Letters to the editor:
Tuesday, June 30, 2009 10:02 AM PDT
Library future taking shape
Editor,
In November 2008, Ontario area voters formed a new library and elected a new library board to serve that district. As a result, on July 1, the Ontario Library District will take over operation of the library from the City of Ontario. The newly established board of directors has been diligently preparing for the transition. Our budget committee, headed by Paul Erlebach, prepared a 12-month budget to begin July 1. After two public hearings and input from the community, the board has now approved the budget. To cover the expenses of operating the library between July 1 and late 2009, when property tax revenue will be available to the library, we borrowed $100,000 from the Special Districts Association of Oregon.
With the passage of the bond measure and the transition to the new district on July 1, the community is anticipating major change to the library. However noticeable change may not occur until at least November. At that time, our district librarian, Darlyene Johnson, will be able to reassess the feasibility of increasing library hours.
On July 8, the library is holding a gala open house to celebrate the establishment of the new district. During the past months, the library held a library-naming contest.
At that gala event, the winning name will be announced, and the child that entered that name will be awarded a Barnes and Noble gift certificate. The Ontario Library District Board of Directors invites everyone in the community to attend the gala event at 1 p.m. July 8 at the library. As a board, we would like to express out tremendous appreciation for the enthusiastic community support we have received, and we look forward to the new opportunities provided by a library board exclusively dedicated to library operations and services.
Amy H. Couture
Ontario Library District Board Member
Resident sad to hear of Drapers’ plight
Editor,
I have lived in the town of Nyssa most of my life and thought it was a place that one could enjoy the support of the friendly people who also call it home. I was appalled to hear the plight of Peggy and Willard Draper and their family. It seems that the Drapers had the misfortune to work and save to buy property back in 1991 to put down roots and build a home. When Willard erected his shop to help maintain his landscape business, he never dreamed the leader of the town of Nyssa would choose his back yard to construct the new sewage ponds 19 years later. Necessity? Maybe. Was the sugar factory’s offer to let the town have their ponds for free an option?
The real tragedy is the city’s neglect to offer the Drapers money for their land so that they could relocate. That is inexcusable! I guess it is easy for the citizens of Nyssa to look the other way because it might not affect us, or does it? Willard and Peggy are always available if anyone needs help. I think that it is our duty to stand with them to help resolve this problem. Don’t you?
Cheryl Courtner
Nyssa
News coverage
focuses too much on W. Oregon
Editor,
I just got home from the Portland area and was interested in your column explaining how you were going to bump up western Oregon coverage, especially on the front page. Let me tell you, it’s working! I know more about Portland than my son who lives there.
Thanks to the Argus articles, I know about Portland’s mayor and his crimes (having sex with a minor). I was up in Portland when the mayor got stopped for a crash and drunk driving and basically (literally) got caught with his pants down. (Thank you Argus, for that!) I was up there but didn’t learn about it until I got home and read the front page of the Argus.
Other news from Oregon (in the Argus): A woman who killed a pregnant lady and cut out the baby, the Portland mom who threw her kids into the Willamette River, high unemployment and the mess the Democrats are making in state government. I don’t know. Is it just me, or is this way too much information about the great metropolises of Oregon? It makes perfect sense that you would ignore our sweet, local, rural way of life and focus on that stuff, perfect sense.
Janet Hammerquist
Fruitland
Switch to digital
not beneficial
Editor,
The big hype for digital TV arrived on June 12. What a rip-off. The pitch was more channels, or extra channels, a couple of Spanish channels. We don’t have cable, but we had six perfectly clear channels on analog: 2, 4, 6, 7, 9 and 12 with the usual ads, but on DTV we are swamped with more ads. We lost channels 7 and 12 and didn’t gain any good ones. The volume is very weak except on one channel. The picture screen is smaller. We paid $80 for a new larger antenna and two DTV boxes for our two TVs. There is no mute. We have to get up to turn the volume up or down.
Who is making out on this deal? It’s not the consumer, that’s for sure.
Joan Gleichman
Vale
