Dear Editor,
It had been my intention to attend the Council meeting on December 10th until I remembered the 3 minute policy. If several people sign up to speak near the beginning of the meeting they are limited to 3 minutes. It was my thought that if I was interesting and entertaining that I could stretch it out but I was wrong.the last two times I spoke I was limited to 3 minutes. Keep that in mind if you want to appear and complain about your neighbor building a 45 foot high fence its 3 minutes and bzzzz, you are gone.
I wanted to appear and thank the 3 council members who were leaving for their service and their contributions during their time.. Even though they had not sought re-election they were vilified on social media as the “good old boys” and needed to be replaced. Lisa Gourley, Greg Mahler and Dave Trask were more than just council members,they had given of their time in many other areas. Lisa and her husband James were responsible for putting together the program that places the pictures of veterans on the telephone poles during the summer months.Both Greg and Dave were long time volunteers with the Fire Department and all 3 have given countless hours of their time in support of the community. Oddly enough one of the loudest critics and most acidic in his comments admittedly doesn’t even live in the City of Sweet Home but social media gives him a platform to vent.
As a result of the election we have 3 new council members and I wish them well in what many times can be a thankless job.Some things do bother me about the election,not the results or the number of people running but the fact that there was an endorsement letter from someone connected to the Republican Party in Clackamas, another endorsement from the chairman of the Republican Party in Albany. Then from another competing faction of the Republican Party using billboard type signs endorsing other candidates, all this for a Council that is supposed to be non-partisan. I think all parties who claim it isn’t political are just giving lip service to it. There is nothing wrong with ambition but I want someone in a Council seat or the Mayor’s chair whose number one priority is Sweet Home and Sweet Home alone.
Now to shift gears I would like to close on another topic All of us read the editorial in last week’s paper describing the problems facing The New Era and suggesting that perhaps a contribution from readers and subscribers might help them get over the hump so to speak. The editorial was absolutely spot on when it said that social media was a very poor place to get news because of all the half truths and downright misrepresentation of the facts. Our association with The New Era goes back to the days of Dave Cooper as owner/editor. I think our favorite owners would be Alex and Debbie Paul who were not only great people but were very involved in the community. The New Era has lately become a little too far to the right for my taste but if they can stand me I can stand them as I just can’t stand the thought of not having a local paper Linda and I have decided to make our contribution and by the time you read this we will have covered our first 2 months. for most of you it would be about the cost of 2 lattes, for me it will be less than the cost of a pack of cigarettes.If a couple of moderate Democrats can surely a city full of Republicans can as well
Sincerely and respectfully written,
Dave Holley
Sweet Home