Helping FISH

This past holiday season, the media appropriately highlighted the dwindling reserves of food banks and the heightened need of clients that receive emergency food supplies. As the economic downturn continues, FISH has seen a rise in many new clients visiting the food banks.

The Hood River community, as always, provided generous gifts of food items and cash donations to purchase needed foods. We are lucky to live in a community that recognizes that food insecurity and hunger are not acceptable and support FISH food bank.

FISH in 2008 distributed emergency food to 13,237 adults and children. This represents a 48-percent increase from 2007 data.

We are grateful to all the churches, individuals, businesses, United Way, schools, community groups, hospital, Scout troops, postal workers, benefit dance and musical performances that have enabled us to operate as an all-volunteer organization, under the auspices of GEM (Gorge Ecumenical Ministries).

FISH is committed to continuing to meet the needs of our community during these uncertain times. Thanks to all who have donated time, money or food. We could not do this without your unfailing support.

Marianne Durkan
and FISH food bank
steering committee
Hood River

Article thanks

I wanted to thank you for running our article (Feb. 25) about Roland Smith. Mr. Smith was a real treat for our students and seemed to encourage many of our reluctant readers and writers. Thank you again.

Kathy Franks
Wy’east Middle School

Bad tax idea

A 1,900-percent increase in the beer tax. One more arrogant tax increase and another whacked-out suggestion from the state legislature. I would support it if they used part of it to drug test the legislature. They need it because they are either on drugs or have just plain left their brains at home once elected. Here is a concept: Live within your means.

It surely does not pass the “common sense” test to me. I don’t think most ordinary citizens would object to reasonable rate increases in any area. A 1,900-percent increase is not reasonable for any area by any standard. Setting aside the beer tax, my feeling would be the same for that tax increase amount in any area!

Just for perspective, I have spent 30 years in the hospitality industry; I responsibly enjoy a pint. I have been around the beverage since I was 18 and in the military; and significantly my father was killed by a drunk driver when I was 2 years old. I do see the whole picture.

Steve Nybroten
White Salmon, Wash.

Wrestling news

Gentlemen, congrats to the Hood River News and in particular Ben McCarty for his great coverage of state wrestling for HRVHS. Great usage of technology and information to keep parents and fans alike updated and part of the process.

We appreciate all you guys do for our kids and I know they get a kick out of seeing themselves in the videos! Hood River News sports has never been better — keep up the great works, boys!

Steve and Sherri Eddy,
parents of Katie
Hood River

Dubious export

In this time of economic crisis, America needs research and development, manufacturing and a healthy export to boost our economy.

When we can design and make a product that is wanted by the rest of the world, we are on the road to recovery. Case in point: Our daily exports of 2,000 guns a day into Mexico.

As long as they are made by American workers using American materials, it seems like a good way to recover some of the expense to the American taxpayers caused by our friends to the south. Hey, you have to find work where you can find it. Go America!

Mike Farmer
Hood River

Big government

I thought it was ironic that the story on the beer tax rising 1,900 percent had a picture that was at Double Mountain brewery.

I was there when they had the Obama celebration. How else does everyone expect to pay for the Big Government they want? I don’t like it either, but I didn’t vote for it.

Sean Palmieri
Hood River

ANOTHER VOICE

By ANNE VANCE

First they try to placate us by calling us seniors. Then they advertise a dance for seniors. When we get there we see all these kids in tuxedos and prom dresses. We discover to our embarrassment that they meant high school seniors.

If those infants are seniors then we must be Methuselah!

But it is the small things that irritate and frustrate us the most.

Like the instructions for everything from cooking to installing fluorescent lights. It’s all in print so small we can’t read it even with the most powerful magnifying glasses made. And it doesn’t help that 16 pages are in other languages.

And those safety caps! They put them on everything from pill boxes to mouth wash. And they have no instructions, or unreadable instructions, or downright, deliberately misleading instructions, on how to open the damn things. If there isn’t a child around to help us we have to take a hammer to it.

There is something very satisfying about doing that.

Then there are the everyday-type frustrating things like the newfangled telephones, and I won’t even go into cell phones; that would take a book.

I recently bought what I thought was an ordinary telephone. When I plugged it in, it lit up like a Christmas tree with all flashing lights. I had to unplug it at night to get some sleep. Maybe it didn’t like being unplugged, because when I plugged it back in it didn’t work. It kept blinking, though.

So, after trying everything (except the hammer), I got out the instructions and one of those hand-held magnifying glasses, the ones that magnify as much as those hand-held mirrors — you know the mirror: It is death to look into one! That’s because you immediately commit suicide if you do look in the magnified side. That’s because you have too much compassion on innocent passers-by to go out in public with that face!

But back to the telephone: I valiantly went through 16 pages until I found the English version. There were about 20 pages of small print telling me how to do everything, except how to make a simple call.

After plowing through instructions on how to set tone and loudness preferences, how to receive and leave messages by voice or text, and how to program in frequently called numbers, and etc., and etc., I gave up before I got halfway through the list.

I really wanted very much to get the hammer and put the thing out of its misery.

It was still blinking like mad, so I unplugged it and put it away. I would wait for a visit from our 7-year-old granddaughter. She knew how to open bottles when she was 2, so by now she could probably figure out the telephone.

I still needed a phone, so I went to the thrift store and bought an old familiar one. It is very simple: All it has on it is three rows of numbers (smudged but readable), another line with a # and a *, and on the bottom three buttons that I can read with my ordinary reading glasses – Mute, Reset, and Redial. I love it!

I read in the paper recently that the museum wants old phones for their archives. They can just eat their hearts out! I’m keeping my phone! Just call me old-fashioned. Or just call me old.

n

Anne Vance lives near Hood River. She works with her husband, Norman, at Norman Vance Gallery in Hood River.