Letters to the Editor: April 26, 2024

Right the wrong

Our Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center is a community health care organization in Yamhill County, composed of doctors, dentists, nurses, behavioral health providers and others. We are committed to enhancing the health and well-being of our community through our mission of providing high-quality care to those who need it most.

Yamhill County Public Health is a key partner in the mission of promoting the physical, emotional and social well-being of the community through services, prevention, education and collaboration.

One of the most crucial roles of Public Health in our county is the prevention of communicable contagious diseases through vaccination. Educating and promoting vaccines is vital to fostering an environment where communication allows for understanding and improved population health.

As a federally qualified health center, we partner with Public Health frequently. Our collaborative work over the past four years significantly reduced the spread and impact that COVID-19 had on the communities we serve.

We also partner with Public Health on emergency response initiatives, disease outbreaks and other health emergencies.

The public relies on the information provided by Public Health. Its silence on such issues as the importance of immunizations would leave a significant void for communities like the ones we serve at Virginia Garcia.

We ask the Yamhill County Board of Commissioners to reconsider its recently changed immunization messaging policy.

We are committed to supporting the mission of Public Health. It is with respect that we urge you to support Public Health and its ability to continue to protect and care for our community.

CEO Gil Muñoz and 18 co-signers

Looking for change

It’s hard not to be blinded by all the Lindsay signs all over the county. It was quite refreshing to drive on Highway 22 yesterday, through the reservation, and not see any of her signs.

Just remember, though, going forward, you will get to see the same signs next time Lindsay runs for county office — and who knows, one day for state office, federal office and so forth. Once a politician, always a politician!

Yamhill County has a 2023-24 budget of $189 million and change. Even if her cronies won’t fund the Westsider Trail, one could request they at least pave the gravel section of Hill Road.

A paved Hill Road would provide a de facto recreational route from McMinnville to Carlton. That way we could avoid getting run over by speeding vehicles and local Dukes of Hazzard fans.

A litmus test when deciding who to vote for would be to ask: What has the existing county commissioner done to improve living in Yamhill County? After all, $189 million is a lot of money.

Well, look at the county parking lots. There are surplus vehicles of every size and type. What a waste of money.

They’ve maintained all the dusty gravel roads, but have any of them been paved for even one mile? Are cyclists and pedestrians safer trying to get from McMinnville to Yamhill, or out of Newberg?

The jail is also a big expense. Could we move to providing ankle monitors to folks on bail as opposed to simply locking them up at the citizens’ expense?

In the Netherlands, they use ankle monitors on those suspected of robberies and drug-related offenses.

House arrest with an ankle monitor is cheaper than keeping someone in jail. It also enables people to keep their jobs or continue with their training, which decreases the risk of recurrence.

Could we learn from another advanced society? This would help lower the huge amount of money spent in Yamhill County on so-called “criminal justice.”

Well, I hope everyone makes an informed decision on election day. Change is refreshing.

Philip Haynes

McMinnville

Study refutes fears

It’s nice to see the Yamhelas Westside Trail concept come back to life, even if only in the pages of the News-Register.

Based on my pedaling of such bikeways in three states, I have seen little to no negative effects on neighboring farmland. Local examples include trails associated with Champoeg State Park and the one running from Rickreal to Monmouth.

I passed farms and forests in Virginia with not an eco-freak in sight complaining about pesticides. I traversed the Katy Trail in Missouri, with some 70 miles running literally through or beside acres and acres of soybean and corn as far as the eye can see, with not a speck of trash or camp of blue tarp shelters.

A study titled “Santa Paula Branch Line Recreational Trail Compatibility Survey,” with the objective “to find trails that have been successfully implemented and are currently operating in active agricultural areas similar to the proposed SPBL trail, and identify the challenges they faced and the factors that made them successful,” is posted at https://cdn2.assets-servd.host/material-civet/production/images/documents/VCTCSantaPaulaBranchLineStudy.pdf.

It states, “While farm bureaus and other agricultural representative bodies have, as a matter of policy, opposed recreational uses adjacent to farmland, individual farmers adjacent to the trails analyzed in this study have reported very little, if any, conflict with trail operations, trail users, or have had their farming operations hampered by adjacent trails.” It also notes, “Concerns of trespassing, theft, and vandalism have not been supported by evidence.”

It seems reasonable to begin a fresh examination of the Yamhelas Westsider Rail project, based on facts and the realities experienced elsewhere.

The report I cited demonstrates benefits of Rails to Trails for residents, local businesses and for tourism, without imposing significant impact to adjacent farming. Read it for yourself.

Jack Kriz

Newberg

Positive direction

As a lifelong resident of Yamhill County, I am writing to express my strong support for David “Bubba” King in the upcoming election for county commissioner.

While the incumbent has served her term, I believe Bubba King is the superior candidate. I believe he will better represent the interests of our community.

Bubba King has an impressive track record of public service and a deep understanding of the issues facing Yamhill County. As a small business owner and active community volunteer, he has firsthand experience with the challenges that local residents and businesses face.

Bubba has outlined a clear vision for supporting economic development, improving infrastructure and protecting our natural resources — all of which are critical priorities for the county. In contrast, the incumbent has seemed out of touch with the needs of constituents, favoring special interests over the well-being of the larger community. Her voting record demonstrates a disconnect from the values and concerns of everyday Yamhill County residents.

Bubba King has pledged to be a tireless advocate for the people, focusing on practical solutions rather than partisan politics.

He has a proven ability to bring diverse stakeholders together and find common ground. This collaborative approach is exactly what we need in a county commissioner.

For these reasons, I urge my fellow Yamhill County voters to support David “Bubba” King for county commissioner. He is the leader we need to move our community forward in a positive direction.

Marvin Bernards

McMinnville

Time for a change

I have a question for Yamhill County Commissioner Lindsay Berschauer: Why would you plaster your face all over the county when your record is as follows?
1. Recall efforts: There have been two efforts to recall you from your position.

2. Wasteful spending and mismanagement: Recall supporters accused you of costing the county more than $1.5 million through your actions to end development of the Yamhelas Westsider Trail project, including the forced repayment of more than $1 million in grant funds. They also criticized you for conditioning your approval of Newberg’s Urban Renewal District on a costly special election.

3. Unprofessional conduct: Recall supporters accused you off showing “publicly demonstrated contempt” for the county’s civil servants, leading to at least one hostile workplace complaint against you.

4. Nepotism and cronyism: An opinion piece accused you and your fellow commissioners of appointing six people with “jaw-dropping” conflicts of interest to county bodies, including your husband and a major campaign donor of yours.

5. Divisive and partisan behavior: You have been described as a “fractious presence” on the board, and criticized for causing “unnecessary division” and for “berating, bullying and dividing” the community.

Leaving a trail of accusations for wasteful spending, mismanagement, unprofessional conduct, nepotism and divisive partisan behavior has alienated many in the county. If this weren’t enough to justify voting her out, consider all the plastic waste that will end up in a landfill because she chose to plaster the county with her face.

As a farmer, I say it’s time to let a farmer take over. It’s time to get behind David “Bubba” King.

John Rickert

McMinnville

Within our grasp

Our community has recently faced numerous challenges, from economic uncertainty to reduced safety to profound division. Our current county leadership has not only repeatedly neglected to act, but instead made our challenges worse

We need strong and compassionate leadership to take tangible action and work toward a brighter future for all residents. We need David “Bubba” King.

Lindsay Berschauer’s tenure as county commissioner has been marked by controversy and division. Her policies and actions have consistently favored special interests over the needs of ordinary citizens, leading to a widening gap between the privileged few and the rest of our community.

From the rejection of Newberg’s much-needed Urban Renewal to the corporate tax and fee breaks at taxpayer expense, she has repeatedly failed to represent the best interests of the people she was elected to serve.

Her abysmal track record is compounded by the fact that voter turnout here has been low during primary elections. Too often, important decisions have been made by a small fraction of eligible voters, leaving the majority of voices unheard and unrepresented.

This year, we have an opportunity to change that.

By turning out in large numbers and voting for Bubba, we can send a clear message that we demand better leadership, that we demand government that works for all, not just the privileged few. It is within our grasp.

I urge my fellow residents to please vote in the upcoming primary election. We can all make a difference, building a stronger, more collaborative community for everyone in the process.

Jenny Wilson

Carlton