In attending the City Council meeting on April 11, I listened to testimony on Measure 14-55. The most important part of this meeting for me was after the meeting was adjourned. I would like to share what took place.
During the meeting, the city council listened to testimony for two and a half hours from many citizens who live outside of Cascade Locks. When testimony was complete, it was time for city councilors to speak. There was yelling from an individual who was very passionate about plastic bottles and she wanted to get how she felt across once again. After the meeting, I went over to her to introduce myself and to listen/talk with her. She is yes on Measure 14-55 and I am a no on Measure 14-55.
I listened to her passion about saving lives. I also listened to her desire to make the world better and safer for all people. Those are values I admire and I let her know that. We were very receptive to each other.
She then listened to things that motivate me and my decision to vote no on Measure 14-55. Being a fourth generation who has set roots in Cascade Locks, who also treasures where my roots are, and takes pride in this city and its people, I said, first that I am against this measure because it takes the City of Cascade Locks authority to determine its destiny out of its voting citizenship and puts our city in the hands of the voters of Hood River County. I believe that this measure is unconstitutional and the representation of a yes on Measure 14-55 is deceptive. That is the face of this measure.
Where this took a very important turn for both of us was when I said I taught kindergarten-first grade in Cascade Locks before retiring. My father attended Cascade Locks School, his five children attended, and some of his grandchildren attended.
I had the privilege and honor to teach several of my old classmates’ grandchildren and some children that I babysat when I was young. I stated this to let her know my sense of community and commitment for the people who live in Cascade Locks.
I then said that while I taught K/1, the children and their families were full of hope and pride of their accomplishments, but what I mostly saw from these children and families was the importance of being with each other.
This woman, who has great compassion and desire to help others through having a healthier life experience, really understood why I was voting no on Measure 14-55 when I told her that our children are not in their school, learning and experiencing the pride and comfort of having parents, friends, teachers, community holding them up and giving them what all children need to grow and thrive. Instead, I now see a ghost town where children, parents, engaged families and organizations are painfully absent.
Some of the children that I taught K/1 were suicidal, some are disengaged and feel that they have nowhere and no one to depend on or just help them get through tough times together.
Do we have some who are making it and thriving, yes, but too many don’t have what I was so generously given when I grew up here: a sense of security and happiness through belonging, parents with meaningful jobs, parents who supported one another, families that worked and played together. Organizations that supported meaningful activities for our youth.
This woman who was a stranger when we started listening and speaking with one another, and I left one another hugging and wanting the best for each other.
She understood the need for Cascade Locks to have its right to autonomy.
We left one another with respect and caring. We must work together as a community to make things better, but the only way to do that and to start down that path is to Vote no on Measure 14-55 and not hurt Cascade Locks.
Joeinne Caldwell is a Cascade Locks port commissioner.
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