Honor survivors

The 2009 Relay for Life would like to honor all cancer survivors.

We would like to invite all cancer survivors in the community to this event, July 18-19, on the track at Hood River Valley High School.

Survivors can participate in a special Survivors’ Lap – where survivors lead the way around the track while being honored and applauded by all participants. After this lap a luncheon is served for survivors and caregivers.

Participating in this event helps to inspire and motivate others.

Survivors are the reason we relay. Relay for Life is the American Cancer Society’s signature event that raises money to fund the fight against cancer. This results in more and more survivors.

Please contact Ellen Millar at (509) 493-3799 or (541) 380-1429 if you have questions of would like to participate in this event.

Lorrie Wingerd, Kathie Alley
Hood River

CL comment

Thank you Hood River News for your editorial (April 18) about the Cascade Locks situation.

I live in Cascade Locks and feel that the City has less and less interest in its citizens’ welfare. At first we hired a paid fire chief to help out with paperwork. Now we have spent $1.77 million (new fire station) plus $68,000 (one full-time EMT, and talk of another part-time EMT at $68,000) plus $250,000 (new fire truck) and it turns out that it isn’t for our protection.

 It is a money-making scheme for the city. All this during a deepening recession. The city council now says that it is going to take away some of our police protection to cover the cost of our new money-making scheme. The City should know how vulnerable that will leave the businesses in town. The City itself has been burglarized twice recently.

 I don’t know how to put a dollar figure on peace of mind. I figured that the City was out of step with its citizens when one of the first appointments made by our new mayor was to appoint someone to the Planning Commission (Rob Brostoff) who had been recalled from the previous council.

How much clearer a message can a town send than a recall?

Susan Place
Cascade Locks

Vote Davies

I have served with Jon Davies on the board of directors of the Hood River Downtown Business Association for about three years now and know him to be a very fair and compassionate individual.

Jon always seems to be able to keep a level head in the face of conflict.  I do not believe that Jon has an agenda beyond simply serving his community. He listens to all sides of a story and gathers the facts involved in the situation before rendering an opinion.

I am supporting Jon Davies for Port Commissioner and strongly urge you to do likewise.

Greg Colt
President, Hood River Downtown Business Association

Thanks from ‘Heart’

We would like to express our thanks to the Hood River Public Library for displaying our photo essay, “Faces of Hospice.”

The goals of these photos are to raise awareness of hospice and to show the grace, dignity, and peace that we see in our patients’ faces everyday. They truly teach us how to live. When we approach the end of our own lives, we hope that we will greet it with the courage, grace, and dignity that our patients have shown us. They are an inspiration to us all.

We would also like to thank our patients, their families, and Jerry LaMaita, the photographer, without whom none of this would have been possible. If you didn’t get a chance to see these photos, and would like to, please contact our office at 386-1942.

Jody Goatcher, Clyde Sanda
 Heart of Hospice

Dangerous cyclists

Early Saturday I left home and drove north on Highway 35 to go to a job site. Rounding a corner at 55 miles per hour near Odell I came upon a bicycle rider two feet into my lane going about 3 mph. Both oncoming uphill lanes were filled with speeding vehicles so I was forced to pass by the bicycle guy about two feet to his left.

After I barely managed to avoid killing this genius he raised an arm and flipped me the bird. Apparently in the process of saving his life I scared him as he was pursuing his recreational dreams.

The arrogance of these bicycle riders is amazing to me. Most of us are on the road with our vehicles in pursuit of work, groceries to feed our families and other missions in support of the daily grind that is life. These bicycle people are out playing, plain and simple. Yet they expect us motorists to put our lives in jeopardy by swerving into oncoming traffic so that these guys can dress up like spandex-coated “Barbies” and play with their toys.

Here in Hood River County we must address this problem before one of these guys gets run over. Face it, given the choice most motorists will mash the bicyclist before they will purposely drive head-on into a 3-ton SUV at 55 mph. And in a contest between a bicyclist and a car, the car will win with monotonous regularity.

To protect the cycling public I suggest these three laws be enacted:

One: License the bicycle just like a motorcycle that is to be used on public streets. To be licensed it must pass the same stringent safety inspections as any motor vehicle.

Two: License the bicycle riders, just like we do motorcycle riders. There is no difference.

Three: Most importantly, we must enact a requirement that any bicycle traveling on a public highway must maintain 75 percent of the posted speed limit.

These changes to our laws will make us all safer and fees paid for licensing can be used to help fund highway maintenance.

Cliff Mansfield
Odell

CL 'stepchild'

First I want to thank the paper for its coverage of our city. Cascade Locks chose to build a new fire station; unfortunately the last city council and mayor dragged their feet along, with several citizens, so it took nearly a year longer than expected.  During that year materials reached a peak and the costs rose significantly.

It was unfortunate and left the new council with hard choices.  The station has to be paid for and it’s time for obstructionists to come up with viable ways to do so or let the council get on with it.

No one wants to lose police or fire and ambulance protection. The options are few, the council can’t raise rates or find new revenue sources without going to a vote of the citizens; this is what they voted for.

As to Kerry Jo Osborne, she should do everything possible to avoid the appearance of impropriety; there is little enough trust in our community. 

The school board chose to close our high school. I hope our students attend Corbett; it’s an award-winning school in a small community, more reflective of ours than is Hood River. The school board has treated Cascade Locks as a stepchild for too long; we no longer have a vote on the school board, and I appreciate Bobby Walker taking on the thankless task of trying to represent us under these conditions.

I suspect the school board’s actions will be reflected in the next ballot levy it proposes.

Rob Brostoff
Cascade Locks

Fund OTS

The proposed budget cut to eliminate the Oregon Trauma System is devastating.

We, citizens and health care providers alike, rely on this system for expeditious care of trauma patients. Since its inception, the Oregon Trauma System has seen a 30-percent reduction in deaths related to trauma.

The OTS has helped cut state health care costs, especially in long-term rehabilitation, since patients get to the correct hospital sooner and receive the necessary trauma care quicker. The Arkansas senate just unanimously passed a bill to establish the framework for a statewide trauma system.

 Let’s not take a step backward. Oregon needs to stay at the forefront and manage its trauma system efficiently and effectively. Thank you,

Charlie Christensen, R.N., M.S.N. Mid Columbia Medical Center Emergency Charge Nurse
The Dalles

Support Davies

As most of you know, a seat for the port commission is up for election and it seems that everywhere you go, there is a sign advertising for one of the candidates.

What I haven’t seen, though, is information on the role, responsibilities and importance that the commissioner plays. While the port commissioner has a wide variety of duties, some of the most important are making policies for the Port of Hood River, decisions on land use for the Port property and economic development which impacts our city and community as a whole. They are also responsible for approving bills and making decisions that come before the board.

Because of the amount of responsibility involved in this position, I am voting for Jon Davies, friend and co-worker whose dedication to whatever task assigned gets no less than 100 percent. In the years that I have known him, he has shown a sincere sense of family, community and strong desire for a quality of life that would benefit all who live and reside here in the Gorge.

Please vote responsibly this May and vote Jon Davies for Port Commissioner.

Michelle Watson
Hood River