Showers this morning, becoming a steady rain during the afternoon hours. Potential for heavy rainfall. High 57F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch..
Tonight
Cloudy with periods of rain. Low 37F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a half an inch.
An honest elected official lives up to their campaign promises and never quits working to accomplish the goals that were stated in their campaign. An official who takes their oath of office seriously and stands strong for the Constitution, both state and federal, and is dedicated to protecting the citizen's constitutional rights against any opposing unconstitutional illegal directives. Transparency letting the ones who are interested in the position that has been filled, get the facts and see the actual working of that office. One who does not represent one group over the other but works for the common good of all people to provide a better, safer tomorrow. An official who has the experience and ability to make responsible decisions that provide the best outcome for the circumstances that arise. One who puts duty to the citizens first and does not play politics with the lives and the future of the ones he represents. One who says what they mean and means what they say.
That person is Sheriff Bob Songer Klickitat County and that is why it is vital to vote for him in a time that too many elected officials are not working in the best interest of the citizens but rather for special interest.
Delmer Eldred
Goldendale
Thank you
The Hood River Lions Club would like to thank the many volunteers who pitched in to help stage an entertaining and safe Fourth of July parade, as well as all those who participated in the parade and followed the rules, plus the many community members who shared their energy and appreciation along the parade route. It takes a lot of cooperation to make such a celebration a reality. We look forward to celebrating again with all of you at our Families in the Parks series on Thursdays in August.
Pam Chandler
Lions Club Parade Chair 2022
Hood River
Wyden for rivers
As an avid outdoorsman, and river guide for more than 15 years across the US and around the world, I feel I am hyper-aware to the constant expansion of our human footprint into natural and wild places. We, as humans, are constantly bulldozing and manipulating the very thing that has enabled us to survive and thrive on this planet for so long. It’s happening everywhere you look, and you have to travel far from the beaten path to find places with no sign of our destructive tendencies. So when I see things in my community that are coming together to help balance the scale of the human footprint and habitat destruction vs. natural habitat restoration and conservation, I am generally all for it. Luckily we live in a region with such natural beauty and awe inspiring landscapes that many people share my sentiments. One of those people being Oregon’s senator Ron Wyden.
In February of 2021, Wyden introduced the Oregon River Democracy Act of 2021, calling for over 4,700 miles of Oregon’s most beloved streams, creeks, and rivers to be protected as Wild and Scenic rivers. This designation ensures that stream values such as fish, wildlife, clean water, and recreation cannot be degraded in the future. The process that Wyden went about in selecting which rivers and streams to add to the bill is something that I would love to see more of. Simply, he asked Oregonians what rivers they felt should be protected. More than 15,000 river nominations poured in, ensuring everyone had their say in this groundbreaking democratic nomination process.
Without clean water and free-flowing rivers, our Earth’s basic systems start to fail. What is it going to take for us to realize that we must also give back to the land we reap so much from? I believe legislation like this is a good start and something we can all learn from moving forward. I hope to see the River Democracy Act passed this year.
John Abercrombie
White Salmon
Why vote in the Primary Election?
The primary election for Washington State is Aug. 2. You will have the best opportunity to vote for a candidate who shares your ideas. There are several candidates running for many of the positions at the state and local level, in this primary; only the top two candidates will move on to the November election.
So this might be a good time to think about what makes a strong democracy. Is it that every citizen can vote, every vote is counted, people work together to solve difficult and complex problems like living wage, health care, violence, homelessness and drug abuse? Are these problems solved with hate, more violence, more laws, limiting options?
Take time to find out how your candidate will solve the issues important to you. What experience have they had? Who is funding their campaign? Solutions are complex and may require multiple solutions.
Go to vote 411.org; on this site run by the League of Women Voters, you can read candidates' profiles and check voting regulations in all 50 states. Many states have changed their regulations, so share this site with friends and relatives out of state. Go to sos.wa.gov/elections where you can check your registration and make changes if needed. This website can be viewed in more than 20 languages.
Register by mail or online until July 25, in person through Aug. 2. Ballots will be mailed out around July 15.
Laurie Sherburne
Trout Lake
Who is the 'good guy?'
I’d Iike to take a moment to discuss gun violence. But first, some numbers:
Nah, numbers haven’t and likely won’t change a thing in this context.
That said, I’m interested in the notion that “the only thing that can stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun” and how more robust mental health screening would somehow prevent gun violence. After the fact, identifying the bad guy is straight forward. It’s also too late. Hence the platform advanced by Wayne, Ted, Mitch, and others about good guys with guns. All of which begs a series of questions:
Is “good” merely the absence of “bad?” How is “bad” measured? What if the “good guy” has a remote DUI or is on medication to stabilize his mood, does this make him less “good”? In the moment, how does a “good guy with a gun” identify a “bad guy with a gun” or for that matter another “good guy with a gun”? How “mentally ill” does one need to be before he can’t buy a gun, or his gun is confiscated?
While there are more, way more, than enough guns out there, there don’t seem to be enough “good guys with guns” to prevent the current massacres.
What we need are highly trained and capable good men and women with guns. And we already have them, law enforcement. But law enforcement hasn’t worked reliably to prevent gun violence. And it will take years to dance around the constitutional implications of reliably identifying the mentally ill and restricting their access to firearms.
So, if we can’t identify the perpetrator of gun violence before the act, what can we do? Well, perhaps, we can regulate the tool of gun violence. Regulate, you know, like a car.
I DO NOT want your gun. What I would like is for those of you who use the trope, “They’re coming after your gun(s)” as reason to resist even casual discussion of meaningful change, to present a reasonable alternative. I’m not a threat and neither are you. Look me up, let’s talk.
Commented
Sorry, there are no recent results for popular commented articles.