PUD vote still in doubt
by Kristen Hillier
The People Opposed to PUD Debt, a
Columbia County citizens group, has filed
suit to disallow the successful Public
Utility District (PUD) vote. Claiming
there was confusion concerning who was
allowed to vote on the matter, and that
the boundaries for the PUD districts were
established forty years ago, the suit
further charges that the PUD made false
claims concerning the manner in which it
intended to fund itself.
A recount of the votes has indicated
errors in the original tally. It has been
discovered that 29 votes counted as ’No’
votes were actually ’Yes’ votes for the
PUD. This brings the count to 3,533 in
favor of PUD and 3,502 against.
Richard Sahagian, chairman of the first
district of the Columbia River PUD,
for log cutting competition during last
,
All the best in 1 981
V ernonia
25 0
answered some of the charges. “There are
a couple of things about that suit,” he
pages two and three for related photos.
said, “one thing in particular that bothers
me is that they say we filed too late for
the election committee to determine the
exact boundaries of the PUD. We had an
election just a few years ago. They figured
out the boundaries of the PUD. We had an
election just a few years ago. They figured
out the boundaries fine, then,” he added.
“It’s not like it never happened before,”
he said.
The suit also alleges that the PUD
falsely claimed it would not levy property
taxes
to
pay
for
bonds.
“With
Sahagian.
“We’ll be using the
same
revenues PGE does,” he said.
The cost of takeover may be high,
however. Sahagian tends to blame PGE.
“PGE won’t talk about leaving,” he said.
“They say we’ll have to go to the courts to
get them out. I don’t know what funds
continued on page 2
See pages two and three for
1980 in Review
Thursday, January 1,1981
INDEX
1980 in review...........
Serving the Nehalem Valley
'F reedom
Vol. 3 No. 8
the
revenues PGE takes in the area, we won’t
need to levy taxes for what we use,” said
13
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Drinking and Driving.
8
Common sense can help avoid holiday driving accidents
The beginning of a new year is a time of
celebration. „Unfortunately, it is also a
time when accident rates rise because of
drunken drivers on the roads.
“We normally don’t have a problem in
Vernonia,”
said
Lt.
J.
Luttrell,
spokesman for the Columbia County
Sherriff’s office. “Last year the sherriff’s
office recorded four or five accidents in
the area,” he said. “Of course, that
doesn’t include state and local statistics,”
he added.
Luttrell stated that the biggest problem
area during the holiday season is on the
Scappoose-Vernonia Highway. “A lot of
people use the road then,” he said. “They
go to other areas to party and the
Scappoose-Vernonia Highway becomes a
well-used area. We are going to patrol that
area heavily during New Year’s,” he
added. “Our responsibility is to make
sure nobody has an accident and kills
someone that night,” he continued. “We
haven’t had much problem in our area in
the past and I hope we have as little
problems in the future,” he said.
“My suggestion is that if people are
going to New Year’s parties, have
someone who drinks Coke drive home,”
Luttrell said.
Luttrell explained that it takes at least
one hour for one ounce of liquor to
dissapate in the bloodstream. The time
factor depends on an individuals size and
weight. “However, any amount of alcohol
will show up in a breath test,” he pointed
out.
Sergeant Bracken of the State Highway
Department gave warnings and advice for
drivers on New Year’s eve. “Vernonia has
figure weights or charts, just don’t
drink,” he said; “If-you. are-driving, give
everyone on the road plenty of room.
Assume that around the next corner there
could be a drunk driver in your lane,” he
continued. “Don’t drive unless you
absolutely have to. Remember to drive
very defensively,” he added.
Bracken pointed out that some drunk
drivers are not always an obvious danger.
“Don’t assume the gay in front of you is
alright just because he’s driving a
straight line. There may come a situation
when he has to react quickly and he can’t
because the alcohol has slowed his
reactions,” he said. “Nearly any amount
of alcohol in the blood will affect a
continued on page 2
something of a reputation for people who
do a lot of drinking at this time,” he said.
“The state police will be out in force on
New Year’s eve. The officers will be very,
very strict with drivers this year. We’re
not going to take anybody home, or pat
them on the back, or call their relatives to
take them home,” he stated. “Anyone
suspected of drunken driving will be
lodged in jail,” he said. “It’s very
common for people who are under the
influence of alcohol to think they’re
perfectly fine. The officer may think
differently and the officers will be very
critical of anyone driving suspiciously
New Year’s eve,” he added.
Bracken advised anyone driving that
night not to drink at all. “Don’t try to
Economic woes beset food Co-op
I'lie Vernonia Food Co-op is currently
experiencing financial difficulties, and is
no longer selling food in its store.
According to Mary Deakin, Co-op board
member since October, “The difficulties
began after Brian Moore, who was
manager of the co-op, left. You see, he was
funded by CETA and after his year ran
out, he had to find work,” she said. “After
he left, the people who were trying to
manage the Co-op ran into difficulties.
You just can't blame them,” Deakin
stressed. “I’m sure we’ve all been in a
situation where we’re trying our best but
we just don't have enough knowledge to
work on,” she continued. “And when I
read in the paper that the Co-op was going
downhill, I wanted to get involved,” she
added.
The Co-op board has been reformed, and
the senior citizens are becoming involved.
“Right now the board consists of myself,
three senior citizens and Patty Jensen,”
she said. “Patty’s husband, Norman,
works for Community Action. He got us
involved in the Co-op Bank Workshop in
Salem,” she said.
The Co-op Bank Workshop is a seminar
set up to assist co-ops in handling and v
making guidelines for monetary matters.
The Co-op Bank is a federal organization
that can give loans and technical
assistance. “Someone to come in and help
up organize,” said Deakin.
Beside the members of the board, the
co-op itself is owned by the paid members.
“The board is set up to be advised by the*
paid members,” said Gurtie Schalock,
continued on page 2
accident, on Bridge St. in June, 1980, did
have. See related story on page 8.