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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 7, 2013)
4 letters to the editor november7 2013 Readers Lend Their Voices... To the Editor, Homecoming week at Vernonia High School for 2013 has come to an end. It was a fun filled week of designated dress up days, logger olympics, coronation, and football. On behalf of the junior class 2015, we would like to offer our sincerest thank you’s to some terrific helpers . First and foremost our class GRANDPA!! Gene Baska has been a dedicated volunteer to the Junior class. Thank you for the late nights in your shop, strangers using your bathroom, the food you provided for us, and your overall generosity. We could not do it without you, and look forward to your return next year. Next we would like to extend a huge shout out to Donald Dennis and his Cobra, Ray Foster and driver Jon Mulleda for the BMW, and last but definitely not least, Gary Meyer for his classic Charger. Thank you so much for driving our princesses and queen to their moment of royalty in your awesome automobiles. We truly appreciate your willingness to help out our High School staff and students. We also would like to say a HUGE thank you to WOEC for allowing all classes Freshmen-Seniors to utilize your shop for last minute touch ups to our floats, and for a safe covered meeting spot for all students. We are grateful to be part of such a wonderful community. Melissa Zavales JR class 2015 advisor To the Editor, Are you ever blinded by Fog and Auxiliary lights. For many of us, I believe that we are totally unaware that driving with fog/auxiliary lights on are considered by the State of Oregon as the same as using “High Beams” and should be operated accordingly. Unfortunately for those who are the recipient of those who drive with their fog/auxiliary on continually and have contacted local, county and state law enforcement, and all you receive are either a denial of it being a law, or after you bring it to their attention, their reply is just plain old excuses. Basically it’s not worth their time, nor do they see it as a problem. But those of us that are constantly being subjected to these glaring oncoming headlights combined with fog/auxiliary lights feel differently. Ask yourself these questions. Will law enforcement be willing to pull you over if: 1. You have a headlight out? 2. You leave your high beams on constantly? 3. The lights for your rear license plate are out? 4. A pedestrian is not paying attention to where they are, but as soon as they take their foot from the sidewalk and place it on the asphalt to cross the street? 5. No seatbelt? Where did I find this information? ORS 811&816 was a start and it directed me to the ODOT Safety Division page. This is what is says, with no exceptions. Fog lights are designed to be used at low speeds in fog, heavy mist, snow and other situations where visibility is significantly reduced. Front fog lights are generally aimed and mounted low to increase the illumination directed towards the road surface. In low visibility situations, fog lights should be turned off when an oncoming vehicle approaches. In normal visibility conditions, fog or auxiliary lights should be turned off. VERNONIA Printing while you wait for small orders Vinyl lettering and heat transfers Teams, groups, special events Hoodies, dress shirts, aprons & more No order too large or too small No set-up fees 728 Madison Avenue, Vernonia (503) 822-0110 kavila@kaptanskraft.com Steve Jurgensen Astoria, OR To the Editor, Is cheerleading a sport? What is a sport and what defines one over another? Is it competing every Friday night under the lights? Is it shooting hoops against your rival? Or is it defined by the amount of work that the athlete puts in or is it defined by the amount of weight an athlete can lift. The Women’s Sports Foundation has narrowed the field down of what is considered a sport to these elements that are commonly agreed upon to define a sport: • It must be a physical activity which involves propelling a mass through space or overcoming the resistance of mass. (Stunting… check)! • “Contesting” or competing against/with an opponent is required (Competition… check)! • It must be governed by rules that explicitly define the time, space, and purpose of the contest and the conditions under which a winner is declared. (Time limit, mat size, scores sheets… check, check, check)! • Acknowledgement that the primary purpose of the competition is a comparison of the relative skills of the participants. (You know those competitions on ESPN? Those are national championships… check)! Every cheerleader gets fired up when someone tries to argue with them that cheerleading is not a sport. Whether it’s a football player in one of their classes, a teacher who talks down about cheerleading, or a friend who doesn’t E C I V SER PAIR & RE Call or come by today for free tire quote Most major brands and custom aftermarket wheels Lube/oil/filter • ASE Certified • Fully Insured • Warranty on all parts and labor Walk-ins welcome Silkscreen printing When a car is using fog or auxiliary lights, it’s very visually distracting for oncoming drivers. According to Oregon law, fog and/or auxiliary lights must be used like the high beams headlight system of your car. They must be turned off within 500 feet of approaching an oncoming vehicle and 350 feet when following another vehicle. The color of fog and/or auxiliary lights is also regulated. Fog lights may be either white or amber (yellow). Rules prohibit other colors such as blue. www.oegon.gov/odot/ts/docs/ veheq/revised2fog_lights.pdf I hope this helps clear this issue up with those that are constantly flashed and those that have always wondered why law enforcement doesn’t seem to understand. You make the call, it’s up to you. What are you going to do? $29.95 One low price includes: Installation • Balancing Valve Stems • Lifetime Rotation Lifetime Repairs • Alignment Check Enhanced Warranty up to 5 qts. conventional oil $75 Four-wheel computer alignment End $55 Front computer alignment Interstate batteries with free install on most vehicles 503/429/7972 58605 NEHALEM HWY. South, Next to Storage, Too understand why you’re not involved in something else “more athletic,” you want people to know that being a cheerleader does make you an athlete! This past weekend saw the start of competition season here in Oregon, and across the nation. On Saturday November 2, VHS’s Meagan Schirmeister competed in Pre All-State. Out of over 50 cheerleaders performing an individual dance and cheer routine, with a timed tumbling pass and jump sequence, she took First Place in the 1A-4A division. Next weekend she will compete for an All-State position, there is $2000.00 in scholarships available in our set division. Also participating in All-State is a 5 man stunt team from VHS, performing a 1 minute stunt routine. Joining Meagan are Mikila Solberg, Johannah Lange, Courtney Pasko, and Alex Steffler. With the return of cheerleading to VHS last year for the first time in over 5 years, a core group of girls returned to help build and grow a solid second season. This year the cheerleading squad will be competing for a state title. The cheerleaders started learning material and skills immediate after tryouts in April, shortly after that they attended a week long military style boot camp, and every cheerleader came out of boot camp with flying colors. In July VHS hosted a week long cheer camp for 5 other schools and over 100 cheerleaders. By the time September rolled around the cheerleaders had already put in almost 100 hours of practice time. That is not all, they learned how to jump and how to hold another body in their hands and toss her in the air. All of this is on top of the physical workouts they do every practice. And that is just getting them ready to cheer and stunt at games. Once school started the cheerleaders start supporting sports, decorating the school to support school spirit, decorating athlete’s lockers to wish them luck in the week’s events. They do this all year until the next tryout in April, they do it all while maintain one of the highest GPA’s in school. So the question again is….”Is cheerleading a sport”? YES most defiantly it is a sport. As the 2014 VHS Competition Team enters into this new season, take the time and wish a cheerleader good luck in this inaugural year, in the hopes of bringing home a State Title to Vernonia High School. Denise Way VHS Head Cheer Coach 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 num- ber, 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 sub- mitted. We will print letters space permitting. Deadline is the 1st and 3rd Monday of each month. Email: scott@vernoniasvoice.com or mail to: Letters, PO Box 55, Vernonia, OR 97064.
