Below are the names of letter writers to Columbia Gorge News, Jan. 6 through Dec. 29. An asterisk (*) indicates a co-signed letter. The number following a name indicates total number of letters written; names appear in alphabetical order.
Columbia Gorge News ran 516 letters in 2021 — and in all, we had 336 writers. For comparison, we had 709 letters to the editor in 2020 (and three less months, having started as a new business with the April 8, 2020, edition) and 463 writers. Our busiest month for letters this year was January, with 73 (the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol was the main topic of these); the next highest was in April, with 62 (getting ready for the May primaries). We received the fewest letters in November, with a total of 25 — it was a close race with July, in which we received a total of 29.
Our most prolific letter writer was Gary Fischer from The Dalles, with 19; next in line was Steve Kaplan of Hood River with 16, and Benjamin Sheppard, also from Hood River, with 12.
Letters to the editor are a vital part of our newspaper, and we encourage letters on all topics. Writers must include their name and hometown for publication and a daytime phone number for verification (and not for publication). Letters must be 350 words or less and are published as space allows; we make an effort each week to provide as much space possible. Letters must be civil, and vulgar or inappropriate language will not be considered, nor malicious, false or misleading statements. — Trisha Walker
Cindy Allen,* Hood River 4
Robin Aman, Carson
Bruce and Nikki Amoss, Snowden 2
James Anderson, White Salmon
Bev Annala, Hood River
Jose Aparicio, The Dalles
Jim Appleton, Mosier 2
Kevin and Ida Arbo, The Dalles
Nathan Armerding, Hood River
Cynthia Arnett, Goldendale
Pat Arnold, Friends of the White Salmon River
Laurie Bagley, Hood River
Larry Bakken, Wishram 3
Jill Barker, Mosier
James Barrett, White Salmon
Sarah Bellinson, Hood River 6
Barb Berry,* Hood River
Jessica Berty, Hood River 2
Ben Beseda, Trout Lake Cemetery Association
Michael W. Beug, Evergreen State College
Glenna Bibson, Dufur
Mike Billets, Hood River
Rev. Kendra Behn-Smith,* White Salmon United Methodist Church
Samantha Bly-Brock, Bingen
Rev. John Boonstra,* Hood River 2
Lydie Boyer, White Salmon
Phil Brady, The Dalles 2
Rob Brostoff, Cascade Locks 4
Tonya Brumley, The Dalles
Becky Brun, Portland
David Buhaly,* Sunriver
David Bullock, The Dalles
Sandee and John Burbank, Mosier
Douglas Burkhardt, White Salmon
Pennie Burns, Hood River 2
Matthew Byrne, White Salmon
Jim Carley, Lyle
Steve Carlson, White Salmon 2
Todd Carpenter, The Dalles
Dave Case, Hood River 2
Tina Castañares, Odell
Elaine Castles,* Mosier
Joan Chantler, White Salmon 2
Kristi Chapman, Hood River
Marisa Cieloha, White Salmon 2
Greg Chiodo, Ashland
Mika Clark, Bingen 2
Steve Cochenour, The Dalles 8
Sabrina Contreras-Boyd, Eugene
Peter Cornelison,** Hood River 3
Mike Courtney, The Dalles
Donnamae Craber Grannemann, The Dalles
Susan Crowley, Hood River 3
Timothy Curry-Stevens, Hood River
Peter Dallman, White Salmon
Jan Damschen,* Hood River
Bill Davis, Hood River 3
Jill Davis, White Salmon
Richard Davis, The Dalles
Chris DeBruler, Hood River
LaJuana Decker, Hood River
Kirsten Dennis, White Salmon 3
Linda Densmore, Hood River
Jess Desbrow, Hood River
Willie Dickerson, Snohomish, Wash., 5
Debra Dobbs, Hood River
Georgia Donnelly, Hood River
Sheila Dooley,* Mosier 2
Ricki Duckwall, Mt. Hood-Parkdale
Lara Dunn, Hood River 2
Nicholas Eby, Hood River
Dr. Nancy Elder,* Hood River
Eve Elderwell,* Lyle
Vickie L. Ellett, The Dalles
Lorna Elliott, The Dalles
Klea Espy, The Dalles 2
Garry Estep, The Dalles
Lisa Evans, White Salmon 5
Pat Evenson-Brady,* Hood River 2
John Everitt, Hood River
Kathleen Evinger, Hood River
Karen Fay, Bandon
Laura Ferrara,* Hood River
Deborah Ferrer,* The Dalles 4
Darlana Fiehtsam, Columbia, S.C.
Adrian Fields, Hood River 4
Gary Fields, Hood River 6
Fran Finney,* Odell 2
Gary Fischer, The Dalles 19
Beth Flake, Hood River
Sally Ford,* The Dalles
Mike Foss, White Salmon
Marion Fox, White Salmon
Marion Fox, White Salmon
Sarah Fox, Hood River
Peter Frothingham, Odell
Doug Geary, Hood River 4
Rick George, White Salmon 6
Linda Glanden, The Dalles
Kari Goben, Cascade Locks 3
Mike Goodpaster, Goldendale 2
Rhiannon Griffin, The Dalles
Diana Grotte, White Salmon
Margaret Guth, Hood River
Jen Hackett, Hood River
Sandy Haechrel,* The Dalles 2
Darcy Hamilton, The Dalles
Vern Harpole, Lyle 2
Ash Harris, White Salmon
Tom Hart, The Dalles
Kristine Harter, Mosier
Julie Hatfield, Hood River
Chuck Haynie, Hood River
Betsy Hege, The Dalles
Corey Helyer, The Dalles
Mike Hendricks, Hood River 3
Bernadine Herlihy, Mosier
Kevin Herman, White Salmon
Dorothy Herman, White Salmon
Jurgen Hess, Hood River
Dale Hill, Mt. Hood-Parkdale
Patrick Hiller, Hood River
Dennis Hoeye, Dallesport
Janet Holen, White Salmon 4
Tracie Hornung, Parkdale 2
Cynthia Hovezak, Husum
Avery Hoyt, White Salmon 7
Lee Huckins, Hood River
Steve Hudson, The Dalles 4
David Hupp, Hood River 2
Russ Hurlburt, Parkdale 2
Michael Hustman, White Salmon 4
Richard Hynd, The Dalles
Stephanie Irving, Hood River
Richard Iverson, Hood River 3
Jeri Jablonski, White Salmon 2
John Jablonski, Lyle
Larry Jacoby, Hood River
Karen Jaeger, Hood River
Dennis James, The Dalles
Nancy Johanson Paul, Hood River 2
Widge Johnson, The Dalles 2
Hunter Johnstead, The Dalles
Karen Jones, Hood River
Marilyn Jordan, White Salmon
Kathy Jubitz,* Hood River
Stephen Jupe, The Dalles
Lynne Kadlec, Dallesport
Jacob Kaplan,* Hood River 1
Steve Kaplan,* Hood River 16
Laurie Kerr, Battle Ground, Wash.
Lori King, Hood River
Rebecca and John Kirkland, Pittsboro, N.C.
Courtney Kiser, The Dalles 4
Michael Kitts, Hood River 2
Ray Klebba,* White Salmon
Klickitat County Democratic Party
Douglas Knight, Hood River
Tim Knowles, Hood River
Maria Kollas, Hood River 3
Robert Kovacich, Parkdale
Jon Kramer, White Salmon
Steve Kramer, Wasco County Commissioner
Connie Krummrich,* The Dalles 2
Sue Kusch, White Salmon
Laura and Jim Lambert, Punta Gorda, Fla.
Susan Lannak, Hood River 2
Rick Larson, Hood River
Larry Lauzon, The Dalles
Peter Leon, Wishram
Linda Leonard, Kalama, Wash.
Steve Light, The Dalles
Lach Litwer, Hood River
Nigel Longland, Hood River
Jack Lorts, The Dalles
Bruce Lumper,* The Dalles
Norm Luther, Spokane 4
Rachel Luther, White Salmon
Debra Lutje, The Dalles 3
Mark Lutz, The Dalles
Rich McBride, Hood River
Mark McConnell,* Sunriver
Alison McDonald, Hood River 2
Miriam D. McDonell, The Dalles
Gary McFarlen, Hood River
Sonja McHale, The Dalles
James McKee, White Salmon
Gorge McLean, Hood River
Jackie McManus, Lyle
Jeff McNerney, Parkdale
Rev. P. Kelly Mahon,* St. Mark’s Episcopal Church
Scott Maitland, Mosier
Don Marby, Mill-A
Natasha Markovich, Hood River
Jen Marrinan, Portland
Philip Mascher, The Dalles
Raz Mason, The Dalles 2
Portia Masterson, Lyle
Kenton Mathewson, Dallesport
Brook Maurer,* Bahai’s of the Columbia Gorge
Michelle Mayfield, White Salmon
Betty Mercado, The Dalles
Brook Melee, Hood River
David Meriwether, Hood River
John Metta, Hood River
Jan Miller, Missoula
Keith Mobley, Dufur 2
Sandy Montag, White Salmon
Keith Mobley, Dufur
Don Morby, Mill A
Anne Morrison, La Grande
Paul Moyer PA, MPH,* White Salmon
Paul R. Munsell, The Dalles
Lisa Muñoz, Hood River
Georgia Murray, The Dalles
Karen and Steve Murray, The Dalles
Kathy Mussi, Hood River
Leslie Naramore, Washington Gorge Action ProgramsÂ
John Nelson, The Dalles 2
Amy Nelson, Hood River
Judith Nelson, Hood River
Sheila Nelson, Hood River 8
Lisa Nevara, The Dalles
Bonnie New, Hood River 2
Jon Nigbor, Hood River 3
Bill Nix, Underwood
Nan Noteboom, Odell
Steve Nybroten, White Salmon 6
Lloyd Olson, White Salmon 2
Lloyd and Deborah Olson, White Salmon
Betty Osborne, Hood River
Jennifer Ouzounian, Hood River 2
Adrian Palmer, White Salmon
Theo Parkinson, Hood River
Heidi Parr, Hood River
Glen Patrizio, Hood River 2
Zac Patterson, The Dalles 2
Rick Peenstra, Kennewick, Wash.
Mike Pendleton, Underwood
Les and Sheryl Penney, Dallesport
Sue Pennington, RN, MPH,* White Salmon
Les Perkins, Parkdale
Wayne Peterson, White Salmon 3
Gigi Pomerantz, White Salmon 3
Mark Powers, president, Northwest Horticultural Council
MariRuth Pretzing, Hood River
Michelle Rabin, Hood River
Susan Randolph, Hood River
Dawn Rasmussen, The Dalles 4
Jeri Rector, Parkdale 2
Rev. Kalama Reuter,* Sufi Community
Jerrold Reynolds, Lyle 2
Donna Rhodes, The Dalles
Jerrold Richards, Lyle 3
Dan Richardson, The Dalles 2
Judy Richardson, The Dalles
Rev. Laura Robinson,* Bethel United Church of Christ
Johanna Roe, Willard
Doug Roof, Hood River
Donald Rose, Hood River
Gabriel Roth, White Salmon
Michelina Roth,* Snowden
Bruce Ruttenburg, Hood River 2
Rev. Clyde Sanda, The Dalles
Becca Sanders, Hood River 2
Juris Sarins, White Salmon
Karen Saunders, The Dalles
Chris Schanno, The Dalles
John and Kathy Schwartz, The Dalles
Joyce A. Schultz, White Salmon
Ben Seagraves, White Salmon
Bernard Seeger, Cascade Locks
Rev. Mary Shaima,* Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church;
Benjamin Sheppard, Hood River 12
Brian Shortt, Hood River
Ellen Simonis, Hood River
Sallie Skakel, Goldendale
Chuck Sklader, Hood River
Nancy Slagle, Parkdale
Serena Smith,* The Dalles 2
Barbara Snyder, The Dalles
Rev. Alicia Spiedel,** Hood River Valley Christian Church 2
Levi Squire, White Salmon
Kelsi Stahl, Bingen 2
Rhonda Starling, Mosier 4
Carola Stepper, Hood River
Rebekah Stockhoff, Wishram
Eric Strid, White Salmon
Lance S. Stryker, White Salmon 2
G. D. Summers, The Dalles 2
Karen Sype, Cascade Locks
Judith Tebbs, Hood River
Alvin Tetzloff, The Dalles
Joyce Thody, The Dalles
Rev. Kirk Thomas,* White Mountain Druid Sanctuary
Tova Tillinghast, district manager, Underwood Conservation District
Tammara Tippel, Bingen
Shannon Tissot, The Dalles
Tracey Tomashpol, Hood River
Brian Towey, Hood River
Rich Truax, Hood River 2
Svea Truax, Hood River
Pamela Tyler-Kroon, Mt. Hood-Parkdale
Liz VanLeeuwen, Halsey
Gary R. VanOrman, The Dalles 2
Heidi Venture, Hood River
Donald Vernon, Middleton, Idaho
Rev. Andy Wade,* Pacific Northwest Mennonite Conference
Greg Wagner, Goldendale 3
Cindy Walbridge, Hood River
Patricia Ward, The Dalles 2
David Warnock, Hood River
Wasco County Democratic Party
Zelta Wasson, The Dalles
Stu Watson, Hood River
Will White,* Hood River
Ken Whiteman, Hood River 2
Serena Whitridge, Hood River
Kris Wilhelm, Hood River
Marolyn Wilks,* The Dalles
A. D. Will, Hood River
Bob Williams, Hood River
Mitch & Erika Wilson, The Dalles
Nan Wimmers, The Dalles
Alan Winans, Hood River
Norman Wojack, Hood River
Warren Wols, Hood River
John Wood, Hood River
Thomas Woodward, Husum
Paul Woolery, Odell
Steven Woolpert, White Salmon
Carolyn Wright,* The Dalles
Seddon Wylde, Hood River
Barbara and Gary Young, Hood River
Joe Zendt, White Salmon
Rev. Judy Zimmerman,* Parkdale 2
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