A4   Weekend of January 18-19, 2020
The Dalles Chronicle
TheDallesChronicle.com
OPINION
Is The Dalles a better place now that it is #thedalles?
I
’VE BEEN LIVING IN #thedalles
for a long time now, and recently
had to ask myself, do ilovethed-
alles.com?
When I first moved to the city to
work as a photojournalist for The
Dalles Daily Chronicle (a small
daily newspaper publishing six days
a week) I recall a man telling me
that unless you had lived in town
for at least a couple of decades, you
were perceived by locals as being
one of “them” as opposed to one
of “us.” Strangers—those who were
not born here—were, like children,
to be seen but not heard. New ideas
died on arrival.
The city, he said, was low and
mean and unkind to strangers. I
was surprised he thought so—but
then I’d worked as a journalist for
newspapers on the Oregon Coast
and was pretty intimate with low
and mean. #thedalles wasn’t that
bad.
From the
Editor
Mark
Gibson
“You’ll have to wait till you have
been here for a couple of decades,
maybe they’ll listen,” the man said.
Is #thedalles low and mean?
Looking back on my first decade
in town, I would probably use the
word “depressed.” #thedalles was a
long time healing from the closure
of the aluminum plant—a major
employer—not just once but twice.
Development has brought jobs, but
bumped up costs as well.
But the city, even then, was
putting up a fight. The murals on
Federal Street between First and
Second Streets are a case in point.
YOUR VOICE
Christmas meal
successful
To the editor,
Another Christmas at
Community Meals, and we passed
out bags to our diners. We had
a huge crowd. The best number
I can come up with around 90
people, who were served a meal of
meatloaf, mashed potatoes, gravy,
vegetables and a roll. All the seats
were filled, people were standing,
holding their trays and eating. Some
were outside at the picnic tables.
Our bags included a hat, scarf,
gloves, socks, washcloth, soap razor,
comb, toothpaste, toothbrush,
shampoo, dental floss, lotion, one
dozen cookies and a $10 gift card for
a local fast food restaurant. We fig-
ured each bag was worth about $22.
Thank you to all those who baked
cookies. Each year when I ask for 50
dozen cookies, I kind of panic. But
generous people come through.
Also thanks to Alvena, who
decorated all 50 bags. Thanks also
to Lana; she made all the fleece
scarves. Other donors include Walt,
Marjory, Donna, my brother Ray,
his wife Joan and Debbie, who con-
tributed 100 toothbrushes. All these
people made this project successful.
I shop all year long for these
items, looking for bargains and
sales. I already started for next year,
buying 38 pairs of men’s socks.
Please bring me items from motel
stays, or purchases.
My brother and his wife were here
four days; they brought their motor
home down. They helped pack the
bags and we transported them to the
Community Meal site in the motor
home—that was a big help, usually I
have to take two cars to deliver them.
Everyone appreciated the bags.
It’s usually the only gift they receive.
That makes this project worthwhile.
Thank you, all who donated.
Klea Espy
Community Meal board member
Good cooks for
hard times
To the editor,
My name is Trevor Ryan Lesley
and I am currently an inmate at the
NORCOR facility in The Dalles.
I would like to bring praise to
Carol and Rose, a duo of coordina-
tors in the kitchen at the NORCOR
adult facilty.
Yes, I understand as an inmate my
rights are limited, and my word may
be questionable. But I have had the
pleasure of working in the NORCOR
kitchen for over a month...and so
as not to insult my integrity beyond
what the label “inmate” already
does, let’s just say I’ve had the oppor-
tunity to work in numerous kitchens
throughout the northwest.
The NORCOR facility is by far one
of the best I’ve witnessed. Carol, the
head coordinator, is by far the most
caring and functional coordinator
in the industry, always making sure
the food is delivered in a tasty and
timely manner.
The lead coordinator, Rose, is
often seen as a culinary wizard,
meaning she can turn bologna into
steak, so far as taste.
Nowadays it’s rare to find people
who really care about others just be-
cause it is the right thing to do. That
means showing care and concern
without expecting recognition.
This may not be a front-page sto-
ry, but I strongly suggest someone
investigate. If you ask the staff what
they think of Carol and Rose as peo-
ple and coordinators, I don’t think
you will find anyone who disagrees
with me.
Trevor Ryan Wesley
The Dalles
cmarr@thedalleschronicle.com
CeCe Fix/Business Manager
• 541-296-2141 Ext. 110
cfix@thedalleschronicle.com
Tanya Lindsey/Circulation Manager
• 541-296-2141 Ext. 108
tlindsey@thedalleschronicle.com
Mark Gibson/News Editor
• 541-296-2141 Ext. 107
mgibson@thedalleschronicle.com
• Established 1890 •
Ray Rodriguez/Sports Editor
• 541-296-2141 Ext. 105
541-296-2141
rrodriguez@thedalleschronicle.com
811 East Second,
The Dalles, OR 97058
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Neita Cecil/Reporter
• 541-296-2141 Ext. 115
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flow, has even embraced it.
Perhaps the city has become
more open to new ideas. Perhaps a
few of the mean people have died
(or are housed at the new jail and
their children being educated at the
new middle school.) Hard to know,
impossible to say.
The times they are a changin’.
Again.
During the Small Business
Revolution airing of #thedalles as
one of five contestant towns, I was
struck by the number and variety
of people attending the event. And
that is the tip of the iceberg—at The
Dalles Art Center they are alltogeth-
erthedalles.com, the City of The
Dalles’ beautification committee
is going strong, Blue Zones Project
The Dalles is helping clean things
up on Martin Luther King Jr. Day,
and thedallesmainstreet.org is
vibrant and active.
It all feels very new—what with
all the .orgs, .coms and #hashtags.
But it all feels very old as well—I
remember the guys in “moon suits”
cleaning the mountains of pigeon
dung from the Commodore when
it was gutted and remodeled. I re-
member the Sunshine Mill Winery
when it was a decrepit eyesore on
the east end of town, everything
inside covered in historic flour dust.
We are, however, in a better place
today than we were back then—the
people of #thedalles aren’t so low
and mean, and you no longer have
to be here for a couple of decades
before your voice is heard.
Editors note: In truth, the orig-
inal question—do ilovethedalles.
com?—has gone unanswered above.
Sometimes yes. It’s fun seeing a new
crowd recognize the unique qualities
of #thedalles. Sometimes no. But
unless your just visiting, every town
is mix of the good, the bad and the
ugly.
C ONTACT YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS ...
Chelsea Marr/Publisher
• 541-296-2141 Ext. 119
© 2018 The Dalles Chronicle
The “historic” streetlights and pav-
ing stones throughout downtown
are another. So is the Riverfront
Trail, despite the fact that it remains
incomplete (there are those fighting
still to maintain and complete it.)
Columbia Gorge Community
College, the Columbia Gorge
Discovery Center, Fort Dalles
Readiness Center, the Port of The
Dalles Industrial Park—all were
formed or transformed in the last
two decades by those who knew
#thedalles was gritty and tough and
saw a future for it.
The “historic” identity was also
established long ago.
That said, I was a little surprised
when the new murals went up
downtown—they were not on a
historical theme—and I didn’t hear
a single complaint.
They were out-of-the-ordinary,
flamboyant and even cartoonish.
And #thedalles went with the
ncecil@thedalleschronicle.com
U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, 107 Russell,
Senate Office Building, Washington
D.C. 20510. Phone 202-224-3753. On-
line at www.merkley.senate.gov.
U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, 223 Dirksen,
Senate Office Building, Washington
D.C. 20510. Phone 202-224-5244. On-
line at www.wyden.senate.gov.
U.S. Representaive Greg Walden, 1282
Rayburn, House Office Building, Wash-
ington D.C. 20515. Phone 202-225-
6730. Online at www.walden.house.gov.
Oregon Governor Kate Brown, 160
State Capitol, Salem, OR 97301-4047.
Phone 503-378-4582. Online at www.
governor.oregon.gov.
The Dalles Chronicle is published Wednesday and Satur-
day
except:
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Oregon Senator Lynn Findley, 900
Court St. NE S-403, Salem, OR 97301.
Phone 503-986-1730. email Sen.Lynn-
Findley@oregonlegislature.gov.
Oregon Senator Bill Hansell, 900
Court St. NE S-423, Salem, OR 97301.
Phone 503-986-1729. Email Sen.Bill-
Hansell@state.or.us.
Oregon Representative Daniel Bon-
ham, 900 Court St. NE H-483, Salem OR
97301. Phone 503-986-1459. Email Rep.
DanielBonham@oregonlegislature.gov.
Oregon Representative Greg Smith,
900 Court St. NE H-482, Salem, OR
97301. Phone 503-986-1457. Email
Rep.GregSmith@state.or.us.
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