This past weekend, I was fortunate to get a tour of the Trout Lake Abbey with some friends. While I’m not a Buddhist, I was looking forward to learning more about the Abbey. We were welcomed by Kozen, a monk dressed in a modest brown robe who helped start the Trout Lake Abbey. I had met him before but this was the first opportunity I had to spend time with him. He graciously walked us around the property, talked with us and simply shared his presence in a beautiful way. I was touched by his obvious care and concern for all people as well as his commitment to sustainable stewardship of the earth’s resources. In the middle of our tranquil visit, Kozen shared a shocking story of a situation that happened to him in Hood River last week. As he was getting out of his car a young man in his 20s approached and yelled, “Hey!” and then kicked his car door which hit Kozen in the head. The man then yelled, “F-ing Muslim!” and left.
Kozen said he was a bit disoriented but he stopped the bleeding and managed to drive himself home. He did report the incident to the police in Hood River so they would have a record of it, but he knew they would likely never find the man who did it. Kozen told us he was glad that it happened to him rather than to an actual Muslim. In true caring fashion, he expressed his concern for Muslims and others that have to continually worry about this type of attack. The Gorge is a wonderful place and I am personally blessed to know many great folks that live here. I hope that by sharing this story we can all take a step back to consider how our thoughts, words, and actions can affect others and the community.
Mike Gundlach
White Salmon, Wash.
A case of appearance
I’m sitting in Jackson Park and someone hits me on my nose with my skateboard because my hat doesn’t match my shoes.
Does it really matter if my Benetton pants are clashing with my Giorgio Armani tie?
Should I be considering wearing purples instead of green or orange?
On March 11, I was at the candlelight vigil in Hood River, happy to be a part of this community around Kozen Sampson, showing solidarity. I was able to talk with him and heard his comment, interpretation and teaching from a religious point of view about what happened on Feb. 29. I’m proud I was able to collect other comments and opinions based on common sense or personal consideration.
Ignorance. Anger. Generation gap.
I believe we can picture a sort of deep intolerant sense was the root of the crime, but I like to imagine the real source of the aggression was related to nothing but the appearance.
I, too like a vast number of people, am assuming that a woman with a burka on her face should be Arabic but I really like to be free and accept the option of a person hiding a blemish on the lip or a gold tooth and maybe that woman is in reality a man with a long mustache.
I am not Watson or Sherlock Holmes. I am not a detective and I am not investigating what happened, but I believe I can help reach the truth and avoid similar cases, if they are based on simple exteriority.
Paolo Giorgi
Hood River
Come to Oregon
We should bring all the political protesters to Oregon and turn the federal government loose on them. They wouldn’t stand a chance.
Alan Bailey
Hood River
Begin here
If the Republicans are truly serious about cutting taxes, they could begin by eliminating the tax on medical expenses and also on our Social Security payments.
George W. Earley
Mount Hood
Exclusions
We have been following and participating in meetings, emails and letters on the proposed city regulations for short term rentals (STRs). Each side has some compelling arguments and both sides endorse exclusion. Exclusion takes different forms: we do not want outsiders in our neighborhoods, we want only residents in our neighborhood, we want caps that say how many we will let visit in a neighborhood, we want only those that can afford to pay a fee and meet regulations to be able to share their home, we want only those who have done this in the past to do it forever more, we do not want long term renters, we do not want short term renters, etc. The negativity sometimes erupts into name calling and labeling too painful to include in this letter.
Exclusion also has the by-product of enforcement and additional costs for the residents in terms of fees and taxes. If you say no, then you have to enforce it or it is meaningless — many communities have already found this out.
Hood River is a beautiful place that is in high demand. A demand created by its natural beauty and also the tourism marketing that has and is heavily promoting the area. Exclusion is a sad way to govern or plan and polarizes residents. Our elected leaders need to take a deep breath and come up with policy and regulations that are inclusive and meet the majority of interests. We are suggesting that the city use some of its surplus to convene a community forum with a structured approach to identifying what we can agree on, what we cannot agree on and what compromises most can accept. This will allow us to move forward in at least a more inclusive way and just maybe get the community to a YES!
“It is never too late to get it right!” My favorite stolen phrase, but do not know the author.
Sharon Guidera
Hood River
Miracle
A miracle has happened in our town. My 5 year old nephew is battling with Osteogenic Sarcoma (bone cancer in the shoulder). I was having to fight my 401k to get the money for his surgery because we were running out of options to avoid amputation.
A couple, friends of mine who wanted to remain anonymous, contacted me very concerned about my situation. I told them I had to have the money by Wednesday, March 16 of this month to make the surgery happen. Fifteen minutes later, they gave me a call from their bank and told me that they have the large amount of money for me.
I have been crying ever since this happened. I told them I was willing to make payments to them for helping me to provide a better life for my nephew. They smiled and said, “We are all family in Christ, he is our family.”
I told them, “My Mom, my sisters and everyone are crying out of joy for what you both have done.” They said to me, “Give credit to the Lord! We are only his messengers! We are glad to help.”
Carlos Alvarez Juarez
Hood River
Limit STRs
For those of you advocating for more STRs (short term rentals), I would like you to do a bit of research into rental opportunities for a person working for minimum wage. Let’s increase the income by adding a roommate and both are working 50 hours per week.
How many apartments could they rent in Hood River? If you look through the city’s research, you will find the number well below what the state of Oregon suggests be available.
I see people in the letters to the editor talking about loss of jobs if STRs are limited. Exactly which jobs? The jobs which are lost, if tourism is curtailed, are those of the minimum wage workers. Those people the STRs are displacing.
This has the ugly feel of late 1700s French aristocrats, the people with STRs need minimum wage workers to serve the tourists that pay the exorbitant STR rates, but they do not want to allow them to live where they work. They can move to Bingen or Odell or The Dalles, not that there is anything wrong with these towns, but you are pricing these people out of the place they want to live to turn a profit.
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