Page 2— Vernonia Freedom
Thursday August 13,1981
Editorial
School levy failure robs students of experience
We’re cheating ourselves in the worst way possible. We’re robbing ourselves
of the promise the future holds for our children. The recent defeat of the school
budget levy, and the likely battle over the ammended budget, scheduled for a
vote on September 15, are short changing the options our children have in
school.
We’re the first to agree that often our schools place too heavy an emphasis on
extra-curricular activities as opposed to the basics, and that nearly as often
school systems throughout the country turn out students unable to perform
even the most simple of living skills. Unfortunately, it appears that the baby is
being thrown out with the bath water..
Hanlon faces hard
re-election fight
There is a stink in this valley. The stink is being raised by a growing group of
people who believe that State Senator Charles Hanlon has sold his
constituents down the river for the price of political revenge. We have it from
reliable sources that an organized effort to keep Hanlon from being reelected is
steadily growing stronger.
There is unmistakable evidence that Hanlon’s track record on issues
affecting this area will no doubt be responsible for a well organized, well
financed effort to keep him from successfully running for reelection.
Sources from Astoria to Mist cite as examples Hanlon’s efforts to remove all
timber representatives from the State Board of Forestry and replace them
with Real Estate agents and “city folks”. Hanlon’s opposition to the Port of
Astoria bill that State Representative Ted Bugas has fought so hard for, and
Hanlon’s fight against the creation of Tongue Point Park, and of course, his ill-
chosen opposition to HB 2620, all point to the need to replace him with
someone who is more responsive to the voters needs, they say.
Although we don’t know at this time who will be chosen to fight Hanlon in
the primary it is patently clear that a war chest of funds and favors is certainly
building and that the next series of elections ought to be very interesting, if
only to watch the political bodies fall by the side of the road.
We would like to formally thank State Representatives Ted Bugas and
Carolyn Magruder and our county commissioners for all of the hard work
they’ve put into HB 2620 this year. They have fought the good fight and are
not to blame if the battle did not succeed. We’re certain that eventually an
equitable settlement will be reached, if not at the state level then certainly at
the county level.
In the past Vernonia has been lucky in that, as a rule, our students have
received a solid foundation in the basic skills of Reading, Writing and Math. It
would be nice if these skills alone were guaranteed to produce well rounded
citizens. The truth, however, is that to a large degree tomorrow’s citizens are
produced not in the classroom but rather, on the playing fields and within the
framework of the variety of extra-curricular activities that round out a
student’s life.
It is a basic rule that the broadest experience possible turns out the best
adjusted citizens. By voting “No” to any school levy, and especially a levy
proposed during a period of austere budget cuts imposed from above by both
state and federal authorities, we’ve dramatically cut our children’s chances to
experience the widest possible variety of choices. It is the choices our children
enjoy today that will determine their courses in life.
We agree that any increase in taxes, even to support our schools, is hard to
bear. The point is, though, that any move that eliminates variety in our
students’ lives also eliminates the variety of choice in their futures. How is a
student to know whether they want to be a logger or an actor, an accountant or
a writer, a football player or a foreign language specialist if they are not given
the chance to experiment? If we limit their possibilities now aren’t we also
limiting their choices later in life?
We urge all District 47 J voters to take a hard look at what they want by way
of future options for their children before voting for or against the next school
budget levy. Our unwillingness to foot the bill for a well rounded educational
opportunity for our children now is perhaps the worst possible reason upon
which to base the decision to do away with the variety that lends color and
choice to their lives. After all, choice is the only justification we have for
education in general and choice, in the final analysis, is the only leverage we
have in trying to provide our children with the chance to do better with their
lives than we have done with ours.
Lady bowlers meet
VERNONIA METS
Mets make play-offs
The Vernonia Mets Softball team
have won four of their last seven
league games placing them in Fourth
Place, according to team member
Dolly Keenon.
Final league standings will be
determined by league playoff games
scheduled for August 10 and 11.
Check next week’s Vernonia Freedom
for final results.
The Vernonia Women’s Bowling
Association will hold their fall
membership meeting at 7:30 pm on
August 19 in the West Oregon
building.
All women interested in bowling on
a league are urged to attend.
Membership application forms will be
available.
For more information contact Alice
Ellson at 429-5353 or Betty Fuquay
at 429-7691.
Reader believes 47J 'Scared'
To the Editor:
Pre-school openings
PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT
I think that the school district is
running scared. Why is it that they
still want $242,195 more to meet their
budget when the state legislature has
cut their basic school support by only
two percent? The school district is
also receiving money from the
Common School Fund which amounts
to about $11,200. My understanding
is the reason why the original levy
was presented to the voters in June
was because the school district had
been contacted in the spring that they
were not going to receive that much
support from the state. (The state had
funded the school costs by 40
percent). So when the 1981-1982
budget was presented the school had
counted on getting that full 40
percent support. Does $242,195
represent a two percent loss in funds?
I’m not that good doing percentage
math but it looks like a two percent
loss is hardly $242,195.
I’d also like to say that the other
morning at 7:30 am I noticed that the
sprinklers were on watering the grass
in front of the Washington Grade
School. When I passed by again at 12
noon they were still on! Isn’t
4Vt hours more than sufficient to
water the grass?
Roberta F. Williams
Vernonia
The Columbia Education Service
District Board will meet in special
executive session for the purpose of
deliberating with their labor relations
representative on Thursday, August
13, 1981 at 7 pm in the Columbia
Education Service District office,
1290 Deer Island Road, St. Helens,
Oregon.
The Columbia Education Service
District Board will meet in regular
session on Thursday, August 13,
1981 at 7:30 pm in the Columbia
Education Service District office,
1290 Deer Island Road, St. Helens,
Oregon.
Vernonia Pre-School Co-op has
openings in their three year old class,
held each Tuesday from 9:30 am to
11:30 am.
To register call 429-4841.
*71 grads plan reunion
The
Vernonia
High
School
graduating class of 1971 will hold ft’s
10 year class reunion August 22,
1981, at the home of Rick and Shelly
Curl. It will be a potluck affair from 3
pm to 8 pm. The class will also be
inviting classmates from previous
years and teachers. For more
information, contact Marilyn Landers
at 429-4543.
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Vernonia Freedom
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