Letter to the Editor for Nov. 8

Homelessness does not happen because a person wants to live on the streets; it happens because of what a person has been born with — genetic predisposition for alcoholism/addiction, learning problems, mental illness — and because of life situations that they are not able to control, such as the loss of job or a change in the family unit.

I cannot imagine going through the winter without having warm enough clothes or heavy boots; I cannot image spending the winter nights sleeping on the ground; I cannot imagine wondering when or what my next meal might be. But this is what our homeless face daily.

We have an opportunity here in Hood River to make a difference in the lives of the homeless in our area.

Gorge Ecumenical Ministries has taken leadership in providing for our homeless. A group has stepped forward to implement a plan of action. Our website, HoodRiverCares.org, will give you more information about this program and how to be a volunteer.

Opening night for the shelter will be Nov. 16. Now we need the caring people of this community to step forward and volunteer to help ‘the least of these.’

Beverly Carpenter

Hood River

‘Welcome back’

If the majority of U.S. citizens wanted Congress and the Senate to work with the President in order to repair and rehabilitate America’s decline caused by “The Obama Nation,” they would have voted Democrat. Still … the Commander in Chief doesn’t get it. Take his big after election lecture … please! It almost dripped with condescension. It was painful to watch. But here’s the good news … we just witnessed a nationwide revival of common sense and I say welcome back.

Bill Davis

Hood River

We need water rules

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Corps of Engineers have released draft rules and a background report that address headwaters and groundwater, which provide the foundations of water quality that the larger downstream rivers and creeks depend on. The report’s purpose is to educate five members of the U.S. Supreme Court regarding connectivity in headwater streams with main streams. The 13-page executive summary provides an outstanding watershed hydrology brief.

The full report is titled “Connectivity of Streams and Wetlands to Downstream Waters: A Review and Synthesis of the Scientific Evidence.”

Headwaters and groundwater were protected for the first three decades of the Clean Water Act, but two Supreme Court decisions severely weakened these protections. They are essential building blocks that, when protected, provide higher water quality for downstream waters. Impacted are millions of acres of wetlands, critically important trout and salmon spawning habitat in headwater streams, lakes and drinking water.

My graduate research covered the analysis of surface flow and groundwater. Most of my 37 years of water-resources engineering work addressed the water-quality and hydrology aspects covered in the report.

Without adequate water-quality controls on groundwater and the sometimes dry headwaters, our drinking water and aquatic ecosystems are seriously threatened.

A few centuries ago, we didn’t have many people, industries or agricultural chemicals, so such rules were not essential. It’s a different world now and the rules should be implemented!

H. Tom Davis

Sisters

Camera questions

As reported in the Nov. 1 Hood River News, the news that the Hood River Police Department is getting body cameras leaves as many questions as it answers. If it “buffers” for 30 seconds, how much more would it have cost to have it automatically run for, say, 10 hours? And, considering the city doesn’t usually have seven officers on duty at one time, couldn’t that 10 hours be uploaded and saved for a reasonable period of time in case of later accusations? Otherwise, it seems too easy for either party, the officer or the other party to a police stop, to claim “it happened too fast” or “it wasn’t turned on until after the mistreatment happened?“

I realize that probably nothing can be made 100 percent foolproof, but it seems the odds could be greatly improved.

Dave Dockham

Hood River

Attend Nov. 12 park-ride hearing

Despite a huge amount of community outcry against Mt. Hood Meadows removing heritage trees across from the Mt. Hood Town Hall and Country Store to put in three acres of gravel and two porta potties, Meadows pushes forward. They say they are going to save some trees, but they have flip flopped a lot on their plans and when escrow is closed and the permit is in hand, they will do as they please.

The lot will only be needed a handful of days a year until their new 878-car Twilight parking lot is complete, and many have asked why they don’t use existing parking in Hood River to get skiers off all of Hwy 35. The truth is, they don’t want to shuttle that far. The truth is, this will be more traffic as they re-route cars from US26 to I84 and OR35. A couple of businesses may benefit for a few hours per year, but at the cost of other businesses that would provide local services all year long, and a traffic, noise, and safety nightmare.

If you do not want to see our County Planning Department ignore their own rules and the majority of community sentiment to pander to Meadows, come to the Planning Commission appeal hearing at 7 p.m. on Nov. 12 and be heard, or at least seen in support of the Community of Mt. Hood. We need 4 of the 7 commissioners to agree with our appeal, so they have given us a hearing date when only 4 of the commissioners will be present — not fair!

For more information and to sign the petition, go to www.facebook.com/mhparkandride (you do not have to be a Facebook user).

Libby Rossknecht

Mt. Hood

Thanks for trail work

In the midst of the bulldozing, paving and concreting of State Street (which has resulted in less green space) I was delighted to see that the trail behind high school going west to Barrett Drive was getting further beautification. The Parks and Recreation crew were putting trees in along the trail.

Thank you! Their work gets my vote for money well spent towards happy, healthy, sustainable Hood River.

These trails are used and appreciated. Keep up the good work.

Hopefully State Street will green up again to welcome folks into our awesome little town.

Libby Taylor

Hood River

Thanks, Dist. 2

I’d like to thank the voters of this community for your support in electing me to represent you in the U.S. House of Representatives. I am humbled by your confidence in me and pledge to continue working hard for policies that will grow jobs, root out wasteful spending, improve access to health care, and stand up for our veterans.

Now is the time to put the campaigns behind us and work to improve the lives of ordinary Oregonians. I pledge to work as hard as I can to solve our problems, here at home and across the nation. I take this responsibility as your representative very seriously, and I will do my part to reach common ground to leave Oregon and America a better place for the next generation.

Greg Walden

Hood River