The triathlon article by Ben McCarty (Aug. 8) states that I am 24 years old but just try to look old to fool competitors. To set the record straight, I am actually 26 years old but unintentionally look a tad older because I party a little.

‘Monologues’ nod

On behalf of Columbia Center for the Arts, CAST our partner Soroptimist International of Hood River, we would like to thank the community for supporting “The Vagina Monologues” with sold-out houses in July.

The show ran for seven performances and we welcomed over 1,000 people to the theater. During the month of July, a photography contest “Celebrating Women” was displayed in the lobby area with 30 amateur and professional artists work.

In speaking with the many people who attended the show and viewed the photographs, they mentioned what enlightening conversations it prompted in their families about women’s sexuality and how they feel about their bodies.

These responses came from women and their daughters and the men in their lives. A big round of applause goes out to our community for their support of this show.

Resort or ‘re-blight’

Those who say that their huge real estate development near the Hatchery will ameliorate the “blight” of Broughton Mill are the very persons who are responsible for the blight of Broughton Mill. Who would want those with a history of degrading forest and riverside land to commit “re-blight” at the very same site?

Their claim that they should be allowed to proceed with an exclusive resort development 10 times that which has already been approved insults Gorge enthusiasts and residents even as it reduces our scenic and recreational heritage.

Keep HR beautiful

As a three-year resident of Oregon, I took the issues of Measure 37 very seriously. Coming from New Jersey, the most highly populated state in the country and the “Garden State,” I was very familiar with the loss of agriculture land to commercialization.

I made the decision to vote for Measure 37 because I felt that all Americans should have certain rights to their land; to transfer some to children and family, to have some retirement opportunities such as selling off a portion as an investment. I also believed that those families who had spent a lifetime being stewards of the land would not turn around and destroy the very land they’d invested their lives into.

The vast amounts of claims that have been made for the subdivision of agricultural and forested land tells a different story. It appears that it’s not the small family farms that have ensured Measure 37’s success. It’s BIG business.

I believe that Measure 49 will provide a solution toward the original intention of the voters: to allow 1-3 houses to be built on land that meets criteria for Measure 37 claims. It’s quick and easy and will allow orchardists the relief they were seeking.

Big business should not be considered. Oregon land use laws have been key to keeping Hood River the amazing place it is today. Let’s not lose our natural beauty to the profiteering of BIG business.

Measure 49 protects all the residents of Oregon while maintaining the integrity of our valuable land use policy. I for one wouldn’t be here today if those critical land use laws hadn’t been initiated more than 30 years ago.

Let’s fix this problem with Measure 49.