‘Necessary step’
Strolling along the streets of my neighborhood this summer, I came across a sign on people’s lawns. It states, “Dormant Lawns for Fish and Farms.” The lawn it was posted on was golden, thirsty for water. The way these households decided to take action towards conserving water gave me my first realization that we were in a drought. Once the realization was made, more signs of our water deficiency came into view.
Year-round streams were all but parched. The devastating forest fires that clouded our valley were spurred, in part, by the dehydration of the trees. Fish in the Columbia River where getting heat stroke from lack of cool fresh water to soothe them along their journey.
For these reasons, I support and promote the Water Protection Measure on the ballot in May. This measure will ensure that our efforts towards water conservation were not in vain. Without taking a stand to prohibit water from being exported from our county, companies like Nestlé can come in and drain our water sources. I want to help protect our natural resources from further degradation and support of the Water Protection Measure is a necessary step.
Maza Brady
Hood River
Adds voice
I would like to add my voice to the chorus of overwhelming opposition to any form of fossil fuel transport through the Gorge. We don’t even need to address the bigger issue of a manmade warmer planet — let’s just look at the local consequences. We know that all the fossil fuels we export to China, especially coal, blows right back in our faces via the jet stream. There’s that. And as far as transporting goes, it’s bordering on criminal negligence to continue with this. It’s a well-known fact that the coal dust blowing off the trains works like little ball bearings to destabilize the railroad ties. This makes the chance of a derailment much more likely. So now we have not an “if,” but a “when” and a “where” this will happen. Even if it doesn’t incinerate a Gorge town, it will render the river toxic and useless for generations. Tesoro-Savage is basically playing Russian roulette and it seldom ends well. These big energy companies couldn’t care less about anything but making money, no matter the risk to a community’s safety. I am very proud that some of our elected officials had the courage to stand up to these people. I am wondering why there seems to be no outcry from Mark Johnson, Chuck Thomsen, and Greg Walden. These guys are supposed to be watching out for their constituents, plus they are all Hood River residents. Come on you guys, you know this is a critical issue.
Mike Kitts
Hood River
Questions
Re: “(HR) Sheriff pulls a Shift in Harney County” by News Editor Kirby Neumann-Rea, Jan. 16, 2016:
Interesting article in that the article raises more questions than it answers. To the best of my knowledge, in Oregon, the county sheriff is the top law enforcement official. But his authority only extends to his particular county. I don’t know that Matt English has any more “law enforcement powers” than do the individual members of the so-called “militia” in this situation in Harney County.
Also, are the members of the Hood River County Sheriff’s Department being paid by Harney County while they “pull a shift?” Seems like they get their pay checks courtesy of Hood River County to serve and protect Hood River residents.
Also, the HR News mentions an “implied threat.“ Exactly, what “implied threat” are you referring to?
Also, within the article, it mentions the annual coyote hunt. Is this an either/or situation in Harney County?
The U.S. Attorney that charged the Hammonds under a federal terrorist statute for the crime of arson is the person responsible for the current situation in Burns. Total overreach by the U.S. Attorney in Oregon. The “terrorist” statute does not apply in this case. Even the federal judge hearing the case agreed it was over reaching.
Phillip Lane
Parkdale
Prefers comedy
Tom Bottman (Letters, Jan. 16) compares the recent Republican presidential debate to a “high comedy.”
Let’s talk about tragedy. It is a tragedy that the best two candidates the democrats can put forward are a socialist, Bernie Sanders, who proposes to raise federal spending by 50 percent, raising taxes on Americans for giveaways like making college free, and Hillary Clinton, who is not only under investigation by the FBI for mishandling of classified documents, but now for a potential conflict of interest between her actions as Secretary of State and the Clinton Foundation.
Frankly, I’ve always preferred comedy.
Jon Laraway
Hood River
Harney County charades
I am amazed that the current squatters on our U.S. public lands in Harney County don’t have the mental where-with-all to see the moral and legal bankruptcy of their actions and demands. How can persons already guilty of taking millions of dollars’ worth of services (yes, grazing rights are services) from We the People of the United States, take a small town hostage, threaten the inhabitants, necessitate school closures and then try at gunpoint to demand ownership of public property? The absurdity of that idea is completely ludicrous. It smacks of the failed 1883 “land grab attempt” by the Yellowstone Park Improvement Company. The outcome to that grab, by poachers, developers and ranchers, affirmed solidly that all American citizens own our public lands, not a favored few. The concept of the ranchers as original owners is also ludicrous. Our government’s treaties show that Native Americans were the original owners of that land. When it’s all over, I am confident that the rule of law will prevail. The people I’m sorry for are the citizens of Harney County, who have had to put up with the worry for their families, and us tax payers, who have to pay to control one more bunch of gun-happy nuts.
Richard McBee
Hood River
Encouragement
A great big thank you to Isabel and Keith Doroski, the owners of Best of Belgium by Belle, for hosting the residents from Hawk’s Ridge Assisted Living and the residents of Down Manor. Each senior was honored with a delicious Belgian waffle.
When a local business goes out of their way to be an encouragement to our seniors, they are to be applauded and cheered. Please support Best of Belgium in the 202 Mall on Cascade Avenue in Hood River.
David Phelps
Hood River
Commented