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About Columbia Gorge news. (The Dalles, OR) 2020-current | View Entire Issue (June 16, 2021)
4 Wednesday,June16,2021 Columbia Gorge News www.columbiagorgenews.com OPINION The opinions expressed in the letters below are “your voice,” and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Columbia Gorge News, its staff, publisher or advertisers. YOUR VOICE School supportive Dear Hood River County School District, After reading Superintendent Polkinghorn's June newsletter, I began reflecting over the last year's challenges for everyone within the Hood River County School District. My granddaughter graduated last year from HRVHS, and even though the celebration was altered and may have been a little disappointing, no prom or the usual senior activities due to COVID-19, the teachers, staff and community members made it wonderful and memorable. For me it was the parade to the high school on graduation day! The teachers, councilors and staff at HRVHS have gone above and be- yond to help my daughter through her junior year. She has every opportunity to be successful and graduate because of their efforts. I am so appreciative and thankful for your tireless support, determi- nation and courage in the face of adversity (pandemic). I cannot express enough my grat- itude to each and all in the Hood River County School District. Your commitment to the youth of Hood River County is exceptional. You are all heroes! Kari Goben Cascade Locks Right or privilege? In response to letter about voting being a privilege: Privilege (N): An immunity or benefit enjoyed only by a person beyond the advantaged of most. Right (N): That which is due to any- one by just claim, legal guarantees, or moral principles. Responsibility (N): Being answerable or account- able for something within ones power, control or management. It does seem that the conserva- tive right are attempting to reserve voting for a select group. This is ev- ident by the restrictive laws passed by many states limiting voting places and removing drop boxes in high density as well as sparsely populated districts among other restrictions throughout the United States. While I agree "Election Day" should be a day employers allow employees the time to vote during the work day, I would go a step further and make "Election Day" a national holiday for presidential elections. However, voting "in-person only" and only on one day as you suggest will exclude tens of millions of Americans from the "privilege" or "responsibility" of voting. This leaves out most convalescing voters, those serving in the armed services overseas and those with a debilitating physical condition. The cause of these restrictive voting laws passed in more than 16 states is based on the fear monger- ing and lies of a few that there is, or has been, widespread voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election. Yet there is zero proof this exists. It's a well known fact that Oregon, Washington and Colorado, all states with mail in voting, have the safest and most secure elections in the country. So yes, by all means, if you are able, vote in person. However, we must not exclude safe and secure methods of voting for those unable to endure the unending hours (not minutes) in voting lines many Americans are subjected to. Peter Dallman White Salmon Roving Raptor realities about the issues from the recent past: In 2020, Houston, Texas, election officials permitted only one drop box for a county of more than 2 million residents. Hood River had the same number of drop boxes for 10,000 people even with mail-in ballots. Many legal voters do not have cars and cannot drive. In some rural areas, these voters are now forced to drive up to three hours each way simply to apply for a voter ID to take to the polling station. Certainly that goes beyond the threshold of reasonable effort. In counties where many people of color reside, access to polling stations has been restricted under the guise of “election security.” This forces these voters to stand for hours in extreme weather simply to cast a vote. Frail or elderly people are harmed by putting forth the un- reasonable effort. New laws actually prevent well-meaning people offer- ing a bottle of water to a dehydrated voter to limit voter tampering. The only privilege I can see in this is for healthy individuals whose em- ployer permits them to miss work to vote. Without a national holiday, there can be no equality, and the GOP would be foolish to support A red tailed hawk perches on a dead branch in the morning sunshine in the Fulton Canyon area east of The Dalles Thursday, that. June 10. Photo courtesy Gary Elkinton Steve and Jacob Kaplan Hood River Thank you Sawyers involved is the only way we can only pretend to serve. keep White Salmon as the quaint Douglas Knight little town it is. Call City Hall, 509- Hood River 493-1133. Join us on Facebook at White Salmon Community News. Dorothy Herman The Grand Old Party is falling White Salmon apart. Disintegration or division seems inevitable for the Republican Party. Division seems the better alter- native in terms of a more peaceful, constructive and less disruptive The Fruit Loop is listed on the resolution. Our two-party system Hood River County website as one has worked pretty well, but it has of our richest recreational tourism been successful because two major assets. It's front and center under parties have worked within the con- "Community Profile," and I quote: "The county’s scenic, almost pas- stitutional system established back in 1789 for these United States. toral setting has made it a famous If it is to be division, a new name destination for visitors who come will be necessary. The Republican to drive or bike (for emphasis) the Party is a proud name with a rich famous Fruit Loop..." history, except for what has hap- Unfortunately, the collective The City of White Salmon is start- group of Hood River County com- pened over the past several years. That name should continue, but be ing a "City Lab Board" of 10 Citizen missioners, engineers and public free of the burdens it has carried works personnel, by chip-sealing Advisers, two shall be city council members, three City of White East Side Road, have diminished, if during those recent years. What to not practically destroyed, full public call those who divide and depart is Salmon residents, plus five mem- the challenge. bers that can consist of residents in access to this valuable resource. Moving under the new name We trust our public officials the White Salmon Urban Exempt should be all those who continue and employees to protect our Area, Columbia Gorge tribal reps, their allegiance to Donald J. Trump. community and to safeguard our high school students or other The time seems right to seek ideas infrastructure resources so that "regionally appropriate stakehold- for that new name. all members of the public will ers" to develop and recommend We need to further the conversa- equally enjoy proper use of our ordinances, resolutions, and/or building code changes that support public right-of-way... But instead, tion about severance, in the interest in the name of choosing short-term the adopted Comprehensive Plan. economics over long-term commu- I don’t want developers, real es- tate brokers and out of town “stake nity prosperity and health, and by holders” on the “City Lab Board” choosing chip sealing rather than a who want to cram tiny houses into pavement or seal coat overlay, that our established neighborhoods. trust has been squandered in the Too often, our city council is lis- most ignorant, incompetent, and tening to more of those from out of negligent way. The display of the county’s myo- town than the tax paying residents in White Salmon. pia and lack of true understanding A local developer is currently is abhorrent. The entire cycling Columbia Gorge News encourag- constructing apartments/vacation community and even more prob- es readers to submit letters to the rentals on Main Street in White lematic, some inexperienced tourist editor for the weekly opinion page. Salmon. He commented in the May riders, will now be forced to use the Letters on all topics are welcome. 12 Columbia Gorge News that “a Writers must include their name narrow shoulders of Highway 35 as friend in Portland recently finished the only other north-south connec- and hometown (for publication) a 100 unit development" with six and daytime phone number (for tive route. There are no other viable off-street parking spots. verification, not for publication). east hills / east valley road-bike He was complaining about the Letters from an agency or group cycling routes, and without East number of parking spaces he had must be credited to the author or a Side Road, where are we to go? It to provide for renters of the new contact person. will be 15 years before East Side is building. His new building will Anonymous or “name with- resurfaced and smooth again! have more than 40 parking spots So much for bucolic, healthy rec- held by request” letters are not but I sure hope he understands that reational experiences that benefit accepted. White Salmon does not have a Max the Hood River tourism economy Letters must be 350 words or train or Tri-met bus coming along fewer; generally, the briefer the and for our county officials actually every 30 minutes either. message, the better. Opinion pieces respecting and understanding the I feel the June 9 letter “Voting is If it weren’t required for his units, recreation portion of our popula- longer than 350 words may be a Privilege” missed most of the key they would be taking all the parking tion and having the sophistication published as a guest commentary issues experts concerned about spaces close to city hall and the at the discretion of the editor. voter suppression across the U.S. and wherewithal to know how and surrounding neighborhood. Letters are published as space have expressed. what to do to accomplish the right I am concerned about the people thing for this segment of citizens. allows, and efforts are made each First, and foremost, voting is a week to provide as much space as legal right, not a privilege. Any adult who move to White Salmon be- I, and others like me, demand possible. who meets a state’s criteria is grant- cause it is a "quaint little town in the more from our county government Deadline for letters is noon on and we would appreciate their Gorge” and then set out to change ed the right to vote in an election. the Friday prior to publication. Many of the new laws referenced in our town to look like the place they acknowledging their failures and We reserve the right to edit all finding newfound commitment and just left. We don’t want our White the June 9 letter purposely created letters: resolve to do better in the future! Salmon to look like Portland or barriers and undue hardships on Letters must be civil. Perhaps then, they’d actually im- voters, effectively limiting their legal California. Vulgar or inappropriate lan- To the residents of White Salmon, prove not only the life of our roads, right to vote. I say “get involved.” Getting Below are just a few of the but the lives of those citizens they guage will not be considered, nor Each year the fifth grade students at Dry Hollow have an egg drop activity. They build an egg drop container that can keep an egg in- tact after a 30 foot drop. For the last 10 years, Sawyer's Ace True Value and Hardware has been gracious enough to loan us a lift. It is nice to have a business in The Dalles that supports education and is willing to go the extra mile for kids. Sawyers is that kind of busi- ness. Thank you for your support! Sincerely, Courtney Kiser Dry Hollow Elementary School The Dalles Falling apart Chip seal bad for bicyclists Get involved in city planning of preserving our two party system and our democracy. Too much attention is being paid to the noise created by a small number of loud voices, and not enough to reality. The reality is that while we may read that “a large majority of Republican voters still back the former president” Republican voters represent only about 25% of those registered to vote. Unless a large percentage of those registered as Independent support the Big Lie, or efforts to deny voter access succeed, the odds are good that the unnamed group will not be winning many elections. A name is needed. What should it be? Lemming and Mugwump have been suggested. Google those and see what you think. Look for the David Frum article about the Mugwump name. The Frum article not only ex- plains the name, but also provides some comfort in knowing that our current situation is not without precedent, as the union survived a prior crisis in the Grand Old Party. Keith A. Mobley Dufur Want to write a letter? Right, not Privilege Regional news for the Gorge malicious, false or misleading statements. Letters attacking an individual, rather than an opinion, are not acceptable. Letters criticizing a particular business over a particular com- plaint or grievance will not be considered. The opinions expressed in letters are “Your Voice,” and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Columbia Gorge News, its staff, publisher or advertisers. Letters may be submitted online at www.ColumbiaGorgeNews.com: Scroll to the bottom of the page and select “Submission Forms,” then select “Letter to the Editor.” NEW — Letters also may be sent via email to Letters@ gorgenews.com. Or mail your letter “attention editor” to any of the Post Office boxes listed at bottom of this page. Mailing Addresses: PO Box 1910, The Dalles, OR 97058 PO Box 390, Hood River, OR 97031 PO Box 218, White Salmon, WA 98672 Columbia Gorge News HOOD RIVER | THE DALLES | WHITE SALMON Columbia Gorge News (ISSN 0747-3443) Published every Wednesday. Known offices of publication: (Open by appointment) 1800 W. 10th Street, The Dalles, OR 97058 600 E. Port Marina Way, Suite B, Hood River, OR 97031 Elba Offices, 288 E. Jewett Street, Suite 650 White Salmon, WA 98672 Periodical postage is paid at The Dalles, Oregon. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to P.O. Box 1910, The Dalles, OR 97058 CONTACT US The Dalles 541-296-2141 Hood River / White Salmon 541-386-1234 ColumbiaGorgeNews.COM Publisher Chelsea Marr chelseam@gorgenews.com Editorial: Mark Gibson, Editor Trisha Walker, Lifestyle Editor LisaAnn Kawachi, Copy Editor Jacob Bertram, Reporter Kelsie Cowart, Reporter Alana Lachner, Reporter News Tips/Press Releases Markg@gorgenews.com Trishaw@gorgenews.com LisaK@gorgenews.com JacobB@gorgenews.com KelsieC@gorgenews.com AlanaL@gorgenews.com News@gorgenews.com Billing/Office: billing@gorgenews.com Classifieds: classifieds@gorgenews.com Advertising: Niki Piacente, Digital Ad Director Kim Horton, Sales Rachel Harrison sales@gorgenews.com NikiP@gorgenews.com KimH@gorgenews.com RachelH@gorgenews.com Legals: Oregon: Washington: ORlegals@gorgenews.com WAlegals@gorgenews.com Subscriptions: Shania McElravy, Supervisor Subscribe@gorgenews.com ShaniaM@gorgenews.com Obituaries: obits@gorgenews.com