Friday, March 9, 2012 Hillsboro Argus Opinion A5 Opinion Editor: George Rede [email protected] Opinion A break from tradition An editorial page without an editorial? Sometimes it’s good to break the rules. When I became editor of the Argus Opinion page earlier this year, I wrote an unsigned editorial (Feb. 2) that expressed the hope we could cultivate a com- munity conversation in print and online. Today’s page reflects what I had in mind when I wrote: “We will continue to publish letters to the edi- tor, guest columns and keep a local, local, local focus on the issues addressed here. And we will endeavor to build on that, by embracing the view that the entire community benefits when we are exposed to a wide spectrum of perspectives and opinions — not just from elected officials and other community leaders, but from people who live and work and go to school here, whether they are new arrivals or people whose roots go back generations.” Scan the page and you’ll see what I mean. Along with an editorial cartoon and letter to the editor, we have guest columns from a familiar voice on Oregon poli- tics, Jayne Carroll, and a company representative, Dave Dutra, responding to ongoing concern about the odors coming from the recycling plant near North Plains. The roundup of additional commentary, excerpted below, gives you a taste of what you’ll find online. We appreciate those of you who are loyal readers of this page. We also are posting fresh content every day — letters, op-eds, reader polls and more — to engage with and grow our online audience. Two more elements of our commitment to build bridges: the Argus Community Writers program, which encourages area residents to write regularly about local issues, and my own pledge to hold a meet-and-greet at a local coffee shop on the Fourth Friday of every month. Come say hello at the next one, March 23. IN MY OP I N I ON — George Rede, Argus Opinion editor Composting can be compatible with neighbors ON THE WEB By Dave Dutra Aeration airflow through Special to The Argus compost piles What you’ll find at the Hillsboro Argus online:oregonlive.com/ argus/opinion ecycling yard debris Open enrollment and food waste is a Biofilter exhaust A school choice advocate and a school Rsmart way to avoid board member face off on Oregon’s new sending thousands of open enrollment law, easing the way for tons of organic material student transfers to other school districts. to landfills where it would Christina Martin, a former policy analyst emit greenhouse gas into for Cascade Policy Institute, writes in the atmosphere. Mechanical support: “This is an exciting opportunity for Converting organic families that live in a district that doesn’t meet their kids’ individual needs. Though material into rich com- Negative aeration post is a smarter alterna- such families can already choose public Martin charter schools, many charter schools tive to landfilling because Positive aeration it replenishes the soil have long waiting lists, and district-created Recology obstacles make it hard for existing or new used by farmers, wine- charter schools to meet that need.” makers and community Carolyn Ortman, a member of the gardens. provements have recently made improvements to its ranger readings are com- Hillsboro school board, counters: An employee-owned been completed at the site: operations: municated to operations “There is potential, under the new open company, Recology is in More than four acres Incoming materials are staff and adjustments can enrollment law, for certain districts to take the resource collection of surface improvements placed immediately into be made onsite accord- in a lot of nonresident students. In that and recovery business. Our have been made, includ- windrows on aerated com- ingly. This process also case, the taxpayers of those districts will goal is zero waste. ing asphalt pads for com- posting pads. creates an objective refer- be paying for facilities that other districts’ Nature’s Needs com- posting operations. This Additional operations ence for the level and type students can now call their own. … There Ortman posting operation near significantly improves op- staff has been hired. of odors emanating from is also potential for districts to lose a substantial number of students, and what impact will that have North Plains is part of the erations onsite. Improved surfaces are Nature’s Needs and other on the system that’s left?” bigger picture in our own A robust aeration sys- swept multiple times daily sources. ‘Love’ for new law region’s quest to reduce tem has been designed to control litter and track- It may not be possi- An online poll of Argus readers revealed strong support for greenhouse gas emissions and installed to pull am- ing from equipment. ble to eliminate all odors open enrollment. Among 89 respondents, 58.4 percent said and reclaim valuable nu- bient air through the With the increased sur- from a composting yard. they “love” the new law and 12.4 percent said they were leaning trients from organic mate- compost piles, and then face improvements, com- But it is possible to operate that way for a total of just over 70 percent. The remaining nearly rial. But it also must be a exhaust that air into an ad- post is now kept on the a composting operation 30 percent either “hate” the changes (19 percent) or have their good neighbor to the citi- jacent biofilter, which ab- aerated system for a mini- with minimal, non-of- doubts about them (10 percent). zens and businesses where sorbs the odors generated mum of 26 days. fensive odors. That’s the Tweaking the TDT it operates. during the process. A falconer has been goal at Nature’s Needs and Hillsboro voters approved a Transportation Development Composting can be Wastewater experts hired to control birds that progress is made every day Tax in 2008 to help pay for streets and roads. Deanna Palm, compatible with its neigh- have designed a collec- are attracted to the facility. to achieve this goal. president of the Hillsboro Chamber of Commerce, says two bors. Recology is commit- tion and treatment sys- Recology isn’t ask- In the near future, Re- modifications are needed to keep assessments affordable for ted to be a good neighbor tem for leachate, which ing anyone, especially cology will hold an open local businesses: and a beneficial part of its “This system serves us well when the economy is humming is the liquid produced by their neighbors, to take house at the facility to al- and businesses can afford their fees. But in times when new community. the breakdown of organic their word for minimizing low the neighbors to tour business investment and new construction activity falls off as it We are making physical materials during com- odors at Nature’s Needs. the site and see these ef- has in the last few years in Hillsboro, the Chamber believes that improvements and opera- posting. This system in- We use an olfactometer — forts for themselves. the TDT needs some recalibrations.” tional changes at Nature’s cludes a large treatment known more commonly as Dave Dutra is group Balanced grading Needs to produce compost tank and a half-acre pond a nasal ranger — to mea- general manager for Last week, Argus Community Writer Walt Hellman criticized while generating minimal for further treatment and sure odors onsite and at Recology’s Northern Oregon the Hillsboro School District’s balanced grading policy as ill- odors. storage. more than 20 designated operations, including Nature’s conceived and poorly executed. This week, two citizens offer Three key physical im- Nature’s Needs also has offsite locations. Nasal Needs near North Plains. their views. Kesa Andrews, a Hillsboro parent, argues: “Not only is balanced grading confusing to teachers, administrators, parents, and students, but it has completely demotivated students to do their best.” All eyes turn to Oregon GOP debate, primary Hugh O’Donnell, a former Hillsboro school board member, defends the new approach: “One of the goals of the ‘balanced By Jayne Carroll nomina- legacy of liberal leanings; on Voice of America and grading’ system … is to eliminate the devastating effects of punitive zeros in a mean average of assessment scores, and give Special to The Argus tion by the Washington Times is a Armed Forces Radio and a more accurate summary of what a student knows, understands, the time conservative publication. Television. and can do.” hen the Oregon of the Re- “This debate will be a Partisan Democrat Republican Party publican departure from previous Portland Mayor Sam Ad- Wannounced last National Republican Presidential ams has let it be known year that they would be Conven- Debates in that candidates that he opposes the de- LETTER TO THE ED I TOR hosting a Primary Presi- tion in will be asked to focus on bate coming to his city and dential Debate on March late Au- an in-depth discussion of the Occupy movement is Do the right thing he saw a person on the 19, 2012, most people gust. the issues facing Ameri- expected to protest the ground. Turns out, Fred thought it would be insig- In this unanticipated ca’s future and discour- event. My faith in humanity Butsch is a retired nurse nificant. Think again. roller-coaster journey to age personal attacks by None of the final four and people who do the and just did what came Not only were the ex- determine which Repub- the candidates,” accord- Republican presidential right thing automatically naturally — a human being perts wrong that one can- lican will face President ing to Oregon Republican contenders has officially has been restored.