Yes for schools
Here in our county, we have a long and proud history of supporting our local public schools. Because of this, our schools are highly regarded across the state and in national ratings, and continue to be important community assets. During the recent public Hood River County School Board budget meeting, the district administration laid out a plan that includes funding to add critical programs back into our schools, classes that a lot of us took for granted when we were students — staffing for full time elementary school PE and music teachers, world language instruction in middle schools, smaller class sizes at the high school, and several more important programs that can been seen on the school district webpage.
These additions are possible because of exceptional stewardship of district finances by the HRCSD administration. Here is the tricky part: these program additions will be impacted if we don’t pass the school bond on the May 17 ballot. Every school in the district has maintenance issues that cannot be ignored. For example, the boilers at Hood River Middle, May Street and Parkdale Elementary have to be replaced. There are $6.4 million of critical roofing repairs that cannot be put off. If we do not pass this construction bond, the money to make these repairs, maintain our buildings, and improve technology throughout the district will have to come directly from our general fund. If these maintenance costs have to come out of the general fund instead of being funded through the school bond, there will be less money for the above programs. With the passage of this bond, the school district will be able to make critical improvements and modernize classrooms for our kids — a lot has changed in the world since we built our last school nearly 50 years ago!
And remember, this bond will not increase the present tax rate because the district has paid off prior bonds before asking for another one. We have a proud history of excellent schools in Hood River County. Please join me in continuing to support our schools, our kids, and our community. Vote yes for schools!
Chrissy Reitz
Hood River
Need discussion
I want to say thank you for the editorial of April 30. I appreciate your well-written précis of the problem Cascade Locks has faced for at least the last decade.
Yet, I disagree with your vote no stance on 14-55. The recent indifference to the testimony of the Tribal members to their water right under the Treaty of 1855 shows that my town and any other corporations will continue unless stopped by this measure.
For far too long my government’s reasoning has been, “We need it to pay the bills,” when we should have been asking, does it fit, not “how can we make them hire locals?” Will it bring us prosperity, not how many jobs will it bring?
The problem is that Cascade Locks always swings for the bleachers. I’ve appreciated that observation more and more lately. We need a discussion where the deeper values of all the community are expressed and that the conversation should continue until the common values are discovered.
Until we weave that commonality, we will stay divided and unfocused.
Katelin Stuart
Cascade Locks
‘Obnoxious’
The great feeling I usually get from my afternoon bike ride today was shattered by the obnoxious billboard displayed by a church on west Belmont. Disparaging another group’s God is completely out of line. Never mind your spelling of “Alla.”
Please, take it down — now.
Eric Cohn
Hood River
No to hatred
I want to complain openly about the marquis in front of the Missionary Baptist Church on Belmont Drive. The message on the west bound side of the sign promotes ignorance, bigotry and hatred, none of which are regarded as true Christian values.
It demonstrates ignorance, because even with the most basic level of understanding of religion one would hope that a pastor would know that Judaism, Islam, and Christianity all share the same god. They are all descendants of Abraham (Ibrahim). So saying “Alla[h] is not the same as my god” is like saying “My dad is not the same as my father.” That sentence makes no sense at all.
It promotes bigotry by denying the experience and feelings of all who choose the path of Islam, by lumping them in with the radicals who choose to defile the religion with hatred. By doing this it makes you the same as the terrorists who usurp religion to justify pursuing their personal needs at the expense of others’ right to live.
It encourages hatred by setting up a false dichotomy of us versus them.
It is this shallow mentality that led to the humiliation of the whole community of Hood River when a Buddhist monk was assaulted because someone thought he was a Muslim. The assailant felt justified in his individual act of terrorism because it was directed at a “them” rather than seeing the victim as another human being living in our community.
It is messages like the one on the Missionary Baptist Church’s marquis that give Christians and Christianity a bad name. How can Christianity claim to be the religion of love and forgiveness when its most vocal followers promote ignorance, bigotry, and hatred? We as a community are better than that, so please change the message on the marquis.
Glen Patrizio
Hood River
Support West Side park
One thing is missing from Hood River’s Westside: A central gathering spot, a conveniently located esplanade that invites, inspires and energizes neighbors, families, friends and visitors. The proposed Westside Park is an opportunity to develop such a place. As a Westside resident and working mom to an energetic 5-year-old, my curiosity and enthusiasm for a nearby park propelled me to attend both the March 5 and the April 16 outreach events co-hosted by the Hood River Valley Residents Committee (HRVRC), Hood River Valley Parks and Recreation District (HRVPRD) and creative Portland State Urban Planning grad students at Westside Elementary and the proposed park site. Not surprisingly, I am not the only working parent with an energetic child — there are many of us who are curious about the proposed Westside Park and overwhelmingly enthusiastic and supportive of the project. What was pleasantly surprising about both of the outreach events was the palpable joy, unity and optimism that permeated the meetings where the idea of a large scale park was being discussed. Imagine the joy and unity the actual park will bring to our community!
Less pleasantly surprising was the April 30 Hood River News article entitled “Parks District announces plans to revitalize the faded Golden Eagle Park.” Is the Parks District taking Westside Park off the table?
The article notes (i) $494,000 of the estimated $830,000 renovation cost would come from a state park grant; (ii) HRVPRD Director Lori Stirn stated, “Plans are still tentative … but the project has been well received by the public so far;” and (iii) “HRVPRD plans to hold public meetings in June to gauge feelings on the park.”
HRVPRD, please don’t confuse obvious, tremendous support for the Westside Park with alleged support for the smaller scale Golden Eagle Park renovation project, which our community has not yet had the opportunity to assess. Please do expend the $494,000 state park grant on Westside Park, the project that provides the best long term benefit — the sense of joy and pride in our community in a place where it will be utilized and appreciated the most.
Anna Cavaleri
Hood River
No benefit
As a native Oregonian, a mom, and a teacher, it’s been disappointing to watch as our local elected officials have done little to protect our water supply from the precedent that would be set if Nestlé succeeded with its bottled water grab.
That lack of action is why I, a local farmer and an instructor from Cascade Locks, decided to file Measure 14-55.
It is difficult to understand why our county would let a bottled water exporting facility into our community when we are facing serious long-term water shortages. A little research shows that these bottled water plants are highly automated and produce a small number of jobs. If you go online, you can see Nestlé’s own CEO bragging about how his “modern” and “highly robotized” plants have “almost no people” in them.
Similarly, since Nestlé’s water bottling plant qualifies for a five-year, and potentially 15 year, tax loophole, Nestlé wouldn’t pay a dime in property taxes towards schools, fire or even to maintain local roads their trucks would damage.
While there are virtually no local benefits for Hood River County to become home to Oregon’s largest bottled water export plant, there are huge risks.
With a little research, you can find that when Nestlé opens a bottled water plant, it doesn’t just bottle water that is close to the plant. Instead, it sends massive trucks out into the surrounding areas for supplemental water. This is definitely not just a Cascade Locks issue.
If a water bottling plant opens in Cascade Locks, all water in the county and all water users are at risk.
As one of the three chief petitioners of 14-55, I’m proud to see such a diverse group of local voters supporting the measure. I am sad to see the opposition now resorting to baseless scare tactics, such as the claim that 14-55 isn’t legal, or would cost the county money.
This election is voters’ chance to send a message that we want our water supply protected.
Thank you to everyone who has voted yes on 14-55.
Pamela Larsen
Hood River
Timing
I have to wonder as to the timing of the HR County Commissioners “concern” as to the legal ramifications of Measure 14-55. Where was the commissioners’ concerns when the measure was first presented last year rather than a week and half before the election?
Also, should the measure be passed by a majority of the voters, who then gives the commissioners the right to overturn their vote?
As previously reported by one of the commissioner’s some time ago that Hood River County has some money issues, why does that now come up in conjunction with this particular measure?
The Hood River County Commissioners should have expressed their “concerns” early on, prior to when a lot of people have already voted.
Phillip Lane
Parkdale
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