Time for update
A new year and time to recheck your emergency list of prescriptions. An updated list and emergency numbers should be available at all times; any illness you have, prescriptions, plus aspirin, vitamins or other supplements.
In case of an emergency you may not remember. A Medic Alert emblem does help. Place your list on the refrigerator so it can be found.
Be safe, update and post the list.
Nancy Ann Renault
Cascade Locks
Living life in Hood River
I loved Kirby Neumann-Rea’s photo of our grandson Dax Matteo Botti “Earning His Stripes” in Wednesday’s edition of the News (Jan. 8). Dax, son of Matt Botti and Meredith Jaques, is a lovely reminder of the simple pleasures of living in this sweet community.
Nate and his team at Dog River, a totally walkable downtown with vital, unusual and quality businesses is wonderful. I love living here!
Deborah Whiting Jaques
Hood River
Cheers to Parkdale FD
Thank you to the Parkdale Fire Department: Chief Mike McCafferty and crew for lighting up the big tree at R.R. Park (corner of Baseline and Clear Creek) for the holidays. We were gone for most of the holidays and missed the tree lighting ceremony, so were unaware that this tree lighting had taken place.
When we were going home for the first time back, we were cheered and delighted to see the tree so beautifully lit up with its blue lights!
Thank you to Mike and the Fire Dept. for doing this giving gesture toward the Christmas spirit and for this welcoming feeling in our town of Parkdale!
Thanks, too, for all the local businesses that helped support this event with lights, power, cookies, hot chocolate, etc. We have a special, supportive community in which we live.
Let’s hope that this spirit remains in effect for future holidays, as I understand this lighting has not happened for several years! Let the tradition continue!
Pat Frantz
Parkdale
Question for workers
In November Democrats introduced legislation that would raise the federal minimum wage to $10.10, but Republicans (according to The Nation) remain staunchly opposed.
If you are a working person why would you ever vote Republican on any level of government?
Anne Vance
Hood River
Bad form
So, I was wrong. I should not have walked on the golf cart path to avoid the first block of muddy Indian Creek Trail a few weeks ago. It seemed like a day that would be devoid of golfers, but again, I was wrong.
But Ron Yamashita did a great job in his letter (Jan. 15) of matter-of-factly downplaying the fact that he saw us, and still elected to hit a drive without even a “fore!” that resulted in his golf ball missing me by less than 20 feet. Our backs were turned to him at this time. We had no inkling of what was occurring.
In golfing circles, this is unpardonable. I have personally seen golfers in this position hit the ball back toward the offending individual. Golf balls are very, very dangerous. If I had been another golfer, and a course marshal had seen this occur, I suspect Ron’s day of golfing would have been over.
So again, I was wrong to be briefly on the cart path. But Ron’s decision to tee off at us anyway — without even the customary shout of “fore!” — was kind of like ramming somebody at a four-way stop sign because they wrongly proceeded out of turn. More than a bit of overcompensation.
Tom Kosmalski
Hood River
Dollar effect
According to news releases I’ve seen, the Polar Vortex weather event cost the U.S. economy five billion dollars. Where did the money go? Can it just disappear?
Is it money that would otherwise not be spent but was? Wouldn’t that be a stimulus?
Is it money that would otherwise be spent but wasn’t? Wouldn’t that be savings?
Examples of the first case: responders got a lot of overtime pay; airlines spent a lot on deicing, along with many cities and states; most salaried employees were paid even though they couldn’t get to work. All these things maintained or increased the cash flow in the economy.
Examples of the second case: most notably hourly employees were not paid and this loss in most cases will not be recovered even though the related temporary business losses are likely to be. Such losses reduce cash flow in the economy.
Though members of Congress continued to get paid (score one for the loss side), I fully expect some notable ones to demand offsets from God.
Russ Hurlbert
Parkdale
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