I would like to reiterate that the Oregon City Schools Foundation had no connection to the individual actions of Mark Westerfield or Triple Advantage Club in Happy Valley (“School group official focus of probe,” Aug. 8).

To date we have not received any money from Triple Advantage Club, though they did donate some items to our spring auction. We are prepared and expect to receive Mark Westerfield’s resignation (as OCSF board member) at our Aug. 20 meeting. The trust of the Oregon City community is paramount to the success of OCSF in achieving its mission to serve the students of the Oregon City School District.

Along more positive lines, on July 15, OCSF approved two new fundraising campaigns for the coming year. The first is a one-year Health & Safety Campaign to provide first aid and emergency supplies to all Oregon City schools. Some of our schools are quite low on basic supplies and health education materials.

Over the next several months we will also be working to find community and business partners to purchase AED machines for the eight remaining locations in our district without them. As the result of a state mandate, these locations must have an AED on site by Jan. 1, 2015.

The second campaign is a two-year effort to improve literacy in our district. Our hope is to provide funds to the school district for the purchase of complex, non-fiction texts to be used by teachers in the classroom setting. This would bring our district into line with the new core standards. We would also fund a specialized screener who would evaluate at-risk students for dyslexia, and an enrichment program for elementary school students in the district who are not being adequately challenged.

As always, the Foundation will have fall and spring events to support our continued mission of providing scholarships to OC high school seniors with a desire for all types of continued education, and small school enhancement grants. If anyone is interested in helping us to further those goals, they can contact us through our website, ocsf.org, or come see us at our booth at the Health & Safety Fair on Sept. 22 at the Hilltop Mall next to Safeway.

Tiff Mumma

Oregon City Schools Foundation president

Don’t perpetuate nonsense

A letter from Libby Wentz (“Positively poppycock!” Aug. 8) said, among other things, “Chuck Berglund (‘Positively a local idea,’ Letters, Aug. 1) is either completely hoodwinked by lies or is motivated to hoodwink Clackamas County citizens by obfuscating the fact that Positively Clackamas is another tool in the progressive, free-spending, greedy Metro toolbox.”

I am acquainted with Chuck Berglund, and I assure you he is not hoodwinked or hoodwinking. Chuck is now semi-retired but was a business owner and knows the ways of the world. He is a fair-minded person, which, based on a reading of your scornful, sarcastic unfounded assertions, I surmise you are not.

I have attended several meetings of Positively Clackamas. Kevin Neely was never there, nor was he even mentioned. As Chuck’s letter said, Neely was asked to set up the registration with the Secretary of State’s office. Neely plays no active role in the PAC. Nor is anyone from Metro or TriMet involved.

The fact that Neely does similar administrative or financial work for progressive organizations or candidates is irrelevant to the goals and work of Positively Clackamas. No “staggering” sums of money have come to Positively Clackamas from “Neely’s money web.”

Positively Clackamas was initiated by two local Oak Grove people and all members are local. We discuss how to promote our cause, just as you do yours. We try to do that with respect for truth and courtesy to people on the other side of the issue. You might try that approach when you consider throwing out accusations like “Positively Clackamas is another tool in the progressive, free-spending, greedy Metro toolbox.”

Trying to maintain minimal courtesy, I will say only that that statement is utter nonsense.

David Gray

Oak Grove

The flipside of poppycock

If it weren’t for the tens of thousands of jobs, the goods and services out of her business community, the health care provided by the cities’ multitude of hospitals, the intellectual stimulus from her wide range of colleges and universities, the recreation and floral enrichment from her parks, the four major television stations and 34 radio stations that keep us informed on our choice of subjects, the transportation hubs at Portland International Airport, Union Station and the bus depot, the cities’ restaurants that are described as good as San Francisco and more affordable, opportunities for escapism from golf to lawn bowling—the Portland Art Museum to Voodoo Donuts—Trail Blazers to the Timbers—Oregon Zoo and OMSI, a very great number of opportunities to raise one’s cultural awareness, not the least of which are the Chinese and Japanese Gardens, that the city is an acknowledged music lovers valhalla; yep, if it weren’t for all this I’d be right there with those who think that Portland is harming the quality of our lives through her propagandizing and “crazy spending ideas.”

D. Kent Lloyd

Gladstone

Time for Sheehan to go

I’m tired of seeing Patrick Sheehan’s name in the newspaper for embarrassing things.

Conservative radio talk show host Bill Post said Sheehan’s behavior isn’t surprising, because he has an image as a frat boy. That’s fine if that’s how he wants to conduct himself, but he needs to do it as a private citizen, not as a state legislator.

First, Sheehan was in the paper for his high-dollar lobbyist event featuring Ultimate Fighting. The event celebrated the fight headlined by convicted money launderer Chael Sonnen. That showed Sheehan’s immaturity and lack of judgment.

Now, Sheehan is in the paper after his strip-club extravaganza with six other Republican members of the House of Representatives.

Enough is enough! It’s time for Patrick Sheehan to grow up and lose the frat boy act. Or, he needs to go back to his frat house and leave the Legislature.

Barbara Thomas

Damascus

Thank you, kind stranger

For the past four years I have been a resident of Oregon City enjoying all that it has to offer with my child and my four-legged friends.

On July 26 my daughter and I headed to the Carnegie Center to partake in the concert festivities. Our dog has never been fond of crowds or other dogs so we left her home and took her mate.

After talking with fellow residents and enjoying the music we decided to head home. In a moment that will not soon leave my heart, my little dog of 11 years was attacked by another dog, knocking him to the ground.

A good Samaritan wrapped my little dog in a towel and drove us to every vet we could find. By the time we arrived at the emergency clinic in Clackamas they were unable to revive him. He died due to massive internal trauma. As I returned to the concert with my dog in his box complete strangers came up to me to offer their condolences.

I was touched by their thoughtfulness in that difficult time. The other dog’s owner swiftly left when he saw me heading back, never saying a word. It’s hard for me to understand as a dog owner of many years how another could be so untouched. I noticed you had a toddler with you who was very busy that you were watching, perhaps it wasn’t the best idea to also bring your dog-aggressive dog to a public concert.

Please let this be a reminder to all dog owners to always be aware when taking your four legged friends to public events. I can not say “Thank you” enough to that good Samaritan who took the time to drive us to all those veterinarians and to all the people who helped that night. My dog had so much life and love in him.

His mate of 11 years, my daughter, and I, all miss our beloved little man, you will be in our hearts forever.

Claire Rieger

Oregon City

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