Ballots were mailed out April 27, a total of 10,547 for Hood River County’s Special Districts Election. Because there were three contested races, the Hood River News asked candidates in those races to submit answers to the following questions.

I have worked on the ground and administratively on six national forests. All of these forests were located in urban-wildland settings with significant public recreation use. My interest is to serve our community in providing and maintaining recreation opportunities for the people of the Recreation District, which is most of Hood River County. I have served on this board for six years and have good energy and commitment to continue in this position for another four years.

We currently have a very professional staff and a cohesive board team. We have a recently updated Capital Investment Master Plan with identified key projects. I would want to see expanded partnerships between agencies and the private sector to advance recreation opportunities for all people. These partnerships would be the most cost-effective way to deliver these recreation projects. I would work hard to help make that happen.

Some current multi-year challenges are to complete the waterfront park via the port district and city; expansion of neighborhood parks in accord with new development in the valley; complete the Indian Creek trail; launch a new Disc Golf site and complete the Skate Park. Over the long term our community needs a ballfield complex and more extended connected trail-open space. How to maintain all these facilities is the major challenge. Our most significant challenge is to find a way to raise funds for maintenance of all recreation areas provided by the city, county, park district, and school district.

I was raised in southern Illinois, attended school at Maryville College, Tennessee and Southern Illinois University. I hold a Bachelor of Arts degree in biology, English, and education. I also have a Master of Science degree in counseling at Portland State University. I am a science teacher and school counselor.

I have the usual interests of many people in this area due to our magnificent location and opportunities for recreation. I have a sensitivity and awe of our land and how we use our resources in a responsible way. I have been interested in how communities use their land.

Hood River is presently below the recommended recreational space per population. As our community expands with housing, businesses, and the college, an integral plan for public spaces needs to be identified and planned for. With land going at $1 million per acre, re-planning for walking, biking and traffic routing can make it happen without purchasing more land.

Presently we have county construction equipment and gravel trucks and semis using the same space that is high-intensity school, walking, biking, swimming and exercising space. There needs to be some separation of use. Planning and good infrastructure planning could separate the conflicting interests.

We serve many activities: football, volleyball, basketball, softball and baseball and T-ball, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, skateboarding, windsurfing and kite sailing, sailing, trail hiking, ultimate Frisbee and an excellent children’s park. The city has more planned for a waterfront park. As the elderly population and number of young families expands, the infrastructure needs to more clearly designate walking space for elderly walkers, jogging parents, family bike outings and students. We have had a series of pedestrian deaths due to the poor marking and planning for such. And semis and construction equipment use the same streets that citizens are using, including moving the county gravel and road building activities outside the residential area. Clearly delineated street space for pedestrians, and education of drivers along with even more serious enforcement would clear up much of the separate conflict.

Suppose you have your older parents or grandparents coming to town. Or you are the 3.2 people per family with the requisite dog in tow, visiting downtown Hood River. Where do you go? You want to take them to a nearby place where your kids can run, the older people walk around on flat ground, and you can relax and picnic in the sun and out of the wind.

Where is the closest place? Not in the city. County parks are the closest, but limited in space unless you want to drive up toward Parkdale or the mountain. As the community is rapidly expanding and land is valued at $1 million/acre, parks and recreation needs to be addressed along with the development of housing and the college.

I have been an Ice Fountain board member for 11 years, including one year as chairman. My wife, Katy, and I manage our cherry orchard and logging business here in Hood River.

Ice Fountain is an extremely well-run water district. As evidence of this, the November flood that caused extensive damage to our headworks, caused no interruption in water service to our customers and the monies to fix our system had already been set aside in a reserve fund just for this type of emergency. Our district’s 2000 award for the best-tasting water in Oregon and the board’s continued resistance to chlorination are further proof that things are running smoothly at Ice Fountain. I see no reason to change that.

The biggest challenge that faces our district is how to plan for serving more houses. Continued growth will be a challenge for our existing water system over the next 20 years. We must continue to plan for the future growth that is inevitable in our community. Even if this requires difficult financial decisions today, it will pay big dividends in the years to come.

I was born and raised on the west side of Hood River; I graduated from Hood River Valley High School in 1971. My concerns are the demands of the urban growth on the west side of Hood River. With the city’s annexation out into the Ice Fountain District, there is a need to secure the District’s water resources and revenue. Keeping a cost-effective way to deliver water to new and existing consumers will become more and more vital.

Due to my career my wife and I lived overseas in various countries for 40 years. My most recent position was in Hong Kong. I was hired as a consultant for Caterpillar China and was responsible for assisting the Caterpillar dealers in Hong Kong, China and Taiwan to establish the rental market for Caterpillar equipment.

Prior to my position with Caterpillar, I was hired as a consultant/general manager for G.E. Capital in Shanghai, China, and was solely responsible for the startup of the first heavy equipment rental company in China.

I’m interested in the position of port commissioner to utilize my working career experience to help design a strategic plan to move the Port of Cascade Locks forward.

The city of Cascade Locks is located in one of the most beautiful areas in the Columbia River Gorge. The Port of Cascade Locks owns a large parcel of land that could transform a depressed town into a healthy, thriving, and energized town. I would like to be a part of this transformation.

There are many challenges and opportunities. We are fortunate to have a diversified and willing population that wants to see our city move forward, but in the process not lose the benefits that make our area such a wonderful area to live. This is our challenge.

I was raised in Cascade Locks, graduated from Cascade Locks High School and attended the University of Oregon. I married and lived in Portland for many years where I raised my family. I returned to school in 1968 and was awarded a degree in respiratory therapy. I worked for many years at Legacy Emanuel Hospital. Soon after moving back to Cascade Locks I was elected to the Port Commission where I have served for 16 years, not consecutively. Serving on the Commission has been a wonderful experience over the years.

I have learned many things, above all is that one commissioner has no power. There must be cooperation among the members and an understanding of what the mission of the port is. That mission is to act as the business entity for the people of the district.

The next few years will be crucial as we await the construction of the interchange and the casino. (I am convinced it will happen.) In addition, we must solve the problem of access to port property, the development of a sailing venue, and we must be very judicious in how and to what use we allow our industrial park property to be developed. The port has always been proactive and unafraid to try big things and I like that.