community bulletin board/letters to the editor
october17
4
2013
Timing Upgrade for Columbia County 9-1-1

Columbia 9-1-1 has
completing a critical upgrade to
the public safety radio system in
Columbia County. On Sunday,
October 13 th 2013, Day Wireless
from Longview, Washington
installed and configuring new
hardware at most of the District’s
radio sites.

This
upgrade
will
automate and improve the system
that controls the timing of the
radio transmitters at each site.
This upgrade is critical to ensure
that all radio transmitters at the
radio sites activate at precisely the
same time. The current system
requires that the system be timed
by a manual process and that the
timing must be monitored and
corrected periodically. The new
system will use GPS timing from
satellites to ensure precise time
management.
Readers Lend Their Voices...
To the Editor,

I just read your Opinion piece in
the Oct. 3rd edition of the Voice. In fact,
I read it twice. On so many points I fully
agree with you. Especially your analysis
of what the fall out of higher rates will
do to Vernonia’s ability to attract new
residents, keeping the ones we have and,
of course, businesses. Businesses will
have to pass the additional cost on to the
residents. We can kiss the possibility of
new businesses goodbye.

Where I take issue with your
piece lies mainly with you comparing
W.O.E.C. to the city and school when it
comes to budgets. The city and school are
handed a finite amount of money. They
then figure out where it will be spent. If
they want or need more money they go
to the voters to try to float a bond. If the
bond doesn’t pass, they learn to live with
it by making he hard decisions, even if it
includes reducing staff.

Now W.O.E.C. has borrowed
until they can borrow no more. They do
not ask their members what they want;
they just raise the rates to cover their
behinds. No one has lost his or her jobs.
Vernonia Weather
September 2013
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Ave/Tot
HIGH
82
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96
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LOW
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48
42
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PRECIP
0
0
0
.23
1.38
.20
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
.01
0
0
0
0
.01
.08
.53
.15
.18
0
T
1.02
1.68
1.46
.52
70.3
48.9
7.47
Upper Nehalem
Watershed Council
Meeting
6:30 pm on Thursday
October 24, 2013
at the UNWC office
1201 Texas Ave. Suite A,
Vernonia
(Entrance is around the back
of the building)
No project has been cut back.

As for those who dared to
run for the Board… Historically, only
incumbents win. Why? No one runs
against them! Why would that be? Well,
it’s an attitude grown from a feeling they
can’t win, an attitude that is shared by
many Co-op members. There are also
those who trust. Case in point, W.O.E.C.
originally proposed a 12% rate increase,
but after 100 plus members came to
the Sept. 17th meeting and expressed
opposition, they increased rates by 14%.

To anyone who tries to buck the
status quo and tries to run for the Board,
I say, “Bravo!”

I think you should do some
investigating into how things are done,
why they’re done and who’s doing it
before you make blanket statements of
support. You may still feel the same way
or…maybe you won’t.
at least they should
For more information call
have consequences!
(503) 429-0869 or email maggie@nehalem.org

With limited
resources the law
operations.
enforcement agencies and criminal
Please join me in supporting
justice system in Columbia County have the jail levy. Let’s send the
been doing a decent job to make sure that message to criminals that if they
our communities are as safe as possible. do the crime in Columbia County,
In my opinion their hands have been tied they will spend time in our jail.
because of inadequate funding of the
County jail. Some years ago the voters of George Dunkel
Columbia County approved a bond levy Scappoose, Oregon
to build a new jail. Operation funding
for the jail was not voted on at the time or To the Editor,
since. It’s kind of like building a new fire
Vernonia lost one of its very
station but not buying any fire apparatus. special people today with the passing of

There are a lot of good law Carolyn Keasey. Carolyn was a friend
abiding people in our communities, to so many and the beloved wife, mom,
but there are some people who just grandmother and great-grandmother
don’t understand that our laws apply to to her extensive family. From raising
them. Maybe someday they will but funds for cancer research and often
until they do they must know that when starring in the melodramas of the 1970s
they violate the law they will go to jail. to more recent volunteer work with the
Sally Harrison
No more ‘book and release’ nonsense. Vernonia Health Board, the Vernonia
Vernonia
Book them and show them to their cell! Pioneer Museum, P.E.O. and other local

We have a good, modern jail philanthropies, Carolyn cared deeply
To the Editor,
facility that is not being used anywhere about the community and its residents.

Actions have consequences, or near its capacity due to a lack of funds. We will all miss you and your cheerful
Now we have the smile so much, Carolyn.
opportunity to
provide proper Tobie Finzel
funding
for Vernonia
day-to-day jail
Weather data is collected at the
U.S. Weather station at the
Vernonia Water Plant
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Halloween
Parade
Thurs, October 31st
4:30 start at City Hall