4
letters to the editor/community bulletin board
november3
2016
Readers Lend Their Voices...
To the Editor,
I’ve had the pleasure of living
in this town for the last 10 years and I
would like to ask that you vote for the
Vernonia School Bond 5-259.
Many times in the past I have
asked for your support in one form or
another on behalf of the kids of Vernonia
and I have never been disappointed. Our
community is poised to have a tremendous
positive impact on both the Mist and
Vernonia school facilities by contributing
the funds necessary for badly needed
updates to the beloved Mist School as
well as the completion of many items left
undone on the Vernonia school’s campus.
The passage of the school bond allows
our district to refinance the existing debt
and continue with our current funds
available for everyday teaching and
programs, PLUS it would take advantage
of the Oregon Department of Education’s
OSCIM Grant of $2.7 million. These
are our Oregon tax dollars that we can
put directly back into our own Mist and
Vernonia school facilities. But they are
only available if voters pass 5-259.
It’s my belief that the time to
support the fire department is not when
your house is burning down. The time to
say yes to police is not when you have a
break-in. And surely the time to support
completing the school campus and
meeting our debt obligation is not years
from now, after the school has suffered
severe budget cuts and the grant funds
have disappeared. The time to support
the Vernonia School District is right now
with this bond. This is an opportunity
to meet our obligations, do right by the
kids at both Mist and Vernonia campuses
and invest our state tax dollars back into
our local community. The cost to the
property owners of Vernonia that own a
$300,000 home would be $72 per year.
Equivalent to a footlong sub sandwich
per month. The benefits are FAR greater.
It takes a vote of “YES” on
Measure 5-259 to provide the schools
our kids can really thrive in, which leads
to increased community vitality, which
leads to being a place people want to
visit, which leads to them thinking, “Hey,
this is the kind of place that’s perfect
for raising a family.” Just the kind of
thinking that led me to make Vernonia
our home.
Please vote yes with me on
Vernonia School Bond 5-259.
Susan Ely
Vernonia
To the Editor,
My name is David Crawford and am
writing as a citizen of Columbia County,
not in any official capacity, regarding
Measure 5-257 Renewal of Local Option
Levy for Jail Operations.
Having recently retired I am
skeptical of measures or levies that raise
local taxes. So when the opportunity
came I applied for and was accepted
on the Jail Operating Citizen Advisory
(JOCA) Committee. My goal was to see
just how the funds from the current levy
were used. I was pleasantly surprised to
find they were used properly and that
the Jail’s operating funds were spent
appropriately. I am even more pleased to
share with you a few facts that opened
my eyes and that you may wish to
consider.
First, this measure is to renew, not
increase, the existing levy. Additionally,
the Jail Bond will expire in 2018
reducing the property tax levied in the
future. That will reduce the effective tax
rate by $0.38/$1,000 of property value.
More importantly, our streets and our
communities are safer and the offenders
are held accountable for their offenses
in a secure and professionally operated
jail facility. Prior to the current levy
the Jail was forced to return all but the
most violent people arrested back into
our communities. Today, forced early
release is not used at all. The revolving
door is gone. The failure to appear rate
for those given bail has also significantly
improved.
Prior to the current levy criminal
activity had ballooned to alarming
levels particularly with property related
offenses. Today those needing to be in
jail remain there. The revolving door is
gone and criminals know it. Property
crime levels have been significantly
reduced.
Today there are programs available to
divert those arrested through education,
drug dependency intervention, and help
with mental and emotional issues. These
progressive programs were not available
before the current operations levy was
approved.
The revolving-door eliminated, a
dramatically reduced property crime
rate, and programs designed to produce
fewer individuals being re-arrested for
the same crimes are changes we can
live with. It sounds to me like a jail
that is working for the communities in
Columbia County. It is working for your
family and for mine.
Columbia Humane Society
Featured Pet
Meet Nadia. This lovely girl came to us
from a small rescue in the Redwood forest
in California. She is about 2 years old and
very sweet. She does very well with other
dogs, and does not seem to mind cats.
We believe that she is a heeler/hound mix
of some type. She will chase kids on
skateboards or on bikes. Her adoption fee
is $200. If you have any questions please
don't hesitate to call or email.
Web: www.columbiahumane.org
2084 Oregon Street
Phone: 503-397-4353
St. Helens, OR 97051
Email: animalwelfare@columbiahumane.org
For those who are interested in
detailed information the report of the
JOCA Committee Findings to the Board
of Commissioners can be found on the
Sheriff’s Office web-site (co.columbia.
or.us/sheriff). Select Jail Operating
Citizens Advisory Committee from the
menu under Corrections. An overview
is printed there. To see the entire report
press the link on that page. Please review
the document for additional details.
Also, I recommend that you call the
Sheriff’s office to find the scheduled
dates and times and take a Jail tour. I
believe you will be impressed with the
professionalism of the staff and the
security measures of the facility. You will
have an improved feeling of personal
security when you leave, I guarantee it!
The choice is yours. I am a fiscal
conservative to the bone. I am going
to trust the Jail management team to
continue their good work. I will also stay
on the JOCAC to see that they are doing
just that. Will you join me? I believe
they have earned your trust.
Thanks for the opportunity to
serve!
Dave Crawford
Birkenfeld, OR
To the Editor,
In a recent opinion piece I
pointed out Margaret Magruder, who is
running for County Commissioner, had
been on the County Budget Committee
for well over thirteen years. I was wrong.
As it turns out Ms. Magruder has been
on the Budget Committee for almost
twenty years.
What does this mean? Well this
means not only has Ms. Magruder had
plenty of time to help Columbia County
get out of debt as I had previously
stated but it also means she was there
and voted for the poor decisions that
made Columbia County the most
indebted county in the state of Oregon.
Ms. Magruder’s supporters claim she
is working hard to get us out of debt
therefore we should elect her to County
Commissioner. That idea is ridiculous.
It’s like saying we should hire the fox
to guard the henhouse because the fox
knows how to steel chickens better than
anybody else.
I want a County Commissioner
who is not indebted to special interests,
will resist new debt, and work hard to get
rid of old debt. This is why I am voting
for Wayne Mayo and I hope you will do
the same.
Upcoming
Events
Life After War; Photography and
Oral Histories of Coming Home -
Saturday, November 5, 4:00 pm
at the Vernonia Library. A free
conversation with photographer
Jim Lommasson.
Mist-Birkenfeld Fall Festival -
Saturday, November 5, dinner
served at 6:00 pm, entertainment
begins at 7:00 pm at the Mist
School, 69163 Hwy 47.
OSU Forestry Presentation -
Thursday, November 17, 7:00
pm at the Vernonia Grange.
Sponsored by the Upper Nehalem
Watershed Council, Professor
Doug Maguire presents the latest
research relating to clear cutting
and its impact on watersheds in
Oregon.
The Spirit of Christmas in
Vernonia - Saturday, December
3.
For more info: Facebook
page The Spirit of Christmas in
Vernonia Oregon.
Christmas in the Country Bazaar
- Saturday & Sunday, December
3 & 4 at the Vernonia Schools
Commons.
International Survivors
of Suicide Loss Day
Saturday,
November 19, 10 am
Grace Family Fellowship
If you have lost a family
member or loved one to suicide
please come to help heal and
to find support.
$300,000 property. Compare that with
how much you spend for soft drinks,
beer, chips, and donuts, not to mention
your smartphone and satellite dishes.
2. The measure will be matched by
Brian Rosenthal
almost $3 million of state money. FREE
Scappoose
money!
3. Public schools are an essential part
To the Editor,
of anyone’s community, and the kids
I understand that a lot of local who learn there are our future (and will
people are struggling financially and that support our Social Security checks!).
some people are going to vote against
the school bond measure. I encourage Jo Zettler
these folks to consider 3 things:
Vernonia
1. This measure will cost $6/mo for a
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