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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (May 10, 2011)
2 letters to the editor may10 2011 Vernonia Realty & Insurance Center Featured Property 1001 4th Avenue/Vernonia, Oregon 97064 RMLS# 11324519 Listed at: $184,900 953 Bridge Street,Vernonia, OR, 97064 Office 503.429.6203 Cell 503.780.3466 vernoniarlty@agalis.net CRAFTSMAN ON THE HILL This home will impress you from the moment you drive up! Beautiful knotty alder woodwork throughout this 200c three bedroom, two bath craftsman home. Big living room with fireplace and deck, master with view, all new stainless appliances in kitchen and new interior paint. Enjoy the air conditioning on the hot summer days! New "green" school coming in 2012! Check out website: www.1001at4thAvenue.com Call me today for your personal showing. 503-819-7924 Ken & Helen Bateman, Brokers Properties Available Now! 1172 Maple Street: Nestled along Bear Creek you can watch the salmon migrate from your kitchen window. This comfy, tidy 3 bdrm, 2 bath doublewide features a heat pump w/ AC, woodstove, newer roof & paint, dog run, decks, and many upgrades. $139,000 1299 E Alder: Instantly appealing and an outstanding buy with 4 bdrms, 2 baths plus a 2 car garage all on a large lot, it is NOT a fixer. Kitchen has oak cabinets & handy island. FR w/view out into private back yard. New paint in & out. $199,500 64077 Nehalem Hwy N: Attention outdoor enthusiasts! Great riverfront building site or nice get-a-way property. Over 2½ acres along the Nehalem w/ a nice fishing hole plus a concrete floored garage & fixer mobile. Build new or fix up old mobile. $119,000 Corner of Alabama & Spencer: Cleared 8712 sq ft, corner lot, high above flood plain. A few blocks from Vernonia Lake, Linear Trail & new schools. Terms avail. $40,000 85914 Northrup Ck Rd: A charming country road will lead you to this wooded building site. Over 12 ½ acres w/barn, silos, and storage buildings. Spring fed water source plus septic system is in. Quiet area West of Birkenfeld. $199,000 67675 Nehalem Hwy N: Great views and Nehalem River frontage. Approximately 3 acres with a 36x60 ft metal shop w/gas heat, green house, outdoor entertainment area, storage building and 2 bdrm single-wide mobile home. North of Vernonia. $139,000 Real Estate Broker West F off Springboard Ln: Need some quiet time? You’ll find it here on this 20,000 sq ft building site ½ mile from city center. Level w/trees, cleared area. $65,000 Cell: (503) 819.7924 Email: Sharon@Bernals.com Springboard Lane: Off the beaten path. Build your dream home on this 1.37 acre building site w/city utilities available. Plenty of room for outbuilding and gardens. $90,000 Readers Lend Their Voices... To The Editor It is my perception that certain members of the Vernonia City Council are partisan. These individual’s actions clearly imply that all city officials, including the City Administrator, should “mirror” their views regarding public policy or else face termination. Such a belief in government advocates intimidation and denies independence in the role of all public employees. The termination of Bill Haack is untimely and has created chaos and instability within the city government. The termination also sets a negative precedent for any future City Administrator who will be at the risk of being removed by the Council without proper notice or justification. The questionable manner in which Mr. Haack was terminated will hinder the process of attracting any qualified and competent candidates for the position of Vernonia City Administrator. The people of Vernonia have a right to determine whether the process leading to Mr. Haack’s termination was: A standard rite of passage which often accompanies a change in government; or if the process leading to the termination violated ORS192.630(2). Sharon A. Bernal This statue states that:“No quorum of a governing body shall meet in private for the purpose of deciding on or deliberating toward a decision except as otherwise provided by ORS 192.610 to ORS192.690” It is in the people’s interest to determine whether or not any member of the Vernonia City Council breached his/ her fiduciary duty either by A) directly engaging in any activity which violated ORS192.630(2) OR by B) engaging in activities which were meant to evade and circumvent ORS192.630(2). Potential indirect violations will most likely require further legal interpretation from a jury. Since it is the people’s right to receive full transparency in all of the Council’s decisions, I have made a public documents request to receive more information and further clarification in the Council’s decision to terminate Mr. Haack. It is the right of the people to have available all the legal remedies to determine if Council members acted in an equitable and lawful manner. It is also the people’s right to determine if any members are personally and individually accountable for any breach of fiduciary duty to the people. Should HOW TO SEND LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Vernonia’s Voice welcomes and requests your thoughts, opinions and ideas. Please include your name, address and phone number, limit your letters to 300 words or less. Vernonia’s Voice reserves the right to edit, omit, respond or ask for a response to letters submitted. We will print letters, space permitting. Deadline is the 1st and 3rd Monday of each month. Email to: scott@vernoni- asvoice.com or mail to: Letters, PO Box 55, Vernonia, OR 97064. any breach be uncovered, it is my intent to seek any and all remedies available to protect my personal interests as well as those of others who reside in Vernonia. Joe Kim Vernonia, OR To the members of Vernonia City Council: I have lived in Vernonia since 1984 and my family has been here much longer than that. I feel I have a real interest in the success of this City. I have seen councils come and go, disasters and the like, but I have never seen such turmoil caused by such a few people. This Council is a real disaster. When campaigning, they swore to do the will of the people, but now they are not listening to what the people have to say. Perhaps a few people in Vernonia go along with what you’re doing, but the majority seems to be left without representation. Firing Bill Haack was a huge mistake. He has done so much for this city. Perhaps he’s not the yes man you expected, but he was willing to do what was needed to be done for the good of the city. A lot of money is being wasted at a time the city has none to waste. Please look at how much money has been spent on investigating Mike Kay. And now you think we have the extra money to spend on PAID administrative leave for who knows how long? I have nothing against Mike Kay, but believe it’s high time we cut bait. And now we lose our acting Police Chief? What is going on? After the flood we were the town to be admired for its willingness to work together to get back on our feet. Now we’ve become the laughing stock of the area. I realize some of you councilors have stated publicly you don’t read newspapers, but it might be a good idea to read the Scappoose Spotlight or the Forest Grove Times. The articles concerning Vernonia are on-line. I strongly urge you to take a long hard look at what you’re doing to the town you profess to care about. You’ve done such serious damage in the short time you’ve been in office; it will take a long time to recover. The longer you feed the anger and animosity toward the will of the people the more the atmosphere of Vernonia will be poisoned. Please reconsider your votes on Bill Haack and Mike Kay, and let’s see what we can do about Mike Connor. I expect unless you start listening to the majority of the people the turmoil will continue. I urge you to reconsider your positions or resign. Carol Davis Vernonia To the Editor: I have just returned home after attending the May 2, 2011 City Council meeting. I am appalled, stunned, mortified, and shocked at the unprecedented malicious behavior of three of our council members - our continued on page 4
