(Editor’s Note: As the Nov. 3 date for elections draws closer, The Leader reminds readers of our guidelines regarding political letters. In keeping with its longstanding practice to not run any political letters in the issue (Oct. 28) just prior to the election, this is the final issue for letters regarding the Nov. 3 election. Look for candidate profiles in the Oct. 28 issue.)
Alpers Remembered Fondly
Dear Editor,
On one summer day in 1978 Mr. Jack Alpers was driving west on Claribel Road just before he got to Langworth crossing. Our dog ran out on to Claribel and the vehicle in front of Mr. Alpers hit our dog. Mr. Alpers stopped and pulled our dog (a collie) off the road and tried to save the dog, Clarence’s life. When I went out there to see what had happened he told me he was a vet and he gave the dog five shots to stop him from going into shock. He said I knew that dog belongs to children and he gave his all to try and save the dog but the dog died anyway. We lived on Langworth at the time. I read in the Oct. 14 Oakdale Leader how his friends knew him. He was so lucky to have that kind of friends.
Our family will always be grateful to have met him. Thank you, Jack A.
Pearl and John Taylor
and Family
Casting Ballot For Bairos
Dear Editor,
I live in Al Bairos’ district and am proud to support his re-election to the Oakdale Irrigation District Board of Directors. I have been impressed by Al’s knowledge of the key issues and his long-term view towards management. There is no better example of Al’s commitment to farmers than the amount of water OID delivered to its customers this year—44 inches per acre—during the fourth year of drought. Thanks to Al and the others at OID, our farmers have had enough water to bring their crops in and avoid the difficult situations in other districts. I strongly encourage others to join me in Voting for Al on Nov. 3.
Thank you.
Bill Jackson
Time To Shine The Light
Dear Editor,
Secret water transfers, misleading annexation deals and disrespectful interactions with the public have earned the Oakdale Irrigation District a bad reputation.
It’s time our community takes back control of the OID. This public agency has become hostile to almost any level of public involvement. That must change.
The Nov. 3 election gives us an opportunity to get our irrigation district back on the right path. As the challenger for OID Director Division 4, I encourage every voter to get the full story about what our district’s current leaders have been doing.
Ask them why OID continually pumps our community’s groundwater while it exports our surface water to outsiders. If OID has so much extra surface water, why isn’t it sold to local farmers who desperately want it and have made generous offers to buy it?
Why take secret votes in closed-door meetings to benefit outsiders while endangering our own natural resources? The public has the right to know what’s being considered BEFORE the votes are cast, not long after the deal’s done.
Vote for me by mail-in ballot or at the polls on election day. Every vote is important. If you have any questions about what I stand for, contact me by emailing LindaSantosForOID@gmail.com or through Facebook.com/LindaSantos4OID.
Linda Santos
Voting For Change
Dear Editor,
Recent revelations about the Oakdale Irrigation District’s secret water sale make the Nov. 3 election vitally important.
It’s shameful how OID’s Directors authorized the nonstop pumping of groundwater wells when they knew OID had far more surface water than was needed to irrigate local farms and ranches.
Closed-door deals to export our water to outsiders must stop.
Groundwater levels are declining, and domestic wells are going dry. Rather than help our community resolve this crisis, OID’s unnecessary pumping has made it worse.
OID pumped and distributed groundwater to farmers rather than the surface water it had hoarded in its reservoirs. Had OID used that reservoir water for irrigation like it was supposed to do, our groundwater reserves could have been protected.
Instead OID secretly sold that surface water to agencies outside the county. OID directors seem addicted to the cash they collect from exporting our community’s water, no matter what long-term impact that has on our environment and our future drinking water supply.
I stand for honesty, integrity and transparency. I urge Oakdale residents to stand with me.
Please cast your ballot — by mail now or at the polls Nov. 3 — for Gail Altieri, OID Director Division 1.
Gail Altieri
Support New Leadership
Dear Editor,
As we near the election for OID, the committees for Gail Altieri and Linda Santos are striving to be honest and transparent. However, the incumbents (or their committees) appear to be making the signs for Altieri and Santos into collector items, as they are being removed from approved locations and stored in hidden locations - (over 25 percent of the signs placed have been removed), while using unfit to print comments at their ‘club gatherings’ to describe their opponents. Our group strives to keep this campaign clean from our side of the ‘aisle.’ Recent actions by OID’s board to sell water that was saved by all the farmers and homeowners vs. using the water locally to re-charge the ground water (as discussed in recent debates) is another indication that this Board is not interested in what the public needs. We feel that if there was excess water available, it should first be offered to local farmers and homeowners (even if outsiders are willing to pay a premium). Mr. Clark’s campaign slogan is “protecting ‘our’ future”, who do they really mean by ‘our future’?
Kim Whittey
