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The INDEPENDENT, July 30, 1987
INDEPENDENT
Serving (he U p p e r N e h a le m R iver v a lle y
P u b lish e d
m o n th ly on the last Thursday ot each m o n th by Public
O p in io n L a b o ra to ry l t d
1206 S tate A v e n u e V e rn o n ia
OR 97064. .is a fre e n e w sp a p e r td ito r s and P ublishers.
D irk and N o n i A ndersen (SOI) 42'»'»410
O pinion
Direction needed to
put city on track
V e rn o n ia ( ity ( oun< ilm e m b e r Jan M iy a s a k i resign
ed re c e n tly c itin g th e fru s tr a tio n c re a te d by m ade
q u a te k n o w le d g e a n d Lick ot d ir e c tio n as th e reason
to r her re s ig n a tio n
I ac k o t in fo r m a tio n and direc tio n a fte r ts the c ity 's
o p e ra tio n s in m a n y w ays, h o w e v e r, a nd c reates p ro
b le m s fa r g re a te r th a n fru s tr a tio n
There is n o c le a r lin e ot c o m m a n d b e tw e e n the*
c ounc il a nd c ity e m p lo y e e s ( )tte n vs hen th e c ounc il
dec ides o n an ac tio n . n o th in g is done* to im p le m e n t
th e dec tsion W h e n a c ity e m p lo y e e is asked w h y no
ac tio n vsas t.ik e n , th e response u s u a lly is I w a s n 't to ld
to d o a n y th in g , I ju st d o w h a t I m to ld
I his happens
o n ,i re g u la r basis, e ve n w h e n the* e m p lo y e e s a tte n d
the* c ounc il m e e tin g s a nd know ot th e dec isions
I ac k o t in fo r m a tio n c reates m a n y p ro b le m s . ye t is
re la te d to th e lac k o t direc tio n In Janu ary three* new
people* w e re seated as c o u n c il m e m b e rs
M iy a s a k i.
M a rio I e o n e tti and Torn B u ffin g to n w hit«1 th e re m a in
m g m e m b e r R o b Ric hards h ad been a p p o in te d o n ly
three* m o n th s e a rlie r M a y o r \ \ allac e \ a u g h n w as the
only experiene ed elec ted o ffic i.d at th e c ounc il ta b le ,
y e t the* new m e m b e rs bad to p ra c tic a lly d e m a n d th a t
they be* g iv e n e n o u g h in fo r m a tio n to sta rt d o in g th e ir
jo b s It is u n fo r tu n a te ly , s till d it t o u lt to r the c ounc il
to o b ta in a d e q u a te a nd ac c urate* in fo r m a tio n
A new city a tto rn e y , lo rn k o h l, s ta rte d in January
to o , and co m p o u n d c*d the* p ro b le m
K o h l was un
fa m ilia r w ith m uc h ot the* c ity s business in progress,
a nd his advice* to the* c o u n c il was fre q u e n tly te n u o u s
and line le a r I le is bee o m m g more* c o m fo r ta b le in th e
p o s itio n , b u t s till answ ers ta r to o m any q u e s tio n s w ith
I d o n 't know
or I d id n 't have* time* to stu d y the*
tile*
V\ h e th e r he* is, o r not. k o h l gives the* app earanc e
o t b e in g u n p re p a re d to r his role* o t le g a l c o u n se l
I <n k o f le g a l direc tio n re s u lte d in s lo w in g d o w n the*
c ity 's c le a n -u p c a m p a tg n
It s ta rte d w ith vig o r, b u t
w ith o u t a d e q u a te direc tio n got b o g g e d d o w n and had
to start o v e r
V e rn o n ia is g o in g to go fa rth e r in to the* fin a n c ia l
hole*, to o , w ith sew er p ro b le m s and lo n g u n s e ttle d
la w s u its B ut it d o e s n 't have to c o n tin u e th a t way
I his m a y be* th e time* to c o n s id e r h irin g a c ity a d
m in is tr a to r
A n e x p e rie n c e d , k n o w le d g e a b le person
w o u ld
be a b le to p ro v id e the* a d m in is tra tiv e ,
a n a ly tic a l a nd te c h n ic a l e x p e rtis e th .it is d e s p e ra te ly
needed
An a d m in is tra to r w o u ld re q u ire a g o o d salary, b u t
th a t salary w o u ld ♦ v e n tu a lly fie a b s o rb e d by the* tin a n -
c tai gains th a t c o m e w ith g o o d m a n a g e m e n t S ooner
o r la te r. V e rn o n ia n s arc* g o in g to have to re a liz e th a t
th e lo w tax base in the* c ity is c o s tin g the*m m o re th a n
it's saving th e m
M iy a s a k i s p o in ts are w e ll take*n N ow w h .it w ill be
next?
etw een the Bookends
By Sandy N im z
City Librarian
It tr u ly is C h ristm a s in July
.it the* lib ra ry
I re c e n tly ap
p lie d
f o r a R u r a l/S m a ll
lib r a r y Access G ra n t
th e
g o a l o f this g ra n t is to p ro v id e
ru ra l
and
s m a ll
p u b lic
lib r a r ie s
in O re g o n w ith
m ic r o c o m p u te r e q u ip m e n t
w h ic h w ill e n a b le th e m to
u t iliz e
f u l ly
th e O re g o n
Public Access ( a ta lo g at the*
S tate lib r a r y , a service* re fe r
re d to as O P A C
the* reason I feel th a t
( h ris tm a s has a rriv e d e a rly is
th a t V e rn o n ia is one o f o n ly
U) O re g o n lib ra rie s to be
se lected fo r this g ra nt I am
v e ry
e x c ite d
a b o u t th e
u n lim ite d a m o u n t o f books
we* w ill now have access to
M an y o f our lib ra ry users do,
in fa c t, o rd e r a ll kinds o f
books tro m the* State* I ib ra ry
We
w ill
r e c e iv e
our
m ic r o c o m p u te r
s o m e tim e
a fte r S eptem ber 1, and no
la te r th an O c to b e r 11
O t course I can h a rd ly
w a it th is is rea lly a w o n d e r
fu l o p p o rtu n ity to r us to ex
pand our lib ra ry services As
soon as I learn how to use
and o p e ra te o u r new a d d i
tio n , be sure to s to p by and
o rd e r the* s p e c ia l b o o k y o u 'v e
w a n te d to read, b u t w a s n 't
a v a ila b le in o u r c o lle c tio n
O h, by th e w ay, C hristm as
is o n ly 1 54 days aw ay, a m ere
5 m o n th s I have a n ice new
book e n title d C hristm as is
C o m in g 1 98 7!! Keep rea din g
and I 'll see y o u soon at the
lib ra ry
Letters to th e Editor
To the Editor:
V e rn o n ia A g o o d p la c e to
liv e
I w o u ld lik e to ta k e th is o p
p o rtu m ty to th a n k m y te llo w
businessm en, m y trie n d s and
n e ig h b o rs o t V e rn o n ia fo r
th e ir c ards and th e ir expres
xions o t hope* and c o m fo r t to
m y w ite and fa m ily
I a ls o w a n t to th a n k the
ch u rch e s and p ra y e r groups
fo r a ll th e pra yers on m y
b e h a lf
I am sure* th a t it is bee ause
o f C o d x h e lp th ro u g h a ll the
pra yers th a t I am a b le to say
th a n k y o u to d a y
A ll this c loseness and c ar
ing c an o n ly be in a sm all
c o m m u n ity lik e V e rn o n ia
th a n k yo u a ll
Marv Meyers
Sears (a ta lo g M erchant
V e rn o n ia
To the I ditor:
H a v in g resign e d my post
tio n as a m e m b e r o t the V e r
n o n ia C ity ( ounc il I fe e l it
necessary to e x p la in why I a r
riv e d at th a t d e c is io n
I a c c e p te d the p o s itio n as
( ity ( Ounc ilp e rs o n , hav ing
an o p e n m in d, g o o d a ttitu d e
and th e naive* idea th a t I
c o u ld d o s o m e th in g goo d to r
the* c o m m u n ity
I have since
le a rn e d th a t one* person can
n ot m ake
a d if f e r e n c e
w ith o u t h e lp tro m m em bers
o t th is c ity I h«* fru s tra tio n o t
m a k in g d e cisio n s on very lit
tic* k n o w le d g e o t the* sub|e*c t
have* caused g re a t p ro b le m s
in the past
Y o ur ( i t y
C o u n c il co n
tin u e s to w o rk on those* p ro
ble m s and c re a tin g new p ro
b le m s fo r fu tu re c ounc its due
to the* lac k o f tim e to a naly ze
and evaluate* the* s itu a tio n to
make* a p ro p e r d e c is io n
I
fe e l a ( ity M anager w ith the
rig h t q u a lific a tio n s
c o u ld
re lie v e th is p ro b le m
A ll the
d e p a rtm e n ts o f th is c ity need
a s o u rc e o f e x p e rie n c e d
direc tio n
The c itiz e n s m u st be m ade
a w a re o f th e m atQ r p ro b le m s
la c in g the c ity
fin a n c ia l
stra in o t m a io r litig a tio n and
s e e m in g ly in s u rm o u n ta b le
sewer p ro b le m s has p u t a
s tra n g le h o ld on o u r c ity 's
budget
W ith o u t fin a n c ia l
h e lp and s u p p o rt o f the
c itiz e n s this c ity 's fu tu re is in
q u e s tio n
The fru s tra tio n o f a ll the
above p ro b le m s and not b e
ing able to make* a d iffe re n c e
has m ade me c o m e to the
d e c is io n
th a t m a y b e so
m eone else can fin d a way to
h a n d le these s itu a tio n s
My
p ersonal fe eling s stem fro m
having to liv e w ith the d e c i
sions th a t I m ake
I can no
lo n g e r c o n tin u e w ith o u t p ro
gress
I w ish th e best o f luck to
my re p la c e m e n t and I pray
th a t the* c itiz e n s o t this com
m u n ity w ill band to g e th e r to
s u p p o rt an e ff o r t fo r a
change* in the* c ity 's govern
m erit
Sincerely,
|an Miyasaki
T o the F d ito r:
I irst. I w o u ld lik e to th an k
D irk and N oni Andersen fo r
p ro v id in g th ru the* In d e p e n
d e n t. the* basis fo r any good
d e m o c ra c y a tree* press
Second. I w ou lci lik e to
th an k e veryon e w h o has con
trib u te d . e ith e r fin a n c ia lly or
w ith th e ir tim e to the cause
o f s to p p in g the siting o f
B acona
la n d f ill
And
a lth o u g h w e may have been
k n o c k e d dow n, w e are n ot
k n o c k e d o u t, fo lk s '
1 he D EQ has a d m itte d th a t
th is site m ay w e ll n o t be the
best p la c e to d u m p a ll o f
C la cka m a s M u ltn o m a h , and
W a s h in g to n C o u n tie s ' gar
bage (no t to m e n tio n th e ir
h aza rd ou s waste), b u t the
p la c e w ith the least a m o u n t
o f m oney and p e o p le to p re
v e n t it
D on t le t o th e r p e o
p le d e c id e the fu tu re o f Ver
nom a even o u r o w n e le cte d
o ffic ia ls have no c lo u t on this
topic
*’- « l - l . l . z v 4
4 .1
D o we w a n t p e o p le saying
O h yeah, V e rn o n ia , th a t's
w here th e d u m p is
or "Oh
yeah, V e rn o n ia , th a t's w here
the w o rld class o b s e rv a to ry
is !"
Y ou c a n 't have b oth .
p eo ple
H e lp us in o u r fig h t to keep
V e rn o n ia a liv e and h e a lth y
You can h e lp w ith y o u r tim e
or fin a n c ia l c o n trib u tio n s
U n ite d w e stand, d iv id e d we
tall
D DOVE
(D o n 't D u m p
on V e rn o n ia 's E n v iro n m e n t)
m eets th e 1st Tuesday of
each m o n th at 7 p m at the
lib ra ry
Lor fu rth e r in fo rm a
tio n c a ll R oxana Sherm an
4291821 of Patti Jensen
429 2860
o t w r ite
D DO V I
at 847 Bridge-
Street, V e rn o n ia . OR 97064
P a tti |ensen
V e rn o n ia
To the Editor:
I he M is ty M e a d o w s Horse
4 H C lu b w o u ld lik e to thank
the p e o p le o f V e rn o n ia w h o
helpe d s u p p o rt o u r 4 H ( lu b
by saving new spapers fo r us,
a tte n d in g o u r rabies c lin ic
and p a rtic ip a tin g in o u r ra ffle
this ye ar A sp e cia l th a n k you
to D r P lu m m e r fo r h a v in g the
rabies c lin ic
A lso to o u r
parents a b ig hug and kiss fo r
th e ir s u p p o rt
There w e re fo u r m em bers
w h o show ed at C o lu m b ia
C ou nty Lair and d id ve ry w e ll
O n e m e m b e r w e n t a lo n g and
h e lpe d w h e re v e r she was
needed K e rry, y o u r h e lp was
re a lly a p p re c ia te d
A t the
fa ir N a th a n Pieren w o n the
P r e s e n t a t io n
A w a rd
fo r
lu n io rs , Preston G ib s o n w on
the A ll A ro u n d Pony a w a rd
a n d th e J u n io r W e s te rn
E q u ita tio n
a w a rd
K a ri
N e rh e im and M ic h e lle F o w le r
q u a lifie d fo r th e S tate Fair
Submitted by
Michelle Fowler
Preston Gibson
Nathan Pieren
Kerry Schaumberg
Mri f-rh e im