Your voice: Feb. 4, 2026

As piles of saved (hoarded?) items and my wife can attest to, I hate wasting anything, especially money. Even more though, I hate missing out on a deal. Getting $34 million of our taxpayer money back from the state of Washington to help pay for this is too good of a deal to pass up and this deal is going away this year. So it’s now or never, and never isn’t an option.

Schools and everything that goes with them cost money to maintain, lots of money. The great thing though is that the money spent on schools is really an investment and investing in the children of a community pays off to everyone in the community over and over again. That’s true whether they are other people’s children or not. 

I get that it’s sometimes hard to see the connection between vibrant, thriving schools and happy, wholesome communities, but that doesn’t mean the connection isn’t there. We have all seen the pictures and read the stories of the collapsing economic spiral that occurs in communities that don’t invest in their schools. 

I am not living here to simply move away when I retire. I’m staying for the long term and I want to see this community continue to be a great place to live. So as painful as it is, I’ll be setting aside some of my money to pay for this, to invest in the community, my community, our community, our legacy, and I’ll vote yes. 

Dana Scheffler

White Salmon

Pass levy, bond

Having graduated in 2022, WSVSD is fresh in our minds. At the moment, we’re students at the University of Washington where we will graduate in June. Neither of us feels that any other district could have better prepared us for pursuing higher education, and, ultimately, for adult life. Without the right funding, though, that simply isn’t possible.

The proposed bond will provide a safe, functional, modern school. At Columbia High School, lunch seating is in such short supply that our entire friend group sat on the floor almost every single day. Students know exactly which classrooms have air conditioning because so few do. In the warm months, the all-permeating heat makes it difficult to concentrate and learn. Any student who has spent parts of June and August at CHS knows the feeling of leaving class in the afternoon, drenched in sweat, red faced and exhausted. Passing the bond would address these issues by repairing buildings, installing climate control, and providing students with places to eat. Even more exciting (at least for two band kids!), the bond would help build a place for performances so student groups aren’t forced to compete with sports teams for a stage.

Our time in the WSVSD was both memorable and positive. Without previous levies, we wouldn’t have had so many of our foundational experiences; 12 years of playing instruments, the chance to travel to competitions such as Knowledge Bowl, Mock Trial, FBLA, etc. These not only enriched our experience in school but also undoubtedly helped us secure admittance to UW with thousands of dollars worth of merit-based scholarships.

Our small but mighty district has been able to give every student access to something they’re passionate about. We must pass the levy and bond so future students can continue these experiences, and can attend a safe and well-equipped building.

Today, the two of us have excelled at university in competitive majors. That success didn’t happen by accident. It has been built on the foundation that WSVSD provided us. Investing in the school district invests in our entire community’s future.

Cin and CC Ahrens

Seattle

Letter to Bentz

You should be, and I certainly hope you are, at least definitely election wise, held just as accountable (responsible, actually) for the killing today in Minneapolis as the federal agent(s) involved, tone-deaf Secretary Noem, and the definitely autocratic one at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, who, for sure, ultimately and absolutely needs to be held the most responsible for such a tragic unnecessary taking of a human life.

An American citizen. A citizen with no criminal record. Holding a phone, not a gun. As the intensive care unit RN, he was trained to be and was, simply genuinely enough attempting to medically assist a wounded fellow human being. And for that, he’s shot dead without hesitation.

The use of ICE, Cliff, is way, way, way, way out of whack.

You undoubtedly recognize that — what attorney, as you are, a member of the Oregon State Bar, wouldn’t recognize that?

So, why haven’t you spoken out about it? Done something about it? You sure as hell need to. And now.

Period.

Les Ruark

Arlington

Evidence indeed

I believe the editor erred in not sticking to the previously published “letters” policy wherein statements submitted as “facts” be provided with references. I am talking about the letter titled “Evidence” in the Jan. 21 issue.

After reading this submission, I tried to find the videos alluded to which proved Ms. Good’s homicidal actions, but found none. Nor did I find a reference to the video the writer says was taken by Ms. Good’s wife. There should be no question about this case! Didn’t agent Ross have a body camera showing what happened from his point of view? Why doesn’t the administration release that? Columbia Gorge News needs to be more careful to not be a platform for uncertain or outright false information.

Wayne Thayer

White Salmon

 Vote yes

My name is Howard Kreps and I have lived in White Salmon my entire life. My family has been here since the 1880s. My wife, Christie, and I raised our son here, and my grandkids are the fifth generation to be attending schools the district.

I’m writing today in support of Proposition 1 & 2, the levy and the bond for the White Salmon Valley School District. Here is what I can tell you: I graduated from Whitson in 1968. At that time, Whitson was almost 20 years old. Since then, the only major renovation was to add four classrooms. In 1975, I graduated from Columbia High School. I was the second graduating class to have attended the school all the way through. Yet, since I graduated, there have been no major upgrades or renovations. With the exception of a few portables and the field house, it looks exactly the same as it did when I attended. And just as I have aged, so have the buildings. Whitson is almost 76 years old. Columbia is 55 years old. I’ve had to have both hips and a knee replaced to continue to function, and those facilities are as old as I am. It is beyond time for our schools to be modernized. Our kids deserve it. Our community deserves it.

The bond and levy are a big ask for our community — I know that. But waiting is not an option. The current facilities are a money pit that need a substantial investment. Passing the bond now allows the district to take advantage of $34 million in construction assistance from the state and stretch tax dollars farther than they could on their own, and the plan put forth by the district will save an estimated $500,000 a year in operating efficiencies!

Wouldn’t we rather the district be able to use money towards programs for our kids rather than trying to keep the water coming out of the pipes? Please consider supporting the bond and the levy. It’s the right thing to do and the right time to do it.

Howard Kreps

White Salmon

Salmon poisoning kills

Like many local canine friends, our Mini Aussie puppy, Zorra, loved to run around the Hood River Spit: open space, off leash, old friends to greet, and new people to meet. It’s doggy paradise. Except for one thing: salmon poisoning.

That’s a bacterial infection dogs get by eating dead salmon. In 90% of cases, it can kill within 7-10 days of symptoms if untreated. We kept a close eye on Zorra, but she must have gobbled some salmon sushi that caused her great harm.

Our formerly rowdy friend became life-threateningly sick. She was extremely weak. Couldn’t eat. Couldn’t hold down water or medication. And ultimately, she started vomiting blood — large quantities of blood. We rushed her to our vet who recommended a Portland specialty hospital, and after IV treatment, it now appears that Zorra will pull through. We’re hopeful. Please be aware if you have a pup in your family who loves the spit. Be very careful by the river around the time of the winter salmon kill. It can be truly dangerous, even deadly.

Paul and Susan Crowley

Hood River

Voting against

Vote NO. Enough is enough! Six school districts across Klickitat County are asking voters to approve replacement school levies. These levies are for the extras, not the essentials. With the cost of living rising across every corner of our county, many families simply cannot afford these taxes.

In rural communities like ours, every added expense hits harder. Many residents drive long distances to work. Fuel costs more. Groceries cost more. Utilities and insurance cost more. When everything is going up at once, even a “small” levy becomes a real burden on households that are already stretched thin.

Voting NO on these levies is not a vote against education. It is a vote for financial reality and responsible budgeting. Taxpayers already fund the core responsibilities of our school districts. Before asking for more money, the districts need to focus on doing the job we already pay them to do — without adding extras like extra-curricular activities, music and arts programs, field trips, and food services that many taxpaying families can no longer shoulder.

Seniors on fixed incomes, young families trying to stay afloat, and working people who are already paying more for everything deserve a break. A levy may look minor on paper, but for many in Klickitat County, it’s the difference between staying ahead and falling behind.

We can support our schools while still expecting accountability, an increase in measurable results and fiscal discipline. A NO vote sends a clear message: we can’t afford the extras, and it’s time to say enough.

Erin Hartford

Lyle

Support schools

The letter “Voting no” (Your Voice, Jan 28) asks for a “right-size, common sense” approach to replacing White Salmon’s antiquated school buildings. I believe the current bond proposal does just that.

One objection is that the proposal is too big and too expensive for our small community. But in small towns like ours, schools are the heart of the community. They help strengthen the fibers that connect all of us living here. School buildings are central to holiday fairs, math nights, roller-skating events, and student concerts. Those sports fields and parking lots are not just for students; they’re filled with families celebrating kids and grandkids on weekends. Local students can be found stocking shelves at the grocery store, waiting tables at restaurants, and volunteering at community fundraisers. And many graduates remain in, or return to, our community to continue building it through their continued contributions. Our schools are a reflection of our communities; to invest in one is to support the other.

A school is also a community in itself, full of students from all kinds of backgrounds, with all kinds of talents, who NEED to explore and develop strengths in many ways. Voters opposed to the current proposal may be missing the point of a modern school. Yes, classrooms, safety and security are necessary to a successful school, but a truly successful school doesn’t stop there. To think that today’s schools need what might have been enough 50 or 60 years ago is to misunderstand the role of a school in a small community in the 21st century. The schools we need today and tomorrow are not the bare-bones schools of yesterday. Sadly, the buildings we currently have are stuck in the past: antiquated, inefficient, and inadequate to support the strong future that White Salmon deserves. We need to give those buildings, our students and our community a solid foundation for years to come. White Salmon voters can define the future of our community on Feb. 10. Whether you have children in school or not, healthy, vibrant schools are crucial for everyone. They deserve our community’s support.

Peter Knowles

White Salmon

Good words

Newspapers contain many words, and now and then some are arranged in ways that require more than one reading. Some of the best I have read in a long while were in the Editorial “Teens don’t exist in a bubble” (Columbia Gorge News, Jan. 28, page A4).

The good words: “In truth, most adults would probably benefit from returning to a space that encourages critical thinking, as opposed to stewing in echo chambers that drown out different voices.” 

Social media has given us competing echo chambers in which different voices are rarely heard, and even more rarely, persuasive. Thanks for the good words and the paper through which they reach us.

Keith Mobley

Dufur

Community journalism

Most people know me as a chef, and most recently, an author. But my “bonafides” also include many years as a journalist, including six as editor-in-chief of Oregon Business magazine, and education at the UO School of Journalism.

I have a great love for community journalism. It has been distressing to watch local newspapers across the country diminish or disappear entirely over the last decade. Newspapers are the eyes and ears and knowledge we need to make informed decisions about how we live together, how we vote, how we do business.

So of course, as our own papers in the Gorge closed down, I despaired. But over the last few months, I have been eager to open the Wednesday Columbia Gorge News online. I find it enlightening to read stories from all over the Gorge, in one publication. The writing and reporting improve, issue over issue. This morning’s editorial (Jan. 28, “Teens don’t exist in a bubble”) was well-reasoned and smart. Keep it coming!

This is no easy time to be a journalist or manage a newspaper, and I want to thank the staff at Columbia Gorge News for supporting our community in difficult times. If you’re reading this and you don’t have a subscription, you can help continue this quality newspaper by buying one. It’s the most important thing you’ll do for the Gorge this year.

Kathy Watson

Hood River

Two dead

Two more Americans are dead. Two Americans who were exercising their First Amendment right to free speech, standing up to a militaristic invasion of their city by masked gunmen backed by this president and this Republican administration.

Two Americans shot dead, their loyalty and honor dishonestly trashed by federal agents lying about their lives being threatened prior to the shootings. (Multiple videos shot at the scene, by multiple witnesses, clearly show there was no imminent threat to those officers).

And we have a president who is repeating those lies and supporting those violent actions against Americans. Additionally, the vice president, Republican cabinet members, and Republican senators and congresspeople have added their own vitriol to this dangerous mix.

Kristi Noem, Secretary of Homeland Security, and Stephen Miller, Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Homeland Security described the (most recent) victim (Alex Pretti, a beloved VA nurse shot this week while face down on the ground) as “... a domestic terrorist ...” (The Atlantic, Jan. 27).

The day after the shooting death of Renee Nicole Good (shot in the face by ICE agents Jan. 7), the vice president “... accused her of intentionally attacking a federal agent with her car …”, and that she “... belonged to a broader network of activists who plotted to ‘attack, to dox, to assault’ ... federal law enforcement (The Atlantic, Jan. 12). Video footage from the scene shows Renee steering her car AWAY from the officer at the time of the shooting.

These are comments made by those at the highest levels of government. I think the killing, and the surrounding lies and rhetoric are no mere coincidence or accident of time and current events.

Do you remember Donald Trump stating in 2016 that he “... could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn’t lose any voters”? At the time many thought it was merely ego, hubris.

But today, two more Americans have been shot dead on American streets by American agents, with the full support of this president and his administration. I ask you: Is this what you voted for?

Kathy Pickering

Hood River

We’ve forgotten

Again we forget. What caused the revolution with England 250 years ago? Taxation, the refusal of the governing body to listen to citizens, armed militia using abusive tactics to “bring order” — there are countless more human rights violations happening during this time and a group of forward looking individuals decided enough was enough! When drafting document(s) establishing the formation of a new country, it was decided that a “REPUBLIC” (a nation governed by law) was the best form of government to live by and, well, the rest is history.

It also should bring to mind the genius of how the new nation would operate. Amendments! Yes, laws that would safeguard our system of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness! I’m sure there was much debate as to which laws were the most important and with so many opinions, making a decision was painstaking and time consuming. Perhaps this is why the very first amendment to our Constitution covers so many issues — give citizens their choice but keep it out of government! The next several should remind us of today’s government actions restricting freedom of the press, freedom of speech, the right for a redress of grievances, the freedom of peaceful protest. These were the real violations that led people to eventual conflict to the death. For those who think current protests are NOT always peaceful, we are again reminded that 250 years ago the governing establishment was NOT listening to its citizens and instead offered violence to keep order. In the history of civilization to the beginning, when has ignoring or punishing the masses NOT lead to violent conflict?

This letter is addressed to all citizens private but especially elected officials. We are in the year 2026! Are we not more intelligent than the population of 1776? We cheer our technological advances of the last 50-100 years but if our “social development” does not keep up at the same pace? Lasting peace can only be achieved at the negotiation table, NOT by force.

Eugene Saldivar

The Dalles

Not equal

Trisha Walker, editor of Columbia Gorge News, recently addressed readers about the unbiased nature of her publication and its staff (Jan. 14). The phrase “people in the back” struck me as somewhat condescending toward those who hold differing views.

I’ve been submitting letters to the editor for some time, viewing it as both a personal outlet and a meaningful form of civic engagement. The editors at The Enterprise in White Salmon have always published my letters without any interference. In Hood River, however, the experience has been quite different. On several occasions, editors have challenged my submissions, made significant changes labeled as “editing for clarity” that altered the original meaning or tone, added corrective footnotes, or declined to publish them entirely — once citing a “protected class” policy as the reason. When I pointed out the fallacy in that declaration, I was told that the decision stood, with no further explanation needed.

More recently, that policy appears to have been replaced with a broader one: “We reserve the right to publish or not publish for any reason.” This gives the editors considerable discretion in deciding what appears in print. If their policies change, it’s up to readers to stay informed — unless, of course, you’re comfortable with the status quo. While the publication claims to be unbiased, the decision to address this topic directly in their own column suggests a strong interest in defending that position. For those of us who value open dialogue, it’s worth noting that not all voices are treated equally in the letters section.

Kevin Herman

White Salmon

 Editor’s note: The letter in question violated our policy, “letters attacking a class of people based on gender, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, disability or age will be rejected.” The policy reserving our right to publish or not publish was added in 2023 after staff saw something similar in another newspaper.

Concerns

I have a huge safety concern regarding your article about affordable housing on Chenowith Loop, where the grocery store used to be (“CCHC builds and preserves affordable housing” media release, Dec. 24, 2025).

Just who has given the okay, as you said, for “individuals with severe and persistent mental illness may be eligible for residency.” That area is residential and also near a school.

A lot of the news we’ve been hearing lately is how “Joe-Blow” with mental illness went on a killing spree with a hammer (or a knife, or whatever). CCHC should think very carefully about who will live there.

Patricia Ward

The Dalles

Building idea

Possible solution for replacement of the old Hood River News building: Thinking out of the box, can the county and/or city partner with one of the major private companies that build, manage paid multilevel public facilities? Firms such as LAZ Parking, Metropolis and Impark specialize in these types of facilities. They design, finance and operate and often include smart technologies and EV charging. Such a facility could blend with nearby structures such as the library and conform to existing height limitations. Potentially, this would help address Hood River’s parking limitations, generate income to the city/county and facilitate downtown businesses.  The top deck might also be multipurpose for community events. The community might really engage with this concept.

Gary McFarlen

Hood River

True reform

Where is the discussion within our government about true immigration reform? I haven’t seen a viable word or plan from Democrats or from Republicans.

Sanctuary cities are a result of a dysfunctional and inhumane immigration policy.

Questions:

Should people who come into the country illegally on this date (now) be allowed to remain? Should immigrants with a history of good service be allowed a path to legitimacy? If a person is going through established legal protocols be allowed to continue or be deported?

Should local officials assist with immigration enforcement by asking questions about legal status?

If it were determined that the U.S. had fair immigration laws would it then be okay to have more synchronicity between officials government entities? This is a core discussion that everyone in politics or in their communities should be having not watching the incarceration of a 5-year-old child.

Bill Lennox

The Dalles

Shutdown

As of this writing, it appears that the country is approaching another federal government “shutdown”. (I place shutdown in quotes, as only some parts of the federal government actually ceases operations.) Thus, I offer the following observations.

Prior to 1980, there were no shutdowns; then the Carter administration interpreted the laws to mean that federal agencies cannot incur obligations or spend funds in the absence of an appropriation.

I find four paths to ending the shutdown with a continuing resolution (“CR”). The first is to convince 60 senators to vote for the CR. While there are some discussions among senators, there has not been much persuasion. The second is to negotiate to create legislation that can garner 60 votes. This has not occurred. The third is to change senate rules to allow for a majority vote for the CR. Senate rules can be changed with a majority vote, and the senate changed rules to allow for faster approvals of presidential nominations in the fall of 2025. The fourth is for the Trump administration to reinterpret the law as it was followed prior to 1980.

I hope our leaders avoid the shutdown. Failing that, they can end the shutdown through one of these observations.

Chris Karlin

Hood River

Protect Google?

I just finished reading an article by OPB (www.opb.org/article/2026/01/23/the-dalles-mayor-data-center-google). It is truly amazing how far the City of The Dalles will go to protect the trinkets they receive from Google. Remember, The Oregonion newspaper worked for years to get any information on Google’s water use. Now that we have that past information, we discover all sorts of information on Google’s future water use that the city has failed to disclose. The article summarizes the issues with Google water use much better than I ever could.

I know that back around 2019, we were looking for light industrial land in The Dalles and on port property. During our due diligence, we discovered that the city was unwilling to guarantee water, septic and other services to a number of the properties we looked at. At the time, it was a complete mystery until we heard about additional Google plans and the city’s agreements to build additional data centers. So at this point it is apparent the city has given control of almost all industrial development in the city over to Google. Google and the city can agree to deplete water in already critical groundwater areas under our community and leave little for future generations. Google also uses enormous amounts of power when power is a major issue as we try to move to more sustainable, carbon free sources.

So for all these negatives, we give Google huge tax breaks. I have seen many communities over the years, and there are numerous example of towns the relied almost solely on one large industry for their tax base, employment (which is not true of Google) and general welfare. What happens when there are changes in technology, resources, power, water, etc so that these data centers are useless? The city is putting all their eggs in one basket and leaving residents and future generations vulnerable.

Gary Wade

The Dalles