Your Voice: May 6, 2026

Local people need to be aware of the plan that the Trump administration has for the Forest Service. They are calling it a reorganization, but many others are calling it a dismantling. The headline is that the headquarters will move to Salt Lake City. We know from the BLM plan in Trump’s first term that most employees cannot move across the country, so this is a way to get rid of staff without firing them.

Maybe more relevant is that both the Pacific Northwest Regional Office and the Pacific Northwest Research Station, both in Portland, will be permanently closed. The entire region structure is to be abandoned, to be replaced by a committee that is based at the headquarters. Dozens of research stations are to be closed, all to supposedly be replaced by one in Colorado. How can a research station based in the Rocky Mountains do proper research in the Pacific Northwest — and many other parts of the country?

While the headline the proponents are pushing is moving out of D.C., this plan centralizes regional oversight and research in single locations and will result in the loss of many highly experienced and dedicated Forest Service staff who cannot move to another state. Could you please contact your members of Congress and ask them to block this dismantling of the U.S. Forest Service?

Dean Myerson

The Dalles

Forum thanks

On April 16, I attended an evening community forum at the Rockford Grange on how local elections are handled, and I came away from that forum feeling our elections are free, fair, secure, and accessible. The word “transparency” comes to mind.

The event was one of several community forums sponsored by the Gorge Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. A Feb. 19 forum featured local media representatives and focused on freedom of the press locally. An additional elections forum will be held this fall.

The April 16 forum was moderated by Dick Withers, a former chief inspector for elections in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and former president of the Gorge fellowship. The panel featured the county clerks of Wasco and Hood River counties, the auditor of Klickitat County, and an experienced volunteer ballot counter. They explained how ballots are collected and counted, how ballot signatures are validated, how ballot collection boxes are surveilled (both inside the boxes and from a distance), how challenged ballots are dealt with, and how election procedures sometimes differ slightly between Oregon and Washington. 

Voting is a central piece of our society. If ever the integrity of our elections were to be jeopardized or questioned, our democracy would suffer. I thank the April 16 panelists and the Gorge Unitarian Universalist Fellowship for providing reassurance that our local elections are in good hands.

Tom Kaser

Hood River

Vote for Brady position 3

As a life-long resident of Wasco County, I have many reasons to care about who is elected to our county commission. One reason is that we are at risk of electing the most inexperienced county commission in memory. Another reason I care is that our county commission has more direct impact on our lives than any other office we may vote for. A third reason is that the job of county commissioner (yes, it is a job, not a volunteer position) requires dedication, commitment and an appetite for working with a wide variety of people and agencies, long hours, endless meetings and civic engagements, the ability to juggle the demands of sitting on various boards and agencies as well as keeping abreast of dozens of consequential financial decisions and policy issues. Most would say it is not their idea of fun.

With all of this in mind, there is one clear choice for Position 3 on our County Commission: Phil Brady.

I could say I am voting for Phil because I have known him as a loyal friend for 65 years. I could vote for him because he has the intelligence, energy and character that the job requires. Or I could vote for him because he is the only candidate that has four years of stellar experience as commissioner. But I will vote for Phil Brady because he has a genuine desire to serve, and his grasp of the needs and the resources of the county is remarkable. Phil has proven himself to be exactly the kind of public servant Wasco County needs.

In his first term as county commissioner, Phil has delivered real results in affordable housing, securing healthcare in Maupin, more available behavioral health services, and transitioning folks out of homelessness. Phil Brady is a proven steward of the public trust. He has earned another term as county commissioner. Please join me in voting to re-elect Phil Brady for all the right reasons and for all of Wasco County.

Mike Ballinger

The Dalles

Yes x2

Wylde Wind & Water urges a resounding YES on Proposition 1: a bond to construct a rebuilt aquatic center, and a resounding YES on Proposition 2: five year levy for park maintenance, operations and recreation services in the May 19 Special Election.

Anyone registered to vote in Hood River County can vote on these issues. The funding to support these measures comes from property taxes, but you don’t have to own property to vote on these two issues. Children can’t vote, so we have to do it for them. It is imperative that these propositions pass to rebuild a public swimming pool at the end of its serviceable life, and maintain the Parks and Rec youth and adult programs that currently serve 3,200 participants. 

If these two issues fail, there will be a closed sign on the pool door, and the entire Parks and Rec community recreation programs will cease to exist after this summer. The pool and rec programs are the epicenter of a strong community where access to water and play isn’t determined by income, background, or who has time to teach you how to swim. Swimming lessons and water safety education prevent drowning. It is a simple fact. Isn’t it better to invest in the front end of a beneficial community service, rather than the repercussions of a failed one?

As Wylde Wind & Water, a local 501(C)(3) non-profit, enters our fifth year of providing water sports and water safety education, we directly see the impact of community programs that lead to individuals growth, local civic engagement, opportunities and more. We kindly ask you to join us in supporting these lifesaving programs.

Fiona Wylde

Executive director, Wylde Wind & Water

 Yes to pool

I am 95 years old, and I have lived my whole life in Mosier and the Hood River Valley. When I was a girl, there was no public pool. We learned to swim in the river — cold, fast, and dangerous. That was simply the way things were. When this community built the pool, I felt grateful that my children, and later my grandchildren, would not have to learn the way I did. They had trained instructors, warm water, and a safe place to practice.

That pool has served generations of families, including mine. I live on a fixed income, so I understand the worry about rising costs. But I also know the value of something that keeps our children safe and gives people of all ages a place to gather, exercise, and heal. Even at my age, I still believe the pool is important for the future of this valley.

Gloria Arnold

Hood River

Seeger for HD52

My family emigrated from Ireland in the 1860s and put down roots in The Dalles. Though my career took me elsewhere, that place never left me — which is why I want to tell you what I saw working alongside Bernard Seeger.

Municipal software implementations fail constantly — blown budgets, collapsed scope, data migrations that never fully land. As a consultant who oversees these projects professionally, I’ve seen every flavor of poor leadership. I’ve also seen the rare exception.

Bernard Seeger was the finance director for the City of Gresham and the project sponsor for their utility billing implementation. He delivered. Not because he pretended to be the technical expert — he was the customer, and he knew it. He succeeded because he listened, accepted rigorous best practices without complaint, and when the hours got long, he put them in alongside his team rather than watching from a distance.

What I remember most: When the data told us we needed another month before go-live, city leadership pushed back hard. They were managing a bond measure and didn’t want a delayed rollout affecting the optics. That pressure had nothing to do with the project and everything to do with politics. Bernard held the line anyway. He absorbed that heat so his staff didn’t have to, then made sure they got the credit when the project succeeded.

He won’t always give you the diplomatic answer. His passion occasionally outruns his patience. But that same unfiltered drive is exactly why the project succeeded — and why District 52 needs him in Salem.

Vote for Bernard Seeger.

Joe Brookhouse

Tualatin

HD52 needs Osborn

As someone who cares deeply about clean water and strong public education in the Gorge, I am proud to support David Osborn for Oregon House District 52.

I have spent a lot of time in Salem, and understand firsthand that navigating the legislative process takes more than good intentions. It takes experience, relationships, and the ability to build coalitions and get things done. David Osborn has all of that. His nearly two decades of work in environmental and climate advocacy, his strong endorsements from conservation leaders, and his commitment to watershed restoration and forest health make clear that he will fight to protect the clean water our communities depend on.

On education, David is equally serious. He has spent his career as an educator, and his platform calls for fully funded K-12 schools, smaller class sizes, support for teachers, and affordable higher education. He doesn’t just talk about these issues, he has lived them.

With the federal government pulling billions of dollars out of Oregon’s budget, we need someone in Salem who can hit the ground running in the 2027 legislative session. David Osborn is the most proven candidate in this race to represent our interests. He knows how to build the coalitions needed to protect healthcare, education, and the environment at a moment when all of it is at risk. I urge HD 52 voters to support David Osborn in the May 19 Primary.

Brett VandenHeuvel

Hood River

Pro Hood River Parks & Rec

As we discuss the upcoming Parks & Recreation measures, I keep thinking about what truly holds a community together. For me, it’s the places and programs that help us connect — and our Parks & Rec District does that every day.

Parks & Rec builds community cohesion by creating shared experiences through events, recreation, and civic spaces. These moments of showing up for one another are part of what makes the Hood River Valley feel like home. It also keeps public spaces accessible. Our parks, trails, and community pool give residents of all ages free or low cost places to gather, move, and enjoy the outdoors.

And Parks & Rec supports health and wellness. Youth sports, adult classes, and recreation programs keep people active while helping them form friendships and support networks that strengthen our whole community.

These investments benefit far more than a few — they benefit all of us.

Anna Cavaleri

Hood River

Vote Nichole  Biechler

I’ve known Nichole Biechler for about 15 years and worked with her in a variety of contexts. Here’s what’s really important about Nichole and why you should vote for her. Nichole understands how county government works from the inside out. She is not afraid of conflict, and she’s really good at it. She’s able to see all sides of an issue and include everyone who has a stake in the outcome. She loves this community enough to stay here and raise her girls here, even though she could be successful anywhere she wants to. And she’s really smart.

I first met Nicole Biechler when she had come back to the area after being away for a time. There was a recession and she was applying for jobs left and right. She applied to be my intern at The Next Door because she couldn’t stand not being useful. I was so impressed with her intelligence, her work ethic, and her communication skills. She was one of the best interns I ever had, and that’s saying something!

It wasn’t long before she found a job and started working her way up through the ranks of human resource professionals. When I started my own business, I even hired her to be my human resource consultant.

Nicole Biechler lives in the community where she went to school as a child, and she is raising her children here. She has served on nonprofit boards, including the Wonderworks board. I worked with that board as they worked together and saved Wonderworks from a treacherous downhill slide. Look in the windows at Wonderworks sometime and see what that board and the following boards did to make a great resource for children.

This community can be proud to vote for Nichole, a truly local woman with a backbone and a brain.

Heidi Venture

Hood River

Voting Gambee

To the Voters of Wasco County: As a multi-generation Wasco County citizen, I feel compelled to urge readers of this letter to cast their vote for Lisa Gambee. My reasons for supporting her candidacy include her integrity, work ethic, mature judgement and open mind.

Lisa has earned my support through her professional expertise serving as Wasco County Clerk. The knowledge she acquired in that capacity will be of benefit to all Wasco County citizens.

Lisa will administer the county budget for the benefit of all of us. Lisa understands the importance of agriculture and business in our local economy. Lisa supports public education and understands that democracy depends on an educated citizenry.

Both Lisa and her husband, John, have been volunteer contributors of time and talent enhancing the community they live in.

Lisa will listen to citizen concerns and obtain the information needed to make decisions for all Wasco County residents.

Please join me in voting for Lisa Gambee for the Wasco County Commission.

Dan Van Vactor

Tygh Valley

Praise for Seeger

I am supporting Bernard Seeger for HD52. I’ve known Bernard for close to 20 years, so I can say with confidence he is smart, hard working, and has the independence to stand up for the unique needs of our district over party or special interests.

Arthur Babitz

Hood River

Support for Nick Poublon

The 2024 election cycle was brutal for anyone who ran. People attacked often and personally anyone they opposed. It took a lot to decide to run and, once running, to commit to it wholly in the face of those attacks. Nick Poublon did that. He fought a hard campaign and put in the work when other people were not willing to even try.

Nick has grit. He will stand up for what he believes is right even when it costs him in the form of campaign contributions or endorsements. He did this with his stance on data centers. He has maintained his position on healthcare, education, and equality. He is not a Johnny come lately jumping into a race simply because it seems winnable in this election cycle.

Vote for the person that has done the work. Vote for the person that was doing the work before it became popular. That’s why I am supporting Nick. I have watched his work over the last two years. I know what I am supporting and I like what I see.

Kara K. Davis

Wasco County

District Attorney

Bassett for D26

I have known Nicole Bassett for more than a decade, through shared community networks, recreational groups, and watching her build her own business. That is why I am endorsing her for Oregon State Senate, District 26.

This district spans urban, suburban, small-town, and rural agricultural communities. It needs a senator who actually sees all of it. I know Nicole does. She brings genuine curiosity to every room she walks into. She asks good questions and listens to the answers. I have watched her leave conversations, already working on a problem she just learned about. She thinks in systems and stays practical. She does not get stuck at the level of big ideas.

Working in the fashion industry, she saw its environmental costs up close. Instead of accepting that as the cost of doing business, she built a company around repairing and reselling used or damaged outdoor clothing. It reduced waste and created local jobs. Those are issues this district’s communities share across very different zip codes. That is her pattern: see a problem, build something that addresses it.

She is not running for office out of ambition. She is running because things are not working for too many people in this district, and she will not watch without acting. She steps up before anyone asks. I have watched this for more than ten years, and I would not write this letter if I had any doubt.

A senator committed to representing the full range of people in District 26 is rare. Nicole is that person.

Patrick Hiller

Hood River

Gambee for commission

Lisa Gambee would be a real asset to Wasco County as a commissioner. As a successful business woman, she has worked with many different people and employees. As a member of South Wasco Alliance, she was able to see improvements on the boat ramps at the Pine Hollow Reservoir.

South Wasco County does not have a representative from our area and I know Lisa understands South Wasco as well as the rest of the county.

As County Clerk, Lisa led the way through some tough times during election time. She was helpful to all that came into her office for help.

I am asking you to please vote for Lisa Gambee for Wasco County Commissioner.

Colette Cox

Wamic

Vote for Sanders

Anyone who dares watch the news (or for mental health reasons, does so carefully) recognizes that democracy in our culture is threatened with dismantlement, lack of participation, and a deep level of skepticism.

I remember the old saying, “He or she who wants to change the nation, must be able to change the state.” So that is what is getting my attention these days — what can we do in Oregon that serve as a template and guiding light to the policies in our nation.

I’m proud to strongly endorse Hank Sanders because he is the energetic, young, new leader that we need to protect our vulnerable and push forward changes that will bring new models and new insights to our state policies.

I have been a faith leader in Hood River County for nearly 20 years. I have watched our families get torn apart by ICE. I have heard fears and hardships for survival by those who have been neglected and ignored by public policy. I have observed the political realities of racial discrimination. I have seen proposals for lowering carbon emissions get buried. I’ve watched more and more families get in line at food banks as the cost of groceries and gas skyrockets.

These problems deserve a new generation of leadership and energy to defeat solutions that are short sighted and perpetuate the benefits of our privileged. Hank, a rural Oregonian and a former New York Times reporter, has what it takes to speak truth to power and fight for us. Working in Salem, he has valuable experience passing bipartisan legislation.

In the past few months, I have been listening carefully to our neighbors who share the pains of discrimination. And EVERYWHERE people are gathering to search for ways to make the seemingly impossible possible, there is Hank Sanders — listening and making suggestions. Hank shows up, listens and uses his experience to help build and protect democracy. For our neighbors, for our families, for our generation and the next, join me in voting for Hank Sanders.

John Boonstra

Hood River

Rasmussen for Oregon’s 2nd district

I do not know what The Dalles puts in the water, but they sent us Dawn Rasmussen.

I did not expect to come home with nothing.

I worked as a humanitarian in Myanmar. I remember kneeling next to a young girl who had stepped on a landmine six months before. I handed her a sanitary kit, stamped with the words “From the American People.” I had to look away for a moment. Not because of what had happened to her, though, that was enough. Because I was proud. America was still there, and someone cared whether she learned to read and could piece her life back together. Then USAID was shut down. My position, my pension, the life I had built — gone. I came home to Oregon and started over.

This is why Dawn Rasmussen matters to me.

She drove to Klamath Falls, Grants Pass, Medford, and Central Point. Others saw her in Pendleton, Burns, and Enterprise. I have spoken with Forest Service employees who lost their jobs and still saw her make the trip out to listen. One told me they had never seen a candidate come to their town, let alone sit down and ask what mattered. Dawn did. She talked about farming, water, wildfire risk, and jobs. She stayed and listened. Too many candidates move through a district like they are collecting a debt already owed. She does not. She earns it.

At a forum in Medford, a man stood up and said he had not worked in four months. He was not angry. He was tired. Dawn did not pivot to a talking point. She asked him what kind of work he had done and whether he had family nearby. The room changed after that.

I will vote for any candidate, from any party, who does the work. I have watched Dawn Rasmussen do it in towns where laid-off workers, ranchers, and timber families showed up hoping someone would finally listen. She listened like their answers mattered.

They do. She knows it. That is why she has my vote.

Bryce Smedley

Ashland

Voting Osborn

As a parent of two young children in the Corbett school district, I have witnessed firsthand David’s skills in organizing our rural community, working across the aisle to ensure safety and critical standards for our students and educators. David Osborn is the candidate for State Rep. in District 52 with the most leadership experience and advocacy work, who is poised to both flip the seat and make effective change in Salem. I trust in his commitment and ability to fund statewide universal preschool, to advocate for vital wildfire management as he has in our community, and to protect our immigrant communities who are threatened under the current administration. David is a cherished community member, educator, and father who will lead with the conviction and skill-set to represent all of District 52’s best interests. My vote for David Osborn is a vote for education, climate security, affordable healthcare, and human dignity.

Kate Cohen Jules

Corbett

Bassett fixes

If you’ve had the opportunity to spend time with Nicole Bassett, who is running for Senate District 26, then you’ve felt her spark and been inspired by her determination, curiosity, and smarts. From launching a business in Cascade Locks to volunteering at Anson’s Bike Buddies in Hood River to serving as a board member at the Gorge Rebuild-It Center, Nicole is not afraid to get her hands dirty to solve hard problems. In addition to being incredibly organized, pragmatic, and capable, Nicole leads with compassion, listens thoughtfully, and always asks for input.

Want someone who makes change happen while bringing people together? Please join me in voting for Nicole Bassett.

Becky Brun

Hood River

Osborne for Oregon

I am writing to endorse David Osborn for HD 52. I can’t tell you how strongly I believe David is the one for this job. I am so grateful he is stepping forward to serve our district. We are indeed very fortunate.

David stands out in his experience working in many capacities to care for our environment and our families. As a mother of two teenagers, living in east county only makes sense because there is access to quality education, state of the art medical facilities, watersheds that are protected to source our water, and forests that are managed to minimize danger of wildfires. Since moving to Corbett in 2013, my family has lived through challenges at every level, from wildfire evacuation, to damages to our watershed, to lack of funding for our school, to threats to our local birthing center, to environmental fights to stop the pollution of our air and rivers. David has been working on all fronts, and is well connected and versed in the issues that are important to us. He is a clear leader in this race and knows how to reach across the table and build strong coalitions. He stands out for his experience as a long time non-profit leader, an advocate and an organizer who understands how to bring people together on topics that matter.

David’s experience spans from university professor to local school board member, to co-founder of the Sandy watershed council. I have lived in community with David for over a decade now and I have personally witnessed his clear and consistent vision to work to benefit, protect, and support what he sees as most essential to our community’s well-being. He walks his talk working with clarity and skillfulness in all his endeavors. David is the obvious choice. Let’s get out and vote for David Osborn. We need the expansive vision backed by decades of comprehensive experience, and knowledge that David has to offer. He can flip this seat. We need him. And he needs our votes.

Sonia Arion

Corbett

Elect Conroy

Carmela Conroy once again (2026) brings impressive credentials to represent eastern Washington’s 5th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. Having run previously in November 2024 against likely November opponent, incumbent Republican Michael Baumgartner, she possesses more experience — learning from 2024 — and greater public exposure/name recognition than other House candidates.

Relevant to President Trump’s broken campaign promises of avoiding foreign wars, Conroy brings 24 years of Middle East and worldwide experience as Foreign Service officer/diplomat (Afghanistan, Pakistan, Norway, New Zealand, Tom Foley’s Japan office), compared to Baumgartner’s lesser, though self-embellished, appointments involving just 2 years Middle East experience. Conroy possesses the courage, integrity and wisdom, qualities Baumgartner lacks, to vigorously oppose Trump’s illegal actions and incompetence. Her international expertise would avoid monumental mistakes like Trump — with Baumgartner complicit — neglecting to “Know your Enemy before going to War” (quoting British-Iranian journalist Christiane Amanpour); for example, Trump ignorantly assumed Iran would resemble Venezuela after being duped into joining Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s cruel war. Trump and Baumgartner seemed clueless that Iran controls the Strait of Hormuz, and that Iran’s closing it would devastate the U.S./world economy. 

Baumgartner’s votes and Iran war endorsement have never been sufficiently explained in his (essentially useless) weekly Friday emails. For example, he’s voted for drastically cutting Medicaid, starting Jan. 1, 2027 (One Big Beautiful Bill); increasingly shifting wealth to the rich, including huge tax cuts (OBBB); and widespread voter suppression, affecting more women than men (SAVE).

Unlike Baumgartner’s voting record, Conroy supports working families. Please vote for Carmela Conroy!

Norm Luther

Spokane, former Gorge resident

Attacks on the president

Multiple assassinations/attempts have occurred, beginning with Jackson, Lincoln, Garfield, McKinley, Kennedy, Regan, Ford, and Trump. Although only one assassin killed Lincoln, others conspired to kill the president and cabinet members. Some refer to Lincoln’s assassination as the final skirmish of the Civil War. The rest were single actors with mental health issues.

The Coward and Thief has taken insurrection to orders of magnitude higher. He organized the conspiracy by inviting actors from across the nation, allowed lethal weapons at the pre-attack rally point, gave a Knute Rockne type “pre-game” speech, and gave the order to attack. It was an attack on 536 of the highest government officials. Five people died, four were police officers by suicide, and 174 people injured. The mob of assassins carried the ware-with-all to hang Vice President Pence, they specifically targeted Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and the Capitol police sequestered every member of Congress into a “safe location.”

Grand juries indicted the Coward and Thief of four counts of insurrection. Courts convicted 1,060 would be assassins, and 1,010 plead guilty. On Jan. 20, 2025, the Coward and Thief commuted all those sentences.

Three assassination attempts on the Coward and Thief astonishes the man-baby. “For all who draw the sword will perish by the sword.” — Mathew 26:52

Trump has accelerated the use of federal capital punishment. Four Lincoln assassination conspirators hanged, including Mary Surratt. Mary Surratt is innocent. Trump’s plan, as broadly proclaimed with full page advertisements, was to execute the innocent Central Park Five. Equality would suggest Trump spend the combined 30 years, 8 months, as did the innocent Central Park children, in prison — what is good for the goose is good for the gander!

Fredrick Aiken, the first city editor of the Washington Post, defended Mary Surratt in the conspirator charade military trial. For years, the Washington Post was the beacon on the journalism light house, breaking stories such as the Pentagon Papers, and the deep throat of the Nixon Watergate sagas. Now Jeff Bezos, of Amazon fame, has turned the Washington Post into the Coward and Thief’s version of the Soviet TASS.

Terry Armentrout

The Dalles

Whose war is this?

Trump’s war on Iran or Iran’s war on the U.S.?

It seems that the current conflict with Iran that the left seems to think was started by Trump need to have a better grasp of history. History, something often ignored by the left and in short supply in our schools, but that’s a different tale.

In 1979, Iran held hostages in our embassy in Tehran for 444 days. In 1983, bombing of the U.S. embassy in Lebanon. Bombing of the Marine barracks in Lebanon, killing 220. In 1988, mining in the Strait of Hormuz (international waters), which damaged a U.S. navel craft, injuring sailors. In 1996, bombing of Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia, killing 19 U.S. servicemen, wounding 498 others. In 2001, support for the 9/11 terrorists transiting Iran. In 2007, illegal detention/arrest of Bob Levinson, a U.S. citizen; his whereabouts are still unknown. From 2003-2011, funding of the Iraq Insurgency. In 2011, the plot to kill the Saudi ambassador in Washington, D.C. In 2013, IRGC arrests in Nigeria for bomb plotting. In 2017, arrests for plotting a terrorist attack in New York City. In 2018, targeted attacks on our embassy in Baghdad and consulate in Basra.

This history lesson is just about killing our U.S. citizens, not to mention the killing of others in that region-support of the Houthis in Yemen, funding of Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Y’all on the left like history? Maybe read about the Barbary Pirates. Maybe it was time that someone said “enough is enough.” I really don’t like the pain at the pump either, but I like even less the options that were playing out. Someone said if we don’t learn the lessons of the past, we are doomed to repeat them in the future.

Steve Nybroten

White Salmon