Your voice: Aug. 13, 2025

Fortunately, we have a planning commission whose role is to consider all issues. They will be deciding the suitability of this proposal. There are many issues to look at, specifically considering the library, which has limited parking and should not lose their crosswalk. That is the safe place for children, seniors and adults. There are some other issues regarding State Street that must be considered.

Pictures are on Facebook, The Next Door’s website and at the planning office. If you agree that this building is not appropriate for this site or have any other concerns, contact city planner dnilsen@cityofhoodriver.gov.

 Thank you for being a concerned citizen.

Ann Marie Jelderks

Hood River

Gaza ‘Strip’

Since Israel’s invasion of Gaza, I have tried to seek an explanation that is not simply a reaction to the Palestinian attack that started it all. I can only come up with an inverted perversion of the Golden Rule: Instead of “do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” the Israeli government seems to have it as, “Do onto others as others have done to us.”

Starting in the 16th century, Jews in many European cities lived within locked, walled-off neighborhoods, with everything and everyone going in and out tightly controlled, monitored, and guarded by Christians. These were the original ghettos. 

Israel controls everything entering and leaving the strip: people, water, electricity, food, and more. Though successive American administrations have condemned the situation, they have done very little to stop it. When we the people (not the U.S. government) and other nations have tried to help to relieve Palestinians of their suffering, the Israelis have not given their “permission,” and everyone has been forced to back down.

There’s another way the Jewish experience is being brought upon the Palestinians. The Jewish/Christian bible tells us that the Assyrians, then the Babylonians, marched large portions of the Jewish population back to their homelands. Historically, first century Romans started the modern Jewish diaspora and created the province of Palestine out of former Jewish provinces.

In the same way, the Israelis seems to be clearing out the Gaza Strip. My guess is to make way for new Jewish settlements. Trump has hinted that the land could be used for new commercial development — by him of course. I see a third historical aspect to these recent events. When one group of people have an overwhelming military advantage over another, they tend to use it violently. The European conquest of the Americas is a prime example.

For whatever reason, we are supplying Israel with weapons and tools as requested, being used to complete conquest and ethnic cleansing of the Gaza strip. Where next? The West Bank? Nothing done in the past to the Jews can justify the present-day actions of the Israelis.

Michael D. Morneault

White Salmon

Justice for Eric

It was 24 years ago that I heard Eric Tamiyasu was murdered in his bed in his home. I live in the Oak Grove area, so this murder was close to home and unusual for the small town of Hood River. I remember being shocked that Sheriff Joe Wampler had instructed his deputies to burn the mattress where Eric was found. Later, the autopsy showed that Eric had two bullets in his head and one in his hand. Was the investigation of the murder done properly? I still wonder who killed Eric Tamiyasu.

I fondly remember Mitz Tamiyasu, who used to stop by my office at The Next Door with booties his wife Jean had made for the babies and new parents I was visiting. Mitz was a loyal Hood River Lions member. In his later years, Mitz sometimes drove around in his Cadillac visiting others, including my husband and I, with an unlit cigar in his mouth. He was such an upbeat, kind person. As a parent, I can’t imagine how Mitz and Jean felt when their son was murdered in his home on the family’s orchard nearby to where they lived. Mitz and Jean died without justice for their son. I am glad the sheriff’s office is now revisiting this unsolved murder case. It is time for justice for Eric Tamiyasu!

Nancy Johanson Paul

Hood River

Pro roundabout

I hate the light that was installed at Rand Road and Cascade Avenue. If there was an opportunity for the public to register their opinion, I must’ve missed it. It’s true, of course that turning onto Cascade from Rand Road was always a struggle, but the light that was installed doesn’t really solve the problem. You might get lucky and catch a green light and immediately get onto Cascade, but if you don’t, you’re going to be waiting at a stoplight just about the same amount of time that you would’ve waited when it was a stop sign. This is especially egregious if you’re sitting at a stoplight and there’s no east or westbound traffic to be seen. We would’ve been able to simply proceed when it was a stop sign. To make matters worse, the stoplight creates back up going both directions on Cascade Avenue. It’s asinine.

Now, I must admit that I am not a city planner, and I am not an expert, but if one were to ask me how to solve this problem, how to improve the intersection to keep traffic moving, I would have suggested building a roundabout. It’s elegant, simple, and cheap. It requires four signs, indicating a roundabout, and a circular cement island in the middle. No expensive infrastructure is needed, no lights, and no electrical work.

Arguments in opposition are that roundabouts take up too much space and that Americans don’t know how to use them. The fact of the matter is that roundabouts can vary greatly in size, and there is a relevant section in the drivers manual. In the future, it would be nice if roundabouts were considered as a solution when upgrading traffic infrastructure.

Benjamin Sheppard

Hood River

 Editor’s Note: Benjamin Sheppard is not affiliated with Sheppard’s Orchard and Vineyard Equipment.

Support after fire

On Aug. 1, I went to visit the Syncline Winery on the first day they were open after the Burdoin Mountain fire. Syncline was an island of green surrounded by destruction. My visit with my long-time friends, the owners James and Poppy and the staff, was sobering. James, himself a volunteer firefighter, had fought the fire, and though the surrounding area and nearby farms were all saved, his own crop is unusable due to smoke damage. One third of vines and trellises on the hill above the tasting room burned. Syncline Winery is open, but COR Cellars, owned by my former Evergreen State College student, Luke Bradford, remains closed, and his father, Adrian, moved from his home across from the tasting room for deep cleaning of the entire home. Everywhere, fires crews from California and elsewhere were surveying and assessing damage.

I drove on to the tiny town of Lyle and, based on Jame’s suggestions, had a delicious lunch with great coffee and visited locals at the Confluence Café. The Confluence Café had stayed open throughout the fire, serving free food and coffee to the firefighters. The adjacent tasting room for Domaine Pouillon Winery is closed. The owners had lost their home to the fire, and though the winery itself had survived, damage to the area means that they must stay closed until the inspection of the well and septic system for fire contamination. I learned that on Friday nights, Domaine Pouillon serves dinner at the Confluence Café. My next and last stop was at French’s Farm, a wonderful retail and wholesale nursery specializing in native, culinary, and medicinal plants and selling fruits, vegetables, and their incredible homemade ice cream and other treats. Again, I lingered to talk to residents who were dropping in for a hello and treats. If you can afford it, donate to the tiny Lyle Fire Department. For a simple wonderful lunch with an array of coffee choices, add a trip to the Confluence Café and then go to French’s Farm for ice cream. They can use help and support. United we stand!

Michael Beug

White Salmon

‘Big Betrayals’

It’s August, a time to vacation and recreate. Congress is on August recess early this year so that the House can kick the can of Epstein files down the road in hopes that we’ll forget or give up fighting the barrage of GOP betrayals.

If you haven’t noticed, our democracy is increasingly under attack, like never before. Why? Because “Big Money” smells the opportunity to lock in much more money and power. The Trump regime never was about helping you — it’s a giant, well-orchestrated betrayal (read Project 2025), designed to shred the Constitution to consolidate even more power by rich Americans; 0.1% of Americans own 14% of the country’s wealth while the poorest 50% own only 3%. From 1980-2022, U.S. median income grew 20.6% while GDP grew more than 700%.

Protecting our border? Inflation? Abortion? Beautiful tariffs? Those are all lies and distractions from the main topic, which is permanent tax cuts for the rich. Since Trump’s 2017 tax bill, U.S. billionaires doubled their net worth from about $3 trillion to $6 trillion — has yours doubled? And those trillions simply added to the national debt! The Big Beautiful Betrayal Bill extends those tax cuts, while cutting funding for our most needy and least powerful.

Trump packed the Supreme Court 6-3 to rubber-stamp whatever he wants. Now, the president is above the law, a dictator who can ignore Congress and any laws he wishes. He dishes out favors (money) to his admirers, apparently including GOP members of Congress.

First they came for Palestinians ... Some of your neighbors are using their Canadian citizenship to flee while they can. The $175 billion for “immigrant retention” in the Big Beautiful Betrayal includes private prisons to house whoever our dictator wishes to punish.

Cliff Bentz’s newsletter (Columbia Gorge News, Aug. 6) is part of the orchestrated distractions. Millions here and millions there, while trillions go to billionaires. He quickly glosses over the $175 billion as if that’s a good investment, while labeling clean-energy investments as “wasteful.” Talk about a steal! I never imagined an America so arrogant and uneducated that we’d self-destruct.

Eric Strid

White Salmon

Proposed Marriott

I am writing to voice opposition to the proposed 135-room hotel with associated restaurant and meeting center in the heart of the City of Hood River. The proposed five story structure will take away the small town feel of the downtown area. The parking proposal is clearly inadequate for guests, visitors, and staff. The one driveway entrance/exit will completely bottleneck already congested traffic on State Street and likely slow emergency vehicles, which use State Street as their main route through town. Delivery vehicles will further congest the area. The crosswalk to the library will be more hazardous. To date, larger (chain) hotels have been situated outside the core of the city to good effect, allowing ready access to downtown with much less congestion. I feel the Marriott, if built, should be located on the city periphery.

Rick Beam

Hood River

True history

I am an immigrant too. My paternal grandmother belonged to the Daughters of the Pioneers, and I remember thinking my family had some legit pioneer blood, which seemed something to be proud of and excited about when I was in fourth grade! I was never told any specifics of the pioneers I matriculated from, just that they must have been brave trekking out here from somewhere near Minnesota — part of the Scandinavian crew.

More about pioneers: When I was 9, I was gifted an “American Girl Doll” named Kirsten, who represented the pioneer community in the mid-1800s. Her story involves leaving the state of Minnesota, where her immigrant ancestors settled after landing in New York City, escaping tyranny. Her story, however, does not detail the destruction and genocide that unfolded and was unfolding during the time of her immigration out West. Which is more to the point: As a young millennial, I was taught that Thanksgiving really happened joyously and that reservation living honored sovereign land and sovereign rights for a sovereign people. As an adult, I was re-educated on civics, namely that Western European immigrants arrived, settled, and built structures (leading to the immigrant-pioneer movement), but did not actually engage in harmonious conversation with the tribal nations that resided here millennia prior to Europeans; rather, they offered forced relocation and possible death by disease or a stray bullet.

By now, we are all aware that (unless we are Native American or were forced here as a slave) our ancestors did literally immigrate to this country and, given we are their descendants, it follows that we are all immigrants! In present day Hood River, please take note of the yellow signs in businesses that are part of the Somos Inmigrantes campaign (honoring and standing in solidarity with our immigrant neighbors facing ICE deportation) and support such businesses, such as Cork Wine Shop. If you are interested in learning more about this campaign or purchasing a sign for your business/home, visit Riverside UCC website, riversideucc.com, or drop in at the church on State Street in Hood River.

Brooke Anderson

Hood River

Trump the king

Recently, Trump ordered hats that indicated he was running for president in 2028. This is illegal, since we only allow a president to serve two terms. This, however, does not seem to be a determent to Trump since he is already serving despite not meeting the requirements for president.

During his first months in office, he pardoned everyone who was involved with the attempted overthrow of our government. A very few refused to accept this pardon. At the same time, Trump has been found guilty of numerous felonies. This, in itself, makes him ineligible for office. Every move that Trump has made consolidates his power. He now has the Supreme Court behind his actions, has weaponized the Department of Justice, and is going after everyone he sees as an enemy. He is using ICE much the same way that Hitler used the Gestapo and has actually deported American citizens with very few repercussions. His attacks on media have closed many that disagreed with him, and he has closed many media outlets that millions depend on for news.

If you actually check his Great New Bill, you will find that billions are cut from Medicare and Social Security, while billionaires are given billions in tax credits. The result: Services cut for children, elderly, and the poor while going deeper in debt by billions.

Trump is truly a president for the privileged. His concern about workers can be seen by his attempts to cut departments that check safety concerns in the workplace, kill unions (ignoring workers rights in the federal government), and giving tax cuts to large corporations who react by sharing large profit increases by giving share holders big dividends, but not increasing workers situations.

Do not vote Republican as long as they allow Trump to rule as king!

Leonard Hickman

Hood River

 Editor’s Note: The U.S. Constitution lists three requirements to hold the presidency: Be a natural born citizen; be at least 35 years old; and be a resident of the U.S. for at least 14 years. The 14th Amendment does have a disqualification clause “that bars certain former elected and appointed officials from holding office if they took part in an insurrection,” as per the National Constitution Center, but, the Supreme Court issued a ruling in 2024 that former presidents are immune from criminal prosecution for “official acts” during their presidency.

FID public meeting

All Farmers Irrigation District (FID) customers should attend their upcoming meeting on Aug. 21 from 5-6 p.m. at the Rockford Grange. FID will be discussing their operations, irrigation status, and budget development.

Note that this meeting is a presentation-only format. Questions should be submitted in advance, by 5 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 14, to fidhr@fidhr.org. Details can be found on FID’s Summer 2025 Quarterly Newsletter webpage, fidhr.org. Please attend!

Tina Dye

Hood River

Cruelty, fear is the point

A headline from the site of the Department of Homeland Security, dated June 8, stated the following: “ICE Captures Worst of the Worst Illegal Alien Criminals in Los Angeles including Murderers, Sex Offenders, and Other Violent Criminals.”

If this were ICE’s only task, most Americans would be supportive, but this headline misleads the reader. Between Oct. 1, 2024, and June 14, 2025, ICE booked and detained 204,294 people. Of that number, 65% had no criminal convictions. Furthermore, of all the people booked, 93% had no violent offense convictions.

Public data coming from Customs and Border Protection shows a troubling trend: During the first two weeks of June, ICE booked and detained 927 non-criminals. “That represents a nearly threefold increase” of arrests since the beginning of the year (David J. Bier, June 20, 2025, “65 percent of People Taken by ICE Had no Convictions, 93 percent no Violent Convictions,” CATO Institute).

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller’s demand for higher arrest numbers has agents showing up at farms, restaurants, stores, and even bus stops. They come masked, do not have warrants, refuse to show ID, and even break car windows to grab their quota, hauling people away in unmarked vehicles, leaving their loved ones behind, not knowing where they are. It’s much harder to locate the “worst of the worst,” so they’re hunting for easier prey.

Fear and cruelty is the point. When an immigrant follows the law and shows up for their hearing or appointment, masked and armed people wait to take them away. Please call your representative and let them know that this inhumane treatment must end now.

April George

White Salmon

Religion?

Israel is acting in a similar manner as the Nazi’s did to the Jewish men, women and children. The past has returned. This time, it’s Israel as the enemy, by starvation of men, women and the children of the so-called enemy — children and babies!

I remember giving some families in Vietnam some of our food. Israel is starving women, children and babies. Churches and Christians are the enemy, along with our so-called president. The enemy within!

Steve Cochenour

The Dalles

Dear Gorge residents,

Columbia Gorge News has hired two new journalists who have graduated from college and are eager to get their careers started. One visited the area last week with their parents, hoping to sign off on their new rental. But both our reporter and their parents were disappointed by the news that  they would not be getting it.

Unfortunately, housing has been an issue in getting both of our new hires moved to the area. The two are even seeking housing together to help with the rental costs.

If you know of any available housing for our new reporters for Columbia Gorge News, please reach out to publisher, Chelsea Marr, at  541-386-1234 ext. 100 or ChelseaM@GorgeNews.com.