letters to the editor/events
Readers Lend Their Voices...
To the Editor,
Judge Jenefer Grant is an
excellent judge. She is smart, fair, and
courteous, and she knows the law. I work
with her in the Judicial Engagement
and Leadership Institute (JELI), an
organization that seeks to improve the
court’s response to cases involving
abused and neglected children. She is a
valuable member of the JELI workgroup,
and she has introduced innovative
practices to Columbia Juvenile Court to
help at-risk children. She also chairs the
Columbia County Family Law Advisory
Committee, a group that looks for ways
to improve court services for children
and families in family law cases.
Judge Grant is presiding judge
of Columbia Circuit Court. In this role,
she provides leadership and applies her
administrative skills to help the court run
smoothly. In August of 2013, she led the
court in the successful implementation
of the new electronic court known as
eCourt. When this program is fully
developed, it will increase access to
justice for all citizens of Columbia
County.
I urge you to vote for Judge
Grant in the May election. You are lucky
to have her.
Paula Brownhill
Astoria, OR
To the Editor,
I see the signs.
If you are now like I was 8
years ago, you will be opening a ballot
in about 8 months while shrugging
your shoulders, staring ignorantly at
the strange names laid before you and
then placing a check mark on “the usual
party” or “the only candidate available.”
Too often, we open up a ballot,
unacquainted with who is running for
available seats in the county, state and
country. In the past, I, myself, have
not put forth an educated vote toward
someone who will represent my voice.
Eight years ago I started to open my eyes
and search out the “candidates”.
In my journey, I have learned:
1) If you don’t get involved in politics,
they will get involved with you. 2) WAY
too many people don’t vote. 3) We need
to know with a surety to whom we are
giving our vote. 4) There are people
out there who still take pride in the
political system as it was created by our
Forefathers. FIND THEM, assist them,
support them and vote for them. 5) There
are robotic/disconnected candidates.
Get rid of them. 6) Most importantly
(with emphasis this time), if you don’t
get involved with politics, they will get
involved with you!
My quest in writing today is
to encourage everyone to take this
opportunity to search out the candidates.
Visit the websites on their signs, visit
their town halls, have conversations,
and, most importantly, pray for guidance.
Ultimately, in about 8 months, you’ll be
able to vote with confidence this time
around.
Katie Cook
Vernonia
To the Editor,
As we approach the voting
deadline for the Columbia County
Jail Levy, our concern is for voters
to have accurate information so they
can make informed and responsible
decisions. However, there is one issue
that continues to surface and it gives
us great pause. There seems to be
confusion regarding payments made to
the Columbia County Jail from the U.S.
Marshals Service regarding bed rentals.
Make no mistake, this arrangement has
been very beneficial to both parties.
It has been suggested that the
Columbia County Jail takes a financial
loss by providing these prisoner holds, in
fact the arrangement takes a substantial
bite out of the Jail’s fixed costs. It costs
4.1 million dollars to operate the Jail; the
U.S. Marshals prisoner holds contribute
slightly more than half of the total
operating budget at 2.3 million dollars.
Without this arrangement, that revenue
would have to be made up by Columbia
County’s general fund.
An article published by The
Portland Mercury on March 19, 2014,
summarized the U.S. Marshals holds
in the Columbia County Jail as, “...
moneymakers, subsidizing jail costs.”
Ironically, even though The
Portland Mercury story is about the
overcrowding problem currently vexing
the Multnomah County Jail, they still
hope to secure these U.S. Marshals
Service prisoner holds -- should the
Columbia County Jail levy fail --
because of the payments resulting from
those holds. The Portland Mercury
continues by making a revealing point:
“The reduction places county officials in
an odd spot—more or less crossing their
fingers that a Columbia County levy will
fail in May, forcing our neighbors to the
northwest to shutter their own troubled
jail.”
Multnomah County Deputy
Budget Director Mike Jaspin is
somewhat more tactful, “I don’t want
to say ‘hoping,’” The Portland Mercury
quotes him in the same article. “But if
it were to fail, it’s reasonable to assume
that some of those people might end up
here.”
The Columbia County Jail
currently charges the U.S. Marshals
Service $78 per bed, per day. At 50
to 100 holds per day, this becomes
savings against the Jail’s fixed costs. It’s
important to note that if the levy fails
-- and if the Jail were to reopen in the
future -- this funding mechanism would
probably not be available again to the
Columbia County Jail. Any additional
funding responsibilities would fall
directly on the county.
In January, 2014, Sheriff
Dickerson asked renowned jail design
consultant Dave Hanlon -- he was the
design and construction manager of both
jail facilities in Tillamook and Columbia
HOW TO SEND
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Vernonia’s Voice welcomes and re-
quests 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 Mon-
day of each month. Email: scott@
vernoniasvoice.com
or mail to:
Letters, PO Box 55, Vernonia, OR
97064.
may1
2014
County -- to return to the Columbia
County Jail and review its efficiency
standards. Hanlon accommodated the
Sheriff at no charge to the county and
concluded in a written email exchange
that the U.S. Marshals holds were
instrumental in keeping down costs, “...
your cost efficiency is very good.” Mr.
Hanlon continues, “...if you take into
account the income from housing non-
county prisoners, you are operating as
efficiently as any jail I have ever seen!”
These U.S. Marshals holds are
nothing but a gain for the Columbia
County Jail and we hope this information
is useful when considering how you’ll
vote on the upcoming Jail levy.
Thank you,
Columbia County Commissioners
Tony Hyde, Earl Fisher and Henry
Heimuller
To the Editor,
Jean Martwick is the BEST
choice for Circuit Court Judge. I have
known Judge Martwick since she first
began providing her legal services in
Columbia County. At that time I worked
as a Court Security Deputy for the
Sheriff’s Office and had frequent contact
with her at the Courthouse. She always
arrived for Court timely and treated
everyone with the utmost respect and
professionalism.
I retired from the Sheriff’s
Office, got my Private Investigator
License and opened my own Private
Investigations business in 2008 and have
had the privilege of working for and
with her on criminal cases on several
occasions. I can attest to the fact that
she cares deeply about fulfilling her
responsibilities to her clients as well as
being a hard working individual who
seeks to get to the truth in every case.
Judge Martwick has the
knowledge, skills, abilities and
dedication to the duties of serving as
our Elected Judge in Columbia County
Circuit Court. Her experience in our
Columbia County Circuit Courts far
exceeds that of both her challengers
combined.
PLEASE JOIN WITH ME
IN SUPPORTING JUDGE JEAN
MARTWICK AND VOTE TO KEEP
HER AS OUR CIRCUIT COURT
JUDGE!
James “Jim” Gibson
Clatskanie, OR
To the Editor,
The Jail Bond Levy needs to be
supported. Whether we shoulder more
continued on page 20
5
Upcoming
Events
Family Fishing Day - Saturday,
May 3, 9:00 AM-2:00 PM at
Vernonia Lake. Free for kids 13
and under. License required for all
others. Sponsored by ODFW.
Vernonia Volunteer Firefighters
Pancake Feed - Saturday, May 3,
8:00 AM-1:00 PM at the Vernonia
Fire Station. Regular & Gluten
Free. Adults $6, Kids 12 & under
$4, Seniors 62 & over $5, Family
6 max $25.
Benefit Dinner for Terry Schaum-
burg - Saturday, May 3, 5:00-8:00
PM at Cedar Ridge, 18062 Keasey
Rd. Contact: Sheri 503-429-6773
or Dana 503-429-9351
Mobile Mammography - Thursday,
May 8 at Vernonia Health Center,
510 Bridge St. Call 503-681-4035
or 503-939-7149 to schedule an
appointment.
Vernonia Community Garden Fair
& Plant Sale - Saturday, May 10,
9:00 AM-4:00 PM at the Vernonia
Schools Commons. 1,000 tomato
plants, veggie & flower starts plus
many gifts for Mother’s Day. Con-
tact Penny Costley 503-429-0196.
OMSI Star Party - Saturday, May
10, 8:30-11:00 PM at Stub Stewart
State Park Hilltop Day-use Area.
$5 per vehicle. Call the OMSI
Star Parties Hotline at 503-797-
4000. Press #3 then #5 or check
the OMSI Star Parties web site for
possible weather-related cancel-
lations. http://www.omsi.edu/star-
parties
Vernonia Area Chamber of Com-
merce Meeting - Tuesday, May 13
at 6:30 PM, hosted by Grey Dawn
Gallery, 879 Bridge St. Arrive at
6:15 to visit, meeting starts at 6:30.
Potluck and Movie Night - Friday,
May 16th, Potluck 6:00 PM, Movie
7:00 PM at the Vernonia Grange,
375 North St. “The Blues Broth-
ers” starrring Jim Belushi and
Dan Ackroyd. All ages welcome -
please note: the movie is Rated R
for language.
Country Gospel Music Night with
the Buzzell Family - Saturday, May
17th, 6:30 PM at the Scout Cabin.
