Letters to the Editor for April 22

When did state agencies start taking a role in making public water available for corporate profit? This swap does not benefit ODFW or the public, which makes it a completely irresponsible decision. It is a time of drought, with over five Oregon Counties labeled “drought emergencies.” Right now Nestlé continues to pump massive amounts of water out of Sacramento and other parts of California during one of California’s worst droughts in history.

Governor Brown needs to take the lead here (since the state agency won’t) and protect Oregon’s water today and for future generations.

Pamela Larsen

Hood River

For Reitz

Reitz is right for Position One. As an active parent volunteer in the Hood River Valley School District for 14 years, I am very appreciative of the hard work that the school board does to help manage the district on a volunteer basis. Thank you very much, Liz Whitmore, for your eight years of important service as you step down from your position on the board this spring. Filling your shoes will be difficult, but I strongly encourage the community to vote for Chris Reitz in Position One in the Westside area. She has given many hours over the years in several voluntary roles as a Westside Elementary PTO and site council member and as a board member for two child-related services in the community. From being a co-founder of the Gorge Kids Triathlon to working at the Hood River Warming Shelter, she has a range of experiences that will help her objectively assist the school board with their many difficult decisions and challenges that they face in considering what is best for each child in our school district. I believe she works hard in an objective way to gather information and talk to people before giving an opinion and would be a real asset to the Hood River School Board both as a parent and a community member. Please join me in voting for Chris Reitz this May.

Theo Parkinson

Hood River

For Wilhelm

My kids are grown, but as a grandparent and lifetime resident of Hood River, I am concerned about our schools. That’s why I am supporting a different kind of candidate for HRCSD Board, Kris Wilhelm, running for Position 1, Westside Hood River and Cascade Locks.

You can bet Kris will vote first and foremost with what’s best for the kids, not the interest of state and federal government.

As a taxpayer, I know Kris will also represent me, and make wise use of the limited funds that is given to the schools.

Kris will listen, weigh all facts, and will boldly vote for what’s right. She cannot be swayed on principal. She is willing to come to the table with an open mind, and again, vote for what’s best for kids, teachers and taxpayers.

Please join me in marking your ballot for Kris Wilhelm for school board in the May 19 election.

Linda Hutson

Hood River

‘IRS’ scam

I would like to remind readers to be on the alert for scam calls and emails, falsely claiming to be from the IRS, urging the home owner to respond immediately in order to avoid the IRS “taking action” against them. I received two such calls today — April 15 — and no doubt I am not the only one. Such communications can be very distressing, particularly to the elderly who are the frequent targets of such scams.

Please be vigilant, and don’t let yourself or your loved ones fall victim to these predators.

Faith Keolker

Hood River

Re-elect Watson

Re CGCC Board of Directors Election in May:

I want to express my thanks to Stu Watson who, as the only member of the Columbia Gorge Community College Board of Directors had the courage to ask President Toda to resign due to his demonstrated incompetence, as the President of the institution.

President Toda has approached the severe financial budget shortfall as a “Pollyanna,” hoping that funding will appear out of thin air. Not taking corrective action long before the crisis developed was beyond his abilities.

Think about the knee jerk reaction that President Toda made, when “out of the blue” he announced the Hood River Campus would be closed this summer.

He has ignored all of the impending signs of a large budget deficit and the vote of no confidence by more than 40 members of the faculty staff in a signed letter to President Toda in the summer of 2013 speaks volumes.

I urge all eligible voters in Hood River County to cast their vote and reelect Stu Watson as a responsible member of the BOD. Stu has been the only voice on the CGCC BOD who has raised the budget shortfall alarm long before it became a crisis.

Stu has earned my vote. I urge you to vote for Stu Watson too.

Dale Nicol

Hood River

Blast zone march

On Thursday, April 23, from noon to 1 p.m., there will be a march near the BNSF RR tracks in Bingen, Wash., to protest having to share the Columbia Gorge with potentially exploding oil trains. Nineteen oil unit trains per week travel on the BSNF RR putting the entire Columbia Gorge at risk for a catastrophic oil train fire or an oil spill into the river. On the Oregon side Union Pacific RR is shipping seven to ten trains monthly of Canadian tar sands oil through the Gorge which has recently been found to be as explosive as the Bakken crude. A tar sands oil spill into the Columbia River would be next to impossible to clean up because it sinks instead of floating like Bakken oil.

To participate in the march, meet at Daubenspeck Park in Bingen around noon. Make our own sign if you care to. There will be some pizza available or bring a sack lunch. The march will be less than a mile and start at 12:20 and conclude by 12:45 p.m. Please show your concern over this issue by joining us on Thursday.

Peter Cornelison

Friends of the Columbia Gorge

Hood River

Protect water

If Oregon had a state-owned bank like North Dakota has, instead of outsourcing our revenues to the big banks, our state bank could put up the capital for a water bottling plant that would be publicly owned and controlled. After meeting all of Cascade Locks needs for improved infrastructure, instead of outsourcing the profits from Oregonian’s water to a multinational corporation, Oregonians could receive a dividend like Alaskans do from their oil revenue.

Oregon protects farm and forest land; its waters should be protected as well.

I am not in favor of bottling water in plastic and shipping it all over. I am opposed to digging up the last dregs of fossil fuels and burning them as fast as possible. We should be very, very carefully proceeding with the resources that are left, with great respect for our only home and all future generations.

Karen Harding

Mt. Hood

Natural disconnect

A man once told me about his village in New Mexico, where his people continue to collect water from the nearby river each day for their needs. He explained that it wasn’t their lack of appreciation for technologies that would have brought running water from pipes and faucets into their homes that motivated them. Rather it was their intention to remember daily their direct connection to their water source. They have found that with this remembrance in place they are better stewards and protectors of that source.

Nestlé’s desire to bottle Oxbow Spring water in Cascade Locks is an excellent example of our disconnection from a precious natural, publicly owned resource. The Swiss multinational corporation’s recent move to convince Oregon to trade some of its legal rights to the spring thereby bypassing processes evaluating any negative impact on the public only serves the interests of corporate profit, not local communities. Once any water rights have been signed over, very little can be done to ensure that the private company will work in the best interest of the community.

The World Bank estimates that by 2025, two-thirds of the world’s population will have limited access to fresh drinking water. In light of that scenario, all fresh water resources should be protected and stewarded to the best of our ability.

I urge Governor Kate Brown to support the withdrawal of the application to exchange public water rights to Nestlé.

Karen Murphy

Hood River

Wilhelm will do part

It is election time again and Kris Wilhelm is running for Position 1, Westside, Hood River and Cascades Locks, Hood River County School Board. The news continues to be hard to read about budget cuts, which of course includes cuts to vitally important programs in our school district. Kris is willing to put in the time to represent us to understand the decisions made and help to influence the decisions to keep as many vital programs as possible for our students. Some of you may know Kris Wilhelm personally and others by letters she has written in the past to this newspaper. Kris is passionate about her beliefs and wants to do her part to make our schools stronger and fiscally responsible. For years I have seen her letters complimenting and appreciating her son’s teachers and schools. I admire someone who takes the time to appreciate the hard work of others. Now I again admire her for taking time out of busy life to run for this position. Please give her your vote.

Mary Davidson

Hood River

Appalled

I was appalled to see that the Hood River News published the name and address of the victim in the Michael Linden arrest. You have just re-victimized her with this oversight. It was not necessary to include her name to inform the community of this incident. Victims of sexual assault are reluctant to report because they don’t want people to know what happened to them. To have the paper actually publish their names is humiliating and hurtful. You owe her an apology and your paper’s reporters need some training on sensitivity towards victims.

Jackie Henson

Hood River

Punchbowl Progresses

It’s very encouraging to read about the progress at Punchbowl. The fundraising seems to be moving in the right direction. It is encouraging to see contribution matching as a part of the fundraising efforts. The clean-up seems to be moving forward on multiple fronts with volunteers, forestry workers, etc. Planning has been fruitful thus far. This is a very positive venture for our area. There are some collaborative efforts going on right now that are making vital progress for the project. From one citizen to another, keep up the good work!

Mike Teems, Jr.

Parkdale

CGCC is ‘robust’

As chairman of the Board at Columbia Gorge Community College I feel obligated to “set the record straight.”

The college is:

In good shape financially. We have been subjected to two financial setbacks.

The State has reduced their commitment for this coming biennium funding.

The federal money that Dr. Frank Toda got us (that others in the state didn’t get) has dried up for the next year.

We are unique in that we have not raised tuition for three years. Our new $2 raise puts us on an average with other colleges in the state.

We, unlike several other community colleges have not until now, had to take measures to cut back.

We have offered “early retirement” incentives to staff members, and several have accepted, thereby reducing staff expenses. Contrary to some of the letters to the editor, they have complimented the administration in doing so.

The college remains strong and everlasting in Hood River and Wasco counties. We also serve and will continue to do so — students from Wheeler, Sherman, Gilliam, Klickitat and Skamania counties.

Our programs are robust, e.g. nursing, welding, wind generation mechanics, as well as liberal arts and others.

We increased class sizes where the numbers were low to be more efficient and deal with areas where they took the retirement package.

We strive to do our best and will continue to so vigorously.

M.D. Van Valkenburgh

The Dalles

‘Show decency’

After finishing the front page article in Saturday’s paper regarding the horrific rape and kidnapping in Parkdale, it left me feeling outrage for the victim. Not only for the ordeal she survived, but the absolute disregard the paper showed by printing the victim’s name!

What possible purpose did the running of her name serve? What if it were your daughter, sister, wife, or friend whose name appeared on the front page for being the victim of a violent crime? Show some decently and think before you print!

Mary Jensen

Hood River