Home Opinion Letters Letters to the Editor for Aug. 23, 2010

Letters to the Editor for Aug. 23, 2010

Written by Baker City Herald Readers August 23, 2010 03:07 am

Kind of town I’d move to
To the editor:
Last Tuesday I was visiting Baker City because I’m considering moving there in January. I walked Main Street several times taking in the old architecture and must have dropped my rental car keys while in awe. After two hours, I discovered they were missing and retraced my path. To no avail I contacted the rental company who said I’d have to pay $400 for a lost key fee and couldn’t leave until the next day which was the earliest they could remedy the problem.
Right about the time I resigned to my fate, a woman pulled up to my car and put a piece of paper under my wiper. What I thought was a parking ticket was actually a note saying she found my keys. I ran up to her and when I realized the good news I was ecstatic to find all my problems were gone. This is the kind of city I want to move to. A place where you’re not too busy to help your fellow resident. All I got from this helpful citizen was that she works at Jimmy Chan’s on Main Street. Thank you again for going out of your way for a stranger in need!
D.T. Nelson
Seattle

Silence won’t solve our problems
To the editor:
When my wife and I made the decision to retire to Baker City, we were attracted by the stunning natural beauty of this little valley and its surrounding mountains; but also the hospitable, friendly and tolerant values of its citizenry swayed our choice immensely. Call us naive, but Baker seemed a million miles distant from the coarse, frenetic, uncaring existence of urban America with all its evils.
So it is unspeakably saddening to witness this summer’s descent into a seemingly endless stream of vandalism, drug pushing, racism and mindless violence that have plagued our little town, culminating in a horrendous hate crime against one of Baker’s few Afro-American residents by a cowardly gang of punks who allegedly broke the young man’s jaw, while screaming the vilest racial epithets. But where is the outrage, where are the offers of aid or outpouring of sympathy for the victim? I am shocked and appalled by this quiet acceptance of the unacceptable.
Averting our gaze won’t make these stains on the fabric of our society go away, folks, and I refuse to believe we can’t do better. I challenge at least one of Baker’s many Christian churches to step up and start a fund to help this young man regain his health, pay his medical bills and deal with his living expenses until he is able to work again. If we refuse to remember what Jesus taught about the Good Samaritan shame on us!
John Harmer
Baker City

Relay for Life: Rewarding work
To the editor:
In 2010 we took a risk. After almost 20 years of involvement in the Relay For Life between us, we took on the role of “Survivorship” co-chairs at the Baker City event. What a wonderful and challenging experience! But the main portion of our responsibility at the event — the survivor dinner — would not have been successful without the help of numerous community organizations and citizens: the VFW furnished, at no charge, the plates and silverware, a discounted rate for catering by Jessica Wickert, a generous food donation by Albertsons, funds donated specifically for this meal by the Baker County Pool and Shuffleboard League, music by Gina and Jeff Sizer, Aletha Bonebrake who provided the blessing of the meal, Oregon Trail Cleaners for the donation of the tablecloths, Coffee Corral who donated the coffee fixings, Gracie Hardy and her friends for helping serve and clean up, Val Hysong for helping with the huge task of set up, and, last but not least, Marydee Rea, who spent many hours in very hot conditions doing whatever needed to be done.
Also, thank you to all those survivors and caregivers who attended the wonderful meal —you made it all worth it. And lastly thanks to Kelly Hardy, the event chair. Her leadership is truly an inspiration to us all. If anyone forgets the reason for this event you need to talk with her and she will remind you in a way that puts a lump in your throat and a tear in your eye. And now, if anyone would like to accept this challenge and help us next year — yes we have agreed to do it again — please let us know.
Becky Fitzpatrick
Tyra Ruberti
Baker City

So many came to our rescue
To the editor:
We’d like to thank all the personnel involved in our rescue after our unfortunate ATV accident on June 29.
Although I remember little about the rescue aside from the kindness of the rescuers, I’ve listened to my husband and granddaughter praise the people involved in our evacuation from a trail located above Phillips Reservoir.
Judging from their account many thanks are due to the dedicated Sheriff’s department, Search and Rescue, Life Flight, 911, Baker and Sumpter ambulance for their professionalism and kindness. Baker County citizens are fortunate to have such courteous and well-trained personnel as well as those who have willingly donated their time and knowledge to benefit others.
I am thankful to live in a community of such outstanding individuals.
Jerri Wickert
Baker City