Your Voice: April 22, 2026

It was uplifting to hear the lengths that NORCOR goes to in order to prepare the young adults in custody to return to society and be successful members. They have experienced that locking someone up does not solve most problems, and in many cases makes the problems worse. The staff has a number of programs to help individuals develop self-esteem, with the education program being one of the most beneficial.

I came away with the impression that NORCOR has the responsibility to keep our communities as safe as possible. Within the guidelines, they are doing everything they can to help these individuals succeed.

NORCOR is only part of the solution. More than half of NORCOR’s population has mental or addiction concerns. NORCOR doesn’t have the funding nor facilities to address all the challenges. Our communities need to step up and help. One shining example is Connie and the NORCOR Community Resource Coalition. This group fosters communication between NORCOR and the community. NORCOR invites the public to tour its facilities and is always looking for volunteers to share their knowledge and skills with the young adults in custody.

Frank Wall

Hood River

Brady works

In my 25 years as a professional facilitator, I have never met anyone who loves going to meetings more than Phil Brady. Wasco County Commissioners attend many meetings. Phil goes because he has a natural curiosity about what he does not know, listens to those who do, and pragmatically works toward a solution.

Phil doesn’t approach a difficult question by deciding who he likes or which side is more politically convenient. He works to understand each position on its own terms — what real concerns drive it, what structural problem it reflects, and what goal each side is trying to achieve. Only after doing that work does he decide. I’ve watched him apply this discipline to questions about organizational direction and leadership selection, the kinds of decisions where emotions run high and the stakes are real.

What strikes me most is that Phil rests easy after making hard calls — not because he’s indifferent to the people involved, but because he’s confident he gave every side a genuine hearing. That’s rarer than it sounds. Many elected officials either avoid difficult decisions or make them reflexively. Phil does neither.

Wasco County faces real challenges: housing, healthcare, pressure on rural communities, and a local economy that needs to grow. These challenges will require exactly the kind of clear-headed, respectful decision-making that I’ve seen Phil Brady bring to difficult problems. He has earned another term.

Bill Noonan

The Dalles

Promises kept?

The April 8 issue of the Columbia Gorge News included a Your Voice letter titled “Not a King.” It made disparaging remarks about those of us who’ve participated in “No Kings” protests since Donald Trump took office 15 months ago. The letter went on to state that Trump is doing “what he PROMISED to do” and to praise various assertions that Trump has made. Many people believe that actions speak louder than words. Below, I summarize one of the most reprehensible actions Trump has taken in direct contradiction to what he has said.

In his election night victory speech in November 2024, Trump told his supporters, “I’m not going to start a war. I’m going to stop wars.” Two months later, in his inaugural address, he went further in trying to establish himself as a peacemaker. “We will measure our success not only by the battles we win but also by the wars that we end — and perhaps most importantly, the wars we never get into” (The Guardian, March 1).

Now we are engaged in a war that Trump started with Iran. His press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, stated that Trump went to war based on his “feeling” that Iran posed an imminent threat. No evidence has been presented by Trump, Leavitt, or anyone else that Trump’s feeling was based on facts.

As of April 10, Trump’s war has resulted in the deaths of 3,636 Iranian people, of whom 1,701 were civilians, and at least 254 were children (Reuters, April 10). Large numbers of civilian war deaths have also occurred in Lebanon, Iraq, and Israel. Additionally, Trump’s war has thus far caused the deaths of 13 U.S. military personnel and injured many others. For those Americans who, like Trump, see no problem with killing civilians and children, consider that the cost of Trump’s war to U.S. taxpayers thus far is $25-$35 billion (The Wall Street Journal, April 10). And recall that 1 billion equals 1000 million.

Will Trump supporters continue to believe everything the man says, regardless of its lack of grounding in factual truth?

Richard Iverson

Hood River

Support Hood River

The Hood River Valley Parks and Recreation Board members listened to the voters and put forth two scaled down measures on the May 19 ballot for a new pool, parks, trails maintenance and community education programs. One measure is to build the pool and the other to maintain programs. Both are needed for a vital community supportive of healthy opportunities for all ages. I urge you to vote YES on both measures. Thank you.

Joella Dethman

Hood River

Say no to hate

To the two young men who tried to run me over in a crosswalk after the “No Kings” protest in The Dalles, I am your neighbor. You may have went to school with my kids. I may be in line next to you at the grocery store and let you go first. I may have cheered for your baseball team.

Why do you hate a neighbor who would help you just because I was at a political protest? Republican or Democrat, we are all neighbors in America.

Choose love over hate for a stronger country.

Mary Martinson

The Dalles

Seeger ready

We have lived in Cascade Locks for nearly five decades, and before that, our childhoods in Hood River. We are both hoping you’ll join us in supporting Bernard Seeger as the Democratic nominee for House District (HD) 52. We have known Bernard since 2007 when he came to Cascade Locks to be our city administrator. Randy was a council member and part of the group that made the hiring decision. He impressed us all with his expansive resume, including being a West Point graduate, eight years as an Army officer, a graduate degree in public administration, and intimate knowledge of city and county operations.

Since that time, we have seen Bernard take on some of our toughest challenges, from building our badly needed fire and EMS station and negotiating an affordable senior housing project, to proposing a novel solution to help fund emergency services. He left that job in 2011, but we’ve stayed friends to this day. We admire his deep commitment to addressing climate change and his no-nonsense ethic of riding his bike whenever he can, picking up litter around main street, and being a good friend to residents around our community. He has the integrity and skill that will definitely move Oregon forward should he be elected.

Please join us in voting Bernard Seeger for HD52.

Randy and

Anne Holmstrom

Cascade Locks

Gambee a leader

I am writing in strong support of Lisa Gambee for Wasco County Commissioner. At a time when our county faces complex challenges and real opportunities, we need someone who understands how county government works in practice — not just in theory. Lisa brings that rare, hands- on experience.

During her decade as Wasco County Clerk, Lisa gained an intimate, day-to- day understanding of county operations. The clerk’s office touches nearly every corner of county business: elections, public records, budgeting, interdepartmental coordination, and direct service to residents. Lisa didn’t just observe these systems; she managed them with integrity, transparency, and a steady hand.

As the “engineer “of our elections, she understood the need to pull out all the stops to be sure every possible ballot was received and counted. She coordinated with local Rotary volunteers to assure that all election day voters would have a convenient and secure drop-off point.

Her work required constant collaboration with every department and every community, from our southern rural areas to our urban centers. She built trusted relationships because she showed up, listened, and followed through. That experience gives her a practical understanding of what people need and how county decisions affect daily life.

This is why Lisa is uniquely positioned to “hit the ground running” as commissioner. She already knows how the county functions, who the key partners are, and how to navigate competing priorities within tight budgets. She has earned respect across the county for her fairness, clarity, and commitment to public service.

At a moment when trust in government is fragile, Lisa’s record of safeguarding elections and ensuring accuracy, accessibility, and accountability stands out. She has already demonstrated the steady, informed leadership our county needs.

Let’s choose a commissioner ready to serve from day one. Join me in voting for Lisa Gambee.

David Griffith

The Dalles

Sanders listens

These are scary times. No way around it. ICE continues to terrify our community. The cost of living has become suffocating. And more than 200,000 Oregonians are set to lose Medicaid in 2027.

These times demand a new kind of leader. One with energy, bold ideas, and someone who LISTENS more than they speak. That’s why I’m excited to support Hank Sanders for state representative of the 52nd District.

If you’ve ever been at an event with Hank Sanders, chatted over coffee, or seen one of his videos on social media (@hankfororegon), you know that he is the right person to represent us. He is bursting with energy, having already knocked nearly 6,000 doors throughout the district. His ideas are not boilerplate promises — they are specific policy goals that will help our Gorge. And his background as a journalist for the Chicago Tribune and The New York Times means that he listens more than he speaks.

Él realmente escucha a nuestra comunidad y va a luchar por nuestras necesidades.

Join me in voting for Hank Sanders for State Representative of the 52nd District.

Gladys Rivera

Hood River City Council president

Sanders for housing

I build workforce housing in rural Oregon communities, and I’ve learned from experience that getting units in the ground is a lot harder than campaign slogans suggest. So when I’m sizing up a candidate on housing, I’m looking for a few specific things.

First — does the candidate have a real plan, or just a bumper sticker? Workforce housing doesn’t materialize from good intentions. It takes navigating zoning, financing gaps, construction costs, community dynamics, and a regulatory environment that doesn’t always move at the speed of housing needs. A candidate who gets that talks specifics, not slogans.

Second — can the candidate hold complexity? The housing crisis in the Gorge doesn’t have one cause. There’s friction from construction costs, land availability, NIMBYs, funding structures, and the cost of labor — all layered on top of each other. The candidate I want in Salem is one who has done the homework to understand how these pieces interact, rather than pointing at one issue and labeling it the housing-cost villain.

Third — is the candidate actually living it? Anyone connected to the rental market, or trying to find a starter home in the Gorge right now knows how urgent this is. That lived experience matters.

Hank Sanders checks every one of these boxes. He has specific plans to incentivize workforce housing production. He has spent real time with experts, local land trust groups, and the people behind Mariposa Village, learning what works and what doesn’t. And he’s a renter here — this isn’t abstract for him.

For the Gorge to thrive, our workers and our next generations need to be able to afford to live here. Hank is the clear choice on housing and I’m proud to endorse him.

Vote Hank Sanders for State Representative of the 52nd District.

Lach Litwer

Hood River

Voting Brady

For the last 17 years or so, I have been a neighbor to Phil Brady. I have nothing but good things to say about him. He has always been there if I needed help or assistance, and has done a great deal to make the neighborhood a good one in which to live. From what I have seen he has the best interest of the community at heart.

Dan Portwood

The Dalles

YES on Parks & Rec

As a local family, we’ve always believed that giving back is part of what keeps Hood River strong. One of the best investments any community can make is in kid safe amenities — places where children learn, grow, and build confidence.

Our trails, parks, and recreation programs help kids learn trail skills, stay active, and explore the outdoors safely. And our community pool is where generations of children have learned to swim — a life saving skill in a place surrounded by rivers and lakes. Organized recreation programs give young people structure, belonging, and healthy habits that last a lifetime.

Our children and grandchildren thank everyone who continues to support the shared community assets that keep Hood River healthy, active, and connected. We are voting YES to support yours too.

Brian and Karen Shortt

Hood River

Gambee has experience

Wildfire resilience isn’t an abstract policy issue for Wasco County residents — it’s a lived reality. It’s also one of the reasons we strongly support Lisa Gambee for Wasco County Commissioner (position 1).

In July 2024, Lisa’s Tygh Valley property was burned in the Larch Creek Fire. She experienced firsthand the fear and uncertainty that so many rural residents know too well. She was fortunate: the fire moved slowly enough for the county to bring in additional resources, and those resources — combined with local fire departments and experienced neighbors — made the difference. But not every community is that lucky. Our hot, dry summers and high winds can turn a spark into a disaster in minutes, as we saw with the Rowena Fire.

Lisa understands this vulnerability not as a talking point, but as someone who has lived through the aftermath of flames surrounding her home. That experience deepened her commitment to strengthening wildfire preparedness across Wasco County. We need leaders who take wildfire resilience seriously. Hardening properties so families can stay insured and protected, ensuring rural communities have the tools and training to respond quickly, and treating wildfire readiness as a year- round responsibility — these are essential.

Lisa has always been a steady, practical public servant. As county clerk, she earned trust by safeguarding our elections with transparency and accountability. Now she’s ready to bring that same grounded, community- focused leadership to the commission.

For those of us who live with wildfire risk every summer, Lisa’s experience and commitment matter. Please join us and cast your ballot for Lisa Gambee.

Karen and Steve Murray

The Dalles

For Biechler

In our divided times, we are fortunate to have so many people willing to run for the nonpartisan positions of Wasco County Commissioners.  This is an opportunity to elect the most qualified candidates without worrying about party affiliation, simply who will do the best job to represent all of us.

I’ve been impressed with Nichole Biechler’s ability to cross party lines and her emphasis on  ensuring that all interested parties have a seat at the table.  Nichole is a fourth-generation resident of Wasco County. She lives and works here, and is the single parent of two young children who are enrolled in our public school system.

Because of her work with Wasco County, NORCOR and MCEDD (where she serves on the budget committee), Nichole is very familiar with the budgeting process.  I was especially interested in her comments regarding investing Google money for long term growth — understanding that Google is under no obligation not to dismantle the structures that currently provide taxes.  She also understands that grants are not sustainable funding — but simply a “band aid.”  She readily admits that she does not have all the answers.  However, she also understands that collaboration is essential if we are to move forward and, because of her career, she understands how to identify the parties that should be involved. 

When I was a teacher at Wahtonka High School, I had the privilege of getting to know Nichole as a student.  She was hard-working, kind, intelligent and open to the point of view of others. She participated in both softball and volleyball and volunteered as a softball coach for community service hours.  Nichole has always had a deep understanding of the definition of community and what a public servant stands for.

I urge you to take 30 minutes from your busy schedules to listen to Nichole on the CCC podcast. I believe that her insights as well as her spirit of collaboration and sense of integrity will encourage you to join me in voting for a woman who is rooted in the community, and who is committed to working for all of us for a stronger future.

 Mary Beth Thouvenel

The Dalles