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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (May 7, 2020)
4 letters to the editor/community bulletin board may7 2020 Readers Lend Their Voices... To the Editor, The legal profession has been my passion for over 20 years, first as an attorney in Clatskanie and St. Hel- ens and for the past 5 plus years as Judge. This honor of the title “Judge” reflects the unspoken promise to the community, the attorneys and the liti- gants that the Judge will at all times conduct themselves with the highest standards of integrity and honesty for themselves and the judicial system. We all know people whose words do not always align with their actions, and it is often difficult to know when a line is crossed. The headline and the details of the independent in- vestigation, “Judge Grant Falsely Ac- cuses Colleague of Stalking,” as well as my observations and interactions over 10 years, represents that line for me personally and professionally. The independent investigative report found the stalking behavior al- legedly observed by Jenefer Grant and the statements reported by her simply lacked credibility. The alleged victim of the “stalking” knew there was no stalking activity and it was the accused who demanded the investigation. In summary, a car drove up and parked, a colleague got out and walked toward the court. Jenefer Grant reported this action as stalking. Is this a big deal? Yes it is! Is this what we expect from our paid elected leaders? I do not believe it is; this meeting did not serve the commu- nity in any positive manner. Jenefer Grant has shown no willingness to acknowledge, explain, or apologize to the person she falsely accused or to the community for wast- ing time and costing the taxpayers ad- ditional expense of the independent investigation. Admitting that a wrong (falsely accusing anyone of stalking) has been inflicted upon another de- serves a heartfelt apology. It is inter- esting to me the behavior we are will- ing to ignore for our candidates, irre- spective of the title or position. At the end of the day, facts matter, truth matters, integrity matters and credibility matters. VOTE FOR CHANGE – JOIN ME IN SUPPORTING MICHAEL T. CLARKE. Mike Clarke is Responsible, Competent, Credible. Cathleen B. Callahan, Columbia County Circuit Court Judge To the Editor, I have worked with Michael T. Clarke and his law firm for the past 4 years. For those who have never met Mike, he is someone you can talk to about last weekend’s family BBQ, your recent home renovation, a new car part, or the results of last night’s big game. He is just a regular guy who relates to everyday people. Mike’s friends are not judges and lawyers; they are everyday peo- ple you pass on the street, make your coffee, fix your electrical issues, and change your oil. They’re you, they’re me, they’re the soul of this very com- munity. Just talk to him, you’ll see he fits in with all of us. Mike is not immersed in the dysfunctional bureaucracy of this county. Mike truly cares about his cli- ents and understands that in the tough- est times people need someone they can rely on to navigate them through our complex legal system. This is the sort of judge Co- lumbia County needs. Someone who interacts with the community on all levels, who’s bedside manner is al- ways respectful, caring, and under- standing of the legal issues people find themselves in. Please help support change in our county. Vote for Clarke! Melissande Jadrnak Scappoose Support our Seniors SOS DONATION 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 toward the Senior Meal Delivery program _____ Enclosed is my $120 donation _____ 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! To the Editor, We are practicing attorneys in Columbia County with well over 100 combined years of practice in front of Columbia County judges. We believe Michael T. Clarke is the right choice for change on our Columbia County Bench. He is professional. He fol- lows the law. He works hard. These are the traits that make good judges. Mr. Clarke is also fair, honest, and thoughtful. Please join us in bringing Michael T. Clarke to the Bench by voting Clarke for Columbia County Circuit Court Judge, Position 3. Agnes M. Petersen, Attorney in St. Helens David B. Herr, Attorney in Scappoose Mary Anne Anderson, Attorney in St. Helens Stephen D. Petersen, Attorney in Rainier To the Editor, Should I get elected, 1. I will move swiftly to raise the de- pletion fee from $.15 to at least $.60/ ton with accompanying direction for the weigh master to verify amounts of rock being mined daily. I believe it’s near 12,000 ton/day. 2. I want to hire a full-time county manager and cut the commissioner’s pay to make way for the salary-benefit package. Voters want a firm com- mitment from other candidates pre- election exactly how they would vote; with or against ? Wayne Mayo Candidate, Columbia County Commissioner, Position 1 Oregon Primary Election May 19, 2020 All active registered voters in Co- lumbia County (approximately 39,600) will receive a ballot tailored to their residential address and political party affiliation. Voters who are not affiliated with a major party will receive a Nonpartisan ballot that will contain only nonpartisan offices and measures. Elec- tion details can be found at the County Elec- tions Department webpage. Ballots were mailed during the period from April 29 to May 1. Expected delivery to houses is between May 2 and May 8. Voters who are unsure if they will receive a ballot or what address the ballot will be mailed to should check their status and if necessary up- date their registration at Oregonvotes.gov. Beginning this year, return postage is pre-paid courtesy of the State of Oregon. There is no need to apply a stamp or for vot- ers to leave their home. Voters are encouraged to vote early and return by mail. Suggested last day of mailing return ballots would be Thursday, May 14. After that, it’s suggested to use a drop box. Ballots must be received by 8:00 pm. Tuesday, May 19, postmark does not count. The state voters’ pamphlet was de- livered, one per household, the week prior to ballot delivery. Inserted in the center of the pamphlet is the Columbia County voter’s pamphlet. If voters do not receive a voters’ pamphlet, they should contact the local post office or they can view it online at the county website. Due to restricted Courthouse access, all replacement ballots and new issue ballots will be mailed and in person pickups will be limited to special circumstances. Voters can contact county elections to make arrangements for a replacement ballot, (503) 397-7214 or at elections@columbia- countyor.gov. 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 first and third Monday of each month. Email: scott@vernoniasvoice.com or mail to: Letters, PO Box 55, Vernonia, OR 97064. AA Meetings Open Meetings Mondays & Thursdays 6:30-7:30 pm Vernonia Christian Church 410 North Street Women’s Meeting Tuesdays 6:30-7:30 pm Vernonia Christian Church 410 North Street IT’S TAX TIME Call your LOCAL tax preparer R Y O A LL PL P US LLC Edi Sheldon 503-429-1819 edisheldon@gmail.com Licensed tax consultant • Full service payroll Personal & small business bookkeeping • QuickBooks assistance CORPS, S-CORPS, LLC, Partnerships • Personal one-on-one service LTC #29629 - Oregon licensed tax consultant RTRP #P00448199 - designated as a registered tax return preparer by the Internal Revenue Service The IRS does not endorse any particular individual tax return preparer. For more information on tax return preparers, go to www.IRS.gov.