Recycle,
don't burn
We are the environmental club at Columbia Gorge Community College and we want to remind our community of a more environmentally friendly way to dispose of lawn debris.
After the powerful ice storm we had this winter, there are a lot of branches on the ground that need to be cleaned up. The Hood River Garbage facility will accept lawn debris which they will turn into reusable bark chips for no charge on Wednesdays. The garbage facility is located at 3440 Guignard Drive, Hood River, right off Tucker Road.
We strongly encourage you to dispose of your lawn debris there instead of burning it. Thank you for keeping the community green! CGCC Environmental Club
Maggie Sholar
Hood River
Late starts, rested kids
In a recent news topic "Key changes proposed for school calendar," the board discussed some alterations for the Hood River County public school calendar. Some of the changes included having a full week off for Thanksgiving, and either one-hour late start or one-hour early release on Mondays.
Although these ideas seem reasonable, why start one hour late on Monday only? The fact is that the school calendar isn't the problem! The problem is the outrageous time we have to be at school, in our classes, and ready to work every day of the week!
To begin with, children (teens in particular) need at least eight to 12 hours of sleep every night but with after-school activities, homework and early mornings students are getting only around five to six hours a night. This is just not enough sleep to support a growing and changing body!
Have you noticed memory impairment, poor decision-making, lack of enthusiasm, difficulty focusing, moodiness, depression or just plain-out exhaustion from your child? Because these are all symptoms of sleep deprivation! Your child is not getting enough sleep for his/her body to function the way it should!
Secondly, starting school later would not only be a healthier thing for the kids but would also give the teachers time to simply relax and prepare for their l-o-n-g day ahead.
Do your kids complain that their teacher is boring, unenthusiastic, moody and/or distracted? This is because they are exhausted! Starting school later would give them that time they need to be ready for the day and enjoy their job.
The fact is, we all need a good night's sleep - even more than we need whole-week vacations. Starting school an hour later every day would benefit both students and teachers. So, don't think early release - think S-L-E-E-P for happier, healthier and stronger kids! Sincerely, S.L.E.E.P.Y.
Hannah Blaine
Hood River
Donate to
local charity
Recently I went through my closet, and I wanted to give some used clothes to a local charity - not a group in Portland. I also wanted the clothes to go to our Hispanic neighbors in the valley, and for free - no charge at all. It turned out to be pretty hard to find a place for all that.
But with a friend's help, I found the Community Service Center in Hood River. It's sponsored by the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, and it's located at 1090 22nd St., just north of the Mid-Columbia Adventist School. They draw a mostly Hispanic clientele, they give away clothes for free to needy persons, and they were happy to receive mine.
If you have some good used clothing, you might want to consider them as an option. You can stop by any Tuesday morning from 9:30-11:30. Even better, you could help renovate one of their rooms into a clothes shop. Right now they're painting and putting in shelves and racks, so people can find clothes in a store-like setting, instead of having to look through boxes on the floor. It's a nice space, and with a little more work, it should be open before too long.
Mike Hendricks
Hood River
Keep boat basin open
I am writing concerning the proposed cable park in Hood River. We travel to Hood River in the summer on a regular basis. I have two children that are learning to wind surf and this is the only place where it is calm and not too windy. I also enjoy stand-up paddle boarding in this area.
I believe if put a cable park in this area it will make it very busy and leave no place for beginners to learn to wind surf.
Diana Nold
Gig Harbor, Wash.
Commented