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Rare fall colors
During the recent floods on the Hood River, many of us rushed down to
see and photograph the muddy water hitting the railroad bridge as it
boiled past. I can remember two other times of seeing this happen:
1964, 1996 and this year.
Yet a rarer event of nature has taken place without the same fanfare.
The combination of weather events this fall caused the most beautiful
fall colors. With great surprise, I noticed that the usually drab
oaks, whose leaves turn dirty brown in fall, turned in the lower
valley a wonderful yellow and in some cases a rust color. I have never
seen these oaks turn yellow, rust, or any other color except brown.
Last weekend my son and I drove the Washington shore along Highway 14
and some of the oaks there were as yellow as the maples.
So take a look at the oaks around Hood River and along Highway 14 to
see the oaks in autumn splendor. It may not happen again in our
lifetimes.
Jerry Cranmer
Hood River
Will they learn?
I was talking to my students about Veterans Day, and I thought
back to the one lottery I won. Back in the early ’70s the
government pulled capsules containing slips of paper with the
birth dates on them from a glass bowl to see who would be drafted
and shipped off to Vietnam. I won! My birthday came out 326. I
didn’t have to go.
One of my students asked, “Why did we fight a war in Vietnam?”
Over 30 years later and I still don’t know. All I know is that the
government lied to the U.S. people about the “Gulf of Tonkin
incident,” and they preached a theory about the “domino effect.”
Tens of thousands of young people died in a war that could not be
won. Many of my generation were standing up to the government
telling them to bring the troops home.
You would think that my generation, both those who supported the
war and those who didn’t, would only allow their government go to
war as a last result, after all else had failed, only if the
nation’s security was at stake. Now we are sending young men and
women to die because of another government deception, “weapons of
mass destruction,” and another false theory, “We can build a
western-style democracy in Iraq at the point of a gun.”
We are in another hopeless war. We have let another generation
down. One of the soldiers to die in Iraq was not too long ago a
student of mine. To him and the 2,841 others who have died, I am
sorry. As a teacher, I hope that this new generation will learn
the lesson that we failed to learn. We need to bring the troops
home.
Jack Sprague
Hood River
Routson ‘dedicated’
Jerry Routson served Hood River County and his community
thoughtfully and with dedication. It is difficult to find many who
will work with such diligence.
It was my pleasure to know and work with Jerry for over 30 years.
He will be missed.
Bob Montgomery
Lake Havasu City, Ariz.
Mr. HR County
Hood River County has lost a great public servant and leader with
the passing of Jerry Routson.
Jerry devoted four decades of service to “his county,” its people
and institutions.
Over many years, Jerry was a county commissioner, board chairman
and interim administrator. He represented us and all of Eastern
Oregon around the state. He served on many volunteer boards and
groups, particularly in his beloved Parkdale.
Probably he was proudest of the title “orchardist.” Thanks, Jerry.
Dave Dockham
Hood River
Hope for change
After finishing my annual tax letter I send to all my clients, I
thought I would share a portion of my letter.
“Finally, the elections are over and the voters have spoken.
Congress will try to find a new direction to lead this country. We
are hopeful that a change is on the horizon to move our country
forward toward affordable health care, affordable housing,
improved education, and economic equality for all of our citizens.
And, of course, we need to work for a more environmentally
sensitive and peaceful war-free society.”
As we enter this holiday season, let us try to be more respectful
toward each other and to people less fortunate than ourselves, and
give back to our community in any way we can.”
Ron Cohen
Mt. Hood
Don’t miss Beauty
How can one community be so lucky as to have Mark Steighner living
in Parkdale, teaching music, and willing to work with students and
adults to create unbelievable programs! If you haven’t seen
“Beauty and Beast” you still have Nov. 16, 17, 18 at 7 p.m. and
Nov. 18 and 19 (an added performance) at 1:30 p.m. Tickets are
available at Waucoma and some at the door (but don’t wait that
long); $8 adults; $5 students and seniors. Take yourselves, your
children, grandchildren, the neighbors and their children and
anyone else who needs a lift and a smile.
Why I always have enjoyed living and working in Hood River is that
the community comes out to support activities. This is no
exception. Read the program and note the parents, community
members (some retired) who did stage construction, helped with
costumes, are doing makeup, did publicity and are playing each
performance in the orchestra. It truly “takes a village” to
support Mark in his various musical activities, but, with his
dedication, indefatigable love of music, and being able to coax
the best out of students and adults alike, it’s a win-win
situation.
Don’t miss this! There are some fantastic voices and actors in our
schools.
Jean Harmon
Hood River
Give warm clothes
This is an urgent appeal for warm clothing.
As I watched kids climb off their school bus dressed only in
T-shirts and jeans on this chilly afternoon, I thought I should
write an urgent appeal to the Hood River community for warm winter
clothing.
Every year at La Clínica’s Family Health Care Center, we host a
warm clothing donation and give-away event, called “Warm Up the
Gorge.”
Last year at this time, we had overflowing racks of donated coats
and sweaters, waiting for families to take what they need. In last
year’s drive, over 700 coats were distributed — free — to children
and adults.
This year, the donations of coats, hats and mittens are just not
keeping pace with the demand. Every donated item has been taken
within an hour or two.
As I write this, the racks are bare!
Please check your closet. If you have any warm clothing
(especially coats and hats in children’s sizes) that your family
won’t be using this year, please bring it to La Clínica at 849
Pacific Ave. in Hood River.
Daniel Ward, executive director
La Clínica del Cariño Family
Health Care Center
Hood River
Find a balance
As one of the authors of the Hood River Valley Residents
Committee’s guest editorial:
On the state of land use planning in the valley, I was pleased to
see two responses. Debra Laraway’s letter, “Farmers need 37” was
sincere and moving. There is a common ground that may be as broad
as the valley is wide and hope for resolution that includes all
the other valley farmers who aren’t lucky enough to be
third-generation owners.
What she says is not only true, but from the heart. “We love the
land and we love the Hood River Valley.” The orchard business has
gotten harder: increased growing costs, labor shortages and still
no national agreement on foreign workers in sight.
“If farming can no longer support our families all we have left to
sell is the land.”
Mrs. Laraway notes how much the valley has changed, some to the
detriment of farming and that M-37 provides a better way out, but
only for those with successful claims.
Any long-term solution has to address the Laraways’ concerns.
Steven B. Anderson’s response has a different tone. It would have
been nice for Mr. Anderson to begin by explaining he represents
many of the M-37 applicants.
He says not to worry about a 232-lot subdivision approved by the
county because it won’t happen. He is wrong to imply the county is
empowered to deny subdivisions on basis of public interest.
Subdivisions here and elsewhere are an “outright use” as opposed
to a “conditional use” where citizen concerns are considered.
Issues of debate are restricted to health and public safety. These
“engineering” issues such as domestic water, sewage treatment,
road access, power and a few others are all surmountable with
developer money and technology.
County subdivision ordinances will not protect this valley from
dozens of large-scale M-37 subdivisions spreading across the rural
landscape over the years to come. America was built on a balance
of private property rights and the public interest.
Steve, let’s start talking about that balance rather than casting
epithets.
Jeff Hunter
Hood River
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