Opinion: Letters to the Editor, Jan. 4

Lazlo Bleen

jiveradio.org

Community support

Every parent of a teenager can use the support of other parents and community resources.

Being a parent of a teenager can be a very challenging and yet an important time in determining the youth’s future.

I worked with families as a juvenile probation counselor when the youth got into trouble with the law. I realized then that I wanted to assist families before the parents and youth were not listening to each other and relationships were strained and damaged.

Parents in the Gorge have an excellent opportunity to learn some skills that will strengthen their relationship with their teenager and ways to have more ability to influence their behavior.

On Tuesday, Jan. 24, there will be a “Parent Cafe” at Mosier School from 5-7 p.m. I know when I was raising my two daughters, I had a lot of challenges and questions about what I should do as a parent.

I am a retired “Parenting Educator” through The Next Door and recently I was trained how to facilitate a “Strengthening Families” Parent Cafe, which is a nationwide evidence based program.

This approach is a fun and informative way to talk with other parents about their experiences and share what has worked for parents of teenagers. Also it is a time to share those many moments of frustration and find solutions together.

At the Mosier event there will be community resource people and people who work a lot with teenagers.

If you want to come to this great opportunity, contact me at njpsun53@gmail.com. Now is the time to make your relationship with your teenager a priority! There is no cost and food will be available.

Your teenager is at a very important juncture in his/her life! Don’t regret that you didn’t do more when you had the chance!

Nancy Johanson Paul

Hood River

Newspaper delivery

I enjoy reading print newspapers. I receive the Columbia Gorge News in the mail. The Oregonian, delivered to my door here in White Salmon by a human, arrives in spite of the worst possible weather. So Kudos to delivery person Luis Paredes for his amazing service.

Janet Holen

White Salmon

Tracks to ‘26

Wow! So fascinating to listen to the ninth grade students you have been following since kindergarten (“Tracks to ’26: Now in grade nine, students answer annual questions” by Kirby Neumann-Rea, Columbia Gorge News, Dec. 28, 2022). Such a commitment for a newspaper to follow these students for 13 years! Unlike the usual studies that are mostly statistical and anonymous, the real lives of these kids come through.

As our country makes decisions that change the future for our children, like not renewing the Child Tax Credit that reached 90% of families, or health care questions, it would be interesting to see how these decisions change their lives. Perhaps there will be more on the future in the coming years.

Stay tuned. I will.

Willie Dickerson

Snohomish, Wash.

Thanks from CES

We would like to thank all the community members who helped make the 2022 Chenowith Elementary Giving Tree a great success again this year. We would like to specifically thank Google, Calvary Baptist Church, Cousin’s Restaurant, the students at The Dalles High School, and the staff and families at Chenowith Elementary for their generosity.

Because of the incredible number of donations, more than 150 students and families received gifts this holiday season. We appreciate all the “elves” from the community, including students from Juntos, who joined us in wrapping more than 500 gifts. We couldn’t have had such great success without your support. On behalf of CES, we wish you all a happy holiday season!

Ajay Rundell

The Dalles

No more fireworks

Neighbors, your fireworks are killing my dog. He is sedated, thunder shirted, white noise, and I am holding him as much as I can, but he is terrified, just peed himself and his heart rate is through the roof. You do know you can celebrate New Year’s without traumatizing the neighborhood animals, including humans, right? This has been going on for 6 hours. It’s not even midnight. Please stop. I can’t even celebrate quietly myself because I am holding him so tight. There’s no reason to be so selfish .

Heather Clemons

Parkdale

Make it make sense

I need something explained to me: Hood River County voted for a more robust police force with more staffing and officers on duty.

Since then, the abandoned-homeless-camp-garbage problem has only become exponentially worse. Are these two things inversely related?

Someone please make it make sense.

Brook Melee

Hood River

Segregation forever

In 1963, George Wallace, in a speech opposing integration, famously concluded with the vow: “Segregation now … segregation tomorrow … segregation forever!”

Fortunately, the country resoundingly repudiated Wallace. Laws were passed explicitly banning racial segregation and discrimination in all aspects private and public life, and a solid majority of Americans fully supported the goal of a colorblind society.

I was a teenager at the time and remember my friends and I earnestly embracing this ideal. It was not always easy or natural, but we sincerely tried, and we could envision the day the goal would be completely realized.

And the vision permeated the popular culture. I remember an “All in the Family” episode in which Archie Bunker, the resident bigot, was horrified to learn the doctor who would be treating him was Black. He just could not accept being treated by someone who didn’t look like him. He was thoroughly and rightfully ridiculed for that racist attitude.

But then success is never enough for some people. All too soon it was no longer sufficient to have equal opportunity, the outcomes had to be equal. That then demanded discrimination in favor of some races and against others to achieve the desired “equity.”

Just the other day I listened to a program on PBS lamenting that Black people were having difficulty finding medical professionals who “looked like them,” and what a tragedy that was. Not that they could not get quality healthcare, it was just difficult to get it from people who shared their skin tone.

The conclusion of the program was it was necessary to “adjust” medical school admission standards to solve this problem and praising the fact this is already being done in schools across the country. Wonderful.

When I hear arguments like this, and in favor of things like segregated dorms, safe spaces, graduation ceremonies, proms, colleges and such, I hear echoes of the white segregationists of the ‘50s and ‘60s. The races have changed, but the rationalizations are the same. Exactly.

George Wallace would be proud.

Steve Hudson

The Dalles