Vernonia's voice., September 21, 2017, Page 4, Image 4

4
letters to the editor/community bulletin board
september21
2017
Readers Lend Their Voices...
To the Editor,
Only when the last tree has died
and the last river been poisoned and the
last fish caught, will we realize that we
cannot eat money (Cree Indian proverb).
In a past letter I mentioned that
only 1.1% of our County is in cultivated
Vernonia Weather
August 2017
DATE
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
Ave/Tot
HIGH
93
100
102
93
87
88
88
91
92
90
90
83
70
72
79
80
77
75
76
77
87
84
83
71
78
87
96
99
86
80
79
84.9
LOW
46
52
47
47
53
55
51
52
55
54
55
56
43
45
42
42
44
44
42
43
47
56
51
40
41
44
44
47
47
60
44
48.0
PRECIP
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
.15
T
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
.15
Weather data is collected at the
U.S. Weather station at the
Vernonia Water Plant
crops and only 3.94% is in hay or pas-
ture as opposed to 7.67% in urban and
industrial lands. We presently have
more urban and industrial lands than we
have in agriculture.
It would appear that our County
leaders seem to value corporate money
over local agri-businesses. I would like
to point out some things that you may
not be aware of. In the Beaver Drain-
age District we have over 600 acres in
blueberries and over 200 acres in mint
and other crops. Our two largest blue-
berry growers presently employ over
60 people. Our one mint producer
employs 22 people just in their candy
operation alone with plans to expand
their existing workforce. All of these
would be considered environmentally
healthy clean jobs. Our ag business
employees live and work in the local
community and most all of the money
that they earn is returned to the local
economy.
The proposed oil storage, trans-
fer, and methanol/ethanol refineries
will, thanks to automation, require
minimal employees. Many of these
people will live in Washington and
may not have to move to the Clats-
kanie area. The products produced by
these industries are for export and not
for local or U.S. consumption.
It would also appear that little
has been mentioned about the results
of an oil or alcohol spill. Potential
point or non-point pollution from
some of these industrial activities can
cause major harm. Because of tidal in-
fluences, a spill can have the potential
of polluting the Columbia from its es-
tuary to Bonneville.
Transportation to Port West-
ward is by a single rail line. The pro-
posed transportation plan suggests an
average of five unit trains a day with
a possible allowance of 10 a day. This
traffic will have a severe impact on
Scappoose, St. Helens, and Rainier
and could very well create a danger
to public safety. In addition to rail, the
existing roads within Port Westward
have poor load bearing capability and
the Quincy-Mayger Road is located in
an active slide area.
Port Westward is in both an En-
terprise Zone and an Urban Renewal
District. That means that, until the urban
renewal bonds are paid off, all property
taxes paid will remain in the Urban Re-
newal District and cannot be spent on
schools or local governments.
The Beaver, Port Westward area
has some of the last unique agricultural
ground remaining in our county. The
majority of our other agricultural lands
are disappearing as a result of urbaniza-
tions and surface mining activities.
You need to ask yourself what is
more important? Losing a large number
of local clean agricultural jobs or replac-
ing them with a few people who are in-
volved in dirty industries?
The Columbia County Planning
Commission voted last year to deny this
zone change and an appeal to LUBA
(Land Use Board of Appeals) also sup-
ported their vote.
I would hope that our County
Commissioners will listen to the voice
of the people instead of the false prom-
ise of tenuous corporate money.
Upcoming
Events
St. Mary’s Annual Quilt & Crafts
Fair - Thursday, September 21
thru Saturday, September 23,
10:00 am - 4:00 pm, and Sunday,
September 24, 10:00 am - 2:00
pm at the St. Mary’s Catholic
Church, 960 Missouri Avenue.
Upper
Nehalem
Watershed
Council Meeting - (rescheduled
for) Wednesday, September 27,
6:30 pm at the UNWC office, 1201
Texas Avenue.
Vernonia Salmon Festival -
Saturday, October 7, 10:00 am -
6:00 pm at Hawkins Park. Pumpkin
carving, trout pond, vendors,
music, kids activities, and 7:00 pm
Timberbound concert and dance
at the Vernonia Grange.
TOPS Group (Take Off Pounds
Sensibly) meet Fridays at the
Mist-Birkenfeld Fire Dept. 8:30
am weigh in, 9:00 am meeting.
Men and women invited to join.
(503) 429-7505
William Eagle
St. Helens
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.
AA Meetings
Open Meetings
Women’s Meeting
Mondays & Thursdays
6:30-7:30 pm
Vernonia Christian Church
410 North Street
Tuesdays 6:30-7:30 pm
Grace Family Fellowship
Youth Center
957 State Avenue
SOS DONATION
Support our Seniors
Vernonia Senior Citizens
939 Bridge Street, Vernonia, OR 97064
Office Telephone 503-429-3912
501 (c) (3) TID: #23-7422295
Donor’s Name ____________________________________
Mailing Address ____________________________________
City, State, ZIP ____________________________________
_____ Enclosed is my $60 donation towards the Senior Meal
Program (Sponsors one monthly meal pack containing
10 meal certificates)
_____ Enclosed is my donation towards two meal packs ($120)
_____ Here is my donation for another amount $_______
_____ $15/year annual senior citizen membership for those 60 years
old and over
_____ You have my permission to list me as a Champion of the SOS
program (amount will not be posted)
_____ My check will serve as my receipt OR
_____ I would like a tax deductible receipt mailed to me at the above
address
THANK YOU FOR BECOMING AN SOS CHAMPION!
Stop in to see what community partners
can offer you and your family!
For more info contact Teresa Kluthe
Self Sufficiency at (971) 757-0573