Page 2— Vernonia Freedom
Thursday A ugust 21,1980
Public Forum Page
Passion play at Oberammergau visited by locals
Now Hear This
by G.G. Connely
The circus has left Madison Square
Gardens, and will be playing in every
town, city and hamlet across the United
States until No. 4, when the accumulated
results will be known positively by our
votes at the polls.
President Carter won the Democratic
nomination as was expected, but in my
opinion he has yet to prove to the
American people that he is the man for
the White House. He has sown his seed in
very deep clay soil, and has a very hard
row to hoe. Most of the promises he made
in 1976 never materialized, can we expect
the ones he made in New York, in his
nomination acceptance speech to be any
more credible than the ones he made in
1976?
I have noticed many instances recently
made in the news media that the BLM,
Forestry Departm ents, and timber
companies insist on going ahead with
spraying of herbicides on forest land.
Those of us who oppose the use of
herbicide spraying any where, have
reached the point of no return. By that I
mean, we cannot turn back, nor can we
compromise our position on the subject.
We must present to our elected officials,
county, state, and federal the facts, and
the documented results that are evident,
caused by the spraying of herbicides.
We have found that public officials
sometimes forget they are serving the
public, and need to be reminded that
government is paid for by taxpayers, and
will beheld responsible for their actions in
regards to herbicide spraying. Herbicides
play a major part in a view of increased
mechanization and decreased human
labor. It translates into far fewer jobs. We
should know what our local public health
officials are doing about herbicide
spraying, if anything. I would like to see
our local public health officials go on
public record about possible damages to
people from herbicide spraying.
The
N orthw est
Coalition
for
Alternatives to Pesticides (NCAP) has an
issue they will be working on next year to
promote a stiff fine for chemical trespass
convictions. I understand as it is now, if
there is a spray program and drift occurs
on property other than the target area,
the users stand a slim chance of getting a
$250fine if convicted. As of this writing,
there have been very few fines levied. The<
NCAP will be working for a $10,000 fine
for the first offense, a $25,000 fine for the
second offense, and suspension of spray
permits for five years after the third
offense. Everyone of us
concerned
citizens should adopt this issue as one of
their top priorities, and continue it into
our next legislative session at Salem in
1981.
Now is the time to take action against
herbicide spraying. The use of such
practice is imminent. If the land around
you is owned by BLM, Forestry
Departments or timber companies, and
you suspect that they are contemplating
on using herbicide spraying techniques,
contact the officials of the agencies and
tell them that if your soil, water, blood,
urine, and animals are contaminated by
such spraying of harmful herbicides, that
you will sue them for chemical trespass.
Remember, we cannot afford to
compromise our position on this issue, as
we have now reached the point of no
return. We must fight fire with fire
against heavy odds to reach the goal that
will protect our very lives and those that
follow in our foot steps.
The NCAP is an outstanding
organization bringing to the citizens of
the Northwest the real damages of
herbicide spraying to our food, water
supply, and animals. I would like to pass
on to my readers, and to some who may be
planning to assist in the tree planting
program the hazards that they may
encounter.
From NCAP: Tree planters BEWARE
of herbicide sprayed units. Inform
yourself about spraying. Vegetation on
units may be deformed, drying and smell
of chemicals of diesel. Exposure may be a
hazard to your health. You may notice
nausea, dizziness, burning eyes, sore
throat, flu-like symptoms, sores that
won’t iheal, unusual bleeding, and
irregular menstrual cycles (for women). If
you need information or help contact
N orthw est
Forestry
Workers
Association. Now is the time for action.
Strike while the iron is hot.
Adventist youth prepared
for the draft
WASHINGTON, D.C. - According to a
youth departmental official at the world
office of Seventh-day Adventists, the
government should have had no problems
with the church’s 19- and 20-year olds
who were expected to register for the
draft during the past two weeks.
Clark Smith, the denom ination’s
N ational
Service
Organization
consultant, said, "We are confident the
greater majority of our young men have
recognized their responsibility under the
law and registered as required.” Smith,
who has no idea how many Adventist men
are of draft age, added, “It appears that
98 to 99 percent of those required to
register did so in the past.”
In a series of directives to all Adventist
youth leaders in the U.S., Smith has
explained the two types of conscientious
objectors the government recognizes. The
one opposes all forms of military service
while the other is willing to be a member
of the armed forces, but serves in a non-
com batant
capacity.
Seventh-day
Adventist young men are in the latter
group.
“Beliefs must be religious, moral or
ethical in nature, as opposed to those
based solely on politics, expedience, or
self interest. The fundamental issue is the
sincerity with which a person’s beliefs are
held, and the depth of his conviction,”
Smith says.
V e rn o n ia F r e e d o m
Published weekly in Vernonia Oregon, 97064, on Thursdays a t 715 Bridge S t
Serving The Upper Nehalem Valley. Phone 429-8111. Subscriptions, $5 per year.
Deadlines for copy and classified advertising: Monday at 5 pm for the
following Thursday's paper.
Deadline for display advertising: Friday for normal material and Monday for
’ after-weekend copy.
D n ^ l^ A ClaSS Postage Paid a t Vernonia, OR 97064, Publication No. 474-690.
POSTMASTER: send address changes to Vernonia Freedom, 715 Bridge S t
Vernonia, OR 97064.
Ned Mawhirter................................. . ; .............. .................... ................publisher-editor
Emily Mawhirter.. . . . . . . . . . . . ......................... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..........advertising
Mary Cota..................................................................................................... ..............staff
Special writers........ G.G. Connely, Rosalind Maycock, PaulSeamons, Jenelle Wiggins
MEMBER
429-8111
I
Oregon
Newspaper
Publishers
Association
by Mary Ann Clark
Our first stop was beautiful
Copenhagen, Denmark. A tour of the city
included the palace and cathedral, the
harbour with its famous little Mermaid
statue, and Tivoli Gardens, which is an
amusement park with boutiques and
interesting restaurants, all gaily lighted
at night.
From there it was on to Vienna, where
we heard Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony
and S trau ss’ “ D ie Flederm aus”
performed by the Vienna State
Symphony and Symphonic Choir. We also
saw the famous Lippizan horses in a
performance at the Imperial Palace. Our
tours also included the beautiful
Schonbrunn Palace. St. Stephens
cathedral, the Museum of Fine Arts, and
Belvedere Palace, where A ustria's
neutrality follow ing WW II was
established.
“The Sound of Music” greeted us as we
arrived in Salzberg, Australia, a beautiful
and typical alpine city nestled in the Alps,
with its white stucco homes beautifully
decorated with porch boxes of geraniums
and paintings often gracing the outside
walls. During our stay there we visited
many places used in the filming of “Sound
of Music”, inducting the Captain’s home
and the church where Maria was married,
in nearby Mundsee. We also saw a
m agnificent
performance
of
Tchaikowsky’s “Nutcracker Suite” at the
M arionette Theater (all done with
puppets). It was from Salzberg we had our
first view of the Alps as we went to
Bertchesgarten and the Eagles Nest, one
of Hitler’s hideaways during WW II. It is
now used as a restaurantand gift shop
and only accessible by tunnel and elevator
as it sits perched on top of a huge rock
formation.
A s we arrived in Innsbruck, we had a
glimpse of the Olympic Village, scene of
the 1976 Olympic Games. Again we saw
beautiful cathedrals and palaces, but to
me the highlight of our stay was the
evening spent at a folk festival - at
program of national dances and songs,
Swiss bells, yodeling, and of course, the
alpine horn, performed by a group of
young people in their colorful costumes.
. What beauty of God’s creation awaited
us as we crossed into northern Italy via
the Brenner Pass into part of the Italian
Alps known as the Dolemites - massive
snow covered mountains which seemed so
close you could literally reach out- and
touch them, and then look down into the
deep valleys below with picturesque
villages dotted here and there.
Our next stop was Zurich, beautiful for
the Limatt River running through the
main part of town, and who can forget the
delicious meat fondue dinner especially
prepared for us at our hotel. It was also in
Zurich we .v isited the beautiful
Grossmunster, the cathedral built in
honor of John Swingley, a reformationist
contemporary of Martin Luther’s. On our
way to Zurich we passed through the
delightful m iniature principalitv of
Lichtenstein and its beautiful castle on a
hill overlooking the little city of Vaduz.
What excitement awaited us as we
crossed the Furka Pass going to the foot
of the Rhone Glacier. We wound our way
up the narrow switchback road only to
arrive at the summit in fog and a
snowstorm! After coming down to the
valley on the other side of the pass, plans
called for going over a lesser pass into
Lucerne. However, we learned, after
stopping for lunch, our way was blocked
by an avalanche. So, we retraced our steps
over the Furka P ass back to the
autobahn leading to Lucerne. However,
we learned, after stopping- for lunch, our
way was blocked by an avalanche. So, we
retraced our steps over the Furka Pass
back to the autobahn leading to Lucerne.
We began to compare times, and figured
we could possibly have been trapped in
the avalanche, or on either side of it - how
we thanked God for His protection.
I think Lucerne was my favorite of all
the places we visited. Our hotel was right
on the edge of the beautiful blue Lake
Lucerne. Our tours here included visits to
the Lion Monument, carved out of a
hillside of stone, and two beautiful
covered foot bridges across the Reusse
River with murals painted on their
supporting crossbeams.
On our way to Interlaken we stopped in
the quaint village of Brienz to visit a
woodcarving shop where we saw
craftsmen plying their skillful trade. We
had our first view of the mighty, majestic
Jungfrau as we arrived in Interlaken. We
drove on to Lauterbrunn and from there
took a cogwheel train up to a point of
11,300 feet elevation on the Jungfrau. No
storm of fog marred our view this time.
A s we arrived back at our waiting bus, the
rich mellow tones of the alpine horn could
be heard in the still, clear mountain air - a
perfect ending to such a spectacular trip.
Oh yes, that day being the 4th of July-,
and we being good, loyal Americans, we
conducted a flag planting ceremony on
top of the Jungfrau! One of the group had
thoughtfully remembered to bring a little
American Flag along, so it was placed in
the snow to the strains of “God Bless
America”!
Then it was on to Heidelberg by way of
quick tours of Basel and Bern the capital
of Switzerland, with the Rhine and Aare
Rivers running through them and their
red tiled roofs dotting the landscape. No
visit to Heidelberg is complete without a
visit to Heidelberg Castle of “Student
Prince” fame. From the castle grounds we
could look down' on the Nekar River
flowing through the city.
'
Our next point of interest was a cruise
down the Rhine River as far as Koblenz -
about four hours. Again, God provided for
us as the river had been closed due to
flooding but had been re-opened the day
before our trip. It was a lovely sight as we
went along to see the steep hillsides
planted in lush vinyards and around the
next bend in the river would b ea beautiful
old castle atop a hill like a sentinel
keeping guard, as it had in centuries past.
It was here we also passed the'famous
Loreley Rock. From Koblenz we drove
through the beautiful Black Forest on our
way to Worms, where Martin Luther was
called before the church Diet and refused
to recant the stand he had taken for his
faith.
The spiritual highlight of our trip was
to be had in lovely Oberammergau.
Almost all the townspeople have some
part in the P assion Play, or its
production. The play lasts about 554
hours and depicts the last week of
Christ’s life, from His triumphal entry
into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday to His
ressurection on Easter. Coming away
from the play I could only say, “Thank
God I serve a Risen Saviour.”
We arrived in Munich in time to hear
the Glockenspeil, an animated “music box
located in the tower of the City Hall.. We
also visited the treasury, where crown
jew els, various m edals, and other
artifacts are housed, beautiful beyond
description.
We lunched atop the tower (a revolving
restaurant) at the beautiful Olympic
Village, which afforded an outstanding
view of the city. We also saw the Hof
Brau, where Hitler narrowly escaped
assassination after making a speech there
during WW II. Finally, we visited the
beautiful Nym phenberg C astle and
adjacent building which had an extensive
display of ornate carriages and sleighs
used by royalty. From Munich we flew
back to Copenhagen and, all too soon,
back to home, sweet home.
r
I Please renew my subscription to Vernonia Freedom
I Please enroll me as a new subscriber to
I
Vernonia Freedom □
I
I
i
I
Name.
I
Address.
I
I
Send to: Vernonia Freedom or Call 429-8111
I
$5
_-______ - ___ ;