A4
V IEWPOINT
Hood River News,
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
O ur readers write
JOE PETSHOW
Publisher/President,
Eagle Newspapers, Inc.
CHELSEA MARR
General Manager
JODY THOMPSON
Advertising Manager
DICK NAFSINGER
Publisher, Emeritus (1933-2011)
TOM LANCTOT
Past President,
Eagle Newspapers, Inc.
KIRBY NEUMANN-REA
Editor
TONY METHVIN
Columbia Gorge Press Manager
DAVID MARVIN
Production Manager
Subscription $42 per year in Hood River trade area. $68 outside trade area.
NATIONAL NEWSPAPER
ASSOCIATION
Printed on
OREGON NEWSPAPER
PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION
recycled paper.
Official Newspaper, City of Hood River and Hood River County
Published Every Wednesday & Saturday by Hood River News,
P.O. Box 390, Hood River, Oregon 97031 • (541) 386-1234 • FAX 386-6796
Member of the Associated Press
Project
Graduation
It’s ‘only’ February, but still the season
to support an important program
The unseasonably warm weather we’ve seen points
us even earlier than usual toward spring.
This suggests turning attention all the sooner to an
annual rite of spring that, no matter the weather in Feb-
ruary, always needs help this time of year.
We refer to Project Graduation 2015, which is on now.
Project Graduation is the parent-driven, community-
supported effort to provide a safe and fun final party for
the graduating class of Hood River Valley High School.
True, graduation isn’t until June 5, but the folks be-
hind the effort have been planning since last fall. In-
deed, the planning is nearly-year-round, as coordinators
take over the to-do lists from their predecessors and
start putting time and energy into it in the summer. It’s
a big project, and one that needs plenty or organization
and, with it, plenty of support.
The Project Graduation committee is now collecting
funds to pay for entertainment, food, prizes, and more.
Any monetary donation makes a big difference in help-
ing honor graduates for a job well done and giving them
a safe place to celebrate with friends.
Many in-kind donations make the all-night party hap-
pen, including the donation of the facility — Hood River
Elks is doing so in 2015 for the 50th year. Perhaps other
groups will look at ways to celebrate that anniversary
donation by rallying their own contribution, in-kind or
monetary. (If your group or business comes up with a
project or campaign to do this, we’d love to hear about it
at the News.)
The drug- and alcohol-free party happens every year;
the graduates walk away tired and happy. It’s a program
richly deserving of support.
If you can help, send your tax deductible donation to
Project Graduation 2015, 1767 12th St., No. 178, Hood
River, OR 97031.
‘Pulpit props’
in letters
The recent listing in this place of
“Letters to the Editor” writers dur-
ing 2014 set me to thinking about
the variety in the letters I read
there. Some have helpful informa-
tion. Some are plain, concise state-
ments of opinions. I value these.
Others are not so. They make me
think of my favorite “preacher
story.” After 40 years as a “preach-
er/pastor,” I think I am qualified to
tell it. As the story goes, on a Mon-
day morning the congregation’s
janitor was cleaning up the meet-
ing place. He noticed some papers
left on the pulpit. Thinking them
discards, he picked them up and
found they were the preacher’s
notes for the sermon the day be-
fore. In bold script on the margin at
one place it said, “Argument weak.
Pound pulpit!”
I think of that when I read a let-
ter that uses exaggeration, leading
questions, innuendo or name call-
ing. It seems to me, then, that if the
writer doesn’t think the letter is
s t ro n g e n o u g h w i t h o u t t h e s e
“props” to hold it up, then I should-
n’t consider it to be strong either.
Perhaps other readers will want
to remember this story and be re-
minded that a plain, concise state-
ment of the “whole truth, and
nothing but the truth” can stand
tall without other “support.”
John Ihle
Hood River
Watch for
pedestrians
I used to work downtown in Hood
River. I was always proud of the po-
liteness of drivers and felt respected
when I would walk to work or walk
to get lunch. I now work from an of-
fice on the Heights and sadly, I find
that I’ve left the polite drivers down-
town. What on earth happens to dri-
vers in that half mile up the hill? I
find that it doesn’t matter which in-
tersection you are (attempting) to
cross, people often don’t stop. I don’t
mind waiting a bit to cross the
street, but watching local police and
school buses fly by annoys me more
than a little.
I have had people honk at me,
flip me off and nearly hit me. One
lady waved me on and then, appar-
ently, forgot about me and started
inching forward right into me. I’m
hoping she forgot, at any rate …
And, yes, in all these instances, I
was in the marked crosswalk.
When I walk my dog, more than
once I’ve had to jump into the ditch
on the side of the road to avoid
cars who “didn’t see” me. Unless I
am walking downtown, I wait for
cars to go by, then I hope for the
best and run across a street.
Hood River takes pride in their
treatment of pedestrians and bicy-
clists, at least downtown. Maybe
we could take the time to remem-
ber we are the same people where
ever we drive.
Thank you for listening!
Rheva Wren
Hood River
‘I am
schizophrenic’
I just read an article in the Wash-
ington Post from a schizophrenic
man explaining some of his life’s
dilemmas. The replies from the
readers shook me to the core. They
were god-awful. Somewhere along
my way, I came to believe that there
is no longer prejudice and stigma
(especially, hate-filled) attached to
mental illness.
Recently, I had a book of poems
and prose published. I have been
elated with the idea of finally
being a published poet. A business
asked me to come do a signing.
When I admitted that I was mental-
ly ill, everything changed. No
emails were returned. In fact, my
emails were blocked.
Later, a journalist asked me for
an interview and a bio. When I
emailed the jour nalist and re-
vealed I am schizophrenic and ex-
cited to finally be recognized and
valued again, I was shut down. In-
stead of taking the opportunity to
elucidate the public, only a few
friends and family know of my
book. I am broken-hearted.
I am schizophrenic, but I have
never been violent. I aspire to
being gentle, loving and hos-
pitable. I despise violence at any
level. “Normal” people love vio-
lence ... see movies and video
games. Not me. And I am schizo-
phrenic. “Normal” people go to
ballgames and argue with the op-
posing teams. Do you? I don’t. And
I’m schizophrenic. “Normal” peo-
ple drive aggressively, being rude,
vulgar, making dangerous moves.
Do you? I don’t. I’m schizophrenic.
“Normal” people have tantrums
that involve everyone around. Do
you?
If I begin to feel unsettled, hallu-
cinate, or perhaps feel an episode
of confusion and voices, I excuse
myself, go home and deal with it on
my own. This takes strength, cre-
ativity, tenacity, patience and a
strong will. Do you? I see it all
around. Because it is me, I am
schizophrenic, and that is a power-
ful force. It takes a powerful mind
to deal with it.
My activities include writing, a
walk to the post office, calling
friends, playing with my dog and
reading. See, I am a schizophrenic,
well-read, well-travelled, well-spo-
ken (or out-spoken).
I am busy being schizophrenic.
The hardest part?
Having to explain.
Leatha Ann Martin
White Salmon
Work with
Republicans
I believe that Mr.Tauscher is
missing the whole point.
President Obama is eroding the
very foundation of our country
and form of government. This sets
a dangerous precedent where fu-
ture presidents can flout any law
they happen to disagree with and
a l t e r t h e l aw w i t h o u t g o i n g
through Congress. Each branch of
government is to act as a check
against the others and not sit idly
by as one exercises authority it
does not have. The President has
said 22 times that he doesn’t have
the authority to do what he has
done. If it wasn’t crooked he would
have done it before the mid-term
elections. Twenty-five states are
now part of a lawsuit challenging
Obama’s lawless amnesty. Obama’s
first goal should be to work with
Republicans to secure the border,
then work on the immigration
issue, all while coming up with a
plan to come up with enough new
jobs so that we are not adding a few
million people to our welfare sys-
tem. We are already playing “Musi-
cal Chairs” with the job market.
Ron Morgan
Mount Hood Parkdale
Panorama pix
What’s your ‘Favorite Photo of the Gorge’
The Columbia River Gorge provides endless scenes of
beauty, and the Hood River News’ Panorama special sec-
tion each April helps celebrate that.
Readers are hereby invited to help us do that, in “My
Favorite Photo of the Gorge,” an annual feature of
Panorama.
Send us your scenic photo from the past year — any
season is welcome — with a short description of the
place and circumstances. If you have more than one “fa-
vorite,” a couple extras are welcome; we’ll pick and
choose or use them all as space allows.
Photos should be 1MB, 6-10 inches wide, jpg attach-
ments preferred; send them to
hrnews@hoodrivernews.com by March 1.
W HERE TO WRITE
President — Barack Obama, White House, 1600 Pennsylva-
nia Ave., Washington D.C., 20500
E-mail: president@whitehouse.gov
U.S. Senators — Jeff Merkley, SDB-40B, Dirksen Senate Office
Building, Washington D.C., 20510. Phone: 202-224-3753; E-mail:
oregon@merkley.senate.gov; Ron Wyden, 717 Hart Office Build-
ing, Washington D.C., 20510. Phone: 202-224-5244.
Web address: www.senate.gov/member/or/wyden/general/
2nd Congressional District Representative — Greg
Walden, 14 N. Central Ave., Suite 112, Medford, OR 97504.
Phone: 541-776-4646;
E-mail: www.walden.house.gov/contactgreg
Governor — John Kitzhaber, 254 State Capitol, Salem, OR
97310. Phone: 503-378-3111;
E-mail: www.governor.state.or.us/email.htm
District 26 State Senator — Chuck Thomsen, 900 Court St.
N.E., S-307, State Capitol, Salem, OR 97301. Phone: 503-986-
1726; E-mail sen.chuckthomsen@state.or.us
District 52 State Representative — Mark Johnson, 900
Court St. N.E., Bldg. H-385, State Capitol, Salem, OR 97301.
Phone: 503-986-1452; E-mail: rep.markjohnson@state.or.us
Hood River County Board of Commissioners — Chair
Ron Rivers, Vice Chair Maui Meyer, members Les Perkins, Bob Ben-
ton and Karen Joplin, Hood River County Courthouse, Hood River,
OR, 97031. Phone: 541-386-3970.
County Administrator — Dave Meriwether, Hood River
County Courthouse, Hood River, OR, 97031. Phone: 541-386-
3970.
ON THE AGENDA
Hood River County School board
meets at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb.
11, at Westside Elementary School.
These are the regular meeting
times of governing bodies for these
agencies:
Cascade Locks
Cascade Locks City Council, 7
p.m., City Hall Council Chambers,
140 W. WaNaPa St., second and
fourth Mondays of the month.
Cascade Locks Planning Commis-
sion, 7 p.m., City Hall Council Cham-
bers, 140 W. WaNaPa St., second
Thursday of the month.
Cascade Locks Port Commission,
6 p.m., City Hall Council Chambers,
140 W. WaNaPa St., first and third
Thursdays of the month.
Hood River
City of Hood River Planning Com-
mission meeting, 5:30 p.m., Hood
River City Hall Council Chambers,
211 Second St., generally the first
and third Mondays of the month.
Place and dates subject to change.
Hood River Port Commission, 5
p.m., 100 E. Port Marina Drive, board
room, first and third Tuesdays of
the month.
Hood River City Council, 6 p.m.,
Hood River City Hall Council Cham-
bers, 211 Second St., second and
fourth Mondays of the month.
Hood River Soil and Water Con-
servation District Board of Direc-
tors meeting, 4 p.m., OSU Extension
Service Building, 2990 Experiment
Station Road, first Thursday of the
month.
Hood River Valley Parks and
Recreation District, 6 p.m., Aquatic
Center, 1601 May St., third Wednes-
day of the month. Place subject to
change.
Hood River County
Hood River County Board of Com-
missioners regular session, 6 p.m.,
601 State St., first floor conference
room, third Monday of the month.
Time subject to change.
Library District Board meeting, 7
p.m., 502 State St., conference room,
third Tuesday of the month.
Hood River County Planning
Commission meeting, 7 p.m., 601
State St., first floor, generally second
and fourth Wednesdays of the
month.
Hood River County Water Plan-
ning Group, 2 p.m., 601 State St., first
floor conference room, generally
first Wednesday of the month
.
Hood River County Commission
on Children and Families Board
meeting, 5:15 p.m., Providence Hood
River Memorial Hospital board-
room, generally first Tuesday of the
month.
Hood River County School Board,
6:30 p.m., meets at schools and dis-
trict facilities on a rotating schedule
(visit hoodriver.k12.or.us for loca-
tion), second and fourth Wednesdays
of the month unless school vaca-
tions or other holidays interrupt the
schedule.
Hood River County Transporta-
tion District, 9 a.m., Hood River
County Transportation District
Board Room, 224 Wasco Loop, sec-
ond Wednesday of the month.