Hold on!
I notice that the city council agenda includes hearings about land use. I assume these include the selling of Morrison Park for housing development. Hold on, don’t sell out!
After reading the Hood River News editorial, “Go Yard,” on Oct. 3, I support keeping our park! I want to see discussion move on to the ODOT property on Cascade. Above all, I would hope that we can wait for the Court of Appeals ruling and then for the Land Use Board’s response.
There is good reason that we have these review boards in place. Please postpone consideration until January.
Jane Camero
Hood River
Remember Walden’s words
Thank you for your excellent editorial, “Where’s Walden?”
Candidate Jamie McCloud-Skinner conducted a refreshing campaign and I hope she runs again in two years and brings Walden home to stay.
Walden’s words “weaponize” and “anarchy” are dangerous insults to concerned voters.
Let’s remember these in two years.
It is worth reminding citizens of our county that once, long ago, we had real clout in Congress when we were represented by the Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, Al Ullman. That powerful congressman lost it when he failed to “come home”, acting more to represent Washington, D.C., beltway concerns than those of his constituents. Voters then properly turned him out.
It is time to send a similar message to Walden: Turn him out and again have our concerns be represented in the nation’s capital by someone who doesn’t insult us.
David Hupp
Hood River
Be happy
Smart, rich people have always known that their most important task is to keep poor people from being happy, because, by definition, happy people are content with what they have. If millionaires were happy, we would have no billionaires. The only way rich people get richer is by poor people working hard to make it happen.
The only way this happens is by rich people convincing poor people that only more stuff will make them happy. We have been running this dog and pony show for many thousands of years. We are destroying our home planet to make more stuff because we are not happy. How stupid do we have to be to buy into this?
David Warnock
Hood River
‘Will be again’
Perhaps it falls to a psychologist, or a sociologist, or a philosopher, or … shhhhh … a theologian to explain why I am confident that the two following examples are shining revelations that the way we were is how we will be again.
First, there is the recent publicity embracing the embrace that is the relationship between President George W. Bush and First Lady Michelle Obama. The hugs. The smiles. The endearments. The acknowledgments that each disagrees with the other on almost everything and yet there they are … united.
Second, there is the recent publicity embracing “Checks and Balances,” a new group of “conservative” lawyers, including George Conway, husband to White House counselor Kellyanne Conway, coming together to speak out that, while acknowledging their agreement with some of President Trump’s policies, they cannot, they must not, be blind and mute to the current administration’s assault on truth, checks and balances, separation of powers, civil discourse and the rule of law.
Such hope, whether it be in a hug between two political separates united in mutual trust and respect, or the collective hug that is “We the People” promising in the preamble to the Constitution “to form a more perfect Union” … heartens.
Robert White
Mt. Hood-Parkdale
Dress up
Omnipotent President Trump is convinced that thousands of people in Florida have voted more than once by returning to their cars for a change of clothing after voting only minutes earlier. From where I sit, it seems just as plausible that someone wearing an expensive suit has taken up residence in the White House and somehow acquired the skill set to lead our country.
What else am I supposed to think after the string of ridiculous comments and Tweets I have heard over the past two years?
Steve Kaplan
Hood River
HRMS students warn against drinking, driving
Hi, my name is Mackenzie and I think you should not do drugs on the holiday when you should be spending time with friends or family or even football. Well, I hope you think about what I said and spend time with the ones you love.
Mackenzie Thurman, sixth
Sparkling cider, mmm … Doesn’t that sound good right now?
Especially since Thanksgiving is coming up. You’d be surprised of how many people drink on holidays. I think they should lay off of alcohol and drink juice, water or sparkling cider — my favorite. You will be a healthier and safer person if you eat regular food and drink any drink besides alcohol.
Zitclali Ocampo, sixth
Hi, my name is Zanna. I am 11 and I am here to say one thing and one thing only: Eat more pie and don’t get high.
Zanna Diffin, sixth
The holidays are full of fun and games, but some people take this as an opportunity to drink. Many families love to celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s by having a drink of their favorite alcoholic drink, but you have no idea what influence you are giving, especially if you have kids. If you are drinking in front of minors, you are just giving them an opportunity to drink as well. In the state of Oregon, underage drinking costs citizens $600 million per year.
There are many other choices besides alcohol (wine), like sparkling cider or grape juice.
Vivan Cortes, eighth
Cares Week at Hood River Middle School affected many students in a very positive way. Many of my peers were having fun asking questions about road safety and learning how to do CPR. Some very generous volunteers had tables and were handing out pencils, pins and stickers with positive messages written on them. As you can see, Cares Week made many middle schoolers more aware of how to be safe in our community.
Daphne Campbell, eighth
Underage drinking is a problem in our society. Four out of 10 adults drink during holidays. The most beer consumed is between Thanksgiving and New Years. Underage drinking happens mostly at parties and other events, like football games. Underage drinking can make them addicted to beer at an early age, which can postpone brain development.
Overall, underage drinking is a serious problem, which we should try to stop.
Daisy James, sixth
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