Corvallis all wet about water use

I’m proud of the fact that Corvallis is such a conservation-savvy town. On any trip to the grocery store, I see people riding their bikes to cut gas consumption and pollution; people bringing reusable bags in which to carry their groceries; recycle bins stuffed to the limit sitting on the curb for pick-up.

However there is one bit of waste happening recently that has Corvallis all wet. A bit of conservation that seems to escape many home-owners and property managers: Automatic sprinklers running in the rain.

Between (the Saturday night of Aug. 16 and last Thursday), Corvallis has been naturally hydrated with plentiful precipitation. The ground has been wet from rainfall for days, yet automated sprinkler systems are still coming on all over town to water already saturated grass, gardens and sidewalks.

The beauty of an automated sprinkler system is its ease of use. To turn one off, pretty much you need only to walk to the control box and flip a switch to “OFF” or “RAIN.” It’s that easy!

So, come on Corvallis! There’s still a few days of anticipated cool, wet weather ahead of us. Use this time to save a little water, and continue to live up to our reputation!

Barbara White

Corvallis

Enough on global warming already

This is in response to all the global warming letters (Chuck Lane, Aug. 8; Jeffrey McGonagill, Aug. 7; Pat Burrell Aug. 7; Jonathan A. Hayes, Aug. 4 and John F. Borowski, July 30, etc. etc.), and to the Gazette Times editors:

Enough already. Back and forth bickering in the opinion pages does not further the debate, nor does it have any chance of changing minds of people on either side. Printing more letters is a waste of paper and ink (which is bad regardless of impact on global climate).

While the science is settled on many subjects (global warming: human caused, evolution: foundation of biology, geology: earth is 4.5 billion years old), there will always be “skeptics.” More letters to the editor will not change this.

I’d ask the editors to write an article, but the recent story about boosting auto mileage using hydrogen makes me doubt their scientific aptitude.

Chuck Lane wrote, “Hopefully, people more knowledgeable than John and Chuck will join in.” They have; he just doesn’t want to listen.

Trey Jackson

Corvallis

Bush dual-standard politics rolling on

I see all the rhetoric in the papers about how Bush is mandating that Russian end its invasion of Georgia.

I believe he said “that an invasion of a sovereign nation in this day and age is unacceptable.”

Was not Iraq a sovereign nation? Is he going to get us into a war, that no man will survive? I am fearful that if he keeps pushing Russia, we might see ourselves running of the Civil Defense buildings that were built in the 1950s and ’60s.

Let’s hope that the Democrats get to the White House before the Russians do.

Deb Durrant

Monroe

‘Foxaholics’ have distorted Bush view

Thank you for publishing the Aug. 21 letter from Carolyn Webb extolling the virtues of John McCain and repeating the smears about Barack Obama. This, and an earlier letter claiming that respect for Bush is growing, help those of us who wonder how anybody can believe what these serial liars say. It does not make these ideas more rational, but we do gain a deeper respect for the effectiveness of propaganda.

It allows the spoiled brat son of privilege who gets by on family ties to get in on cushy incomes and country club connections to portray the son of a single mom coming from what is generously called “middle class” America, and who has an outstanding scholastic and professional resume of achievement as the “elitist” who is out of touch with average Americans.

Obama is paying off his mortgage on his family home while McCain cannot remember how many condos he has at present.

Then there is “Bomb, Bomb Iran” and calling for war in Georgia. More secure with McCain — I think not! Facts don’t matter in the world of the Foxaholic. Amazing!

Don Caughey

Corvallis

HP party, followed by layoffs, was odd

I was scratching my head after reading about some Hewlett Packard layoffs occurring last week. I am new to this area, and I have absolutely no connection to Hewlett Packard. So, maybe there is something taking place that is beyond my understanding.

But I’m thinking that HP employees would have preferred the firm keep three or four people employed for another year rather than paying for the company picnic and monstrous fireworks show that was held just this past Saturday. Just saying … Well, maybe large pyrotechnic displays are a local means of announcing layoffs.

It’s confusing, being new.

Carolina Williamson

Corvallis