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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend March 1, 2005 Salem looks at the pear as state fruit By DON JEPSEN for the Mail Tribune SALEM — A resolution has been introduced to make the European pear the state fruit of Oregon. The European pear? Oops. "That was a mistake," said the chief sponsor, Rep. Patti Smith, R-Corbett. "We’ll amend out the European reference. Apparently someone in Legislative Counsel wanted to be politically correct." Oregon pears such as Bartletts, Anjou, Comice and Bosc originated in Europe. A spokesman for Pear Bureau Northwest, a nonprofit marketing association, said it merely asked for the generic designation. "Maybe the lawyers wanted to distinguish our pear from the Asiatic variety," said Kevin Moffitt, president and chief executive officer of the pear bureau. Advertisement The proposal notes the nutritional quality of Rogue River Valley and Hood River pears plus the fact Oregon is second in the nation in the production of fresh pears and third in canned pears. "It’s a $70 million annual business," said Moffitt. He personally tried four years ago to get pears declared Oregon’s state fruit, but was unsuccessful working on his own. Jackson County’s four House members and two state senators are co-sponsors, along with Smith and Sen. Rick Metsger, D-Welches, whose districts include Hood River County. Rep. Dennis Richardson, R-Central Point, noticed the European designation and contacted Bear Creek Corp., among the largest pear growing operations in Southern Oregon. "They agreed the reference should be deleted," he said. The first hearing on House Joint Resolution 8 is scheduled for March 7 in the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee. Moffitt will be there to testify, and also to staff a booth giving out free samples of pears. Pear Bureau Northwest is headquartered in Milwaukie and represents growers and packers in both Oregon and Washington. Don Jepsen is a freelance writer living in Salem. Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Distance Education Computer Security Cheap Website Hosting Discount Hotel Reservations dvd-r Online Pharmacy Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Deep Muscle Stimulator Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews High End Computers Online Casino News Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Online Casino Fundraisers Student Loans Advertisement s