Molalla Relay for Life gets a great jump start to a season of ‘hope’
Wow! What a great turnout we had for the Relay for Life Kick Off event on Saturday.
About 70 people came together for the official start of the Relay season. An open house format allowed participants to seek out information that they needed to start or join a team.
With a goal of 25 teams to be registered by Saturday, we were blown away with 36 teams by the end of the day. Several new teams have signed up wanting to be part of this growing celebration.
We were also privileged to honor eight cancer survivors who came for the day. A short luminaria ceremony helped us to keep our focus of why we relay; celebrating those who have survived and remembering those we have lost to cancer.
This is our 10th Relay in Molalla. This year’s theme is 10 Years of HOPE: Celebrating More Birthdays!
There is still time to join in on the fun. Go to www.molallarelay.com and register a team. You can also sign up as a survivor so that we can celebrate your life.
For more information on how to be a part of this wonderful community event, contact Karen Morgan, Event Chair, at 503-781-8449; cmkaren1307@cs.com or Roxie Smith, Team Development Chair, at 503-209-7721; roxiesmith@juno.com.
We hope to see you all at the Relay on June 12 and 13.
Roxie Smith
Molalla
Molalla High School punishments seem to be handed out inconsistently
I am writing this as a concerned citizen of Molalla. I have no children attending any school in Molalla at this time as my child is now 19.
I am including the editor of the Molalla Pioneer in this e-mail. After hearing recently about two high school wrestlers being suspended indefinately, I am outraged and feel that Molalla residents should be outraged as well. Although I do not condone the “swirly” that was given by these two boys, it is my understanding that the wrestlers were asked to come forward and would receive a one week suspension from participating with the team.
These boys were honest and stepped forward instead of denying that the incident occurred, only to be told a few days later that they were suspended indefinitely.
The “swirly” incident, while in bad taste, was also not malicious or done with any ill will. They were having fun, including the boy who received the “swirly.” The outrage I feel for an indefinite suspension, after these boys were lied to by being told they would receive a one-week suspension, also stems from the fact that three football players were cited by police for smoking marijuana on Sawtell Road and these three boys were given a two-week suspension.
Another boy “pantsed” a boy, boxers and all, leaving the “pantsed” boy naked in the hallway from the waist down and deeply embarrassed but the boy who did the “pantsing” also received a two-week suspension. This two-week suspension was also to a boy who plays on the football team.
Now I ask the question, is it only football players who receive two-week suspensions instead of indefinite suspensions? Does your athletic director have a problem with wrestling? Is it OK to break the law by smoking marijuana as long as you are a football player? How can you justify an indefinite suspension for two otherwise good kids for a “swirly” but “pantsing” a boy naked from the waist down or breaking the law by being cited for smoking marijuana receives a two-week suspension?
I know for a fact that one of the boys involved in the “swirly” incident has gone to state finals for our wrestling team both his freshman and sophomore years.
This boy would also likely be going to state finals this year as well. Next year is this boy’s senior year and this indefinite suspension could have an impact on his entire future. What kind of an impact do you want to have on both of these boys lives and futures?
These two boys are good kids who used bad judgment, but they did not break the law and if any one of you has talked to the boy who was on the receiving end of the “swirly,” you would know that he was laughing and joking with the two boys and it was done in what these boys considered fun with nothing malicious intended.
Every citizen of Molalla should be concerned and outraged by the obvious discrimination that goes on at Molalla High School because the punishments and suspensions being handed down are not consistent.
There is no way to justify an indefinite suspension for a “swirly” when a marijuana citation receives a two-week suspension. How is this indefinite suspension consistent with past suspensions? If the punishment fits the situation, then the “swirly” boys should get a slap on the hand after the marijuana citation only received a two-week suspension!
I appreciate you taking the time to read this and I can only hope that the right thing comes from all of this.
Dana Coffin
Molalla
Oregon voters were taken for a ride by new hidden ‘sales tax’
It has taken more than nine tries to pass a sales tax in Oregon and it has in the past been defeated by more than 70 percent of the voters. Because of the greed of the union in this state we now will have an unimposed state sales tax. How can this be?
Do you really think that any business in the state of Oregon will not pass this on through an increase in their products. If it is possible, they will and there we have our new sales tax.
How uneducated the yes voters were to think that the maximum tax will be $150 annually. The sad part is less taxes will be coming into the state because of layoffs and business moving out of state.
They will be back soon to cover the loss that they have created.
George Abbott
Molalla
Protect our property rights and tell your legislators to vote against LNG bill
Despite the recent death-to-democracy decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, Oregonians — like other Americans — still have some rights corporations may not trample.
One of these is the exclusive right of private property owners to apply for development permits on land they possess and control. But beware: The Oregon Legislature, at the bidding of petrogas pushers drooling over a spectacularly stupid scheme to foist liquefied natural gas on our state, is poised to trash that right.
During the Oregon Legislature’s current special session, a pernicious and previously thwarted piece of proposed legislation (Senate Bill 1020, formerly known as House Bill 3058, which caused a citizens’ uproar that blocked it in the regular session last year,) is being reintroduced.
If adopted and signed into law, SB 1020 would make it legal for gas pipeline companies and other commercial profiteers to obtain state-issued excavating permits for projects they want to pursue on properties they don’t own, and for which they have no legally negotiated or court-ordered right-of-way.
These claim-jumpers have invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in lobbying and campaign contributions to buy a chance at raking in billions in profits. By pumping cash into the pockets of purchasable politicians, they’re plotting to fast-track LNG/pipeline routing and construction and push it through hundreds of miles of private and public land.
The proposed Palomar Pipeline, for example, would ram a 3-foot-diameter steel pipe through Clackamas County, devastating scores of farms, vineyards, orchards, ranches and other rural businesses.
This disastrous undertaking would require bulldozing a freeway-wide swath through 47 miles of Mt. Hood National Forest, including old-growth timber, threatened- and endangered-species habitat and some of the most scenic and recreationally valuable areas on Earth. For what? To help a gang of globalist greedheads buy gas from Russia, Saudi Arabia and other overseas suppliers, ship it to and through Oregon and sell it in California — which, by the way, considers LNG tankers, terminals and other facilities too explosively dangerous and environmentally destructive to allow them there.
Oregonians don’t need another source of non-renewable energy forced upon us. Preserve our rights! Protect public and private lands!
Help defeat SB 1020 and just say not to LNG!
Steven Amick
Beavercreek
Coach should focus more on coaching the girls’ basketball team
It is important for our high school coaches to coach! Recently I have been watching the girls’ basketball team and I am shocked at the lack of coaching.
Girls are being pulled off the floor, but not a word is being said to them. You can’t tell me there isn’t any teaching points each time you sit a girl for awhile.
Coach Sipp, if you want to build confidence in your players, maybe trying coaching them when they make a mistake instead of just sitting them on the bench.
Jason Ritter
Molalla
Sometimes a cop is in the right place at the right time
Most of us who travel on two feet also drive. Sometimes, when we change from feet to wheels and back again, we forget what it's like to be in the other person's shoes or vehicle. Understanding the law, along with applying some old-fashioned common sense, will help.
Two problems occur most of the time. The first is driver error, when pedestrians legally occupy a crosswalk. The second is when pedestrians are in the street other than a crosswalk.
With this said, I would like to thank the Molalla Police Department. I was crossing the intersection one night. I noticed a police car on my left and a car directly across the street waiting to turn. I waited and made sure both saw me. As I started to walk the car across from me turned and almost hit me. Thank God there was a police officer who saw this and pulled the car over.
Unfortunately, not everyone obeys the law, so walkers need to protect themselves. Right-of-way or not, in vehicle/pedestrian accidents, the pedestrian almost always loses.
Allen Warren
Molalla
What’s the matter with TV nowadays?
I have been hearing about our politicians taking away our antennas and making us buy cable or a dish. No more free TV. Nothing is free, not even “free” TV. We have to listen to commercials that pay for our programs and infomercials and other programs that pay for our programming. Plus, we donate to OPB for our public channels. I hope this is all just a rumor.
I talk with other people about our programming; it seems the thing now is reality TV. You know what that is: “Survivor,” the one where people go out on islands and live in a commune. They lie about one another, to each other, so that one person each week gets kicked off the show, until one person is left to win $1 million. What about the cooking show where the famous chef gets to tell several cooks what idiots they are each week and that they are cooking garbage, while cussing them out, so that they can be a chef at one of his restaurants? Wouldn’t you like him for a boss?
Well, I’m sorry, but reality TV is not for me. When I come home from work, I want to relax with a little news, a little comedy, and maybe “NCIS” or “Law & Order,” where someone might get killed, but the bad guy is always caught. No heavy sex and bad language. No nudity, just good acting and enjoyment. And you know what? I watch the commercials in between and even buy the products when I want to try something new. I have a lot of tapes I watch, and one of my favorites is “Murder, She Wrote.” There are good actors, older actors from the past, comedy, murder and mayhem, but the bad ones always get caught and a happy ending is a sure thing.
With the war going on, and shootings and killings on the streets of Portland, around us, there is enough sadness and violence. A young football player beaten to a pulp last week; four police officers killed in Lakeview, Wash.; road rage all over. There are no good endings. We need more good endings in our everyday life. There is so much lack of respect for people on TV that people seem to get the idea that is acceptable. That’s too bad.
I think we need to go back to when “The Mickey Mouse Club” and “Leave it to Beaver” were on the air. We could use a little more “Everybody Loves Raymond” and some of those comedies. Maybe people would be able to calm down a little more and smell the roses. Even the History Channel and some of the Create programs educate people for our everyday lives. Travel programs show us what the rest of the world looks like, even our own states, places we may never get to go but would like to.
Television is supposed to be giving us great enjoyment. When you walk away from the next program you watch, notice how you feel. Did it give you enjoyment? Are you happy, sad, mad or tired? Did you learn anything?
Some of the great movies were: “Titanic,” “The Sound of Music,” “Ben-Hur,” “Cleopatra,” “The Ten Commandments” and “Star Wars.” Now we have “Avatar”?
Happy entertainment!
Patricia Torsen
Molalla