6-16 Letters to the Editor

  • Published: 6/17/2010 2:33:55 PM
Mt. Angel’s blooming volunteers earn praise
 
To the editor:
The Mt. Angel Chamber of Commerce extends a big “Thank you” to Chief Brent Earhart, Maureen Ernst, Marvin and Katie Fessler and crew, Mary Grant, Susan Muir, Scott Stokley, Kathy Wall, Garret Miller, Tom Ewing, Joe Borschowa and Travis Cooksey for all their hard work in hanging Mt. Angel’s flower baskets and boxes. What an outstanding group of volunteers. A special salute goes to Mt. Angel Telephone for use of their truck.
 
We invite you to take a walking tour of downtown Mt. Angel and enjoy our Bavarian Village.
 
Over 130 baskets and boxes are filled with a colorful wave of trailing petunias, verbenas, geraniums and other annuals.
 
We salute our volunteers — their green thumb spirit is greatly appreciated.
 
Maureen Ernst
Mt. Angel
 
 
Mayor disagrees with recent Independent editorial
 
To the editor:
I am writing in response to the Woodburn Independent’s June 9 editorial, “Interchange Charade Could Have Been So Much More.”
 
Yes, I would have liked the recent interchange meeting with Congressmen Kurt Schrader and Peter DeFazio to have been more, too. I would have liked nothing better than a surprise announcement that the federal government had provided the funding to complete our project.
 
But to characterize it as a “publicity stunt” totally misses the point of what it meant and ignores the efforts of both congressmen to move federal funding closer to reality.
 
Congressman DeFazio is the chairman of the House subcommittee that has the say on whether our project is even in a federal transportation bill. That subcommittee is in the business of evaluating high-profile projects from all 50 states.
 
No matter how large a federal transportation bill is, the reality is that some worthwhile projects won’t make the list.
 
Any transportation bill big enough to include the money needed to complete our interchange will have congressional opponents due to the size of the funding commitment.
 
Congressman DeFazio took scarce time out of his busy schedule to visit Woodburn, a community not even in his district, to see the interchange firsthand.
 
His purpose was to learn more about why he should support Woodburn’s $15 million federal request currently pending before his committee.
 
He chose to include the public meeting as part of his visit. We were able to make several major points as part of that meeting:
* The interchange project is part of an integrated land use and economic development plan. 
 
* Our local government has committed time, energy and millions of dollars of hard cash to the project. Congressman DeFazio did not look bored when I told him that we spent $2.5 million of city funds to prevent construction of a strip mall whose later purchase and acquisition would have added millions to the price of our project — something the city has been commended for.
 
* Every layer of government is on board with our project. Having State Rep. Betty Komp, all three county commissioners and the director of the Oregon Department of Transpertation at the table was no accident. 
 
* Most importantly, Woodburn showed up for the meeting in force. The conference room was packed with members of the business community and concerned citizens.
We could not have made it clearer that we are united in wanting this project to go forward.
 
Making our case directly to Congressman DeFazio — that interchange funding is critical to Oregon and must remain intact — is an important achievement.
 
We will pursue it as needed in Washington, D.C. this fall or winter.
 
State Rep. Komp and I both appreciate your kind words about our efforts toward completing funding for the interchange.
 
Congressman Schrader deserves recognition for his efforts as well. Congressman Schrader is committed to federal funding for the interchange included in a transportation bill, and took the rare step of testifying on its behalf during Chairman DeFazio’s committee hearings.
 
Congressman Schrader attended the recent meeting to show his support.
 
I am confident that a majority of the members of both houses of Congress will come to the realization — sooner rather than later — that a transportation bill is an investment in our nation’s future.
 
It is my belief that we are now closer to having our interchange part of such a bill.
 
Kathy Figley
Mayor, city of Woodburn

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T.A. from Woodburn
6/18/2010 1:27:35 AM

Ata Girl, Mayor
 
kindnessmatters from Woodburn
6/18/2010 7:43:44 AM

Don't worry Mayor Figley, the Woodburn Independent has very low journalism standards, always opinionizing stories when folks just want the facts, they are insane in their editorials most of the time and do very little to understand the true facts in the cases they report on. You do an amazing job and I'd like to see the whiners in this world quit whining and start doing the work others do and get a taste of what the real world works like! I second T.A. you go girl!
 
JH from Woodburn
6/18/2010 12:30:40 PM

Editorials, much like everything else on Page 4 including letters to the editor, are opinions. They do not follow the same guidelines as stuff that goes on any other page in the paper.
 
hortonhearsawho? from Woodburn
6/22/2010 11:10:52 AM

JH, which I am assuming is the editor, the problem is there isn't much difference between the news coverage and the editorial page. My problem with your "Interchange charade could have been so much more" is that you are basically slamming people who came to Woodburn to show support. No we don't live in a dictatorship where Peter DeFazio and Kurt Schrader can magically wave a wand and get funding for this project or that. There is a process which I think we all agree is broken, but it's a process none the less. Instead of chiding elected representatives that come to town, why not thank them for even showing up. They could have simply sent a letter to the city, but instead chose to show up. And how naive are you to call an event, loaded with politicians, a publicity stunt. Really? In an election year? I am glad I can get your paper for free online, because with opinions like these, it's hardly worth the time.



 
JH from Woodburn
6/22/2010 11:31:30 AM

Thank you for your comments and keep reading, whether online or not, it all helps!
 
morepaul from Aurora
6/23/2010 8:52:34 AM

Wow, some politicians graced us with their presence here locally. I am so humbled. They can get whatever they want done if it is that important and popular enough. Just try to get them to answer a letter or phone call with a question that doesn't fit their agenda. Thank God for the Independent, they usually have an opinion that is not dictated or sanctioned by the "mainstream media"