Does the shoe fit?
I have a question for people protesting against masks for kids:
Have you protested against kids being forced to wear shoes in school?
If not, why not?
I ask because shoes can deform growing feet, weaken arches, cause blisters, bunions, odor, etc. But wearing a light mask isn’t nearly that bad.
P.S. Debate about school uniforms, anyone?
Adrian Fields
Hood River
Thanks, West Side Fire Dept.
The staff of Hood River Alpine Veterinary Hospital wishes to send a great big thank you to the West Side Fire Department, especially Josh Beckner and Patrick Foss, for their help in rescuing a horse who was stuck in a cattleguard. Their prompt response with rescue equipment helped us turn a life-threatening situation into a happy ending. Thanks to them, our patient is now recovering well.
Firefighters and paramedics provide so much help to our community in so many ways. I am so thankful they are here.
Mike Foss DVM, Hood River Alpine Veterinary Hospital
White Salmon
Important event
Each Thursday evening in August, Jackson Park was the site for Families in the Park musical entertainment. Maybe because these events could not be staged last year, the 2021 productions seemed more energized than ever. Each night was an opportunity for any member of the greater-Gorge community to experience something approaching pure joy. And we needed that.
On behalf of our community, I offer thanks to Gorge Community Foundation who, along with the Hood River Lions, were co-leaders in funding these concerts, and we thank the following sponsors (listed alphabetically): Columbia Gorge Toyota & Honda, Farmers Insurance, G. Willikers Toy Shoppe, Hood River Rotary Club, NW Natural, Providence Memorial Hood River Hospital, and Tum-A-Lum Lumber.
The joy at each performance spilled over into individual generosity. The Hood River Lions Club, which now produces as well as sponsors these events, has for years collected cash donations from attendees in support of local charitable causes. This year each of the four events targeted a specific charity: Guide Dogs for the Blind, Safe Space Children’s Advocacy Center of the Gorge, Providence Sunshine Club Adult Respite Care, and UKANDU, which brings joy, hope, and connection to families dealing with childhood and adolescent cancer.
The vast majority of people attending these concerts were drawn by the promise of great music. But each week it became increasingly clear that members of our community were also opening their hearts to assisting others in need. Over the four nights, the total cash collected and donated to the four worthy causes listed exceeded $2,500.
Thank you, greater-Gorge community.
Doug Roof
Membership Chair,
Hood River Lions Club
Hood River
Not an easy decision
Dear Editor, I am sorry to inform you that we have canceled our annual Huckleberry Festival in Bingen again this year. The Huck Fest committee was determined to work towards this year being a “go” and began meeting this spring with an open invitation for others to join us.
Unfortunately, our counties are currently seeing the impacts of COVID still with filled hospitals and more of our neighbors getting ill. We have known this may be the outcome we would have to go with. It was the right decision at this time.
Our social media posts alerting the community drew many comments — about a half-and-half mix of negative and positive. Some people indicated that the Huck Fest Board should be terminated and a whole new set of organizers put into place. I felt compelled to respond to this because it is important people understand how these events happen.
Our two community festivals (Spring Fest and Huck Fest) once were run by the Mt. Adams Chamber. I know this from old records I have found there. At some point, likely when the chamber was struggling with leadership, the event was taken over by a group of people who came together as volunteers, to “man their station” and to ensure these community events continued. They are still led by volunteers. Currently, I am the Huck Fest parade coordinator, website updater, social media, and am working with the lead organizer Denise Stewart to capture process documentation and critical details specific to this event. The intent is to make the overall process smoother and easier to train new volunteers moving forward.
I have been the lead organizer of community festivals, such as Art & Wine Fusion, and I have also hosted parties. There is a fully different set of logistics involved in putting on an event. It involves permits, partnerships and coordination over a period of months. It is unfortunate for the loss of economic activity and our vendors who already paid will be refunded. We are aware of the impact of canceling and regret that it needed to be done.
We are planning now for 2022. If you have positive suggestions and are community oriented seeking to serve, please contact me at the Mt. Adams Chamber office, 509-493-3630.
Tammara Tippel, executive director
Mt. Adams Chamber
Bingen
Price of admission
If people want to continue to be allowed access to civilized society, they need to pay up. They need to do as they’re told. Authorities know better than we do, which is why we listen to them and shop out our cognitive load to them. We don’t even need to think about it. Has an authority given you information and directions? Follow it! Has an authority mandated that you do not engage in certain activities or behaviors? You need to listen.
Society has historically always improved and endured hardship when the subjects fall in line and do as they’re instructed. People who espouse ill-defined and nebulous ideas of “freedom” or “personal autonomy” are merely adding to the confusion, and making it harder for good citizens to hear the messaging from authorities and to follow their directions.
This could all be over soon if people would simply submit to government authority.
Norman Wojack
Hood River
What is the church?
In the Aug. 25 edition of Columbia Gorge News, the Mount Adams Ministerial Association wrote an article encouraging faith leaders to have their churches mask up and get vaccinated to “end this pandemic.” Here’s my question: What is the point of the church?
The church is a place where people gather to hear the Word of God. The church is a hospital for the spiritually sick. The church is a place where those who are burdened with the stresses of this life can come for refuge and rest while receiving God’s gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation. This is why Jesus says in Mark 2:17, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners” and also says in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
What the church is not is an organization that should be pushing medical advice upon its members. People already have vaccines and masking shoved down their throats by their work, friends and family. Many are even facing the loss of their jobs because of certain views on the vaccine.
The church should be the place where these people, burdened by the world, can come and find rest in Christ and his gospel, not a lecture about masks and vaccines. The church is a place for vaccinated and unvaccinated alike, pro-mask and anti-mask together receiving God’s gifts without any judgment or criticism.
If the church spends its time talking about masks and vaccines, then it is no better than the fallen world. Yet, if it offers the gospel to all people, regardless of one’s COVID opinions, then maybe, just maybe, the church can be what Christ intended, a refuge for the weary.
Rev. Zac Patterson
The Dalles
Eternal question
Recently, the Republican governor of Mississippi gave a speech to a room full of donors where he said, essentially, that Christians aren’t afraid of COVID-19 because they know that this life is just a blip, and that they are destined for eternal life in the kingdom of heaven.
I would simply say that if you feel this way, then you should not burden our healthcare system, and instead leave resources for those who value this life. Instead of going to the hospital when you are sick, perhaps you should just go straight to church. Also, please do not interact with anybody en route lest you commit the sin of killing, or at least the sin of stealing somebody else’s life by infecting them with a completely preventable disease.
Conversely, if God made everything, then it follows that God made the vaccine that you are refusing to take. Are you sure about where you’re going to spend eternity?
Benjamin Sheppard
Hood River
Editor’s note: Benjamin Sheppard is employed as a social worker.
Opportunistic virus
The COVID-19 virus is an opportunist. It needs to infect a host, a warm body, in order to survive and possibly mutate into a new variant. It wants the host to walk around and infect other people. If the virus is unable to find a way to infect, it will die out. Parents who are against masking may know what’s best, but they cannot know when the COVID-19 virus will infect their child.
Janet Holen
White Salmon
Biden voter successes
Congratulations to all those Biden voters. You succeeded in getting rid of Trump’s Tweets. You traded that for chaos at the southern border, where an estimated 20% of the illegals coming in (record numbers) are COVID positive, being let go without quarantine. I am sure Kamala is working on those “root causes.” Only overshadowed by the chaos in Afghanistan, where today at least 14 Marines an Navy were killed in an attack at the airport and an unknown number of civilians. Running out, probably leaving hundreds without hope of getting out. But Nancy said, “Our hopes and prayers and thoughts are with the people there.” Well, thoughts and prayers are not enough this time. Maybe she left town to see if she could find the phantom president groups to discuss the reported setting on fire of a woman because the Tailban did not like her cooking. Where are those protesters now? Will we find those California students who are somewhere in Afghanistan? Can’t wait to hear the spin. This is leadership? Many things I did not care about Trump, but at least I knew where he was and where he stood. Joe Biden is Jimmy Carter 2.0 on steroids.
Steve Nybroten
White Salmon
Community speaks, nobody listens
During the application process for a “glamping” resort off of Oak Ridge Road, the Husum/BZ Community has voiced their opposition to the proposal by Under Canvas to develop a large 95-site resort on a parcel owned by Weyerhaeuser Corporation zoned Forest Resource and bordering the Wild and Scenic White Salmon River.
Throughout the process, community members were assured their voice mattered, and Hearings Examiner Andrew Kottkamp stated, “Public participation in this process is vital to its legitimacy.” However, representatives for Under Canvas and the hearings examiner dismissed the overwhelming community opposition to the proposed resort by either claiming that public opposition to the proposal is irrelevant or by not acknowledging the public opposition in the written decision.
Since public testimony was not included in the written decision, it is important to provide the public a summary of the Husum/BZ Community’s opposition to the proposal:
1) There were more than 80 written submissions from concerned citizens of the White Salmon Valley in opposition to the proposed resort, with three letters expressing neutrality or support. During the public hearing, there were 33 community members’ testimony which opposed the project and one neutral testimony. Public safety (inadequate roads and extreme fire danger) were the major issues.
2) In the Hearings Examiner’s report, no mention was made concerning the near unanimous opposition to the project, nor is there any accountability to elected officials since the Klickitat County Board of Commissioners recused themselves.
3) This proposed resort represents the future of Western Klickitat County. This resort would be “leapfrog” development that, if allowed to be built, will set in stone a precedent for many other large-scale developments to encroach on resource land, thereby eroding agricultural uses and negatively impacting recreational uses of the Wild and Scenic White Salmon River.
Collectively, the Husum/BZ Community spoke up during the public process. Under Canvas and their proposed resort is not wanted nor appropriate on Oak Ridge. Under Canvas continued push for this resort speaks loudly to their disregard of the people who make Husum/BZ their home.
Thomas Woodward, Friends of Oak Ridge
Husum, Wash.
Acceptable risk
Fireman run into burning buildings to protect.
Law enforcement run towards danger to protect.
Medical professionals help the sick or injured to protect.
They are heroes: “Person noted for feats of courage, nobility, purpose, risking their life;” “ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure despite obstacles.”
Never once in 20 years of healthcare did I tell a staff or resident:
• No coming to work without a Hep B vaccine
• Stay in your room during flu season, not getting a flu vaccine
• Isolate someone dying, deny family to hold their hand during the final journey.
• As an EMT, delay or deny treatment to a patient until confirming if they have hepatitis.
• Delay performing CPR until I could confirm a patient does not have HIV.
I am not saying COVID is not real, but there are a lot of infectious diseases. Does it mean I want to contract the virus? No. Does it mean I will never get sick? No.
COVID has a 98% survival rate. Does it mean people won’t get it? No. Does it mean some might get a cold and others might get nasty sick? Yes. There are still other concerns of cancer, diabetes, cardiac and health risks. Does the governor have the ability to rule and mandate over the constitutional laws and take away your right to choose and freedom? No. He is breaking constitutional, HIPPA and discrimination laws.
American has the right to medical choice, to cancer treatments, surgery, CPR with a POLST. You can smoke tobacco, knowing health risks. We have rights over medical injections that don’t stop transmission or contracting COVID.
Inslee doesn’t have the right to continue destroying livelihood. Who takes the shot is none of your business. I respect whatever you decide you need to do for your own health. COVID can kill 2% of us, but don’t let it stop you from living and dividing us as a nation.
Robin Aman
Carson, Wash.
Commented