original group creator.

2. I am a former volunteer with the YCSO-VRU. Just so there is no misunderstanding or misrepresentation.

Heidi Parker

Katie2

Oh goody - another out-of-the-area move in (like Starrett and Berschauer) who's moved in to fix everything wrong with us..........

GRM

@Katie2. Good to know that we all had a lack of common-sense. Luckily it’s now just around the corner.

SandyKnoll

I also moved here in 2016 and would never presume that I know better than the folks that have lived here forever. Insulting the hard-working citizens of this wonderful city is not the way to make friends or win votes.

Bizzyditchaz

When she posted that video a couple months ago starting with the statement, "I know you all have been waiting on what I've been thinking about this stay at home order..."
Really? Were we all waiting with baited breath for HRH to tell us minions her profound thoughts on the matter?
No!
There has been a significant swelled sense of self and I think this situation has her breaking.
A year ago she was very willing to be challenged by various opinions, not so much anymore. Her AIM page has gone from community activism and has turned into a one sided political cluster of blocking for having a challenging opinion.
Oh PAlease!
We need stability in McMinnville! Passion, but not bonkers passion and CERTAINLY not a swelled sense of her own importance which has been ever evolving downward into swampyness.

aim

i wonder if she will go down when she drains the swamp.

DG

I was impressed with her community activism when she first appeared on Facebook forums. However, there are MANY long-time locals who have put in years of time and effort benefiting McMinnville. They may not toot their own horns, but they have been working hard for years. I kept watching her though, as she appeared like someone who could see different perspectives and might be someone to bridge party lines. Then election time came and her FB group turned into a political ad. Folks who disagreed with her opinions were instantly banned and blocked (her group, her right). I no longer see someone who can listen and work with everyone.

becka1399

We do NOT need another outsider determined to tell us how to run McMinnville. We do NOT need another politician who will only serve those who agree with her. I have watched Heidi gleefully post photographs of the nasty flyer the Berschauer campaign sent out smearing Barbara Boyer, delighting in bashing Barbara. I have watched her block people repeatedly on the AIM FaceBook page for not falling in line with her beliefs. She was the admin for AIM, a toxic waste dump of of negativity. We need to seriously show her how wrong she is in her self serving belief that she should be our Mayor.

Lulu

Gee, Heidi, what about the 58,000 homeless in Los Angeles calling your name? Heck of a job, Brownie.

MBert70

Not at all impressed!!

Motherof3

One day earlier I posted that our beautiful Main Street park had swear words all over the park. Heidi went within minutes and cleaned it all off,

The other day I saw her out picking up trash along Highway 99.

She supports many businesses in our community.

I love that someone who really cares about our businesses and our community is running. It also is awesome that they are not attached to an industry hoping to win favoritism from the city.

Good luck Heidi.

Rhymeswithpossum

She calls stealing homeless people’s possessions and throwing them away community service (It’s illegal). Closed minded, ignorant, condescending, and definitely thinks she is better than everyone that doesn’t agree with her. Not someone I would vote for, EVER. HARD PASS!

Motherof3

One day earlier in January I posted that our beautiful Main Street park had swear words all over the park. Heidi went within minutes and cleaned it all off,

The other day I saw her out picking up trash along Highway 99.

She supports many businesses in our community.

I love that someone who really cares about our businesses and our community is running. It also is awesome that they are not attached to an industry hoping to win favoritism from the city.

Good luck Heidi.

TerriAlmon

I for one am so thrilled that Heidi Parker is running for mayor. I believe she is just what the city of McMinnville needs. In case you guys have not noticed The mess down Marsh Lane is returning. Many complain about her outspokenness but that's what helped get it cleaned up a year ago. I have watched her gather donations and hand out to people in need while taking garbage by the truck loads at her own expence to the dump. All while be a voice for the betterment of mac. So if her caring and keeping our city clean bothers you so much then I guess that's on you,right?

wmhackman

I met Heidi thru volunteering in the community. She has made it her goal to help out in the community to make it a better place for all of us to live! She posts her good deeds to encourage others to do the same, not to brag as some of you are suggesting! Nothing gets better or changes unless someone willing to jump in and take the lead, encouragung others to jump on and help. I am glad to see Heidi is running Mayor of McMinnville. She will be a gret asset in our Community. She thinks things thru, finds a good solution and acts on it. She CARES about MAC and wants to make it a GREAT place to live. Heidi has my vote.

rtistic1

Heidi has done much more for this town than any of the "haters". She has cleaned garbage and graffiti using her own money. She has put in serious time trying to get things cleaned up and has supported many small businesses! She does not hate the homeless but trying to find solutions. She truly cares for our community. She has personally experienced the repercussions of drug addiction. Yes the article got several things wrong and the headline I disagree with. This girl has given her all for this town cuz she wants to make it better and safer for all of us! I and my family will continue to support her. She is the real deal and EXACTLY what McMinnville needs. She is willing to listen on a bipartisan level for the good of our town. She is very active in our community and will continue to be. She will continue to have our support that's for sure.

rtistic1

Agree wmhackman

rtistic1

Agree wmhackman

rtistic1

Very well said Terri!

ZKorin

Heidi Parker did not start a Facebook group to boost her ego. She is actually quite introverted. She did it to bring light to the issues facing MAC because no one else seemed to want to address it. Everyone is complaining she's an "outsider" and too new to the community but I don't see any 'insiders' stepping up. If Heidi didn't love the community than she wouldn't be working so hard to make it the town she knows it can be. If you don't think she is the right person than start your own Facebook group and put your name on the ballot.

Crystallynnnance

I’ve seen the amazing effort this woman puts into a community she so obviously fell in love with!! I see so many harsh comments about her not being “from here” like why does that matter? She’s already done so much good for the community with absolutely no expectations of the community except for them to pick up after themselves!! This community needs someone willing to get out and bust their own butts too! She has won my vote for sure!
Also for everyone commenting those unnecessary and extremely rude comments, it really shows your true colors, and what you really want for our children’s and grandchildren’s futures! Furthermore, it shows how much you don’t give a care in the world!!

Highcain

Heidi is a passionate and very compassionate woman. She may be a "newby" but she gets out there and does what long time residents are not willing to do. She volunteers her time in many areas, from doing respite for our older residents that need a helping hand to cleaning up garbage and graffiti. Heidi has my vote. It will be a pleasure to see a McMinnville mayor out in the community visiting and being good roll model to kids and adults.
You go Heidi! You will get the job done!

aim

this is starting to look like her facebook page
i wonder if she going to ban me again

GRM

@aim. Exactly.

Treehouse

aim,
I suspect bots.
Multiple repeat posts. Same accounts instantly created to fill NR comment threads. Accounts responding to each other with nothing more than mere agreement in order to create a perception of "consensus" and "social proof".

These are propaganda methods, not community building.
Very disturbing and sadly part of an emerging pattern of such activity in our local civic life and elections.

I don't know much at all about Ms. Parker except that her personal activities gathering up and removing the belongings of low income people were not welcomed by city officials and created additional burdens not only for those whose possessions she removed, but also for a number of city and county employees who are tasked with assisting people. I thought it demonstrated incredible disrespect for the community.

rosebloomer

I don't know how we got along here before she arrived in town. I too pick up trash and volunteer but I don't feel it necessary to toot my own horn and post on social media every time I do it.

Another candidate please?

Lulu

What a shame that after she fixed all California's problems she didn't continue to goose step farther north.

Darrell Driver

Though I do not know Ms. Heidi Parker, there appears to be a larger question as to the challenges against the right of a citizen's right to participate in democracy.
If Ms. Parker has lived here for several years, then she IS an Oregonian and lawful local resident.
If you do not like her politics, vote for someone else! We do not seem to have many volunteers to serve as mayor... perhaps we should have more long time locals step up and provide an example of leadership.

Rhymeswithpossum

She is not open to opposing positions, and glorifies her volunteer work as the reason she should be elected. She only moved to McMinnville from California 4 years ago. She is trying to make the homeless a reason she gets elected, but does she realize that the people who she threw their things away as a “community service”? Yes, and that’s why she sent her people here to try to make her look good when she’s not. She claims being a marine’s wife? Well I’m an army wife. Married to one of the soldiers stationed in McMinnville currently. He is not retired... and I don’t support a 4 year Oregonian glorifying volunteer work for the homeless. I know the people who paid for garbage runs for the homeless in McMinnville...the ones that did it legally, were not investigated for it, and don’t advertise that they do it to get brownie points. Maybe she should go back to California and run for Mayor in her old town....unless she moved because not many people liked her where she lived...

Bizzyditchaz

Katie2 then why aren't long time residents jumping at the chance to serve in local seats? I'm here 7 years. I was not raised here, but my military service had me everywhere and I decided to settle here. I'm considering a run myself. Do I not qualify? I've served this community as an Assistant Veteran Service Officer here for 4 years. Briefly volunteered at MAC Habitat until my father got sick. What's the qualifier here? Do community active transplants get equal consideration? I personally feel Ms Parker has gone off the 3rd rail in recent months. No politician should be blocking and deleting opposing opinions that are expressed respectfully, as I expressed.
What's the qualifier McMinnville!?

Lulu

The qualifier entails moving here and instantly divining all the solutions for which we hicks, in our supreme naivete, supposedly have been pining. People you might recognize who proclaimed themselves leaders and convinced others they knew all the answers include Jim Jones, David Koresh, Charles Manson, the Children of God, the Rajneeshes. Next, take a closer look at her followers: slavish sycophant cheerleaders with the identical hostility and knee-jerk salute. Believe me, this maneuver is nothing new under the sun.

Bizzyditchaz

So Lulu, would I be disqualified because I didn't grow up here? Seriously. What's the qualifier? You're right about the AIM cult-like quality. I saw it too! She designated me a "founding member" without my consent!

Lulu

Dang, and here I thought the answer was in my initial sentence. A qualifier would be someone who listens before presenting a litany of changes. For the record, I've lived here since 1980 and will never be considered a true McMinnville resident. I offer this minor anecdote: While I was visiting here in the late '70s, my future mother-in-law and her Bridge friends were discussing someone's opinion about I forget what. One of the women sniffed, "Well, what does HE know? He's only lived here since 1945." Do the best you can with it.

Hibb

So Heidi Parker wants to run McMinnville now... I thought she already was with her now disbanded hate group TAKE BACK MAC.

Is she qualified? No. She has never held an elected office save for her role on a hateful Facebook site and even there she failed. God help us!

One more thing... Mac does not need a Californian running anything in Oregon, let alone as mayor. The real scary part is that the former Marine poser Aaron Sorta will be Mac's First Lady and I don't doubt that he's itching to be an activist behind the scenes.

Both Heidi Parker and Aaron Orta deserve each other, but what has Mac done or failed to do to merit their leadership?

Besides, how can we vote for anyone who cannot spell "dissolved" in their short-tempered response to this NR article?!

NO TO HEIDI PARKER!

Pedro

I guess I have a few questions after reading the comments from everyone.

1.)Lulu : Why is moving to Yamhill county and wanting to make a difference a bad thing? Many people accept immigrants from other countries as equals and applaud their initiative why not hers?

Sandy, I agree you shouldn't.

2)Treehouse sounds like something only an employee of the paper would know? But if it were supporters of Ms. Parker wouldn't it show she has a significant following? Most people couldn't even get someone to take a survey for free food like on fast food receipts but according to you she scheduled lots of people to sign up and pay to opine on this forum. If that's true she's quite organized isn't she why is that bad?

Rose: I would love to get together and pick up trash with you let's make a date I saw some trash dumped on the way to Willamina but was on my way to an appointment and couldn't stop and I don't have a very large pick up but if you bring yours we can get it.

Hibb:3) So only people who have held office can run for office?
That makes perfect sense am I to guess everyone else was just born in office?

A Marine poser? I am a little surprised the NR allowed a racist comment like that on this forum and why would you attack the candidates husband? Is that a thing?



Jim

Pedro I like your style. You speak your mind without speaking down to people like lots of folks on these forums. Heidi and Aaron seem to be kind and caring. If conservatives speak their minds the liberal left almost always try to shout them down or social shame them. Thanks for your thoughts Pedro.

Lulu

Pedro--I didn't insinuate people shouldn't move here and make a difference. They shouldn't relocate here and automatically take charge because they have seen "the light" that has eluded us bumpkins for decades. And treating newcomers differently is not intended as an insult. In fact, it's nothing personal whatsoever.

tagup

Tree- I think you’re on to something.....one screen name disappears and a new one pops up....makes me curious when everyone congratulates each other on the way they think and there “style”......:)

aim

i think they are trolls coming out of the new secret hate group

Hibb

PEDRO: GIVE ME A BREAK!
[1] Qualified people can and should run for office. Heidi is neither qualified nor capable of being an effectual mayor, as she lacks experience in the public sector.
[2] Really?! To you the word poser is racist? You should consult a thesaurus: My friend at Merriam & Webster say a "poser" is "a person who adopts the appearance or behavior of another especially in an obvious way." For synonyms please consider the following: "copycat, copyist, echo, follower, imitator, rubber stamp, wannabe (also wannabee)."
Nowhere is this racist and I'm shocked and appalled that you would try to under it was.
[3] As for mentioning Orta (or as you claim "attack") you must not be from around here, been to a City Council meeting, or come up for air yet. Orta and Parker are a team - elect one, get two. They are activists in the absolute worst sense. They attacked homeless camps until LEOs told them the next time they'd be arrested and then they turned into super advocates for the very ones they were attacking. I did not attack Orta but stated an informed opinion.
[4] In American politics it is common to call into consideration the candidates spouses. Right or wrong, this is what we do. Or have you never watched the news, read a newspaper or had an enlightened conversation? I'm starting to think your a secret supporter of these two California-misplants.

PLEASE REFRAIN FROM JUST THROWING OUT THE WORD "RACIST" AS IT IS CONFUSINGLY INAPPROPRIATE!

Pedro

Hibb, I'm curious what you know about Ms. Parker to form your opinion she is not qualified? So far what I've seen is this article and the AIM page is there something else?

And calling a Hispanic man who has served 24 years and six tours of duty a "poser" is very racist and despicable. So my question is if you are you going to apologize to that family because nothing else is acceptable.

aim

pedro, you are either in the secret group or you are arron because you are the only one who brought up his race. hibb called him a former marine and you assumed the race part, time in service and deployments. i would check yourself.

Hibb

PEDRO: Ahh-damn boy you've been caught!

And that folks is another good reason why we don't deserve the disservice of having either Heidi Parker or her apparently undercover operative of a husband Aaron Orta serving us in public office.

Lulu

Why are you being so mean to Pedro? Consider how painful it must feel to be hoisted on one's own petard. I, for one, was amazed he--or she?--saved enough energy to comment so frequently while simultaneously picking up our trash, returning McMinnville to greatness once again.

Jeb Bladine

This seems a good place for this post:

A letter published Friday suggests that we eliminate online comments, as done by many media outlets nationwide. The letter appears on this website for those who didn’t see it in print.

The News-Register has maintained a relatively well-regulated comments system that can produce interesting glimpses into public opinion that might not otherwise be available to us. We’ve seen the corrosion of that system from those seeking a platform for their personal political diatribes against the newspaper itself and/or against one side or another of an already politically-polarized community.

Even that has been interesting in revealing a level of animosity in our midst, but often with limited redeeming social value.

There are options:

We could eliminate anonymous reader comments, which would require heavy-handed enforcement. We could have stricter policies – something in-progress in case we go that direction. We could allow reader comments only on selected articles to reduce time needed to monitor them and perhaps improve public opinion value.

We just thought you’d be interested to know we are discussing the letter-writer’s suggestion, and also that we do have questions about reader posts that might violate existing Forum policies.

Jeb Bladine
News-Register

Bill B

There are no requirements that one reads the comments section after an article. I read the comments because I'm in others opinions and I presume that's why others do too. For the most part, I think most posters provide their honest opinion. I think you should keep the current process in place.

Jim

I think I can solve this problem for all you people complaining about the only person so far who has stepped up to run for Mayor. Quit hiding behind your keyboards and throw your name in the hat to run for Mayor. If you truly want to see change and don’t like how the city is run quit whining and get in the race.

aim

it is coming jim
candidates are not required to register until august

Don Dix

Jeb,

Online comments generated by articles in the NR provide a glimpse into how some people reason (or don't). In some instances, the back and forth between ideals and perspectives is quite educational and sometimes even entertaining.

Mr. Green wants to eliminate online comments that he claims are negative and devoid of fact. That claim alone is highly questionable. His plea to abolish the comments ends with this -- 'Dialogue is more important than ever, but online comments are not an appropriate forum.' Questions -- if dialogue is utmost, don't all opinions (dialogue) on any subject contribute to understanding mindset and differences in appraisal? After all, isn't Mr. Greens letter just a personal opinion?

Free speech is protected by the 1st Amendment (including opinion). Limiting that right to share information is only convenient to those who won't accept there might be opposing thoughts on a particular subject. Only listening to or reading what one believes is the real issue, and contributes to widening the divide so prevalent in this society today (congress for an example). As witnessed lately, that hasn't been an adequate reaction, in my opinion.



myopinion

Can't put my finger on it, but there is just something about her that rubs me the wrong way.....she does like to toot her own horn. A lot. Looky what I did today.............

Pedro

Mr.Bladine, are you suggesting I am a "fake account maker' because you are you have the ability to look at my credit card and compare it to my name on here. You really should consider any inferences you want to make because people like me will challenge you. You can offer me an apology in the same venue you chose to accuse me or I am happy to stop by your office and show you my skin, my credit card etc But when I do I don't want you to disclose my last name in this forum I don't need people like the ones in here to go after my job or my significant other's job or my kids because I don't have faith that people who respond to different opinions like some of your readers wouldn't be that vengeful.
I had no idea my questions or comments would incite such vitriol but I had higher hopes a publication would be more responsible with their comment section and maybe have some sort of insistence on respect or expect maybe less insults and maybe more facts? Most journalists prefer facts. Additionally I have not seen owners of other papers comment on stories one might think they would be above that?



Hibb

Mr. Jeb:

I think the comments are an opportunity to glimpse into other people's views and thus enable one to better form their own opinion. I ask that you keep them in place, warts and all.

I for one will seek to better understand others and offer the measure of respect that I would like to be treated with in my personal contributions to the NR.

Lastly, I will add that while I do not share PEDRO'S opinion that you attacked him, I would suggest we all take it a little easier on him, as his own responses betray within him the very things he's accusing your readership of. I can't wait to see the full field of candidates for mayor and am curious as to whether or not the NR will endorse someone.

Treehouse

Jeb Bladine, I appreciate that you and your team at N-R are mindful and considering your options to respond to instances of coordinated inauthentic behavior in digital fora.

There is certainly some value to be had in offering some anonymity in comments. Nevertheless we can all probably agree that even the best among us are slightly less diplomatic when commenting behind an assumed identity.

But any real community, whether physical or digital, has the ability to respond to excess and signal its disapproval of trolling behavior. And rampant falsehood can always be refuted with facts and references.

The greatest danger comes from coordinated inauthentic behavior, because these kinds of campaigns attack the legitimacy of the community itself. I hope whatever you decide to do, you keep that foremost in mind.

Treehouse

In re: Pedro,
"But if it were supporters of Ms. Parker wouldn't it show she has a significant following? ... If that's true she's quite organized isn't she why is that bad?"

Well, another way of looking at it is this is you saying the quiet part out loud.

If Ms. Parker is, as you are implying here (and it is you implying it), organizing and prodding a group of her supporters to seek out online fora and commentary such as these, and fill them with kind, flattering, or supportive comments, then what would be "bad" about that would be to fail to be completely transparent and open about it. It would be "bad" to do that and either to try to conceal it or to allow it to appear "spontaneous", when it is not.

That would be bad.

Jeb Bladine

Pedro,

My post made no such suggestion, simply saying: “We do have questions about reader posts that might violate existing Forum policies.”

You yourself cited “vitriol” in comments, and that is an area of question about possible violations of policy. We are looking to see if changes are needed, and I don't know how that raised an issue of your identify. You seem to think we compared your account name to your credit card name, and I can assure you we did no such thing.

You are, of course, welcome to come to our office to talk about Forum policies. And if ever the time comes when I feel “above” the people who participate in public discussion here, that's when I'll know it's time to retire from the newspaper.

For others, we appreciate your input into the discussion of having online comments. FYI, the published letter produced passionate responses from two readers support the letter-writer, and some of your comments here have provided off-setting opinions.

Jeb Bladine
News-Register

  • Most viewed
  • Most commented
Web Design and Web Development by Buildable