Your voice: March 25, 2026

Mr. Bentz’s opponents in the May primary election are Andrea Carr, from Chiloquin, and Peter Larson, from LaGrande. They will be in The Dalles on Sunday, March 29, 3 p.m. at the Mid-Columbia Senior Center. Please come to hear from them, and make your opinions known to them.

Note: The last day to register to vote in this election is April 28.

Teresa Hepker

The Dalles

Yes for pool

From toddlers learning to swim to seniors in aqua-aerobics — and every group in between — our community depends on the Hood River public pool. But the facility is now in serious disrepair, and we can help by voting YES on the May 19 capital bond to replace the failing pool and its worn-out systems.

As a longtime Parkdale resident, retired teacher, substitute teacher, and swim enthusiast, I’ve seen how vital this pool is. Hood River County students receive lifesaving swim and water safety lessons here. Families enjoy affordable recreation. Youth and adults build health, confidence, and sportsmanship through lessons, teams, and community programs.

I’ve also watched the building decline: repeated heating failures, a patched-over canopy roof, and aging plumbing held together with temporary fixes. Major systems are far beyond their intended lifespan.

The May 19 bond would fund a full replacement of the swim facility. To learn more about the issues and the proposed project, visit hoodriverparksandrec.org.

Please vote YES.

Kathleen Welland

Mt. Hood-Parkdale

No Kings rally

Last fall, I stood with neighbors at the No Kings Rally and felt something I wish more people could experience: the quiet power of ordinary citizens showing up for democracy. There was no grandstanding — just people of all ages holding signs, waving to passing cars, and reminding one another that our voices still matter.

As we approach the No Kings III Rally on Saturday, March 28, I find myself thinking about how easy it is to feel discouraged in times like these. Many of us worry that our individual actions can’t possibly make a difference. But history tells a different story. Democracy doesn’t survive in silence. It depends on people who are willing to stand up, speak out, and do so with courage and restraint — even when tensions run high.

That’s why peaceful public presence is so important. When we gather without anger, without escalation, and without fear, we model the kind of civic strength that keeps our communities healthy. We show our elected officials — and one another — that we are paying attention. And we remind ourselves that democracy is not a spectator sport.

I invite everyone who shares these values to join us for No Kings III, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 28. Whether you come with a sign, a friend, or simply your presence, you will be part of something larger than any one of us. For details, just search “No Kings The Dalles.”

Democracy needs participants. I hope you’ll stand with us.

Kathy Clark

The Dalles

Osborn for HD52

As voters in House District 52 consider who will best represent our community, I strongly support David Osborn for his deep commitment to both education and climate action — two issues that directly impact our region’s future.

For more than 20 years, David has been a nonprofit leader here in the district, working on forest and watershed stewardship and advancing practical climate solutions. As a co-founder of the Sandy River Watershed Council, he has demonstrated the kind of collaborative, community-based leadership we need in Salem. His work on wildfire mitigation, responsible forest management, and advocacy for home hardening investments shows he understands how to protect Gorge communities from growing climate risks.

Equally important is David’s dedication to education. As vice chair of the Corbett School Board and a member of the PSU Faculty Senate, he brings real governance experience and a strong record of advocating for students, teachers, and families. He has consistently pushed for lower class sizes, better school funding, and stronger support for educators. His call for universal, free, statewide preschool reflects a forward-thinking vision that will benefit children, working parents, and childcare providers alike.

David also stands out for his thoughtful leadership on emerging challenges like data centers. He is calling for a responsible pause to ensure these developments provide real community benefits, protect our water resources, avoid shifting costs to ratepayers, and align with our climate goals.

At a time when budget pressures threaten essential services, David is focused on protecting investments in education, healthcare, affordable housing, childcare, and environmental protections. His long record of participatory and collaborative governance shows he knows how to bring people together to solve complex problems.

House District 52 needs a leader with experience, integrity, and a clear vision for the future. David Osborn is that leader.

Anna Cavaleri

Hood River

SafeSpace a lifeline

SafeSpace has served as the Columbia Gorge’s only Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) for more than 16 years. Located in Hood River, SafeSpace provides a nationally recognized standard of care for children who have been or are experiencing sexual abuse, physical abuse, severe neglect, or exposure to violence and drugs.

In traditional abuse investigations, a child is often forced to recount their trauma to multiple agencies, at times in intimidating settings such as police stations, hospital emergency departments and child welfare offices. Children’s Advocacy Centers replace a fragmented system with a unified front — everything happens under one family-friendly roof.

All resources offered by SafeSpace are free of charge to victims and their families; this includes interviews conducted by highly trained personnel, specialized medical and mental health care by trauma informed care physicians and mental health professionals, referrals to essential community resources and, most importantly, advocacy for a family’s ongoing support to aid in navigation of a quite complex system.

SafeSpace adheres to the rigorous standards of the National Children’s Alliance (NCA), ensuring the highest levels of quality, consistency and accountability. In short, our center serves as a safe harbor where children are heard, protected, and supported on their path to healing. The mission of SafeSpace is a core public safety function that relies on the collaboration of policymakers, law enforcement, health professionals, and educators. Thus, this public investment carries a responsibility to ensure the center is fully utilized so no child in the Gorge is denied timely, trauma-informed care.

With our mission in mind, SafeSpace now accepts referrals from any community member concerned about a child’s safety or well-being. All of our specialized services and referrals are provided free of charge to victims and their families. Each confidential referral is screened, and appointments are scheduled when program criteria are met.

Note: Contacting SafeSpace does not replace your legal obligation to report suspected child abuse to the Oregon or Washington child abuse hotlines and/or law enforcement.

Susan Baldwin,

SafeSpace board member

Hood River

 Editor’s Note: This letter is also online in Spanish.

No bias

I hardly read the global news anymore without seeing their bias. I can’t stand it when you can see journalists asking questions or making statements that are directly tied to their benefactors and owners. Local news is really, in the end, what matters while being peripherally aware of what’s happening around the world. The globalist agenda has long since stopped helping humanity and is more focused on social engineering to generate profit.

I believe that there is not this side or that side. Each person is a complex makeup of different viewpoints. And many basic needs overlap between oil drillers and environmentalists, middle class or the super rich, Black or white, queer or straight. Basic human needs do not know property boundaries. they just wear different styles of clothes.

What if I wanted to be a conservative liberal? Conservative on fiscal policy and land preservation while simultaneously liberal on housing development and social issues. Why do I have to be one or the other?

There remains ongoing opportunities to build the type of world we want to live in. And not waiting any longer to ask permission from people in positions of power who have long since gone off the rails of a track we all built together.

Avery Hoyt

White Salmon

Vote for Brady

I am deeply grateful to the 300 Wasco County residents that signed my petition for re-election. In asking for your vote, I recommit myself to serve every corner of this county: working for more housing, rural healthcare, wildfire protection, and services that lift our quality of life, especially for those who are most vulnerable.

In my first term, I have led the Mid-Columbia Housing Authority, which is currently building 130 units of low-income housing in Hood River and is about to break ground on 76 more units right here in The Dalles. These are not promises — they are projects under construction, delivering real homes for real families.

I want to build on the success of The Annex, which has done tremendous work moving people from houselessness to stable housing. The next step is bold but necessary: a dedicated alcohol and drug abuse treatment center that gives our most vulnerable neighbors a true path to recovery and stability.

Wasco County deserves a commissioner who listens first, works collaboratively, and delivers results. I’ve done it in my first term, and I’m ready to do more.

I humbly ask for your vote. Learn more at VotePhilBrady.com. Sincerely,

Phil Brady

Candidate, Wasco County Commissioner Position 3

Gambee a leader

Wasco County has been fortunate to have many dedicated public servants, but few have shaped our county’s direction as meaningfully as Lisa Gambee. As voters consider who is prepared to serve on the Wasco County Commission, I hope they will look closely at Lisa’s record of thoughtful, forward looking leadership.

As County Clerk, Lisa was more than an administrator — she was a key contributor to the county’s long term vision. She played a key role in developing the Wasco County Vision, Mission, and Core Values statements, work grounded in deep listening and collaboration. Her work as County Clerk continues to influence decision making across departments today.

Lisa also helped design and launch the county’s Leadership Summit sessions, which strengthened communication, built shared purpose, and supported the development of future county leaders. These sessions have had a lasting impact on workplace culture and cross department cooperation.

She was also instrumental in shaping the county’s 100% LOVE culture initiative, focused on respect, accountability, and service. This effort reflects her belief that strong communities grow from strong relationships — a belief she has put into practice throughout her career.

Lisa’s leadership is rooted in integrity, collaboration, and a genuine desire to help Wasco County thrive. She brings experience, steadiness, and a deep understanding of how county government works and how it can work better.

For these reasons, I urge you to vote for Lisa Gambee for Wasco County Commissioner, position 1.

Suzanne Steffen

Mosier

Purpose in Iran

Trump’s campaign in Iran has been described as a war without strategy, and puzzling for its apparent lack of consistent goals and plans for achieving them. However, from a different perspective, its purpose is painfully obvious. Trump is using his war not to increase U.S. security or for other direct beneficial geopolitical and economic reasons, but for his own self-aggrandizement. His motivation is not to achieve military objectives but to increase and maintain global publicity and notoriety for what he is saying and doing, the more dramatically illogical and newsworthy the better. He is using the Office of President as a bully pulpit. If this alternative reason for his present seemingly erratic and illogical behavior is evaluated from the viewpoint of hubris, his actions make perfect strategic sense.

Tom Parkinson

Hood River

Shameful

I find it shameful that elected officials in the United States are calling for the persecution and elimination of the faith of Islam from our nation. The First Amendment of the US Constitution states: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”

Unfortunately, ignorance of Islam is common in our country. I have dear, deeply admired friends who are Muslim. There are many branches of Islam with their own interpretations of those teachings. I have condensed some of the basic teachings of Islam (from the www.islamreligion.com) agreed upon by nearly all people of that faith. They are:

• Belief in one God

• Belief in angels

• Belief in prophets of God including Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad.

• Belief in revealed books of God: Muslims believe that God revealed His wisdom and instructions through “books” to some of the prophets like the psalms, Torah, and the gospel. Muslims believe the Quran is God’s final revelation revealed to Prophet Muhammad and has been fully preserved.

• Belief in a day of judgment when God will judge individuals for their faith and actions

• Belief in destiny and divine decree: Muslims believe that nothing happens except by God’s will and with His full knowledge.

• The five pillars of Islam are Declaration of Faith, Daily Prayer, Charity, the Fast of Ramadan, and the Haj Pilgrimage to Mecca.

The vast majority of Muslims are good, devout people wishing only to conduct their lives with the guidance of the teachings of Mohammad. As with many of the world’s religions, those teachings have been twisted and used to gain power and subjugate people by a few corrupt individuals. We cannot judge nearly 2 billion believers by the actions of those few. The Golden Rule is found in every major religion. In Islam it is quoted as, “No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother that which he desires for himself.”

We all desire peace and security for ourselves and all beings.

Nancy R. Skakel

The Dalles

Columbia Gorge News letters policy

Columbia Gorge News encourages readers to submit letters to the editor for the weekly opinion page. Letters on all topics are welcome.

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