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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 25, 1990)
Page 2 The INDEPENDENT, Jan. 25, 1990 ne INDEPENDENT Serving the upper Nehalem River valley Published monthly on the last Thursday of each month, by Public Opinion Laboratory Ltd 1206 State Avenue Vernonia OR 97064 as a tree newspaper All material protected under U S Copyright laws Editors and Publishers, Dirk and Nom Andersen. (503) 429 9410 O p in io n Time to plan growth is rare opportunity D evelopm ent is going to com e to Vernonia because of its location and its natural beauty Though we are situated in a secluded valley along the Nehalem River, we're only an hour's dnve to jobs throughout the metropolitan area, and that means growth is inevitable If you doubt it, take a second look at all of the business and residential complexes that have sprouted on what used to be farm land along the Sunset Highway We can waste our time and energy fighting growth or we can plan for it We're really fortunate because we have the time and opportunity for intelligent plan ning The Vernonia Area Chamber of Commerce now has an active economic development committee, and their approach is to work with other entities that have the same goal. ie., a diversified economy and a healthy community Though there is a shortage of industrial land in Vernonia, this committee of business people, in coop eration with a hard working city council and a sup portive county government can make a difference The linear park will be developed by the state, but the help and cooperation of local people will enhance the development so a "Friends of the Park" group needs to be organized The town's commercial area needs more than a clean up, it needs a major face lift, but it would be possible to enlist the aid of graduate students in architecture or urban planning to create a coordinated plan. Again, this takes the cooperation of local peo ple The abundance of parks in and around Vernonia make the location ideal for planned recreation of many kinds The city needs to develop a master plan for parks and, again, cooperation is the key. The airport is a major asset mat is both under developed and under-utilized, but that, too can be overcome with good planning Vernonia is at the crossroads and there are arrows pointing in all directions It's rare that people have an opportunity such as we have here, the opportunity to decide which way we want to go and even how to get there. If your SAIF Insurance has been canceled, please call, 429-9410, and let us know. By Nancy Burch Vernonia City Librarian This is a good time lo be reading and using your library for materials. The weather is conducive to enjoying the warmth indoors before prtng arrives to lure us out again and wo have some interesting new books for you. For fans of Stephen King, "The Dark Half", is available We have Danielle Steel's, "Daddy ", the story of a man trying to be mother and father to three children, while building a new personal life for himself after his wife leaves to capture the life she feels she has missed. If Larry M cM urtry's characters are your cup of tea, his newest book. "Some Can Whistle", provides the usual off beat, not always admirable, but generally likeable group of individuals. Tony Hillerman's, "A Thief of Time", is a new paperback about intrigue and murder in the Southwest as Indian artifacts are uncovered and stolen. One of my fa vo rite acq u isitio n s, "Collected Poems of Walter Mathews", was a recent donation by Mr. Mathews. Born on The Burn, Mist, Oregon in 1911, Mr. Mathews has spent his entire life in that area His poems, on logging, sawmilling, his fam ily’s early years, his va riou s adventures, friends, and miscellaneous remembrances, have been printed in this entertaining little book. I especially like the poem about the problems he had with his '64 Cadillac. Thank you, Mr. Mathews, for making this available to us. Library Hours: Monday and Friday 1-5 p m Wednesday. 9 a m -5 p m . and Saturday, 10 a m -2 p m Preschool Story Time is every Wednesday from 10 30-11 a m L e tte rs to th e E d it o r Ever so slowly... To the Editor: The snitch, the tattletale of the woods, almost invisible, moving ever so slowly and quietly this master of d is guise stalks his prey You might ge, a glimpse of him as he passes through a salai patch but most times you will catch him driving around, or parked on a high viewpoint with binoculars in hand look ing for the hunter that has no idea he's being watched until it happens You've made a mistake or bent the rules ever so slight ly. bu, enough tor him to go to the authorities with his in form ation The snitch does this in the name of "conservation " His idea of saving the game ani mals is to get rid of hunters, whether by luring them into a trap or by harassing them enough until they say "It's not worth hunting anymore " He also encourages others to do the same and proposes more state game officers to patrol the hunters As an avid hunter, I pro pose a different way to con serve our big game animals such as deer and elk 1 Eliminate the doe sea son It has no purpose, and the deer population in our area is not so great that na ture can't handle it on its own 2 The biggest problem lies in the split elk season If we were to make it jus, one season nine days long, we would take pressure off the elk herds by eliminating five days of hunting while the number of hunters remained the same 3 Bow hunting is another issue Why should the bow hunter be entitled to so much time to bag his game, espe cially when he's hunting dur ing the "rut", the easiest time of year ,o ge, one9 Shorten ing the bow hunting season would also help conserve our game 4 More State game offi cers would jus, cos, more money that could be better used for food or other assis tance the deer and elk may need during bad w inter months These are ways I teel would help conserve our big game Now is the time for all concerned sportsmen and women to express their views and le, the game commission know tha, the future of our hunting will be supported by concerned and dedicated sportsmen and women We have no need for a snitch Dean Bernardl Vernonia Nelson not cynical To the Editor: I am writing m response to Annette Naron s letter tha, appeared in the December issue of The INDEPENDENT I am a 1989 graduate from Vernonia High School and am currently attending Ore gon State University My in tended major is English Edu cation, and I plan to teach a, the high school level One of the mam reasons I've chosen teaching as a profession is because of the caring and dedicated attitude held by the VHS staff I think it is very unfair for Ms Naron to say tha, Mr Nelson is "cynical and negative ' Mr Nelson is very dedicated to his students and to his re sponsibihties as a teacher among which is doing what he can to insure students ge, a descent (sic) education With the rate of drug use dur ing school hours growing dra matically over the las, few years, this primary responsi bility became increasingly dif ficult Mr Nelson was no, being cynical when he said tha, teachers were Tired of trying to teach and coach kids who are under the influence of drugs ' Instead, he was sim ply expressing the frus,ration he, as well as the res, of the staff, felt towards the empty efforts of teaching students who were unable to compre hend material because they were high. I would like to challenge anyone to try and communicate on a learning teaching level with a student More letters on page 15
