Please financially support our schools

To the Editor:

We are pleased to serve this year as school captains for the Lake Oswego School District Foundation campaign. As in years past, school-based teams of parents are contacting other parents in their children's schools to ask them to support the foundation.

What is particularly exciting this year is that we have the possibility of continuing the gains that our schools were able to make last year. The foundation effort, and the community's generous support, began a process of building back some of the teachers and programs that had been cut in recent years.

This year, community donations to the foundation will further reduce class sizes and enhance course offerings in all schools at all grade levels. The volunteers are calling during our elementary and junior high school campaign, Feb. 21 through March 2. High school teams will be calling later in March and the communitywide Phon-a-thon will be April 17 to 19.

Please join us with your financial support of our schools and our kids.

Erik Amos

Katy and Bob Barman

Mary Giering Karen Goddin

Susan Griffin

Jane and Neil Griffiths

Katie Johansen

Nicole Merino

Sally Moncrief

Nancy Mueller

Dave Northfield

Susie Restic

Sherry Reuter

Tobi Ristick

Trina Soder

Jill Viggiano

School Captains

Lake Oswego

Public input sought at March 7 meeting

To the Editor:

Library supporters - now is the time for your voice to be heard. I have been volunteering on the Community Center's Steering Committee. On (Wednesday) March 7 at 6:30 p.m. the public is invited to review the proposed design for the center and make comments on the plan.

Included in the plan for the center is space allocated for a library. Another committee appointed by the city council will be formed in the fall to review library services and needs and will make recommendations to the council as to the size of the library.

It is important to convey your show of support for a library to be included in the design for the community center. I believe most of us would not enjoy a community center without a quality library. Now is the time to think about the future and how best our city can provide quality library services and facilities.

Please attend the March 7 meeting at the West End Building (Safeco) to support the plan to include a library.

Colleen Bennett

President, Friends of the Library and Past Library Board Chair

So, who is buying these big homes?

To the Editor:

I have some questions.

Rob Le Chevallier tells us we need a new community center because 'more than 1 million people are projected to move into Oregon (not Lake Oswego) in the next 20 years.' How many will come to Lake Oswego?

New residential construction in Lake Oswego appears to be at an all-time high level. Look around.

Yet the school district continues to bemoan the 'fact' that enrollment is declining and will continue to decline.

So who is buying these 4 and 5 bedroom homes? Are the 1 million new residents all adults? Why do empty nesters need such large residences?

The city and the housing market are sending us one message. The school district is sending us the opposite message. Both cannot be right.

Thomas N. Holder

Lake Oswego

Signal as you exit those roundabouts

To the Editor:

I drive Stafford Road several times a week. I patiently waited through the long construction period, looking forward to a good interchange.

Now I am surprised at the lack of correct turn signals. You should signal for turning out of the roundabout. This tells the entering driver when it is clear to enter, and keeps the traffic moving.

Some drivers signal to enter the circle. That is wrong, as they are not changing lanes and confusing if the turn signal is left on.

I hope this letter will help clean the confusion and keep the traffic moving. That is what a roundabout is all about.

Betty Folliard

Lake Oswego

Lake Oswego needs more library space

To the Editor:

I have been following the progress of the steering committee with great interest since the purchase of the Safeco property and had hoped that the city and the steering committee would see the great need for either a new library or a generous allowance of space in the Safeco building if the city and the populace decided to proceed with their development.

Newly married in 1953, my wife and I decided to live in Lake Oswego. Our two daughters have been privileged to have great schools and a wonderful library to enhance their lives. I am puzzled that the propositions to building a new library or to have a branch at the Safeco site should not be a priority for the people of Lake Oswego.

The availability of the excellent library was a contributing factor to my daughters' later degrees at the universities and to their present careers. Having been involved with the Friends of the Library and volunteering at the Booktique, which contributes significant revenue to the purchase of library materials, I feel strongly that the current location is inadequate to support the needs of Oswego patrons' requests.

The staff in spite of size restrictions has managed to make this library an outstanding facility for education and entertainment.

I would hope that the steering committee would seriously consider the inclusion of either a new library or a branch facility. The citizens of Lake Oswego will be the richer for such a change.

Edward Collins

Lake Oswego

High fructose corn syrup is safe

To the Editor:

Carolyn J. Heymann mischaracterizes high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) in her Feb. 22 guest opinion article 'High fructose corn syrup is smoking gun for foods,' by suggesting that it is unnatural and is a 'unique' contributor to obesity.

HFCS, like sugar and honey, is natural. It contains no artificial or synthetic ingredients or color additives and meets the Food and Drug Administration's policy for use of the term 'natural.'

HFCS enhances fruit and spice flavors in yogurts and marinades, prolongs product freshness in breads, provides product stability in condiments, promotes cooked flavors in sauces and retains moisture in products like bran cereals. In salad dressings and spaghetti sauce, HFCS improves flavor by reducing the harsh vinegar or acid bite while enhancing fruit and spice flavors.

In canned fruits and applesauce, HFCS serves as a preservative keeping color and texture intact and it enhances fruit flavors. In addition to its excellent browning characteristics for breads and baked goods, HFCS is a highly fermentable nutritive sweetener.

Scientists do not agree that HFCS is a unique contributor to obesity. Dr. Walter Willett, Harvard School of Public Health Nutrition Department Chairman, told The New York Times, 'There's no substantial evidence to support the idea that high-fructose corn syrup is somehow responsible for obesity.'

Many parts of the world, including Australia, Mexico and Europe, have rising rates of obesity and diabetes despite having little or no HFCS in their foods and beverages.

According to the World Health Organization, 17.6 million children under five are estimated to be overweight worldwide.

HFCS can be enjoyed as part of a balanced diet. In 1983, the Food and Drug Administration listed HFCS as 'Generally Recognized as Safe' (known as GRAS status) for use in food, and reaffirmed that ruling in 1996.

According to the American Dietetic Association, 'Consumers can safely enjoy a range of nutritive and nonnutritive sweeteners when consumed in a diet that is guided by current federal nutrition recommendations ... as well as individual health goals.'

Audrae Erickson

President

Corn Refiners Association

Washington, D.C.

City should focus on water, sewers

To the Editor:

It is gratifying to see that people are thinking outside the big, white box (Safeco building) to evaluate our community recreational needs, particularly to consider using existing structures such as the Mountain Park Swim Center and the public schools, which are already experiencing a declining enrollment.

We have two existing situations that need attention now, the water and sewer system and an interceptor in the lake to handle the polluted run-off.

It's time to put the Safeco building back on the real estate market (the city council assured us it paid a good price for the building, so it should be relatively easy to re-sell) and get our priorities straight!

Barbara Acker

Lake Oswego