Pages

Saturday, September 13, 2014

A Not So Hidden Yamhill County Tourist Attraction



As the summer season begins to wane, we need to remind the myriad of tourists visiting our neighborhood that there is one tourist attraction that goes uncited in the local literature.  This is Mt. Trashmore or what is more commonly called Riverbend Landfill.
For a mere $13 per car entry fee, visitors can drive to the top of this mountain of trash and get a 360-degree panoramic view of the Willamette Valley.  They will also be able to see our marvelous farms and vineyards, historic towns and grand rolling hills (of course, they should remember that what they see can see them).
With a deep breath, visitors can inhale the scents of garbage imported from the Portland Metropolitan area.  If they have a discerning nose, they might be able to distinguish between the aromas of Portland's waste and Hillsboro's garbage.  Tourists can set up a game with their kids to see who can locate the greatest number of toxic chemical containers, recyclable items, and compostables, all of which flow out of the garbage trucks and local pickups only to be buried and blended together to form this obnoxious landmark.
This excursion will also allow visitors to educate themselves and their children about geography and the impacts that this landfill, built on the banks of the Yamhill River, will have when it slides into that river during the forthcoming 9.0 Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake.
Wow, just one trip will expose our tourists to a vast valley view, aroma therapy, geological futurism and the political power of a Texas corporation.
Shush. On the other hand we would be much better off if the landfill did not exist and its so-called virtues did not blemish our farmland.
-- travel commentary by A. Hollander

No comments:

Post a Comment