Yes on the quiet zone

I want to go on record as supporting the quiet zone for Baker City. My husband and I have pledged to help cover the costs of the safety enhancement project that will allow the train horns to be largely silenced. Others have done so and I’m sure that more will as the project progresses.

I was born in 1950 and lived the first 12 years of my life at 3005 10th St., which at the time was part of the national highway system. It was only two lanes and was changed to four sometime during my early years at North Baker School. Imagine how little cross-country traffic there must have been for that size of street to accommodate it all. Now imagine all the traffic on I-84 passing through town today!

I suspect that the increase in train traffic mirrors that of the highway system. Our national population has increased a great deal and many more consumer goods are being transported across the country. Much of that cargo is being carried by trains, trains whose horn blasts are much louder than they were even 20 years ago.

South Baker School was built in the early 1950s to replace the original school that had been built adjacent to it in 1901. With fewer trains, and horns that blew at a lower decibel level, it probably felt like a more suitable location than it does today. Why deny current and future students a quieter and safer learning environment, and the community a good night’s rest, now that we know more about the impact on health of high decibel train horn blasts?

I urge City Council to revisit the quiet zone and give it its full support. We live in a world full of noise that we can’t control. We can control the noise of the train horns. Let’s embrace this opportunity to contribute to the health and safety of our beloved community! I am thankful to the “newcomers” and the “old-timers” alike who have taken on this project and dedicated untold hours to explaining and promoting it.

Carolyn Kulog

Baker City