‘Call us’
This letter is for every person in the Gorge who has wondered in the last year if they can ever get beyond just a minimum wage job.
Yes, you can.
If you have an interest in cooking and are willing to give us 12 weeks to train you for free, we can help you find that future career beyond minimum wage. We are Fresh Start Culinary Arts Program in Hood River. We are a new non-profit, which means we aren’t in this to make money. We are dedicated to helping our neighbors in Hood River, The Dalles, Stevenson, Goldendale, Bingen, Odell, Parkdale, White Salmon — the whole Gorge — to start fresh, with new skills and a new job. Restaurants, hospital and school kitchens all over our region need trained cooks. We can promise you on graduation that a good job waits for you.
These are jobs that pay better than minimum wage to start, and offer you the chance to advance.
If you are reading this and thinking, “But how would I support myself for 12 weeks while I’m in school?” we understand. Don’t let that stop you from calling. We will work with our community partners to search for ways to support you while you train.
If you are pumping gas, washing dishes, or just seeking a new career, call us. We understand you may have a criminal record. Call us. Maybe you finished high school three years ago and can’t quite seem to find the right path. Or maybe you’ve bounced from job to job for 20 years. Call us. We know you may have failed before. That’s why we’re here: to give you another chance. What do you need to qualify? You must be at least 18 years old and live in the Gorge. That’s it.
We are Fresh Start Culinary Arts Program. You can call us at 541-399-6929. Or, you can read about us and get an application at freshstartculinaryarts.org. Our next 12-week session starts May 31. We hope you’ll join us.
Kathy Watson
Chair, Fresh Start Culinary Arts Program
Hood River
Vote Trandum
For those of you local Democrats who have yet to fill out your ballots, if you plan to vote for Bernie Sanders, you will likely want to vote for my dad, Walt Trandum, too. He’s running for State Representative here in District 52 because he believes the only way we can get the kind of effective representation we need is to stop electing people who use large amounts of money from powerful special interests to get themselves elected. His “Win with Walt” campaign only accepts campaign money from people living in our district, and then only $50 dollars or less per individual per year. If you like Bernie because he advocates getting money’s influence out of politics, you’ll love Walt Trandum as your next State Representative.
Tracy Triplett
Sandy, Ore
’Clarifying the truth’
I was perplexed while reading the responses to another church’s use of a sign with which they disagreed. My purpose is not to defend or denigrate the sign’s message or the accusations of “ignorance, bigotry and hatred,” but to clarify the truth about the God who reveals Himself in scripture. The Creator of the universe would not affirm the statement that “Judaism, Islam, and Christianity all share the same God.” They don’t!
Jesus, who supernaturally entered our world to do the Father’s will, said in John 14:6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” Christians are Christ’s followers who believe that Jesus is God, who died for our sin and was raised the third day to prove that He is Messiah. As Christ’s disciples, the most loving thing we can do is to speak the truth, in love, to those who are truly ignorant (1 Cor. 13:6), as the apostle Paul did at Mars Hill (Acts 17:22-31).
All religious roads do not lead to heaven and true faith and forgiveness cannot be found outside of faith in Jesus Christ. Hear Jesus again in John 17:3, “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” Jesus did not willingly suffer and sacrifice his body and blood for sinners, if there were alternatives to receiving atonement for sin. Concerning Jesus, the Bible is clear: “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
I am personally thankful that my God was willing to send His only begotten Son to die for me and give me the gift of eternal life through faith in Jesus (Eph. 2:8-9). A true “vocal follower” of Christ would dispel “ignorance, bigotry and hatred” by telling the truth, which can only be found in God’s Holy Word, the Bible. “Thy Word is truth” (John 17:17).
Pastor Bruce Parker
FBC Hood River
‘Trojan horse’
Did you buy your home without inspecting the foundation? Buy your car without looking under the hood? Believe the National Enquirer? We need to be wise, diligent stewards of this land and its resources, and protect it for the future, not those who wish to profit for themselves only.
Please, research Nestlé on your own.
Don’t believe misinformation filled flyers created by slick ad agencies, purposely intended to tug at our heartstrings and to cause fear and division between our local people.
The Local Water Alliance, “Yes on 14-55,” was originally formed in Cascade Locks by local concerned citizens who have done their research on Nestlé and their impact on small, economically-challenged towns and the environment.
We don’t need the Trojan horse (Nestlé) rolling into the Gorge, filled with empty promises, dividing our people, and taking away our precious resources. Be, one day, proud to tell your great grandchildren that you were among the people that fought to protect their future.
Better businesses are coming to Cascade Locks. Vote “Yes” on 14-55.
Blue Ackerman
Hood River
Empty promises
We can probably all agree that one person who knows the true number of jobs in a Nestlé plant is the Nestlé Chairman and former CEO himself, Peter Brabeck.
Take a minute right now and go watch this short video (www.vimeo.com/165326599) of Brabeck saying about a Nestlé factory, “You can see, how modern those factories are; highly robotized, almost no people.”
We all want Cascade Locks to thrive, but I have a bridge to sell to anyone who believes Nestlé would actually bring anything close to 50 jobs.
Add in the fact that Nestlé likely won’t pay any property taxes for at least five years, and it’s clear we’re just hearing empty promises so that Nestlé can get what it wants.
Our water supply is too important, I’m voting yes on 14-55.
Miranda Chavez
Hood River
Dream big
As a young person living in the midst of “big business,” it is so easy to become blindfolded. It is as if we are taught from a young age to make money, even if it is at the expense of others. The proposed Nestlé water bottling plant is a prime example of a large corporation trying to make money at the expense of others. Not only will the plant impact people, it will also impact other living beings. Animals will lose their habitats because of trees being cut down to make roads for trucks to ship water in and out. Little microbes and invertebrates will lose water from Oxbow Springs. This is not just a battle against a corporation. It is a battle that will set a precedent when other companies come to bottle water in the future. Everyone wants economic development, but let’s make it sustainable and progressive. In this time of climate crisis, we need to dream big. We must let go of “business as usual” and dare to create new ways to have economic prosperity. We have the opportunity of a lifetime to reshape the world we want to live in.
Join me in voting for measure 14-55 for the long-term health and prosperity of the Columbia River Gorge.
Charley Boonstra
Hood River
‘Nice try’
It is fairly incredible to see Nestlé’s campaign focus on the idea that a bottled water plant would be the savior of Cascade Locks. It seems there are at least two major claims that voters should really look at very skeptically.
Claim 1: A water bottling plant would produce a lot of jobs. Even Nestlé’s recent mailer claimed their plant would bring “nearly 50” jobs.
So if you remove the exaggeration factor, it means we’re talking fewer jobs than a decent-sized restaurant and nothing that’s worth having our county known for being Oregon’s largest bottle water exporter. Add to that the fact the jobs would mainly be low wage custodial and security jobs and it’s pretty clear Nestlé’s jobs arguments fall flat. This is especially true when you think about all the farms and small businesses that depend on a good water supply.
Claim 2: A plant would provide tax money for schools and fire service. That’s a nice idea for sure, but the only problem is Nestlé would qualify for a property tax exemption that would last five years or longer, so it wouldn’t pay anything to support the roads their truck use, let alone schools or fire service.
Nice try Nestlé, I’m voting yes on 14-55.
Walter Burkhardt
Hood River .
Follow the money
Big money in politics; that’s the refrain of the Democrat candidates for HD52. Want to know who is really getting Big Money? It’s Mark Reynolds, Hood River Lib, who is funded by the Oregon Trail Lawyers, the OEA and unions, in particular SEIU.
Darn right it’s harmful, since the trail lawyers expect a payback from candidate Reynolds. They intend to stop recreational tort reform again, just like they did in the horrible February session. And that will hurt anyone who enjoys outdoor sports in the Gorge and on our mountain.
Terrain parks, windsurfing, wake boarding, snowboarding — all new since Oregon’s laws regarding recreation liability were enacted in the 1970s.
The Oregon Supreme court has opened the door to put owners and operators out of business unless sensible reform to existing law is made. That’s what moderates in the House tried to do. It was blocked by the trial lawyers who have Democrats in their pockets.
Ever rent a bike to tour our byways? You know, like thousands of tourists do every year? Do you rent kayaks or stand up paddle boards? Yep, that’s at risk too — same old tort laws will make it so expensive for tour operators that we stand to lose a lot of recreational income in our district.
How about you golfers? Want to pay higher green fees so the trial lawyers continue to get fat off of antiquated law? Didn’t think so …
Seriously, before voting, please examine the rhetoric being spewed by the extremists and get to the facts. It will change your opinion, and hopefully your vote.
Benny Gramalski
Brightwood, Ore.
STR concerns
Here is the text of a letter I sent to city council for Monday’s meeting, re: regulating short term rentals.
Hoping Hood River’s spring is shaping up as a good one and I wanted to be sure to provide comment given the important matters you are considering.
I urge you, before any regulation or restriction is placed on short term rentals, please be explicit and clear as to what the problem is that you are solving.
Is it about affordable housing, betterment of neighborhoods, local oversight for rentals, elimination of problems created by short term rentals, housing supply for professionals, etc.?
I haven’t heard a consistent answer to what the problem is, and have not seen data-based evidence or proof that there is indeed a problem. We’ve heard anecdotes and one-off stories about parties next door but no data, police reports or calls, no research upon which to build a case.
Also, considering what the pro-regulation parties are advocating, the very group they are impacting, owners like me, are the group they need cooperation from and their actions to date have not engendered any cooperation at all. Their regulations will cause lights to be off more often during the year, homes will not be put up for sale nor put in rental inventory. Worse yet, guests traveling to Hood RIver won’t have homes to crash in and store their gear, but rather have to stay in impersonal generic hotels, outside of the community, no place for their gear and at arm’s length to the greatness of Hood River.
Mr. Mayor, if you are the deciding vote, please put off any action until the above has been clarified and regulations are supported by facts. I know this has taken a lot of time, but your proposed regulations will have lasting consequences and potentially change the city negatively for long term.
Eric Koivisto
Hood River
Editor’s note: This was originally submitted Monday night, but was unable to run in Wednesday’s edition due to space constraints.
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