4
letters to the editor/community bulletin board
june16
2016
Readers Lend Their Voices...
To the Editor,
Thank you Vernonia community!
It’s my pleasure to say many
thanks to Vernonia community for
showing so much generosity to host
exchange students.
It’s such an amazing thing to
realize that hosting has become like
your culture. You’ve changed the lives
of many of the exchange students. All
the exchange students this year had so
much fun and we will live to remember
Vernonia, though small but with great
people.
If anybody would like to host an
exchange student next year please do so
because it’s fun to host. You don’t need
to be rich to host an exchange student.
Thanks to those families who
have already signed up to host. Many
thanks to the school for providing
all that we needed and especially
participating in sports. Many thanks to
the host parents and especially my host
mum Jo Ann Beamish for being such an
amazing mum and her beautiful family
that always made sure my experience
was life changing.
Thank you! Thank you! We love
you Vernonia community!
James Ombati
Kisii, Kenya
To the Editor,
Vernonia High School Leader-
ship class would like to extend our ap-
preciation to all the sponsors who made
the 2016 Doernbecher Week so success-
ful. Thanks to our sponsors R&S Mar-
ket, La Cabana, Black Iron Grill, All In
Pub, Blue House Café, True Value, Ver-
nonia Florist, Meyers Auto Body, Napa
Auto, and Creatures Pet Store, we could
purchase needed supplies and gift cer-
tificates for our fundraisers.
Thanks to our sponsors and
many donors during the week, we were
able to raise $ 1,266.69 for Doernnbecher
Children’s Hospital! Students, staff, and
community members participated in
Doernbecher Dolly Head sales, bought
sundaes at lunch, sacrificed their beards
in Shave it or Save it, played games at
a kids’ event, and “bought” dates at a
group lunch date auction.
Thank you again for all your
support to help with this important cause
for Doernbecher Kids!
VHS Leadership Class of 2015-2016
To the Editor,
This letter is in response to
Brad Witt’s article in the Vernonia’s
Voice dated 6/2/2016 which stated he
is the chair for the Agriculture and
Natural Resources Committee, charged
with suggesting ways to overcome the
ODF&W’s financial shortfall due to lack
of License and Tag sales.
Brad, you know very well that
Weyerhaeuser plays a significant role
in this shortfall as studies have shown.
Introduction to Beekeeping
Wednesday, June 22
6:30 pm to 8:30 pm
Held at the OSU Columbia County Extension Service office,
505 N. Columbia River Hwy, St. Helens, OR.
This program is designed for anyone interested in learning how to raise
bees and will cover basic honeybee management, tools and equipment,
and potential problems. Class is free and open to the public. For more
information, call (503) 397-3462.
Columbia Humane Society
Featured Pet
Niner
Hi! My name is Niner and I am a Parson
Russell Mix about 6 1/2 years old. I’m a
13 lb white and tan neutered male. I
came to the shelter from California via
Wings of Rescue. I have been in the
shelter for 10 weeks and the staff and
volunteers just don't understand why. I
am a sweet guy and would probably do
best in a home without little kids. I don't
mind other dogs, but don't really want to
be messed with either. Stop in and see
me today.
Web: www.columbiahumane.org
2084 Oregon Street
Phone:
St. Helens, OR 97051
503-397-4353
Email:
animalwelfare@columbiahumane.org
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: scott@vernoniasvoice.com or
mail to: Letters, PO Box 55, Vernonia, OR 97064.
Weyerhaeuser’s new policies of charging
unfair and ridiculous fees for access have
resulted in hunters not buying licenses
and tags due to huge expenses incurred.
You said that the solution was
“SIMPLE” as if everybody would agree
because you said it. Let me say Brad, it
is SIMPLE, In fact TOO SIMPLE. Your
suggestion to begin charging 25% tax
on Weyerhaeuser’s permit sales would
be the solution is poorly thought out. I
think anyone but you would see that they
would simply respond by just raising
their fees 25%. Now they will SIMPLY
sell permits for $375 instead of $300.
Weyerhaeuser is NOT interested in those
that can’t afford it, they are interested in
those that can. Your plan does nothing
for anyone and it has no teeth what so
ever.
How would your plan help
sportsman and fishermen in Columbia
County or for Oregon as a whole? It
WON’T. How will it solve the loss
of business and the closure of small
businesses who rely on seasonal
hunting income especially in places
like Vernonia? It WON’T. How will it
help address the access issue at all. It
WON’T. Once again Brad, you’re doing
nothing to help us in Oregon and even
more specifically for Columbia and
Clatsop Counties.
You appear to be trying to make
some effort but perhaps you should hear
your own words. “Compensate hunters
who no longer have access to the wild
game, a public resource paid for by
hunters, that Weyerhaeuser is profiting
from.” What?? How may I ask will
hunters be compensated? Do we receive
Vernonia Weather
May 2016
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Weather data is collected at the
U.S. Weather station at the
Vernonia Water Plant
Upcoming
Events
Vernonia
Ridgeriders
Trail
Ride - Saturday, June 25,
9:00 am. Starts at Anderson
Park Arena; 3-4 hour L-2 ride.
Water, camping, corrals, and
concessions available. Contact
Richard Meyer (503) 429-8033.
Blood Drive - Wednesday, June
29, 10:00 am-3:00 pm in the
small gym of Vernonia Schools.
4th of July Celebration - Monday,
July 4. Parade starts at 6:00 pm
on Weed Avenue. Fireworks
start at dusk at Greenman Field.
Your Event - Saturday, July 16,
4:00-8:00 pm at Hawkins Park.
Youth and community BBQ,
music, games and more.
money? Will we receive improved
access? What exactly are you referring
to?
Also if you refer to PNW’s
petition you will see that THIS IS THE
BASIS FOR OUR ARGUMENT and
you’re repeating it. Great! This is a direct
hit but your solution will do nothing at
all. We (PNW) feel that BOTH of our
initiatives would address this.
Regarding our tax solution, once
again, we would draw your attention
to our solution “B” within the petition
where we address Timber Tax and
eliminate reduced taxes, be it Property or
Harvest Tax, and other benefits such as
Tax Deferrals, and build in an incentive
for allowing open access to lands.
We ALL realize that you have
connections with Weyco and that you
accept political contributions from them,
but WE THE PEOPLE contribute a hell
of a lot more to you and we should be
the ones you’re looking after, not your
timber buddies. We see where you
supposedly side with the people on
timber issues, but your actions say the
OPPOSITE. By the way, I don’t think
you provided a SOLUTION, it’s simply
what they should be doing, paying taxes.
They should by law be paying taxes on
revenue even if it is from access. So, it’s
my personal feeling Brad that you’re just
putting up a big smoke screen, hiding
behind it and making it look like you’re
doing something when in reality it will
be done anyway, with or without you.
continued on page 5
Friends of Stub Stewart
State Park and
Banks-Vernonia State
Trail Monthly Meeting
June 23, 2016
7-8:30 pm
The Dairy Creek West
Meeting Hall
Stub Stewart State Park
30380 NW Hwy 47
Buxton, OR 97109
Interested public welcome
Steve Kruger, Park Ranger
503-324-0606 x223
