I want to let everyone know what happened to me. I ran an ad for an item in the paper and was contacted by a person using relay for the deaf.

After e-mails and phone calls, in which the person said that someone would pick up the item for him, I ended up with a check from the person that was $2,745 more than I was asking for the merchandise and was told to send the excess money Western Union.

The check was a forgery and I would have been held responsible for the amount. I left the situation in the hands of the sheriff.

Beware!

Musical memories

Thanks for the article on the Mid Columbia Sinfonietta and Jerry Keith.

It reminded me of the good times I had playing in the HRVHS band in the late 1970s with Jerry and others. I had switched from playing trumpet to tuba in the eighth grade.

After the confusion of switching from treble to bass clef subsided, I really enjoyed hearing things from a different part of the band. A highlight was playing a long duet with the piccolo player in a competition.

I am glad to see Jerry has had continued success and only wish I had stuck with playing.

Tax tune

T’was the week before Christmas and what did I see

Two dumb commercials back on TV

The first one of course I’d like to forget

That old rethreaded dumb Chia Pet

The second of course is that useless Clapper

That I would probably flush down the crapper

The trouble with flushing something that large

That the city would increase my sewer charge

Last year in Hood River Old Santa said

Those doggone officials put a tax on my sled

And this year he said the thing that I fear

Those same people will try to tax my reindeer

So on Donder and Blitzen, on Rudolph and Cupid

All those new taxes are really stupid

As he flew out of sight, he held up a sign (that said)

Put all of those taxes where the sun doesn’t shine

Hood River, where it’s still all about money

Buon Natale.

SDS must care

The Vancouver Columbian recently carried an article by Kathie Durbin called “Branching Out” (Dec. 6, 2007) that described a new direction for Gorge-based SDS Lumber Company.

Perhaps a more apt title should have been, “Going Out on a Limb” according to the litany of new developments currently proposed by the timber company. Take a closer look at SDS and it is clear: their projects add up to one large-scale assault on our forests, rivers and special places.

Clear cutting in the National Scenic Area: SDS Lumber is responsible for several visible clear cuts that scar the Columbia River Gorge, destroy fish and wildlife habitat and take decades to return to forest. Subdivisions along a Wild and Scenic River Corridor: SDS Lumber is working to rezone their forested property along the Lower White Salmon River to build a housing development.

This would be injurious to the wild salmon runs the river supports. Proposing a Destination Resort: SDS Lumber and Broughton Lumber are pushing the largest development ever proposed in the National Scenic Area. Their goal: to amend the current Gorge-wide management plan to allow an urban-scale 245-unit destination resort.

Proposed a 293-unit subdivision on Hood River Mountain: SDS Lumber proposed the largest Measure 37 claim filed in the Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area for 293 dwellings on 1,465 acres on Hood River Mountain.

Caring for our forests, rivers and special places is a responsibility we all bear; SDS Timber should be no exception. The timber company should stop clear cutting and pushing for inappropriate development; rather they should practice sustainable forestry to protect our legacy of the Columbia River Gorge.