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‘Our Town’ has soul
Many warm thanks to the Stage Manager and all the wonderful actors in
the Sept. 23 production of “Our Town,” by Thornton Wilder. I have
lived in many large cities in this country and the world and always
favored the stage. This production holds its own with the best of
them. And where would you ever have the experience of having the local
News Editor, the Chief of Police, and the Undertaker play these roles
that they are actually fulfilling in life in this wonderful town of
Hood River?
But aside from this the acting was first-class, heartfelt, and
heartwarming. The Stage Manager deserves an extra mention. As I felt
the wisdom of his lines portrayed his maturity and the wisdom he lives
by. He held it all together with his heart and soul.
Thank you One and All — it was food for my soul! I’m so proud to live
amongst you.
Friederike Colsman
Hood River
Sorry GOP tactics
We were sorry to read in the Sept. 16 issue of the Hood River news
that Sen. Rick Metsger had been misrepresented in the Oregon
Voter’s Pamphlet by his opponent, Republican Carol York.
She stated, wrongly, that he is against requiring proof of
citizenship or legal residency to obtain an Oregon driver’s
license.
We appreciate reporter RaeLynn Ricarte’s thorough investigation of
the facts and her setting the record straight. However, as Metsger
stated, “The damage cannot be undone.”
The untruth is one of several that Republican candidates are
circulating in the region. In Troutdale, friends of Republican
Speaker of the House Karen Minnis have distributed more than
14,000 pamphlets falsely associating her opponent with
pornography. In Portland the Willamette Week reports that a
Republican candidate’s pamphlet wrongly accuses his opponent of
“wanting to mandate the teaching of gay marriage (in schools) at
the taxpayers’ expense.” And everyone has seen the ugly TV ads
against the highly respected Darlene Holey accusing her of not
being “on the job” 70 percent of the time.
Voters should know that the nationwide Republican strategy is “Go
for the gut” using trigger words like “pornography,” “gay
marriage,” “abortion,” and “higher taxes” against Democratic
candidates to appeal to voters’ emotions so they won’t think too
much about the mess the current Republican majority has gotten us
into.
Nadine Eccles
Hood River
Jeanine Johnson
Portland
Jump on it
There’s no way you can “not see” the croc guy and his wife now.
What if we’d see what we want to save and jump on it with all our
might and hang on until we put it where it needs to be!
Make sense to ya? No?
Donna Gray-Davis
Hood River
‘Borrow and waste’
The cry “Tax and Spend Liberals” continues to roll out from the
national level to the state level of Republican politics. Strange,
when what we’ve got is “Borrow and Waste Conservatives.” There is
legitimacy for taxing citizens of a nation who will benefit by a
wide spectrum of services that are best done by government of, by
and for the people. There is no legitimacy, decency or moral
character for burdening living and future children with enormous
debt. There was a time when the national ethos of America was for
the adult generation to work for the benefit of following
generations.
Today the ruling ethos is selfishness. Can you imagine how our
beloved country would fare if a nation’s greatness and success was
based on the well-being and prosperity of “the least of these?”
This last phrase is from an admonition attributed to Jesus in the
book of Matthew of the New Testament.
Ruling Republicans have great trouble with welfare (read
well-being and prosperity) for common people and no trouble with
welfare for multinational corporations. Some multinationals have
no trouble in ripping off American taxpayers and unborn children,
such as found by journalists in Afghanistan, Iraq and New Orleans.
Republicans have controlled congress for some 12 years now, and
the Oregon State House for 16 years. Are farmers better off? Are
skilled workers better off? Are low income folks better off?
What’s the condition of our national infrastructure? Care of the
public domain — national parks and forests, our water sources, our
air, transportation systems? Public health? Education? Seems to
me, if the Republican Party were so great, all would be great
already, rather than a mess everywhere we look.
I urge voting for Carol Voisin for the Second Congressional
District, Ted Kulongoski for Governor, Rick Metsger for Oregon
State Senate District 26 and Suzanne VanOrman for State House
District 52.
Republicans, until the GOP works not just for the top 5 percent
but for everybody, it’s OK to vote Democratic! It won’t be the end
of the world.
Keith Harding
Mount Hood
Everyone’s safety
This morning, we realized that we are just as vulnerable as a “BIG
CITY.” There was a man asleep in the vacant lot next door to us.
It appeared that he had moved in with his blue shopping cart and a
paper bag full of belongings.
Do we have agencies in Hood River County that are supposed to take
care of people like this? Isn’t there any place that this man can
go? After all, this is Hood River! This is not Burnside in
downtown Portland!
If you wake up tomorrow morning and find a guy asleep in your car,
your shed, or the back yard, please don’t shoot him.
Hopefully, where this man sleeps tonight will be a safe place for
everyone.
Sandy Hawke
Hood River
Sub-minimal lots
There seems to be a number of people who disagree with my letter
concerning the housing by the Hood River Middle School. In fact,
it really looks orchestrated.
I never meant to attack Mr. Kitts. In fact, I took pains to not
mention names. Actually this area, known as Katie’s Way
Development, has nice-looking houses and a very clean appearance.
In my recent travel into this area I noticed that almost all cars
were now parked either in the attached garage or in the entry way
to the garage. There ARE two parking spaces if the garage and
entry way are both utilized. I also noticed that there are no
sidewalks or curbs.
One fact that I had previously mentioned was used as a counter
attack concerning play areas for children. There is a school
playground and a park nearby. Both may be utilized by people
living in this area, and at no cost to the developer or homeowner.
Unfortunately there are at least two other areas being developed
in the same manner. They do not have a nearby school or park. They
are utilizing the same formula, sub-minimal lot size and small
houses.
At one time Hood River had a requirement of at least 5,000 feet
for a lot, sidewalks, curbs, a setback for buildings and a useable
common area for children. This seems to be true no longer. At this
time I understand that an area judged unbuildable can be
designated as a set-aside for a common area.
I understand that one of the proposed new sites calls for lots of
around 1,000 feet and living units of about 400 square feet. If a
lot of 100 by 100 in Hood River sells for $150,000 (around
$600,000 per acre), which I hope is high, then the money involved
in a lot this size would be around $15,000. This would be a small
portion of the total cost of the unit. In effect the builder could
realize little profit on the building but a large profit on the
land.
I am not against low-income housing. I am against the effort being
made to squeeze as many people as possible into a small area. I
think that the citizens of Hood River are being sold out. We need
affordable housing, but not at the cost of neighborhoods that have
been here for generations.
Some expensive housing also follows the new formula of providing
very little useable area outside of the house.
Leonard Hickman
Hood River
Check on candidates
To the Residents of Hood River:
Having lived in the Gorge for seven years with a business for the
past six, I hope that my addition here is taken as it was meant:
as a point of clarification from a concerned citizen.
The Republican candidate for state senate (Carol York) made claims
in a published interview that she herself admitted were secondhand
and lacking verification. Not only was she wrong about the claims
in that interview, but more importantly she was wrong in her
voter’s pamphlet statement that had prompted the interview.
I am sorely disappointed in Carol (with whom I have done business
for five years) who not only misrepresented (at best!) Sen.
Metsger’s position on immigration, but who also spent tens of
thousands of dollars in the last week on attack ads on TV, radio,
and through the mail.
York’s supporters scream that Sen. Metsger is “playing
politician.”
Well, he is indeed a politician, and a fine one at that. Since his
first election in 1998 Sen. Metsger has duly represented us. If
you want to know more about his record see for yourself on the
state Web site http://www.leg.state-.or.us/senate/.
This election cycle, please don’t fall prey to the “politicians
will say anything” cry. Especially from a candidate who not only
failed to check her facts prior to an interview, but had the gall
to submit the same false information to the Secretary of State for
publication.
Please remember, who we elect is a reflection of who we are.
Elizabeth Mazzara
Hood River
Smith keeps focus
Representative Patti Smith has been rolling up her sleeves in our
Oregon State Legislature for some time because of her interest to
create needed changes in the legislature.
Rep. Smith has become a leader in the state of Oregon, as well as
communities in her district, when it comes to being a legislator
who takes a proactive role in helping to create laws that make it
difficult to manufacture methamphetamine. Smith’s continued and
consistent commitment to finding ways to rid our community of
illegal drugs is a model for others to follow and her ability to
get at the table with citizens to solve problems is a breath of
fresh air.
Smith knows her district, the challenges, and the people who live
there. She understands that education, transportation and tourism
to our rural community are crucial to our local businesses because
without great education, good roads and tourism our local ski
industries and local supporting businesses will not survive.
Finding ways to balance the needs of communities is no easy task.
Smith has worked closely with Sen. Rick Metsger to help find
solutions to these problems. Interests in our community are
represented when legislators like Smith and Metsger listen to
local concerns, develop plans to address them, and then do
something about it. I am going to vote for those legislators who
are already getting the job done.
Thanks, Rep. Smith and Sen. Metsger; we appreciate the progress
you have already created in our schools, on our highways, our
bridges, tourism, and the safety of our community.
You are greatly appreciated and respected for the bipartisan
working relationship that you have created in your district.
Shirley Morgan
Rhododendron
Why so high?
There is an article in the Sept. 23 issue of the Hood River News
about city planning staffers tackling the problems of building
density and height. It indicated that staffers have crafted
guidelines to eliminate the “closed in” feeling of many
neighborhoods. Also they plan to look at lowering the permissible
height of all new residences.
In August 2006, the Planning Commission and the City Council
approved a zone change in our neighborhood that will allow a
developer to construct eight houses on less than one-half acre.
Some of these will be three stories high.
How come?
Russ Smith
Hood River
Thoughts for GOP
The two questions this election year that keep the pundits glued
to the edge of their chairs are: “Is the GOP on the way out?” and
“Will the GOP lose control of Congress?”
As a fiercely loyal Republican, who would not and could not vote
for the liberal Democratic Platform, I must say “Yes” to both.
Unless a miracle of historic magnitude is coming our way we will
have overstayed our welcome.
It is not so much the war in Iraq, the war against terrorism, the
immigration issue or the failure to keep natural disasters in
check. It is, in my view, the arrogance and contempt with which we
look down on our opponents across the aisle. Instead of facing and
grappling the problems facing our nation in the style of a “Grand
Coalition” we still seem to be fascinated by the saying: “If you
are not for me you are against me.”
It is not, mind you, a solely Republican malady; we see the same
arrogance and contempt on the Democratic side. However, to be
truly honest we first have to look for and find this bug in our
own midst before we look for it across the aisle.
Peter von Oppel
Hood River
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