Letters to the Editor for May 26, 2009

Another great Outdoor School

To the editor:

The Outdoor School of the Baker School District was held this week at Phillips Park. It was a pleasure for me to be involved in this great endeavor. I am always amazed at the outpouring of support that is constantly given from volunteers in our community.

Kelly Cahill and the school district staff did a great job in directing this program. Parents, friends and supporters volunteered their time to give sixth-grade students an opportunity to learn about the great outdoors.

I am so proud to be a part of this community and I’m already making plans for lunches and the cooking session of Outdoor School for next year.    

Cemetery, park looking great

To the editor:

I would like to thank Mr. Fink and his staff at the cemetery for the fine job they have done again this year. The grounds are beautiful, and it means a lot to us that have family members at Mount Hope that the cemetery is properly taken care of.

I expect that Don probably spends time and money above and beyond what the city of Baker has allotted him in his budget to make sure that the grounds are kept nicely. It is nice to have someone that cares so much (our park looks great too). I hope that the city of Baker can see how dedicated Mr. Fink is and make sure that his budget is adequate enough to cover this fine work.  Thanks again Don and staff!

Farrah Chastain

Baker City

Councilor opposes property rules

To the editor:

Everyone should be very alarmed. The proposed new property maintenance ordinance would compromise — if not deny — your basic rights to personal property and privacy. It would give the city more rights than they already have to start peeping in your backyard and deciding whether or not your stuff  “needs to go”’ or be hauled off by the city and a bill sent to you and/or a lien placed against your home.

I will vote against this, and these kinds of arbitrary, subjective and downright un-American laws at every opportunity. I also believe we should review existing property maintenance ordinances and immediately change ambiguous language.

Ask to see a copy of the proposed ordinance/code revisions. Come to a council meeting and ask your council to create better neighborhoods by offering incentives, cleanup programs and by promoting better neighbors — not by disposing of someone’s possessions and placing a lien against their home.    

Beverly Calder

City Councilor

Baker City

Ethanol problem is not solved

To the editor:

“An option to ethanol” article is completely inaccurate. HB 3177 will do none of the things claimed by the politicians or the article. The only thing HB 3177 does is get rid of the restriction sticker on SB-1079 premium unleaded pumps. No new stations will add ethanol premium unleaded gasoline. If they are a branded station, their brander won’t let them. Unless they have a spare tank and pump they won’t be able to, because HB 3177 cannot affect the 10 percent ethanol level of mid-grade gasoline, and more than 90 percent of the stations in Oregon create mid-grade gasoline by blending regular and premium and only have two tanks in the ground.

The final nail in the ethanol free premium coffin will come within the next year when 91 AKI premium unleaded disappears. When you make premium E10, you only need 88-89 AKI unleaded blending product.

If you want to verify this, call your local gas stations and ask them if they are planning on selling ethanol premium unleaded gasoline when HB 3177 passes, and call the local distributors and ask how much longer will they be able to get 91 AKI premium unleaded gasoline.  Strange that nobody in the Legislature has made these calls.    

Dean Billing

Sisters

Why I oppose 4-day school week

To the editor:

I am writing in opposition to the proposed four-day school week for the Baker School District. It is my belief that a reduction of the school week from the current level to a four-day week is imprudent. My argument addresses both academic as well as personnel issues.

Academically, research has shown that for the majority of students, a four-day school week does not adversely affect outcomes, i.e., test scores. However, I found no studies that looked specifically at the impact on children with learning disabilities or other types of disabilities. It would seem that the loss of opportunity for additional repetition and rehearsal of information, critical for learning for this population, would likely reduce the success of these students. The time extension of the school day would be insufficient to provide this review.

Regarding personnel issues, it appears that the district is attempting to make up the remaining difference in funds by reducing the incomes of those at the lower end of the district pay scale. I acknowledge the losses of positions from school closures, but of those positions remaining, it appears that the classified staff is unduly burdened. I have not reviewed the district’s budget and am open to correction, but I would prefer to see a more equitable approach to cost savings.     

Kenneth Dudley

Baker City