Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Hood River news. (Hood River, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (April 18, 2015)
A4 V IEWPOINT Hood River News, Saturday, April 18, 2015 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 OREGON NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION Printed on 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 O ur readers write CGCC is a ‘sinking ship’ These are dreary, dismal times at Columbia Gorge Community Col- lege. With a $2.4 million budget short- fall created by the college’s current leadership, there is a pervasive sense of mistrust and low morale among much of the faculty/staff of CGCC. This has led to the voluntary depar- ture of numerous staff over recent months which, along with rolling lay- offs and a hiring freeze, has resulted in a critical staff shortage, with cru- cial tasks now falling by the wayside. Remaining staff members are being stretched to fill voids for which they may have little training or ex- pertise. Sadly, it is the students them- selves who stand to suffer most from this tragedy, with reduced course of- ferings and diminished services available to them. It’s frustrating that CGCC’s Board of Education has repeatedly chosen to ignore the many complaints lodged by students, staff and faculty over recent years, despite continued mismanagement attributed to cur- rent college leadership. I have attend- ed several board meetings, and with the exception of Stu Watson, it often seems that the other members are to- tally disengaged, indifferent — SOME EVEN SLEEPING — as they just blithely rubber-stamp leadership proposals. It is just such passivity to CGCC’s reality that has led to the col- lege’s current abysmal financial situ- ation. This ineptness on the part of the Board is devastating to CGCC’s future and is an egregious injustice to CGCC’s students. After 11 years working at the front counter of the Hood River Campus, I am one of five CGCC employees this month choosing to voluntarily leave this sinking ship, because the col- lege’s future appears murky, the lead- ership’s intentions are questionable, and the board itself remains dispas- sionate about employee concerns. Mine wasn’t a decision made lightly, as CGCC’s faculty are top-notch, my co-workers are like family, and CGCC’s students repeatedly inspired me with their tenacity, perseverance and friendship. It is for the students especially that I submit this letter, in hopes that CGCC might be navigated upon a more cogent course, with fresh leadership, a tenable vision, and bolder, more vibrant board mem- bers. Lynne Davidson Hood River Testimony flawed This letter addresses a story from staff writer Patrick Mulvihill (March 18) regarding Dr. Bonnie New’s proposed firearms control and a commentary from Kevin Herman (March 25). Kudos to Herman for his clarification of the facts. New’s solution for violent crime does not address the fact that many of the homicides in Oregon were gang- related. Would gun registration solve that situation? Of course not! And how many of those were committed under the influence of drugs? While that does not legitimize the mortality, it puts a good part of the blame where it belongs. Those who try to advance gun control by presenting lies and twisted impressions must as- sume people are dumb enough to be- lieve their misconceptions. It’s sad that some journalists per- petuate this garbage. Dr. New, as a physician, ought to know that compared to guns many more deaths occur each year in the U.S. as a direct result of preventable medical mistakes. As published by respected medical reports, nearly 400,000 medical mistake deaths occur each year. In addition, there are 10,000 serious complication cases re- sulting from medical errors each day! The medical mistake deaths is the third highest mortality rate after heart disease and cancer, far greater than traffic accidents and homicides (including suicides) combined. Dr. New ought to consider putting the medical house in order before at- tempting to put in place unrealistic restrictions that do nothing to reduce violent crime. I have stated publicly before that a gun is an inanimate object complete- ly incapable of any action until the human element is introduced. It’s like blaming vehicles for highway mortality. Society’s concern should be with the people committing the atrocities. We need to address the revolving door judicial system that puts the mentally disturbed and criminally insane right back out on to the streets. It’s not about gun control but peo- ple control. Where would America, the freest nation on earth, be today if the peo- ple had no means of defense and of- fense? Come on, America, wake up and smell the poison! Lance Beckman White Salmon Climate thoughts Shifting views on climate change have a majority of Republicans want- ing action to reduce greenhouse gases. Politicians, businesses and even conservative advocacy groups are slowly moving from climate de- nial to reluctant acceptance. As cli- mate related costs mount, voter de- mands for action will increase until they reach a tipping point. The ques- tion is whether that tipping point comes before we see irreparable harm. Republican administrations were instrumental in creating the EPA, passing the Clean Air Act and imple- menting emission trading to reduce acid rain. Conservatives have an im- portant voice in forwarding market- based solutions that minimizes eco- nomic disruption while making pol- luters responsible for their actions. They offer a needed counterpoint to climate activists. Continuing opposition to climate action has less to do with a lack of facts than a lack of imagination and courage in proposing solutions re- flecting conservative values. Instead of operating at the behest of the fos- sil fuel industry, Republicans should offer a climate agenda based on their own ideas, e.g. eliminating market distorting subsidies, a revenue-neu- tral carbon tax and rebate system, carbon cap and trade legislation, sup- port for nuclear power and funding for carbon sequestration and clean coal technology. Without Republican support there is little hope for timely action. The sooner conservatives become a part of the solution the better we all will be. Richard Davis The Dalles ‘Strikes again’ Nestlé strikes again with the same tactics they’ve always used. You can’t con me into thinking Governor Brown’s office, the Oregon Depart- ment of Fish and Wildlife, and the short sighted government of Cascade Locks haven’t been bought. Among other things they’ve been offered the time honored bait of jobs and in- creased tax revenues and they’ve jumped on it like a fish on a fly. Nestlé is just reeling them in. The hell with the public good, our children’s fu- ture, our water supply and the envi- ronmental health and quality of life in the Gorge. And on top of this, parts of the state are under a drought and the rest of us are looking at pos- sible drought and water shortages this summer. Follow the money! Jerry Giarrapuo Hood River ANOTHER VOICE Protecting children from abuse and neglect – an Oregon perspective By SEN. RON WYDEN P rotecting our children from all of life’s ills, and especially from abuse and neglect, is perhaps our single most important re- sponsibility as adults. There should be no controversy in that statement, no partisanship or dis- agreement. And yet, the sad truth remains that too many children in Oregon and across the country are dying from abuse and neglect despite hard work to prevent those tragedies and efforts to under- stand why they happen. That reality will be in the fore- front in Portland this week when a federal Commission to Eliminate Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities meets to hear ideas from local, state and federal officials for bet- ter protecting our kids. The Commission was created after Congress passed the Protect Our Kids Act of 2012 to bring new perspective, insight and tools for preventing abuse and neglect. That work will form the basis for a re- port to be submitted to the Presi- dent and Congress detailing specif- ic recommendations for strategies to better protecting children from abuse and neglect. To achieve those goals we must identify which children are most at risk. In 2013, 10 children died in Ore- gon from abuse or neglect. Seven of these children were 5 years old or younger; five were younger than one year old. No child was in child protective services (CPS) custody at the time of death, and there were no children who had a referral to CPS within the last year. Several com- mon risk factors were identified in these fatalities, including drug use by adults. So how do we ensure the safety and well-being of our most vulnerable chil- dren and what is the appropriate role of the child welfare “system”? The answer lies in identifying at-risk children earlier, en- gaging families, and using a multidisciplinary ap- proach. Increasingly, experts un- derstand there is a much larger community of agencies, beyond CPS, that know about a child’s risk for abuse and neglect. Law en- forcement, domestic violence ser- vices, mental health professionals, primary care and emergency room physicians, the judiciary, teachers and school counselors — each can potentially signal early warnings of children at risk. Effectively pre- venting fatalities requires a broad- er, more coordinated response across the social service system. We need to build bridges across systems and create a comprehen- Chelsea Marr General Manager CMarr@hoodrivernews.com Founded in 1905 419 State Street Hood River, OR 97031 P.O. Box 390 Phone: (541) 386-1234 Operations: Joe Petshow Publisher President, Eagle Newspapers JPetshow@hoodrivernews.com Chris Stenberg Bookkeeper CStenberg@hoodrivernews.com Front Office/ Classified Advertising: Kelly Gallagher Eagle Classified Director KGallagher@eaglenewspapers.com Stacey Methvin Classifieds/Receptionist HRNClass@hoodrivernews.com SMethvin@hoodrivernews.com sive child welfare system that is more than just CPS. The goal is to have a fully collaborative approach that provides the earliest possible warning and most effective re- sponse. That’s what we’re doing in Ore- gon — working hard to bring a mul- tidisciplinary approach to how we collect data on fatalities and improv- ing our process in understanding it existing federal child fatality elec- tronic data system that improves child fatalities data collection with the goal of improving prevention and intervention. As part of Medicaid, the state/federal health care program for low-income people, Oregon has established a system of Coordinated Care Organizations (CCOs), which integrate physical, mental and be- havioral health. Oregon’s CCOs are working to align services across systems in order to address the long- term health of children and families. Another important ad- vance is the Oregon Safety Model (OSM) used by CPS. This model requires a more than an investigation of an in- cident; it requires a comprehensive assessment in every case to ensure child safety at all stages of a fami- ly’s involvement with CPS. The pro- gram is driven by a belief that we all embrace — safety is a fundamen- tal right of every child in Oregon. That belief was the catalyst in 2008 for Karly’s Law, named after a 3-year-old girl who died from abuse despite multiple investigations of abuse allegations conducted by state child welfare staff and law enforce- ment, and despite significant physi- cal evidence. The law mandates that children with suspicious injuries re- ceive medical attention from a des- ‘The answer lies in identifying at-risk children earlier, engaging families, and using a multidisciplinary approach …’ so decisions are made faster and re- action is more focused and effective. Oregon’s State Child Fatality Re- view Team includes a wide variety of partners, including CPS, public health, law enforcement, physicians, district attorneys, medical examin- ers, paramedics, and community health nurses, to name a few. In addition to co-chairing the State Child Fatality Review Team twice per year, the Oregon Depart- ment of Human Services and the Oregon Health Authority also work together to implement prevention strategies throughout the year. In 2014, this heightened partnership fostered the implementation of an Circulation: Esther K. Smith Circulation Manager (541) 386-1234 Ext. 205 ESmith@hoodrivernews.com News: Kirby Neumann-Rea Editor HRNews@hoodrivernews.com Ben Mitchell News/Features BenMitchell@hoodrivernews.com Trisha Walker News/Features TWalker@hoodrivernews.com Liana Stegall Advertising Sales LStegall@hoodrivernews.com LisaAnn Kawachi News/Features LKawachi@hoodrivernews.com Kirsten Lane Advertising Sales KLane@hoodrivernews.com Patrick Mulvihill News/Features PMulvihill@hoodrivernews.com Ailene Hibbard Archivist Advertising: Jim Drake Entertainment JDrake@hoodrivernews.com Jody Thompson Advertising Manager JThompson@hoodrivernews.com ignated child abuse medical profes- sional within 48 hours. Since 2008, Karly’s Law has helped thousands of Oregon children receive medical evaluations and care related to sus- pected abuse. Parents are part of the effort too. Programs that offer advice on best practices in parenting are promoted statewide with community partners such as Circle of Security, Healthy Start-Healthy Families, Nurse-Fami- ly Partnership of Oregon and oth- ers. All of them provide curriculum and home visitation programs, re- lief nurseries and other services that help parents develop the skills and supports they need to adequate- ly care for their children. These pro- grams are showing particular promise and just last week, Oregon received $10.8 million in federal grant funding to expand evidence- based home visiting services to women during pregnancy and to parents with young children, a pro- gram made possible by the Afford- able Care Act. All of these steps, including im- proved data tracking, identification of at-risk children, development of prevention strategies, implementa- tion of trauma-informed care, repli- cation of best practices, coordina- tion across multiple agencies and targeted investments, can help us fulfill our most important responsi- bility — protecting vulnerable chil- dren from abuse and neglect. Production: 419 State Street Hood River, OR 97031 P.O. Box 390 Phone: (541) 386-1234 David Marvin Production Manager DMarvin@hoodrivernews.com Tony Methvin Plant Manager (541) 386-1234 TMethvin@columbiagorgepress.com Jim Drake Production JDrake@hoodrivernews.com Sarah Methvin Sales/Customer Service SDMethvin@columbiagorgepress.com Lisa Becharas Commercial Printing LBecharas@columbiagorgepress.com
