Dig safe
Now that the sun is shining, many homeowners will be digging into do-it-yourself projects. Whether planning to install a fence, mailbox or plant a garden, NW Natural reminds you to call 811 before you dig.
Calling 811 two business days before starting a project to locate underground utilities is not only the safe thing to do, it’s the law.
Unfortunately, the majority of pipeline damage is due to a homeowner or contractor digging without the proper locates done in advance.
No damage to a pipeline is too small to report to NW Natural, even a dent or scratch could compromise the system. If you smell rotten eggs, see or hear gas escaping, leave the area immediately and then call 911 and the NW Natural 24-hour emergency line at 800-882-3377.
Remember to keep our communities safe and call before you dig.
Tonya Brumley
NW Natural Community Affairs
The Dalles
Deserving
Rockford Grange was thrilled to hear that Sally Donovan is receiving the 2016 George McMath Historic Preservation Award. It’s much deserved. Sally has been very helpful in helping Rockford Grange find some of its rich history.
Unfortunately over the years much of our archives have been lost, so getting anything has been most appreciated. Thank you Sally and congratulations on being recognized for your good works.
Mark England
President, Rockford Grange
Hood River
Bottle all the water
I agree with Nestlé supporters who want to stop water from being wasted by dumping it into the Columbia River. Nestlé ought to be allowed to put bottling plants not only in Cascade Locks, but also on the White Salmon River, Hood River and the Deschutes River.
In fact, Nestlé should be allowed to put bottling plants on all the rivers wasting water by dumping it into the Columbia.
Jerry Giarraputo
Hood River
Need sales tax
A recent letter from our School Board promoting many (and I mean many) dollars’ worth of improvements contains all the facts minus one. Think back when the entire population of Hood River County hovered around 14-16,000. Land that sold for $130/acre may sell for $77,000/acre today, while the taxes went from $23/acre to $215/acre today. These figures cast a shadow over the zero mills.
An explanation of the millage factor would clarify how our schools can survive on “zero” mills. Before our county charter days, we elected the county appraiser. Ken Kirby was up front with numbers and forthright with facts. When given the budgeted figures from the governing agencies, it was his duty, and he had two ways to fill the “purse”: One, raise the property’s appraisals, or two, raise the millage factor.
While it is true that we all pay taxes, some own a house with a yard for their kids whom all need schools and playgrounds, while others may rent a space in a multi facility sharing their walls, floor, and ceiling with their neighbors. But we all pay taxes.
I agree wholeheartedly with our former mayor. We need a sales tax! Meanwhile, tourism is snowballing, and will soon be Hood River County’s major industry!
We need a sales tax!
Alan Winans
Hood River
Concerns
At the top of the list after you Google Measure 14-55 is a PDF from an organization known as Nestlé Waters North America. It must not be a real, respectable or honest organization or I would have just said Nestlé Waters North America and left out the “organization known as” part. The individuals leading this company are obviously up to no good. That is why I refer to them as “individuals” and not just call them people. As a non-person working with the so-called Local Water Alliance, I am concerned that a corporation whose only concern is profit seems to be successfully making the assertion that whether or not we should privatize our most precious and indispensable public resource, dramatically increase traffic and plastic waste should depend on the unemployment level. A bad idea does not become a good idea if the employment rate is high. You can tell all you need to know about Nestlé by their refusal to call their opponents people.
David Warnock
Hood River
In favor of measure
As an active community member who works with people who are often ignored, I stand beside the concerned citizens of Cascade Locks who spoke out at the Cascade Locks City Council meeting Monday night, but were ignored.
There were at least 40 Cascade Locks residents at the meeting and around 50 concerned tribal members who voiced their strong support of the Water Protection Ballot Measure 14-55. Yet the Council ignored their concerns and passed a resolution against protecting an essential water supply.
We each have a vote, and our vote can’t be ignored. I’ll be casting my vote in favor of the ballot measure. Please join me.
Heidi Venture
Hood River
Protect national scenic area
I am increasingly amazed, and sometimes amused, by positions expressed on the proposed Nestlé bottling plant in Cascade Locks and the allowances that would permit it. Those who support the enterprise and those who do not are going to great lengths to establish factual evidence that proves the righteousness of their opposing positions. Some of the work has been good. Much of it is a stretch.
Aside from all the facts, here are the simple reasons why I, and many I know, strongly oppose a Nestlé water bottling plant in Cascade Locks and the provisions that would allow it:
1) The matter at hand is not just about Cascade Locks. Cascade Locks sits in the middle of a National Scenic Area, which has been established for all people to marvel at, and for all Oregonians to be proud of. If you didn’t know this when you moved to Cascade Locks, or for some reason thought your plan to live there was to be part of a growing industrial economy and separate from the county you live in and whose taxpayers provide funding for many of the services you enjoy, you didn’t do your research.
If you want closer access to relatively high-paying industrial plant jobs, please do what the rest of the world does. Move to a place where such enterprises are appropriate.
2) In principle, I’m opposed to large multi-national businesses gaining contracts which allow them to gain control of and profit from natural resources, scarce or not, and especially in National Scenic Areas. Period.
Behemoth multi-national corporations rarely demonstrate much in the way meaningful social or environmental consciousness. Especially Nestlé. I don’t know why anyone would really expect them to. Their charter is only to return profit to their shareholders, which is what they will make effort to achieve no matter what, and at the expense of all else.
So, as a matter of risk vs. return in the best interest of not just Cascade Locks, but Hood River County at large, the entire State of Oregon and the planet Earth — I urge a vote of “Yes” on measure 14-55.
Mike Stroud
Hood River
No loss
Let’s say you live in a small town with a population of just over 1,000 people, and a big company wants to move into your town, refurbish your water facilities, create jobs, increase tax revenue for your city, county, and state, and much more. You would be all for it, right? Well, not the people of Hood River County, where in May they will have to decide on Measure 14-55, whether or not to allow water bottling in Hood River County. Here is a little bit of the back story:
Nestlé is currently trying to build a 2500,000 square foot bottling plant at the port of Cascade Locks. Under the proposed plan, Nestlé would purchase water from the City of Cascade Locks for a few dollars per 1,000 gallons. But there is a catch! The city’s water reservoir is too small to meet the demand of Nestlé. So what has Nestlé proposed? To build them a new reservoir, update their extremely outdated water main system, new hydrants all along the main, and repairing the road that would be torn up in the process. Did I forget to mention that they would also add a waterline from a nearby spring that feeds the Oxbow National Fish Hatchery to help maintain the new facilities? Now, you may be thinking that the state might be against this, or that the city, county and state might possibly be losing something in all of this. Well, as a matter of fact they do not lose anything whatsoever! The city keeps its water rights for its existing spring, and the state keeps the water rights for the Oxbow Spring. Nestlé is just going to purchase the water from them!
To read entire story go to www.thecsconservative.com/news.html/pacific-northwest/measure1455.
Robert Zerfing
Vancouver, Wash.
Double Mountain, single tower
Please take a moment out of your busy day to imagine yourself in the following scenario. You have lived in your home for many years, cherishing unprecedented views. You consider it such a blessing that you are a steward of this land that you freely share it for multiple neighboring school activities, and for community events and recreationalists.
Then you wake up one day to find that your neighbor, having been enticed by a guaranteed monthly income from an outside corporation, is putting a 10 story tall cell tower very near your home. As you research, you discover that the cell company has provided no neutral data that there is even a need for this service, that there are multiple robust studies in Europe showing increased rates of cancer near cell towers, and that there is no attempt to site towers away from people and views in more remote areas.
This is my family’s scenario, which became approved Wednesday night paving the way for Double Mountain Brewery’s property south of the HRVHS baseball field to allow Verizon to build a 10 story tower next to our local high school and our property.
This Monday, April 18 at 5:30 p.m. at the County Office Building, the HR County Commissioners will consider an ordinance governing cell towers. The ordinance will allow towers on all land in the county except R-1 zones, small unincorporated areas and the Scenic Area. In farm use zones, the vast majority of our valley, the towers can be 200 feet (20 stories) tall. For perspective, the Fairgrounds cell tower is 150 feet.
This is your last chance to have your voice heard if you hope to avoid my family’s scenario. If you can’t attend, send a letter to plan.dept@co.hood-river.or.us.
And while you still can, enjoy the view.
Rebecca Rawson
Hood River
Voting yes
I’ve lived in small, economically challenged towns for a lot of my life. Towns that have had an historic high unemployment rate.
I understand long commutes — my husband takes the vanpool every day. My experience has been that grass roots businesses succeed and meet the needs of the community, where large corporations take what they can, and leave a community in greater jeopardy. Why should anyone, inside or outside of Cascade Locks, be worried about Nestlé setting up the largest water bottling operation in Oregon in Hood River County? I would suggest going on to Google and confirming for yourself the fact that Nestlé doesn’t just go into a community and open up a bottling plant with one water supply. If you look at places like Fryeburg, Maine or Denver, Colo., Nestlé uses trucks to haul in tens of millions of gallons of water each year to their bottling plants. If there is a bottling plant in Cascade Locks, this puts every spring in our county at risk no matter who is using it or where it is. We are a community, not a resource to be stripped. Nestlé takes more than it gives. That’s why I am voting yes on 14–55.
Beth Hartwell
Hood River
Voting no
I am a property owner of land in Cascade Locks. I am mystified as to the reasoning of the people behind this ridiculous measure for the May election. This type of over-reach and over control is wrong. Each city has the right to bring increased financial benefit to its citizens, without the threat of another community trying to prevent that growth.
The measure would stop opportunity for more jobs that would increase property values, further revenue purchases for individuals living and working in this community and surrounding areas, and get Cascade Locks back to a place of growth and stability.
Changing the rules of how democratic decisions are made is in opposition to the will of the people in the Cascade Locks community and it’s not how I know the county wants to work.
I made an investment in property in Cascade Locks many years ago as a means of securing my retirement years. So far, the blocking of future business is keeping my property from being valuable and from being the help that I had hoped for.
Preventing a city from the right to make decisions is preventing another city’s right to grow and prosper. Vote against Measure 14-55 to give Cascade Locks a chance.
Virginia Knowles
Cascade Locks
Commented