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About The Columbia press. (Astoria, Or.) 1949-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 2, 2018)
T he C olumbia P ress November 2, 2018 Letters to the Editor not seek notoriety or person- al gain, but just simply wants to be a “voice for the people.” Throughout this campaign he has been a stand-up man. For this, he has already won the race despite the outcome at the polls. Tammy Washington Hammond Board rejects characterization This letter is in response to misleading campaign materials being circulated by Warrenton mayoral candidate John Wash- ington. In one of his campaign fli- ers, Mr. Washington claims the Warrenton Community Library was stolen from Hammond. He implies that the Warrenton Community Library Board, and past and present members of the City Commission, were involved in a conspiracy to intentionally deprive Hammond residents of library services. Each member of our sev- en-person, all-volunteer board was appointed under former Mayor Mark Kujala in 2016 or 2017. We applied to be on the board based on the criteria out- lined on the City of Warrenton’s website: “The main qualification for a board member is sincere desire to help provide library services for our community.” We serve — we volunteered — because we care about our friends, family members and neighbors in Warrenton and Hammond. We have no hidden agenda. Mr. Washington also states in that same document that the public was not notified of the potential relocation of the li- brary and was not able to pro- vide input on the decision. He asserts that no attempts were made to give even a two-week notice to Hammond residents. In April 2016, our board was notified of the dire state of the old building in Hammond during an emergency meeting with then-City Manager Kurt Senior Moments with Emma Edwards Downsizing can be fulfilling The word “downsize” has been around since about 1975 only. A common defini- tion is “to reduce in size, es- pecially to design or produce in a smaller size.” In my desire to lose weight, when someone asks me how I am, I could just say “Fine, I am downsizing.” The many dictionaries I have at my fingertips don’t say anything about using the word to describe my weight. However, downsizing can be fun! It can be more exhila- rating than lots of things be- sides weight. There’s a more common definition of downsizing, which I find means simply to reduce not only in body but in substance and size. This past week, I removed four garbage bags of items from my home and took them to my favorite thrift shop. In sorting out my “life’s possessions,” I try to use this method: If I haven’t used it or worn it for two years, no matter how much I like it, the item must go. And, by the way, don’t un- derestimate the fun or ap- preciation a customer at the thrift store will have for your donation as well as the store’s management. I’m sure that you, too, over the years have experienced helping family and friends “sort” the possessions of a loved one who has died. Sometimes, some of the per- son’s adult “children” stand by and scoff at what their parent thought precious or meaning- ful because they’d saved it so many years. That’s part and parcel what keeps our thrift stores in business. So many benefit when we downsize, including ourselves. Could it be time for you and I to do some intensely fun sorting? Maybe even deep sorting. Even after removing four bags I have many shelves and areas that still are full. It makes me think about a verse in the Bible, Luke 12:15, that says “for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of one’s possessions.” Another verse in the same chapter: “Sell your posses- sions, and give to the needy.” Yet another, which equally spurs me to downsize, is Mat- thew 6:19-21: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth” and it tells us where our treasure should be found. To sum up, I’ll quote from a Beatles song: “My life is get- ting better every day.” Don’t let our frequent angst (worries) keep us idle. When you get projects accomplished, you will, indeed, find your life getting better every day. Senior lunch menu Monday, Nov. 5: Chicken ala king, biscuits, broccoli, potato corn soup, peach crisp. Thursday, Nov. 8: Lasagna, Italian sausage with red sauce, mixed vegetables, romaine salad, ice cream. The Warrenton senior lunch program is at noon (doors open at 10:30 a.m.) Mondays and Thursdays at Warrenton Community Center, 170 SW Third St. Suggested donation is $5 for ages 55 and older; $7 for those younger. For more information, call 503-861-3502. 7 Fritsch. The Daily Astorian first reported on the unsafe condi- tion of the Hammond building in May 2016, and additional news stories were published over the following months in various local publications. We held a widely advertised and heavily attended public forum in August 2016, resulting in the formation of a subcommittee to further explore the library’s pos- sible relocation. Our board was part of City Commission work sessions and regular meetings, both of which were advertised and accessible to the public. We made our final recommendation to the City Commission to sign a lease for our current library building at 160 S. Main Ave. in December 2016. We, the undersigned members of the Warrenton Community Library Board, do not appre- ciate being targeted as part of Mr. Washington’s misinformed campaign. Baret Becker, Rebecca Herren, Dawn DeLacey, Kelsey Balensifer, Natalie Duggan, Rochelle Coulombe Warrenton Community Library Board
