Columbia Community Connection was established in 2020 as a local, honest and digital news source providing meaningful stories and articles. CCC News’ primary goal is to inform and elevate all the residents and businesses of the Mid-Columbia Region. A rising tide lifts all boats, hop in!
All in Letter to The Editor
“I write to thank you and your staff, especially Cole Goodwin, for the work your publication does in our community. CCCNews does more than just tell our communities stories, they help local organizations engage the community to find solutions to problems.”
As winter set in, MCCAC found ourselves answering questions around a warming shelter at every turn. Where is the warming shelter? Why is there no warming shelter*? More often than not these questions came at us in an accusatory manner that seemed to suggest our agency was not doing enough to provide resources to the community. In light of this, I would like to take this opportunity to talk about some of the resources MCCAC is currently providing to the community.
The second anniversary of my article "A Day in the Life, Houseless in The Dalles" is coming up on January 27th, 2023. I gave it a re-read today, and the memories of that fateful day and night that changed me forever washed over me like it was yesterday.
Dear Representative Helfrich, Representative Smith, and Senator Bonham,
I am writing to express my support for a bill that will adjust public notice law and existing ORS 193.010 and 193.020 to explicitly allow local digital newspapers to become the "newspaper of record" in which legal and public notices are required to be posted.
I am supporting Caleb Berthelsen for the Bench. He practices in my court regularly. I see him on almost a daily basis. He represents his clients well at arraignments, pleas, trials, and from the jail. Caleb is always prepared, punctual, and respectful in Court. Caleb is a military veteran. He has the experience, integrity, and work ethic to make a fine Circuit Court Judge, who can preside over all of the types of cases of the Circuit Court.
Your District is entitled to a fully functioning judiciary.
Dear The Dalles Main Street Program and Northwest MuralFest this response leaves a lot to be desired as it contains the same gaslighting and gatekeeping that you have used for the last two years to prevent community feedback.
We are not surprised but deeply disappointed in the options listed for this mural fest from The Dalles. We continue to witness a deep lack of respect and acknowledgment for the land we occupy and the communities we build here in the Columbia River Gorge.
Let me start this off by saying, I love a mural. Art is a unique way a community can express its values, remember its past, and envision its future. While many of the murals in The Dalles currently could use a little love (and a lot of updating), some of them are beautiful artistic expressions of our local flora, fauna, and historical community figures. With such a rich history and so much imagination for how our town can improve and grow, it was so disappointing to see the list of suggestions presented by the Walldogs for the upcoming Northwest Mural Fest Voting Event taking place on October 15, 2021. Not a single one of their suggestions highlighted historical or current figures in our diverse LGBTQ+, Latino/Hispanic, or Black communities. I ask, why are we so stuck telling the same story of a town whose truth and future are more interesting than we’ve allowed ourselves to explore?
Many of us are affected by the housing rental crisis: our rents are often high and not commensurate with our incomes, many of us pay a large percentage of our income on rent, and there’s just not enough housing to go around.
Please join me in casting a ballot for Nathanael (Nate) Stice for Columbia Gorge Community College Director, Position 1. I have had the privilege of working with Nate Stice over the past year. He is a dedicated professional who cares deeply about the residents of our region.
We need a truly independent and non-partisan leader in local government…For me, Marcus Swift is that leader.
When one looks at Nate’s work, it makes sense that his career has seen him in places that leverage those skills, including advocating for students and higher education at the University of Oregon, and his current position helping communities in our area work through pressing issues. His experience will add additional insight to the group of thoughtful leaders on the CGCC campus.
John Nelson is a devoted community servant who has earned the right to be re-elected to the School District No. 21 Board.
I wholeheartedly recommend re-electing John Nelson to the North Wasco School Board.
The most immediate hope lies in House Bill 2006 (HB 2006) which is currently working its way through the Oregon Legislature. HB 2006 restablishes the shelter siting flexibility that was originally allowed (for a 90 day window) in 2020 by House Bill 4001.
