A Magnet For Problems

There is a problem with traffic around Kenwood/Highland school every weekday mornings and afternoon. It is dangerous for the kids and dangerous for the neighborhood. The school district and the city have been working on a possible solution for a number of years. They currently are considering back-in angled parking on Harmon from Newport Avenue to Nashville, to accommodate approximately 13 to 15 parking spaces for parents dropping their kids off at school. This project is going to cost the school district and the city around $150,000.
The problem solely exists because Kenwood/Highland is a magnet school. There is no bussing for magnet schools. Many of the students live far away from the schools and are driven to school by their parents. When Kenwood was a regular neighborhood school, the problem didn't exist. I know because I've lived on the corner of Harmon and Nashville for over 30 years. The kids walked, rode their bikes, or came via bus.

I was on site when President John F. Kennedy declared the North Fork of the John Day a wilderness. The way we used the new wilderness changed. There were no more mountain bikes, no more game carts or retrieving game with a Jeep. That is all part of life and we have made adjustments and enjoy the wilderness experience. However, over the years the wilderness has become more crowded and, yes, it has been good for business. The more people that have access to and enjoy wilderness areas definitely create a draw and economic stimulus.
I have followed the process by which the newly proposed Cathedral Rock and Horse Heaven wilderness areas have been fast tracked and I am concerned. First there is a land exchange to consolidate private and public lands. This is a good concept. As a river drifter I have had access to the river through Cathedral Rock area as long as the river has adequate water – four to five months a year. It has been stated that this wilderness will protect endangered plant species and that it will open access to more public land. This is where the burr under my saddle begins to rub.

In response to Dana Johnson's claim that the Tea Party has the answers for the ills of this country. First, this so-called Tea Party movement has absolutely nothing in common and nothing to do with the Boston Tea Party of 1773.