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.
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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
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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
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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.
