Letters to the Editor for Aug. 14, 2009

Back to the old Farmers Market

To the editor:

I am very sad to see what has become of the Farmers Market in Baker City. I began attending the Saturday market five years ago when Andi Sexton was at its helm. It was wonderful with a lot of vendors. It opened early, before my family was up and out the door, so I was able to attend, pick up the veggies I wanted, the baked goods from the La Grande bakery and be back home as my family was arising.

Now, it is divided between two days, Wednesday night and Saturday morning. I think they should return to their roots, the roots of all Farmers Markets, allow whomever wants to show off their wares to attend one market, preferably Saturdays, and to bring as much as they have to sell.

It should not be limited by someone other than the farmer or backyard farmer themselves. If the board is presently paying someone to head up both markets, I think that person has done a rotten job and should be fired.

Please go back to the roots of Farmers Markets, to show off homegrown goods, whether they’re from 50 acres or 1; doesn’t matter. Anyone involved in the organization should be volunteer so the expenses of putting on a market are kept to a minimum. 

Iva M. Mace

Baker City

Wake up, America, before it’s too late

To the editor:

To all our Congress and Senate men and women who promised to work for us: What a mess you people have made for us — looking for a “change.”

President Ronald Reagan said: “Freedom is no more than one generation from extinction,” and our USA is rapidly on that way with Obama.

People — wake up before it’s too late to save us. We must recall him or diligently look for that birth certificate that shows his real birthplace.

June Bowen

Baker City

Good fruit’s going to waste

To the editor:

We see a lot of good fruit on trees that nobody picks or uses and it would be great if people that have those trees would get the word out to the people that can use the harvest that they can have it.

Sometimes if the right people hear about it that fruit may even make it to food banks for those people in need.  A lot of times people that raise chickens, goats or pigs will even clean up the dropped fruits to feed the animals.

A great resource to use to get the word out is Baker City Freecycle which is easy to join and free. Just go to www.freecycle.org to join.

Mari Krohn

Baker City

Help mothers, don’t punish them

To the editor:

In regards to your article concerning co-sleeping death. My grandson passed away recently from this cause and I have to ask myself, with our medical examiner being an advocate against co-sleeping, how fair are his conclusions in these deaths? Seems funny to me that all these babies have died recently from this cause!

My daughter did everything by the book but make him sleep alone and she was asked by the D.A. and this paper to be interviewed for the purpose of letting people know a mother’s side of the story and what it does to a young mother. And you basically accuse them of being immature and killing their babies. I am here to tell you I had my last child in my 30s and he slept with me every night as well as his siblings before him. Like all my nieces and nephews did before them and thank God they are all right, but to blame immaturity is a crock!

My daughter relived memories in that interview in hopes of warning other young mothers. Why did you put her through that not to publish the article? (Editor’s note: The Herald plans to publish a story including the interview with the letter writer’s daughter, Melissa Ryan). Maybe instead of punishing these girls with your guilt why not look at the medical examiner making these decisions?

This has torn my family’s hearts out and then to be ridiculed for it I think is a shame. Society should be protecting these young devastated mothers instead of accusing. Each death was a different circumstance but they all get accused the same.

Thank you, Lori Amundson, for breaking the silence from a family’s view. My heart and prayers go out to your family in this time of sorrow!

Lori Horn

Baker City

Three things that enrich our lives

To the editor:

I want to take a moment and give special recognition to the Baker City Employment Department office, the Baker County Public Library and the Crossroads Art Center for helping to enrich thousands of lives every year in Baker County.

The Baker City Oregon Employment Department helps people with finding a new job. The Baker County Public Library helps people with expanding their knowledge and understanding of our world. The Crossroads Art Center helps people with discovering creative self-empowerment through displayed art and art education.

Employment departments, public libraries and community art centers naturally enrich human life on many levels. Without the hard work and dedication of these important businesses in Baker City, the overall quality of human life in Baker County would greatly suffer and make our daily existences feel very gloomy.

If people truly had to suffer, nobody in Baker County would have a job and every business would be shut down for good. This would include city hall, gas stations, banks, schools, grocery stores, hospitals, fire departments and local law enforcement agencies. Nobody would have access to free books or free public Internet services and nobody would be able to personally witness a beautiful display of 20 original watercolor paintings.

We would still have our basic freedoms as American citizens, but no real life to enjoy them.

Please take a few minutes and join me in personally thanking the Baker City Oregon Employment Department, the Baker County Public Library and the Crossroads Art Center for their unwavering devotion to significantly enriching human life in our small town communities. How would your current lifestyle drastically alter today without their strong dedication and local support?

Scott Ungerecht

Baker City

Debate healthcare honestly

To the editor:

There are rumors and lies being spread around about the proposed health insurance reform. These include the lie that the proposed legislation calls for “death panels” to deny care to those who are not worth enough to society to deserve life-sustaining medical care. Your editorial cartoon about “Obamacare” of Aug. 10 appears to reinforce that lie by referring to “cost-effective treatment” and “cash for clunkers.”

Whether or not that was your intent, I would like to let my fellow readers know that there are no “death panels” being planned for us, no matter what the insurance industry or the right wing say. The Associated Press has published a comprehensive fact check on this lie which is available at http://apnews.excite.com/article/20090811/D9A0HFR00.html

This fact check includes coverage of Oregon Rep. Earl Blumenauer’s amendment that calls for doctors to be involved in end-of-life discussions. This idea is supported by the American Medical Association. Its president says: “There has been a lot of misinformation about the advance care planning provisions in the bill. It’s plain, old-fashioned medical care.”

I’m not saying that all of the proposed health insurance reforms are right for us.  The insurance and pharmaceutical industries have a huge stake in this and they exert a strong influence over many members of Congress (and the media). The final bill, if there is one, may not really meet our collective needs. 

But at least we should have an honest debate, free of falsehoods.

Marshall McComb

Baker City