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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (April 15, 2016)
FRIDAY EXCHANGE 8A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, APRIL 15, 2016 Vote Goldthorpe Reliable protection am writing you this letter to let you know why I am endorsing David Goldthorpe for Circuit Court judge. I got to know David during the campaign for the Warren- ton City Commission in 2014. I was impressed by his ability to dissect a problem to its core issue, and deliver a reasoned and thoughtful response. He always had a calm disposition, even though he passionately cared about the issues facing War- renton. I respected his opinions and the way he conducted his campaign. Since then, I consider him a friend. His involvement in the community is integral to the success of the next generation here in Clatsop County. He is a leader in supporting scouting, youth sports and our schools. His ethics and professional- ism are reÀected through the endorsements he has received from local law enforcement and the district attorney¶s of¿ce. I support David Goldthorpe as our next Circuit Court judge, and ask that you join me in cast- ing your vote for him in this important election. MARK KUJALA Mayor, city of Warrenton I I CBH serves n response to Kitty Paino’s let- ter, “Help needed” (The Daily Astorian, April 8): First, you are right you do not know the clin- ical director or CEO of Clatsop Behavioral Healthcare (CBH). If you did, you would know they are two individuals who are highly dedicated to the citi- zens of Clatsop County. Second, these individuals are beholden to the taxpayers, who pay the salaries of CBH workers. CBH has had negative press, but what is missed in the let- ters and articles is the amount of problems a few employees have caused the county; not CBH or its leadership. It seems that a few employees who are in the throes of this political mess are hiding behind the union and blaming leadership — when an employee is held account- able for their actions he/she is shielded by a union, which gives excuses and lays blame. Anyone who knows Michele Crump- Hart understands she is ethical, and knows the parameters of her license. Working in public health is extremely tough, and takes ded- icated, passionate individuals with the fortitude to not pull up stakes when the going gets dif¿- cult. The executive leadership of CBH are people who live, work, shop, socialize, and raise their families among the people they serve. There are numerous obsta- cles in recruiting and retain- I ing mental health professionals, including lack of housing avail- able and the high cost of liv- ing. The “string” of employees referred to were possibly stay- ing only long enough to clear their debt by working in a rural community for two years, but not obligated or committed to remain to be the change agent. For every dissatis¿ed client, there are accounts of those who have received quality professional services. At any given time, 1,200 clients are seen at CBH. There are two sides to every story and this is mine. I am the proud wife of CBH’s clinical director and I’m fed up with these outrageous allegations. It’s taking its toll. I will not stand idly by. So as we all make our cases and tell our stories, please remember there are dedicated leaders at CBH serving our communities mental health and substance use needs. RENÉ HART-CRUMP Gearhart Get tough s much as I would like to return to my usual diatribes about lefties and Democrats, I ¿nd that my peers on the right — mainly the establishment and the Conservative wing of the party — are just as contempt- ible this election as any Demo- crat. So, for now, you get a pass. While at a fast food establish- ment the other day, a small nug- get of entertainment occurred when my son was playing in the play area. I was sitting in the back of the establishment, and A observed one of our local tran- sients really say thank you to the area he resides in by “dropping trou” and urinating in the park- ing lot between the hotel and the establishment. Disgusted, I quickly realized that spring and summer is fast approaching — another time of year when our local police force will receive increased calls about public drunkenness, aggressive panhandling, loiter- ing, public urination and defe- cation and excessive littering, conducted by those who are affectionately called the needy. How I look forward to see- ing booze bottles near play- grounds and the Riverwalk, and public consumption of alcohol near Pier 11. What charm this will give the cruise ship visitors we expect to enjoy themselves and spend money. I wonder if the side of the state building on West Marine Drive will resume its side func- tion as a urinal for the transients, as was described last year in the Astoria Dispatch. I wonder what viewing platforms on West Marine will the public have taken away, due to transients loi- tering and haggling pedestrians on the Riverwalk. All of this while the rest of us sit back and wonder why Asto- ria cannot enact “get tough” city ordinances, thus making Astoria unappealing to these types who migrate here in the spring and summer to leech off the tourists. Why would having tough penalties for every offense above be a bad thing? Why would Astoria defending itself be a bad thing? The answer is, that it’s not. But, I am sure the bleeding hearts just see it as a nontraditional lifestyle that only enhances our diversity. Pass, thanks. Astoria City Council, get tough on the homeless. JASON KOST Astoria No sense love the Paci¿c Northwest, and I’ve lived here nearly my whole life, but boy does this place throw you some curves at times. We’re critically short of housing in the region and beg- ging builders to put up more, but politicians propose new taxes and limitations on builders. We beg our children to get higher education, and then give away more and more funding and seats in college to illegal aliens. We say we want more jobs, but in the last year I’ve seen Oregon and Washington say no to literally billions of dollars worth of private new develop- ment like a methanol plant, an oil re¿nery, a natural gas export I facility, a coal terminal and an oil terminal. We get more rain than most places, but the government has literally thrown a man in jail for capturing that rain. We’re famous for bottling stuff like beer and wine, but give a cold shoulder to a company that wants to spend tens of millions to bottle water and create jobs. We have an unelected gover- nor who loves the millions she gets from state gambling but says no to tribal gambling. And we happily fund welfare and food stamps, while more than 100,000 jobs go begging in Ore- gon and Washington. Meanwhile, the folks in gov- ernment want to create a new state-run pension savings plan for private sector workers, while they’ve run the Public Employee Retirement System (PERS) $21 billion in the hole. If any of that makes sense to you, by all means call my talk show today at 866-Hey-Lars and explain how. LARS LARSON Alpha Media, KXL, Compass Media Networks Portland n response to the article titled “‘Buyer beware’ of water and sewer coverage” (The Daily Astorian, April 12), I want to alleviate any fears about Amer- ican Water Resources of Ore- gon. I do not have any knowl- edge of HomeServe USA, but do have knowledge of Ameri- can Water and American Water Resources. During my many years of employment with American Water, and then several with American Water Resources, all in Illinois at their call center, I know all about their water and sewer line protection plans and in fact, I managed the customer service department of Ameri- can Water Resources. There is no need for buy- ers to beware of their protec- tion plan. It is a very legitimate plan and has helped many, many customers who, without this plan, would have incurred thousands of dollars in repair costs. Granted, it is not for everyone, such as those with septic systems, as they do not cover those, or at least did not at the time I was employed with them. American Water Resources emphatically tells it subscrib- ers that they are not providing insurance policies, but rather providing protection plans that can give the subscriber peace of mind for very little cost. They do not hide this fact either in corre- spondence, or when calling their call center. There is nothing hidden here. Their literature is very clear, and when I was employed by them the mailers sent out did not contain any decep- tive wording that would make the consumer think they were part of a government organi- zation or utility company — but because they protect those lines attached to the water and sewer lines, it would seem to the homeowner that there was a connection. Since I have not received one of the recent mailers I can’t attest to their current mailer ver- biage. However, I can attest to the reliability of the company. They have been in business for many years. They choose local contractors and vet their con- tractors very carefully. PAT RASO Gearhart The art of being a working artist. Two local artists talk about their painting and the business of art APRIL 28 Healthcare at your $POWFOJFODF Darren Orange Eric Weigardt Based in Ocean Park, Weigardt is a nationally eminent watercolorist. Based in Astoria, Orange has been described as a 21st Century painter in a 19th Century skin. Using illustrations of their own work, Wiegardt and Orange will talk about their work routines and how they manage the business side of being artists. TO ATTEND: LIMI SEATI TED N RESER VE G For Members: Dinner & Lecture:$25 each; Lecture only: no charge SPACE YOUR For Non-Members: Dinner & Lecture: $35 each; Lecture only: $15 ea. TODA Y! Appetizers will be available at 6 p.m. • Dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m. The speaker will begin after the dinner service is complete and non-dinner members and guests of the audience take their seats. Forum to be held at the CMH Community Center at 2021 Exchange St., Astoria. ColumbiaForum FOR RESERVATIONS OR TO JOIN COLUMBIA FORUM CONTACT: Holly Larkins at 503.325.3211 ext. 227 or forum@dailyastorian.com by April 25, 2016 Columbia Forum is sponsored by: The Daily Astorian • Craft3 • OSU Seafood Laboratory • KMUN-FM Cannery Pier Hotel & Spa "QQPJOUNFOU5JNFTǰBU8PSL'PS:PV You’ve got a million and one things to do this week. Taking care of your health does not have to mean missing other important events—like that game-winning slide into home. 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