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Weekend of March 28-29, 2020
The Weekend Edition | A publication of Hood River News & The Dalles Chronicle
TheDallesChronicle.com
OPINION
Our Weekend Edition
Chronicle, News step up partnership
R
EADERS OF THE HOOD
River News and The Dalles
Chronicle alike will have
received this combined edition
of their twice-weekly communi-
ty newspaper with surprise. The
Dalles and Hood River? Together?
What is going on?
Why? We are working to survive
as community newspapers during
these troubled times.
Newspapers are a bellwether of
the general economy — when the
local economy suffers, newspapers
quickly feel their pain. The same is
true regionally and the nationally as
well. The potential of a combined
publication has been around for
years, and we’ve long shared select-
ed content between the Chronicle
and the News, a reflection of the
communities’ shared concern for
issues and events all around the
Mid-Columbia.
Now, this joint publication will
draw on the strength of both papers
and offer a unique service to resi-
dents of the Gorge.
The logistics were considered,
and cooperation increased between
staffs. Many of our special sections
were combined.
And it was working. And along
came COVID-19 and an instant
recession. The bellwether went off,
loudly.
Two weeks ago, as staff consid-
ered the possibility of quarantine
and working from home, com-
bining our weekend editions was
one of the many ideas floated
to cut costs in these challenging
times. Last Thursday, even as local
alerts and governmental directives
regarding COVID-19 flooded both
newsrooms, a flood of advertisers
were canceling their ads in upcom-
ing editions, including this one.
By the time we went to press
Monday with the midweek edition,
we were in crisis.
On Tuesday, decisions were
made that resulted in today’s com-
bined issue — hopefully the first of
many.
It is, and isn’t, your familiar
newspaper.
Chronicle readers will see some
of the biggest changes, foremost
among them being the end of the
comics page. From a business
perspective, comics were doubly
expensive: The monthly bill was
significant, and an entire page was
dedicated to them. Comics made
sense when the Chronicle was a
daily, and they were popular among
many readers. But they had been on
the chopping block for years, and
we regret the fall of the axe.
History Mystery will continue,
but will run in the weekly edition —
those editions will not be com-
bined, but will continue to publish
in our local communities.
For Hood River News readers,
one of the biggest changes is that
Kaleidoscope is on hiatus, for
now. The long-read photo feature
always found on B1 is something
we will continue, though com-
pressed and in varying locations.
Happenings (What’s Happening in
the Chronicle) will resume as events
resume, as will the Entertainment
Update that both papers have
shared for the last few years.
The readers of both papers will
see additional changes as well.
The weekend Opinion page of
both papers will be combined, and
editorial cartoon choices have been
reduced, as have purchased guest
columns. Many of the guides and
directories we offer will be com-
bined as well.
As the reader might imagine,
creating a new publication in three
days is something of a challenge —
we will be revising today’s result as
we strive to survive, and serve, in
our communities.
There are many unknowns in the
days ahead and we hope we can
continue.
— MARK GIBSON, EDITOR, THE
DALLES CHRONICLE
— KIRBY NEUMANN-REA, EDITOR,
HOOD RIVER NEWS
YOUR VOICE
‘Do unto others’
Here is who we are, who I am —
me, and every other human person
we have ever known or heard of.
Studies (at the University of
Virginia) show that when we, for
example, cheat at a dice game or
do something we would admit is
wrong, even something “minor,”
it “hardens our hearts.” That is, it
makes us feel less sympathetic to
other people — it serves to isolate
us. We feel guilty, I guess, and so-
cially withdraw, at least in this way;
we’ve seen how dogs act similarly.
As this happens and influences
how we feel and act towards others,
they sense it, pick up on it and feel
less kindness, less empathetic,
toward us. So, I’m trying to imag-
ine how much this effect might be
stronger if I do something not so
minor, like empty the shelf of hand
sanitizer when the store does finally
get some in.
There are other examples that
others out there might call to our
attention. Not one of the seven sins,
“Hoarding,” not by name, but …
I’m trying hard to remember that
what I do to others has a lasting
effect on me. Boy, it sure is hard to
live right. I need your help; we need
each other’s. The Lord’s Prayer has
us say, “Lead me not into temp-
tation.” I think it’s because once
tempted, when we drop our guard
and just react, our goose is cooked.
Better to walk into the store with
a plan that if the shelf is full, for
instance, we will take some limited
number.
Trying to stay on guard.
Bob Williams
Hood River
Pence for his calm reassuring
description of what is trying to
be done. What I cannot accept is
Trump, who does not seem to take
the data and known facts seriously,
then goes off the teleprompter and
gives his highly skewed interpre-
tation of the real scientific data
and facts. It scares me that in times
of crisis, people look to the presi-
dent for guidance and truths. We
shouldn’t be subjected to this pres-
ident’s interpretation of the facts.
There should be a way to filter out
Trump during the daily briefings
so we won’t be misinformed by his
half-truths.
Ron Yamashita
Hood River
Care for each other
COVID-19 has been unleashed
into our world and it will never be
the same. As the virus plays out, it
will affect our health and the health
and life of people we love. But long
after it has passed over, our social
and economic systems themselves
will be on life support, and most of
us will need help beyond our own
means alone.
But we are not powerless. We
can shape new systems that work
better because they are more fair,
more inclusive, more welcoming of
differences. We can insist that the
adaptations our government makes
to the structures in our society
work for everyone, not just an elite
few. Imagine structures that serve
people, distributing the benefits of
society more equitably vs. bailouts
to corporate entities that entrench
our inequality and make our world
more dangerous. Imagine systems
that make us all safer, by making
sure that no one is left behind.
This time, in which we all feel our
vulnerability, can be an opportu-
I voted for you based on your
good reputation in our Hood River nity for awakening to the world we
Valley as a positively contributing
dream of. Pay attention now to the
member of our region. Now I feel
heroic goodness that is the essence
disappointed that you squandered of humanity.
that good reputation by choosing
It’s in all of us, you know — the
dereliction of your elected duty to
joy of caring so deeply for each oth-
our citizens. Choosing party politics er. What greater wealth could there
over elected responsibilities has
be than to know that our fellow
disqualified you to hold the office
community members, our fellow
representing your constituents.
Americans, our fellow humans
Our sacred democratic process
— who are so deeply good, so dig-
means you should vote on issues,
nified, despite our many failings —
regardless of the outcome. You were that each of our brothers and sisters
elected to do that. I do not under-
are safe and well. May it be so.
Mark Thomas
stand how you can live with your
Hood River
decision to walk out of your job, to
the detriment of We Citizens and
our democratic process. That same
process would eventually correct,
Inventing a phony “Emergency”
and mistakes made, as it has always to avoid letting the citizens of
proven to do.
Oregon vote on an onerous tax
Thank you for you service, when scheme is the kind of Democracy
you actually performed it. You have Ms. Gehrig seems to find so appeal-
lost my confidence and vote.
ing. I applaud Sen. Thomsen and
Russ Noe his fellow senators’ decision to fight
Mount Hood this illegal tax using the only (demo-
cratic) option that remained. There
is a reason our state constitution
After following the daily briefings has a requirement for a quorum.
from the White House, I appreciate If the democratic process is as im-
the direct, clear information from
portant as she claims, then allow us
Dr. Anthony Fauci. He uses the
the opportunity to vote.
latest data and facts that are known
Vince Ackerman
to him at the time of the briefing.
Hood River
I even appreciate Vice President
‘Sorry, Chuck’
Thomsen is right
Half-truths
EDITOR’S NOTE: This writer refers to
Anne Gehrig’s March 18 letter “Harmful
inaction” regarding Sen. Chuck
Thomsen joining the GOP walkout over
the proposed cap and trade legislation.
The writer refers to the climate emer-
gency cited by Democrat proponents of
the bill.
Poor leadership
The administration (President
Trump) was informed by the intel
community back in January that
a pandemic could be coming and
chose to not respond. As a result,
there were no preparations made,
no masks, no beds, no preparations
of any kind. The Senate intel com-
mittee was informed and again, it
was kept hidden from the American
people — so much for govern-
ment transparency. Two senators,
Richard Burr and Kelly Loeffler,
used this secret meeting to their
advantage to sell millions of dollars’
worth of stock, having gained insid-
er knowledge that the rest of us had
no access to. Markets have crashed
and will probably continue to do so
as the administration refuses to deal
with the issues, both economic and
the pandemic.
Ben Carson, who is secretary of
Housing and Urban Development,
is a medical doctor; he didn’t see
this coming? Why hasn’t HUD done
anything to get the homeless off the
streets? They are the most vulner-
able of populations as many have
preexisting conditions, are exposed
to the elements and don’t have the
money to access healthcare. So, Dr.
Carson, what have you been doing
all this time? Surely Dr. Carson
would know that we need test kits,
masks, gloves, and other medical
equipment, where was he during
the ensuing month and a half, the
time difference from when the
administration found out and the
public was finally informed. As a
nation, we need competent leader-
ship during a crisis, and this isn’t it.
Rob Brostoff
Cascade Locks
Canceled
On behalf of the Hood River
Valley Leos club, I would like to
inform the community that our
monthly Bottles & Cans event,
taking place on April 4, is canceled.
This is due to the current situation
surrounding COVID-19 and related
closures/cancellations. However,
we would greatly appreciate if you
save your returnable bottles and
cans and bring them to our next
event on May 2 (barring further
closures). May’s Bottles & Cans
will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and all
proceeds will benefit the HRVHS
Speech and Debate Team.
Jacob Kaplan
Hood River
Can’t fool physics
Our country’s delayed response
to this crisis is another lesson on the
limits of wishful thinking. We saw it
coming and we wasted time deny-
ing the science of how it develops.
Those countries who acted early are
benefiting, but our Republicans and
federal executive branch simply de-
nied the problem. What’s unfolding
now is a predictable, exponentially
increasing progression of damage,
requiring increasingly aggressive
mitigation and adaptation. We’re in
damage-control mode, which will
be far more costly in lives and mon-
ey than if we hadn’t been in denial.
Negotiating with laws of physics
is clearly a waste of precious time
and resources. You can fool people
and politicians, but you can’t fool
physics.
Having lived the school of hard
knocks in various corporate crises,
I learned that every hour spent
denying a problem is an hour you’ll
later wish you had. Hypothesis:
The Universal Law of Messes states
that the earlier you control or avoid
any potential or evolving mess, the
better the outcome and the less it
will cost.
Oh yeah. I’m talking about the
climate crisis. The COVID-19 crisis
has the same lessons, viewable in
fast-forward.
Eric Strid
White Salmon
and may be led to put themselves
and the rest of the community at
greater risk by careless behaviors.
No one wants the outcome from
that.
Bonnie New
Hood River
Two crises
It is wonderful to see people
coming together to get through
the COVID-19 crisis. People are at
their best when faced with a crisis
that affects the whole community.
We can’t forget that we are in the
midst of two crises. More epidemics
are one of the expected results of
the climate crisis. There are many
others.
We can, and must, deal with both
crises at the same time. Our econ-
omy has ground to a halt and will
need to be rebuilt. If we bail out the
fossil fuel companies and provide
subsidies to the cruise ship industry
and airlines, we will have used our
financial resources (which aren’t
unlimited) to put ourselves in a
worse position with the climate cri-
sis. Instead we should be converting
cruise ships to hospitals and sub-
sidizing renewable energy to build
Harry Truman — The Buck stops an economy that will get us through
the climate crisis. Subsidies must
here.
go to the people that need them
Donald Trump — It’s not my
to survive and new jobs created to
fault.
build a new infrastructure.
‘Nuff said.
The internet is a great tool for
Martin Bowe
Hood River communicating with neighbors,
friends and families while we are
isolated or quarantined. We need
to re-organize it so that we can talk
As a former public health phy-
to each other without being spied
sician, I was not pleased to see the
upon by companies to sell us things
coronavirus “advice” given by A.
Fields in his recent letter to the edi- we don’t need and politicians trying
tor here. Mr. Fields likely does have to convince us that lies are true.
Every crisis creates opportunities.
some area of expertise from which
Let’s use this one to pull together
he could advise the public. Public
and create the sustainable country
health (PH) is clearly not it.
we want to live in.
May I respectfully urge all of us
Roger Gadway
to leave advising about coronavirus
White Salmon
to our designated PH experts — the
OHA (Oregon Health Authority),
the county PH department, and the
CDC. CV-19 is indeed a serious in-
The office of Gov. Kate Brown
reported that the recent walkout
fectious disease, now of pandemic
proportions, that will challenge and by Chuck Thomsen and other
Republican legislators left $3
possibly overwhelm our medical
million in funding for Hood River
capabilities.
County on the table, abandoned.
Many readers of this paper will
A small part of that was back-filled
recognize “advice” from non-ex-
perts like Mr. Fields for what it is — by Gov. Brown’s executive order,
uninformed and worthy of no fur-
See LETTERS, page 5
ther attention. But others may not,
Presidents
Uninformed advice
‘Flushed funding’
DEADLINES
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The Dalles Chronicle (ISSN 0747-3443)
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