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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW BOLI finds evidence of retaliation by Gold Hill city manager ... Neon crashes into Medford Puck's Doughnuts ... Malheur occupier convicted in Josephine County case ... BOLI finds evidence of retaliation by Gold Hill city manager ... Neon crashes into Medford Puck's Doughnuts ... Malheur occupier convicted in Josephine County case ... LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters to the Editor, April 18 Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Apr. 18, 2016 at 12:01 AM Posted Apr. 18, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News Solar farms kill wildlife Amid the the acclaim and anticipation of Oregon's latest solar farm in Jackson County, one negative environmental fact has been ignored. I speak specifically about the lethal danger to both airborne and land-dwelling wildlife. Much of the problem stems from the "lake effect," in which birds and insects mistake a reflective solar facility for a body of water and then crash into it. Because of the power of the lake effect, federal investigators have described solar farms as "mega-traps." A federal report goes on to say that "The diversity of birds dying at these solar facilities, and the differences among sites, suggest that there is no simple 'fix' to reduce avian mortality." In fact, these facilities are even killing endangered species, such as the Yuma Clapper Rail that was found dead at a California solar facility in 2013. The impact that solar farms have on individual species can send ripples throughout entire ecosystems. Land-dwelling animals such as tortoises, rabbits, squirrels, snakes, etc. have also seen mortality due to the disturbing of their environment. Before we welcome such facilities we must consider if the "cure" is worse than the perceived problem. Jeff Gutting Jacksonville Postal pointers Good news! Postal rates for First Class letters were reduced April 10! Letters will fall from 49 cents to 47 cents, additional ounces will fall from 22 cents to 21 cents, postcards will drop from 35 cents to 34 cents, and 1 ounce foreign letters will go from $1.20 to $1.15! The last time that happened was in 1919. There are two incorrect things I see at work at the USPS every day: 1) Don't use Priority boxes to mail First Class stuff — it will go on to the recipient postage due. The USPS provides free cardboard Priority boxes for use with Priority postage. For First Class, you need to find some other box. The USPS is not required to provide free cardboard boxes to the world! 2) When mailing a tube, put the bar code to scan going the length of the tube. Don't wrap it around the tube, this causes delays because somebody has to manually type in the bar code. Karen E. Gordon Central Point Re-elect Crain Plain and simple, we the voters of Jackson County must re-elect Judge Patricia Crain. She has expertise, experience and compassion with her rulings from the bench. We in Jackson County are fortunate to have a successful adult and family drug court program that is a model for the state of Oregon as well as across the United States. It has developed as a result of the foresight, hard work and perseverance of a number of people, Judge Crain included. Through her fair, forthright and firm rulings, Judge Crain has been instrumental in assuring the success of this treatment court. She is determined, she is committed and she is dedicated to her position of Circuit Court judge. I endorse her re-election and encourage you to do the same by casting your vote for her. Lindsay Berryman Medford MailTribune.com Writer Posted Apr. 18, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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