The Sandy Post
Editorial & Opinion
Dan D illon. Editor
Scott N ew ton, N ews Editor
Von Broschier, P ublisher
C a ro lin e Duff. O ffic e M a n a g e r
SANDY. OREGON
THURSDAY AUGUST 27
1981
Boys’ concern for elderly exemplary
Folks who feel kids today are
spoiled and rotten to the core
couldn’t live around here.
Sure, we have our share of
juvenile vandalism and petty
crime But that’s just a small
number of misguided youth By
and large, our kids are great. They
volunteer to pick up trash, win
regional tournaments and bring
home honor in national skills com
petition.
That distinction surfaced again
recently when local Boy Scouts
cleared brush for senior citizens in
Boring. The youth assisted area
senior citizens by putting numbers
on their mailboxes. That task often
included clearing a path from the
home to the mailbox and from the
mailbox to the road. So the Boring
post office profited by the public
spirited teens, too.
The goal for the boys was a com
munity service project worthy of
points toward an Eagle Scout
rating. Toward that aim the boys
took extra steps.
Some elderly residents, including
one 84-year-old lady in the country,
enjoyed thorough yard cleaning at
the hands of the eager Scouts. The
boys didn’t stop at the mailbox, but
cleared all brush around the yard
The community can be proud of
such youth and learn from their
spirited example of neighborly con
cern. (VB)
Business persons should speak out
The city manager has encourag
ed Sandy business persons to share
in setting the course and speed for
upcoming urban developm ent.
That’s a good move and timely, too.
After all, Sandy faces almost cer
tain ten-fold grow th in the next few
years or so the city’s Comprehen
sive Plan suggests.
Recently the city manager and
c ity p la n n e r b rie fe d Sandy
Chamber of Commerce on the state
of the city, its immediate plans, its
dreams for the future and unclear
horizon. Some blanks need to be
filled in by planners who live and
work here with a stake in Sandy,
and so the city adm inistrators vow
ed to return periodically to com
municate with business leaders on
their grounds.
Should the city allow more le
niency in conditional use permits in
the commercial and industrial
zones, if safety is the main restric
tion and a bolstered economy the
town’s main concern?
Should the city allow gravel or
oiled parking lots, instead of
paved? If so, should they be per
mitted for public use or only
private use?
The sewage treatment system
may need expansion in the next few
years, but is business willing to
spearhead the drive for continued
commercialization and residential
growth?
More immediately, the present
system might be able to carry the
growing sewer load only with pur
chase of a used tanker truck to
spread liquid sludge on wet fields
and other temporary solutions for
$(»(),2(M1. Is business willing to sup
port the expense for the sake of
continued building and commercial
growth here?
These are just a few of the many
urban growth problems that fog
Sandy’s economic future. They are
problems awaiting the best solu
tions this community collectively
can raise. Toward that end, the
harmonious dialogue of city hall
and the business district is helpful.
After all, it's a cooperative ven
ture. < VB >
Salem scene:
Tax cut may aid poor state
by JACK Z IM M K K M A N
Associated Oregon Industries
After more than a year of pessimistic
revenue forecasts, an element of cautious
optimism has been injected It comes from
those responsible fo r balancing state
government's income and outgo
The problem rises from inflation and high
interest rates, which have depressed home
building activity and wreaked havoc on
Oregon’s wood products industry The
dilemma has been compounded by the
state’s major reliance on income taxes to
produce funds to pay for operation of
government
A fter years of comfortable surplus funds
generated by expanding economy and pro
gressive tax rates, the current recession
seriously has impaired the state's a b ility to
pay for existing government with dwindling
revenue
The revenue shotage was detected some
18 months ago and caused budget-cutting
special legislative session last August The
situation persisted through last winter into
spring and summer, severely complicating
the 61st Legislative Assembly's budget
deliberations throughout the record long
regular session that ended finally Aug 2
As recent as last week, Gov Vic Atiyeh's
economic advisors s till were forecasting a
continuation of the slump, perhaps through
I9H2 Their prognostications only reinforced
intent of both the governor and legislature to
reconvene in special session to consider
futher budget-cutting or tax increases in a
few months
Meanwhile in the nation's capitol. Con
gress was m ulling Pres Ronald Reagan's
proposal to cu, federal income taxes
Although the program was not enacted until
Oregon lawmakers adjourned, a few in
dividuals began to ponder effects of those
cuts on Oregon s economy
One of those individuals was Kenneth Self,
immediate past chairman of the site s
Economic Development Commission He
asked Economic lievelopment Department
economists to analyze the situation That
analysis is foundation for cautious op
tim ism
The Reagan tax-cut proposal, of course, is
designed to refuel the economy by creating
more discretionary income for savings and
capital investment 1’tilizing ntmnal figures
attempted to forecast Oregon s share of the
nationwide impact
Assuming what Oregonians w ill save in
federal income tax w ill in turn be taxed by
the state, the study estimated an increase of
some 170 m illion for the state's general fund
during the next three years
Letters to the editor:
‘Progress ’ stirs mountain folk
Sweitzer ‘w rong’
In r e b u t ta l to M rs
Sweitzer’s letter to the editor
last week. I would like to
c la rify some m isconcep
tions The group is called
M ountain Area C o rrid o r
Citizens (MACC) It is not a
secret organization, nor are
we a bunch of radical en
vironmentalists
We are residents of the
mountain, who enjoy living
here and are concerned with
the future of this area Good
thing, too, because the con
cern of Mrs Sweitzer and
her friends seems to have«
ended years ago I even
question how much of it was
concern for the perservation
of the area then If they
played such a big part in the
development of a cohesive
c o m p re h e n s iv e land use
plan for the area, it must
have been with dollar signs
in their eyes
I don't call four proposed
hydro projects ( the proposed
T il lie urn Spur, T illic u m
Woods, Brightwood Glen and
Alderwood developments) or
the incorporation of Welches
into a city slow and in
telligent growth I t ’s called
mass urbanization of one of
the m o st u n iq u e and
beautiful areas in the nor-
thwet
Now in the area of tax
dollars The money spent for
the public hearings is a drop
in the bucket compared to
the hundreds of thousands
Mr Sweitzer w ill have to ob
tain from the Small Energy
Loan C om m ittee
I t ’s a
federal loan made up of tax
dollars
So we, the public, w ill lx*
paying for the construction
of Mr Sweitzer’s hydro pro
ject, so he can profit from
the sale of energy
The citizens of this com
m unity can play a big part in
what goes on up here, but it
takes some involvem ent
T he
c o u n ty
has
demonstrated in the past
that if citizens do not attend
public hearings to oppose
these projects, they w ill be
approved It would be sad to
see the mountain fall into the
hands of a few developers
who want to make the moun
tain one of the largest resort
areas in the world
Development w ill happen,
but le t’s see it slow and con
trolled The mountain should
remain an area where our
children can grow up to en
joy the quality of life we now
enjoy
Jim A Kim Tinker
Brightwood
Condos ‘ugly’
Phooey on you, M r Bright
Your lights may go out.
W'e mountain people don’t
want your ugly condos We
don’t want your phoney-
baloney people up here.
They think just because they
spend a few bucks at your
ugly places, they own the
roads
Our next issue: Get the
speed down to 20 on Welches
Rod Our kids run, walk and
bicycle around here. They
have to go to the drugstore to
get their ice cream We don’t
drive them from here to
there
We re against your light
yo u ’re try in g to get at
Welches and Highway 26
No, it may go up to conve
nience your guests. But
somehow we mountain peo
pie w ill get it down
You have plans for a city.
Go put it someplace else
We o n ly need p o lic e
assistance sometimes. Our
mountain boys do one heck
of a job We re running the
freaks off. It's going to be
safe for our children, dogs
and women to walk where
they want.
L e a v e th e r iv e r bed
along though you could add
to your rive r front Ha
I'm anxious to see your
units at the first real big
flood we get up here 1968’’
Took our bridge out
Your landscaping w ill be a
mess in a very few years
Tot» closely planted Should
plant ivy It w ill cover all in
a few years
Take your city plans and
leave us alone.
W e're w a tch in g every
move you make on your
lands.
Shirley Hanson
Welches
Personal observation:
Legislative Report from the State Capital
E XC L U S I VE to Oregon's Weekly Newspa
pers trom Associated Oregon Industries
The total benefit to Oregon’s economy oer
the three-year period would come to a stag
genng $1 4 billion
One would expect.that sort of news to ex
cite those who have been struggling with the
state's budgetary problems for the last 18
months This has not been the case for
several reasons
The Economic Development study while
it does point the way for a more optim istic
outlook by necessity is based on a number
of assumptions that are less than strictly
reliable.
It assum es, fo r in sta n ce , c e rta in
m ultipliers of financial impact based on
what individuals w ill do with dollars no
longer destined for the federal treasury
These and other assumptions are apparent
in the study, and its results are dependent
upon favorable public response
The study was completed even before the
tax cut was enacted fully, and that makes its
accuracy even more questionable
Nonetheless, E x e c u tiv e D e p a rtm e nt
D ire c to r Robert S m ith indicates his
economists are examining the study and
w ill announce their findings w ithin a couple
of weeks Legislative revenue staff also are
aware of the study and have questions about
state federal tax relationship
While he doesn't deny potential for
economic stim ulation with Reagan's tax-cut
program, Smith believes the Economic
Developmet study involves some technical
problems and also questions its assump
tions
He appears more inclined to believe
economic effects of the cut in federal taxes
may take longer than three years to
significantly influence the Oregon economy
W h a te ve r the o utcom e. E conom ic
Development's form er commission ch a ir
man is on the right track, when it comes to
implementing what President Reagan's
plan intends He is focusing on the positive
at a time when negativism seems to have
taken over
If it doesn't do anything else, the plan
should help Oregonians understand role*
they can play restore economic v ita lity
Family car more ‘mule’ than machine?
The streak of red from the passing
car made my mind flash backward
The car was a red 1970 Ford
Maverick on the corner of Bluff
R oad and H ig h w a y 26. The
flashback was to 1973 in Ketchikan,
Alaska, where I last saw the streak
ing red roadster some eight years
earlier
The car had survived two wars in
its tw o -y e a r A laskan o u tin g
Somehow I never expected to see it
roll again especially after I sold it
to a little , old man who hadn't
shifted a gear since his last Ford
built in the '30s
The little Maverick just didn’t like
the frig id north It dragged its heels
like a mule, prefering to be kicked or
pulled than grudgingly move fo r
ward
One icy January m orning it
wouldn't start Refused I was get
ting late for work at the daily paper
in town at the bottom of the hill
There perched at the top was the
converted barn where I lived It once
housed dairy cattle on a pioneer
homestead I slept cold in the old
c re a m e ry
My m u le -h e a d e d
Maverick seemed happy up there
Finally the motor growled and
sputtered in gutteral baritone It
stopped I pumped it again We pro
ceed down the icy hill It stopped
right in the middle!
Straight ahead at the bend in the
h ill loomed the community dump
site A sudden drop off I shoved my
mule into first gear and popped the
clutched to restart the motor
It started, but the steering wheel
was locked in one position pointed
dow n into the abyss of snow-covered
trash
Somehow it stopped just in time
A fter all. that's what a mule is best
at
The freeze up. a mechanic told me
later, wasn't due just to cold It was
a built in flaw at conception when
by VON BRASCHLER,
Motorist
my mule headed Maverick stum bl
ed out of the stable with other cows
and Pintos Yes. it could be fixed,
g ive n tim e and m oney. T h is
mechanic said he could ju ry rig
anything, but said he wouldn't be
held responsible for my safety.
He got along fine with my car with
that attitude In fact, every tim e I ’d
pass his garage, the car seemed to
die Somehow it looked happier
parked restfully in his lot. w aiting
for his slow attention It may have
mated w ith a Colt once or twice
there Its funny g rill smiled shrewd
iy
But all good things must come to
an end. and soon it was back at the
homestead, balking at the snowy
h ill It told me it could make it up
without strapping chains to it, if I'd
just make it fast and painless So I
backed up to get a good run at it
It balked at that same bend in the
h ill I dug in and spun deeper in the
snow, unable to go either up or down
I tried too late to mount chains With
a shovel in hand. I dug my little
M averick's hooves free
But a line up of equally daring
hilltop dwellers told me to give up
the marathon in sloppy, cold snow
Wet and miserable. I backed the
freed car down the h ill, zig zagging
out of control around the dump to the
highway below There I parked my
c a r, u n til the state snowplow
discovered it beneath its blanket the
next morning
The crease made by the snowplow
in the Maverick's behind was more
than a kick in the rear It allowed
water to fill both the trunk and the
backseat Bailing and boots became
necessities for backseat passengers
The trunk, however, became a
source of odd amusement A fter g iv
ing up on control of its water
level p a rticu la rly in the wheel
well I used it as an aquarium Most
people don’t believe this But con
sider how hardy goldfish are And
cold water seems to encourage their
growth. The black moor was a
favorite It really could shock peo
pie. when I'd asked them to look at
something in my trunk
Fun as the Maverick became as a
relic of battle, I knew in my heart it
couldn t survive relocation “ down
south in the states."
So when I left Alaska, I left the
mule-headed Maverick behind As a
parting joke on it, however, I tried to
sell it though a newspaper ad for top
Blue Book price
Believe it or not, a semi mobile
elderly gent called on the phone to
verify the year, make, miles and
price He said his banker needed the
info to make him a loan He didn't
ask to see the car
Soon thereafter, the banker called
to verify this inform ation He didn’t
ask to see the car. either
Without ever looking at the car,
the old man plopped down the high
price He asked if it ran alright
After paying the money, we walk
ed to the car together He liked it!
But then he admitted not driving a
stick-shift, since his last Ford That
was a Model A
When he ground into first gear and
took off, I just knew I ’d never see
that stubborn car again It bucked
like crazy, and he took off down the
highway all the way in first gear He
must have hit 40 mph in first gear In
fact, no one I talked to ever saw him
make it into second or any higher
■speeds.
So how could I see that trunk-
creased, red 1970 Maverick with
stick shift and plaid seats eight
years later on a street in Sandy,
headed for Gresham’
Should I alert someone there’
Course it w ill take a while to arrive,
if it s still stuck stubbornly in first
gear and sloshing water in the hold.
(EDIT. N O TE: You probably have a
tale to tell about a car in your past If
so. drop us a line We d like to hear
from readers )