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About The Hood River news. (Hood River, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (June 24, 2015)
A4 V IEWPOINT Hood River News, Wednesday, June 24, 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 Water wise? Public agencies must take the lead in conserving precious resource Word came from a reader this week about some side- walk watering by a public agency. The precise location of this carelessness is not im- portant. What matters is that, whether it be public or private property, we all have a responsibility to con- serve. Hand-made “brown lawn and proud of it” signs are increasingly visible, an indication that residents are get- ting behind the need to cut back as snowpack levels reach their lowest point in years. The hot weather this weekend will only underscore this fact. Hydrate yourself, and your pets, and judiciously look out for plantings that need that sustenance. But if your sprinkler is whipping precious water all over the sidewalk or other areas that do not need it, change your appliance or at least your application. Public agencies and large users, given their volume used, should take the lead in conservation. Each loca- tion’s needs vary, but overall it is up to those large users to make sure that they water at the proper time of day and that the water is being used efficiently. The above-mentioned complaint was a double-deal: it was all over the street and sidewalk, and it was being sprayed in the heat of the day, at noon — essentially pointless. Hood River County is taking the right step in conven- ing today’s 10 a.m. water meeting at Rockford Grange. Watershed Group meets June 23 to share practical infor- mation on efficient irrigation practices for homes and orchards (details on page A5). OSU Extension is lining up classes in water conservation. Al this shows a rising understanding of a declining resource. Our reality is that water is a prized commodity, and there is less of it. That should be the guiding principle for us all. For Hood River county and city residents, water comes from one source, ultimately: the springs or glaciers of Mt. Hood. We need to nurture this gift. Water concerns I’ve been a homeowner in the City of Hood River for over eight years. I take good care of my home and yard and take pride in the way they both look. Like any responsible citizen I am well aware of our current water situation and the demands put on the supply by people, agriculture and fish. Even though conservative with my water usage, I have been feeling guilty about keeping my yard alive, using water that could be used for better purposes. Recently I have learned that Hood River City water comes from springs in the mountains and its use does not affect the water supply for farms and fish. That water comes from other sources. At some point ra- tioning may come to the city and if it does I will do my part to comply with regulations. In the meantime I will continue to watch my usage knowing that as long as I am willing to pay the bill I can feel a little less guilty about keeping my yard, lawn and garden alive this summer. Tim Pearson Hood River Editor’s Note: Anne Saxby of Hood River Soil and Water Conservation District responded this way: “The water from this spring that is not captured by the intake for the City goes into the West Fork. West Fork water supplies irrigation needs for Dee Irrigation District. Further downstream, Farmers Irrigation Dis- trict takes part of its water right from the mainstem Hood River. “So, while it is true that East Fork Irrigation District, Middle Fork Irri- gation District and Mt. Hood Irriga- tion District use water that is cap- tured higher in the river system, the water that is not captured by the City does help provide irrigation water to some farms. And all of the water in the river is utilized by fish and the other aquatic life that depend on it. Even City residents can help farms and fish by conserving water.” Doing part I know we all love to have that pretty green lawn, but as the article in the Hood River News stated, we really need to conserve our lawn wa- tering. I have been watering every few days and only for 30 minutes in the evening just to give the ground some moisture. Summer has kicked in early so I am trying to do my part. Ron Dunn Dee Not impressed Voters from U.S. Re p. Gre g Walden’s district shouldn’t assume that he thinks like them simply be- cause he’s Republican. After nation- al protests initially suppressed it, the Trans Pacific Partnership was resur rected in the House and rammed through with Walden’s ap- proval. This trade authority bill is so se- cret that only a few people have been allowed to read it, and that was with secret service agents peering over their shou lder to make sure they didn’t take notes. What little we know is that it bypasses congres- sional authority on global trade and gives foreign signatories the right to dictate our immigration rates to us. Thanks for nothing, Walden. Your folksy style at town hall meetings doesn’t disguise your globalist, es- tablishment, elitism anymore. The primaries can’t get here soon enough for me. Lyneil Vandermolen Tualatin Delta Kappa helps Delta Kappa Sorority has been serving the Hood River Community for over 36 years and their hard work continues with many volun- teer hours for St. Jude, Easter Seals and many local projects, such as helping the fire department, library, veterans and their families, FISH Food Bank and Special Olympics, to name a few. This year, they have raised funds and made the following donations: $1,000 scholarship to Columbia Gorge College; $1,000 scholarship to Hood River Valley High School; $8,300 to St. Jude Research Hospital; $200 to Special Olympics; $100 to CASA; and $962 to Easter Seals. Betty Draper Hood River 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 — Kate Brown, 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. Hood River City Council — Mayor Paul Blackburn, members Laurent Picard, Mark Zanmiller, Kate McBride, Becky Brun, Peter Cornelison and Susan Johnson Hood River City Hall, Hood River, OR, 97031. Phone: 541-386-1488. E-mail: cohr@gorge.net Hood River City Manager — Steve Wheeler, Hood River City Hall, Hood River, OR, 97031. Phone: 541-387-5252. Cascade Locks City Council — Mayor Tom Cramblett, Glen- da Groves, Jeff Helfrich, Richard Randall, Bobby Walker, Bruce Fitz- patrick and Deanna Busdieker Cascade Locks City Hall, 140 S.E. WaNaPa, Cascade Locks, OR, 97014. Phone: 541-374-8484. Cascade Locks City Administrator — Gordon Zimmerman, Cascade Locks City Hall, 140 S.E. WaNaPa, Cascade Locks, OR, 97014 Phone: 541-374-8484. W HERE TO E-MAIL For letters to the editor, guest columns, news items and press releases, the e-mail address is: HRNews@hoodrivernews.com For e-mail letters to the editor, please include your name, address and daytime telephone number. ANOTHER VOICE Sen. Ron Wyden in support of ‘blueprint for trade done right’ Senate Finance Committee Rank- ing Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., an- nounced Monday he will support moving forward on trade legislation that the Senate will consider this week. “The trade package currently be- fore the Senate is a blueprint for trade done right,” Wyden said. “It will make our country stronger by opening new markets to American products and creating new opportu- nities for good-paying American jobs. “Taken together, this is the most progressive trade package ever pro- duced. I spent months negotiating this deal because it is in our coun- try’s best interest. It includes a Trade Promotion Authority bill that creates unprecedented transparency and raises the bar on human rights, labor, and the environment, while promoting the open Internet. It in- cludes a tough bill that beefs up trade enforcement and cracks down on trade cheats; and it expands support for workers through Trade Adjustment Assistance and the health coverage tax credit. Sen. Wyden “I held round-the- clock discussions with the Senate Majority Leader, the Speaker of the House and leading Democrats over the past week. We urged Republican leaders to include Senator Brown’s trade enforcement bill as a sign of good faith that Re- publican leaders will do what is nec- essary to ensure the entire trade package gets done, and I remain committed to seeing all four bills en- acted into law. I plan to support the continued advancement of the trade package tomorrow.” The Senate is expected to take a procedural vote tomorrow on Trade Promotion Authority, which in- structs the president on congres- sional trade priorities in exchange for rules that allow Congress to con- sider trade agreements in a timely manner. The Senate is also expected to consider a bill that renews and ex- pands Trade Adjustment Assistance to support worker training, as well as trade preferences for a number of countries in the developing world. ■ Sen. Wyden will hold a Town Hall meeting Saturday at 1 p.m. at Hood River Valley Adult Center, Sterling Place at Brookside Drive on the Heights. ABOUT LETTERS Hood River News reminds letter to the editor writers that shorter is better. Concise letters are not only better-read, they are more likely to be published because limited space is available. Almost any point can be made in 350 words or fewer, so this is set as an upper level for length.
