Letters to the Editor: April 4, 2025

Keep it natural

As a resident of McMinnville living near Quarry Park, I am appalled the city is considering destroying a beautiful natural area by turning it into a BMX pump track. I notice other writers referring to the plan as a simple “bike trail,” but that is decidedly NOT what the plan is doing.

This park is a peaceful and serene setting, filled with old-growth trees. It hosts many forms of wildlife, including deer, raccoons, owls and woodpeckers.

Apparently, the city wants to develop this lovely area, paving over parts of it for parking and putting in paved “pump tracks” for BMX riders. All of that comes at the expense of the residents living nearby and members of the larger community who enjoy walking their dogs or enjoying the solitude found there.

If people are worried about activities for their children, perhaps a better idea would be leaving the park in its natural state, but enhancing it with natural benches, more native plants and additional foliage; providing a clean footpath through the park with signage teaching visitors what the various plants are; adding more plants serving to attract more birds and butterflies to this beautiful spot.

This is one of the few, if not the last, remaining natural areas in McMinnville. Paving over most of it and limiting anyone who wants to walk the park to the perimeter is absolutely not what this town needs — especially when existing parks are already suffering from lack of funding and maintenance. Quarry Park is an asset to the McMinnville community just as it is.

Peggy Kneller

McMinnville

Whose vintage?

I enjoy the vintage photos in the News-Register, but they seem to be from a very specific time period. Perhaps they’re intended to appeal to readers in a particular age group.

I hope that there is a plan at some point to begin sharing “vintage” photos from other eras. Just as the definition of what is a musical “oldie” shifts over time, photos from a more recent time period may be nostalgic to other readers.

I for one would be interested in seeing photos from the ’80s in this section. Perhaps you could include photos from multiple time periods, as with the text elements in the “Memory Lane” column.

Rob Leslie

Newberg

Male voting

I’m sure y’all heard the stir recently about Senate Bill 210, a proposal to end vote by mail.

More than 9,000 pieces of testimony were submitted, and I heard it ran 7 to 1 against. Clearly, the populace supports voting through the mail, as do I.

But please tell me that someone is double-checking our county books.

One piece of testimony that stood out was submitted by our county treasurer, Paulette Alexandria. She said, “I support this bill, as I believe male and voting is subject to fraud and corruption.”

Yep, you read that right. “Male and voting.”

Did she use voice to text without checking it afterward? Is this the quality of work we should expect from her? If so, I sure hope someone is checking the books behind her.

Yes, I’m male and I vote. You should vote, too.

Marvin Bernards

McMinnville

Bikes not welcome

The March 28 edition included a letter headlined “Healthy and wholesome,” regarding a proposal to upend a beautiful natural spot in this town and turn it into a bike fest. It would require hardened surfaces and porta-potties that could eventually be replaced with actual bathrooms.

This area is surrounded by homes. It constantly floods, with residual water finding its way onto the properties of these homeowners.

If such park was not developed, Katie Kulla seems to suggest in her letter that young people would be exposed to phone addictions, unhealthy ways and socialization deficits. That is one strange expression.

Such a facility already exists in Newberg. What a wonderful bike trip that would make.

Quarry Park should stay a park. The writer should worry about what happens in Dayton, not here.

Bill Green

McMinnville

Voting under attack

Republican attacks on voting rights have begun in earnest right here in Oregon, with the introduction of Senate Bill 210. This bill would begin the process of ending universal vote by mail in Oregon.

Why are Republicans so focused on mucking about in our election process? They will claim it is to prevent fraud, but actual voter fraud is virtually non-existent.

As has been said previously, no one in their right mind would risk the consequences of voting illegally. Republicans simply don’t want most people to vote.

That has been explicitly stated. Some Republicans would probably like to go all the way back to the good old days when only rich white men could vote.

With all the malicious chaos being created by Donald, Elon and Project 2025, don’t lose sight of this important state issue. Defend your right to vote.

You can sign up to follow the progress of bills at www.oregonlegislature.gov.

Alisa Owen

McMinnville

Have you noticed?

1) The people who want to mess with Social Security don’t need it or depend on it.

2) The people who are defunding our national parks have never visited them and don’t appreciate them.

3) The people who are trying to abolish the Department of Education send their own children to private schools.

4) The people wanting to abolish or diminish funding for food stamps and Medicare have never been hungry or poor — or known anyone who was.

5) The people getting rid of diversity, equity and inclusion seem to care nothing for people who have been marginalized, are being discriminated against or are disabled.

6) The people defunding VA hospitals claim to support our veterans, but actually treat them with utter disrespect.

7) The people calling most loudly for making America a Christian nation seem to have none of the attributes of a Christian — you know, feeding the poor, welcoming the stranger, loving the neighbor, making sure widows and children were cared for, and giving people a second chance.

8) The people out to defund crucial family support programs like PBS, Head Start, NPR and SNAP operate under a party banner of “family values.”

9) The people who claim to love our troops are putting them in danger with their careless security procedures.

There is so much more, but you get the picture. If you are noticing these things too, it’s time to do something about it.

Please find your voice, find your courage, and show your love for America. Otherwise, we will lose our Democracy — one that countless people have fought and died for.

I want to be proud of our country and what it stands for. I bet you do, too.

Gloria LaFata

McMinnville

Honor and protect

In response to Katie Kulla’s letter “Healthy and wholesome,” I would like to clarify that those opposed to high speed bike trails, asphalt pump tracks and gravity zone biking in Quarry Park do not do so in the interest of denying children or biking adults an opportunity for mental, emotional or physical improvement.

The goal is to maintain the wide range of activities currently taking place in this open greenspace park, which already serves the community well. Examples include jogging, dog walking, trail strolling, photography and videography, wildlife and flora observation, mushroom foraging, scenic viewing, picnicking and passive bike riding.

These activities are suitable for such a space and can be enjoyed by people of all ages and socio-economic status. They serve to enhance the mental, emotional and physical health of those participating. And let us not forget the obvious benefit of just having a place to relax and recharge.

Creating a bike facility in Quarry Park would curtail or eliminate these activities, as almost the entire interior would be dedicated to biking features, relegating pedestrian traffic to an outer rim surrounded by homes and Calvary Church. Additionally, the wide range of plants and wild animals that inhabit the park would certainly be negatively impacted.

We suggest the city consider enhancing the park’s botanical nature through the clean-up of deadfall, mitigation of noxious plants and introduction of more native plants. Educators, parents and biking enthusiasts in our group are excited by the prospect of inviting school and community groups to participate in the planting, thereby offering a fun educational experience.

Please do not mistake our enthusiasm to protect Quarry Park as anti-biking or dismissal of the benefit of physical and social activity. We simply believe that this wonderful natural area should be honored and protected for the benefit of the community-at-large and generations to come.

Paula Lang

McMinnville

Angry and intolerant

The only point Mr. Sommerfield and I agree on is deportation of violent illegal aliens. Even then, it should be done humanely — not by arbitrarily transferring them under dubious circumstances to a horrific prison in El Salvador.

We have always been people of compassion, acceptance, understanding, tolerance and empathy. MAGA has made us hard, angry, intolerant, even cruel. We should cut wasteful or fraudulent spending, but there is no place for the chainsaw approach of Musk and DOGE.

We need to control our border, but not close it. We need immigrants; without them we would not have the best economy in the world.

Prohibiting men from competing in women’s sports is such an overreaction. The NCAA president has revealed there are fewer than 10 transgender athletes in all of U.S. college sports.

The basis for gender dysphoria is not fully understood, but is generally believed to result from hormonal, genetic and neurobiological factors during prenatal development. It is a REAL condition, so families confronting this issue should feel our understanding and support, not our hate and exclusion.

Defunding universities appears to be based on their efforts to protect speech. I don’t see any significant terrorist activities on campuses.

The administration seems to think any support for Palestinians in Gaza constitutes terrorism, but it does not. And DEI programs are designed to promote the fair treatment and full participation for all, a worthy objective.

The CHIPS and Science Act has already funded more than 25 projects, creating up to 45,000 new jobs, and the Inflation Reduction Act has fostered 400,000 new jobs in 2 ½ years. Will Trump match that?

RFK has been a disaster. Texas reports 400 new measles cases since mid-January. Instead of promoting aggressive vaccination, he has recommended vitamin A as treatment of measles, resulting in liver damage.

Rep. Salinas and I obviously suffer from the same syndrome.

Les Howsden

Amity

On the menu

Question: Who do you hire to steal a diamond? Answer: A jewel thief.

Question: Who do you hire to steal a democracy? Answer: A con man.

History will mark 2025 as the year the world’s richest man hired America’s most notorious fraudster to promote the notion that our democracy is so riddled with fraud and abuse that it should be dismantled and offered up as a feast for their billionaire buddies.

Elon didn’t grow up around here. He took his social studies lessons in private Afrikaner schools in South Africa, and he doesn’t care about us any more than his hired hand in the White House.

They want to flush 250 years of democracy down the toilet, along with the health, security, and hopes of ordinary people. They want Americans to be hungry, sick, dirt poor and desperate enough to shut up, stand back and stay out of the way.

They want to shatter America’s reputation for promoting democracy, health, science, and human rights around the world, and turn us into a rogue state on par with Russia, China, and North Korea. They will turn our “indispensable nation” into just another bully on the block, and they believe this is their moment.

To attain this lofty goal, they are literally breaking our government to deprive Americans of the security and stability they expect, and to create enough civil unrest to give them an excuse for voter suppression and/or martial law before the mid-term elections. They know that voters will reject their treachery once they feel the effect, so they can’t let that vote happen.

Did you get Social Security this month? Is the VA, Medicare, or Medicaid helping you or your family? Do you have a tax refund coming? Can you afford to wait a while?

They are not waiting. We are on the menu.

Bill Johnson

McMinnville

Fighting for everyone

I am writing in response to two negative opinions about Congresswoman Salinas’ town hall. I was also at this town hall.

Yes, she did, very calmly, express outrage. And most of the attendees, including me, resonated with it.

If the writers had paid attention, they would have heard Congresswoman Salinas say she was fighting for ALL constituents who are suffering from actions of Trump, Musk and Congress. Congresswoman Salinas said she was very concerned how these actions were affecting Oregon rural communities where constituents include ranchers, farmers, veterans, children, the elderly and working families.

Congresswoman Salinas is not afraid to hold town halls. She answers questions honestly and to the best of her ability, unlike many of her Republican colleagues.

If these writers had been paying attention, they would have heard all the actions she has taken. Go to her website and you’ll find them listed.

Finally, Congresswoman Salinas responds to phone calls and e-mails. She is fighting a cruel, unjust and illegal regime, and I support her 100 percent.

You should, too, if you value veterans, women, children, working families, the elderly, immigrants and most importantly, our Democracy.

Emily Kerrigan

McMinnville