Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (June 22, 1994)
Page 2 The INDEPENDENT, June 22,1994 INDEPENDENT J vat The "Thìnk~ £> F ft~». , o w I WAS A T WoAMArfùy M Y Ç üua /T A y 'S TH £ z V / 4 Z Z x x -x W H û'ô T M K T tfA T Serving the upper Nehalem River valley. Published twice monthly on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month, by Public Opinion Laboratory Ltd., 1206 S ta te A venue, V ernonia, OR 97064, as a free new spaper. E ditors and P ublishers, Dirk & Noni Andersen, (503) 429-9410. Â.ATC.K l ' ù ¿¿A- H I I H & F#<M x x Y£Aas Be ' M Y S £ L F FÆ û M S A M S i ? People demonstrate no budget concerns Are citizens really unhappy about the way tax mon ey is spent in Columbia County, the Vernonia School District, the City of Vernonia or the county Education Service District? With all the hue and cry about government spend ing, it was interesting to see how many citizens actu ally went to budget hearings to offer suggestions, ask for explanations or state their opinions before bud gets were adopted for the next fiscal year. Vernonia School District had a budget hearing. To tal citizen participation: 0 City of Vernonia had a budget hearing. Total citizen participation: 1 Columbia Education Service District had a budget hearing. Total citizen participation: 0 Columbia County had two budget hearings, one in Vernonia and one in St. Helens. Total citizen partici pation: 0 (They quit holding budget hearings in Clatskanie, three years ago, because nobody ever showed up.). Our local government systems provide for open communication between citizens and elected or ap pointed officials. If citizens can’t spend an hour or two, once a year, to ask questions or make sugges tions before budgets are adopted, why should they expect subsequent complaints to be taken seriously? Schools must plan now for future needs Vernonia School District 47J needs to, and wants to, make plans for population growth. The board and the administration are aware of the real estate boom in the area and its potential impact on the schools. In addition to more students, they must also pre pare for changes in the way children are taught and how that may affect school facilities. Community help is needed to plan for the many changes the district is facing. At this time, the district is seeking volunteers to serve on the facilities plan ning committee. Facilities planning means just what it says: What facilities will be needed to meet tomor row’s education needs? There are many people who don’t want to be in volved in the numbers game on the budget commit tee or don’t feel qualified to make recommendations as a curriculum committee member. But some of those same people may be great resources for the fa cilities planning committee. Think about it. If you want to be involved in the fu ture of education in Vernonia, but haven’t found your niche, this may be it. If you are interested in serving on that committee, call the school district office, 429-5891, and ask for an application. It won’t hurt to inquire and this may be where you can make a contribution to the future of your community. M.A.D.D. membership drive underway The annual m em bership drive of the Columbia County chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving is now under way. Chapter membership is the lifeline to the chapter, a spokesperson explained. In order to maintain active sta tus as a chapter, there must be at least twenty members, some of whom can be non- dues-paying family members of drunk driving victim s. All dues stay in Columbia Coun ty and are used for chapter projects. Because of the small coun ty population base, the local chapter receives most of its funding through the MADD State Organizing Committee. D u rin g th e p a st th re e years, the chapter has pur chased video-cam era units for five of the seven local law enforcement agencies. Two m ore ca m e ra s are in the 1994-1995 budget for Scap po ose and V e rn o n ia . The cameras provide a valuable tool in the identification and a p p re h e n s io n o f im p a ire d drivers. Included with each camera is an initial supply of video tapes. Without the assistance of M ADD, m any lo c a l p o lic e agencies would not have the cameras because of tax limi tations and budget cuts. The chapter has also pur chased portable breath test ers for local school districts, upon request. During the past year over 200 DUII offenders attend the monthly Victim Impact Pan els. This is the fourth year for the program . O nly nine of those who attended the first two presentations have re-of- fended. A lcohol related fa ta litie s appear to have gone down in C olum bia C ounty ove r the past three years, especially among drivers under the age of tw e n ty. A lth o u g h th e re have been crashes resulting in in ju rie s, the c o u n ty has been fortunate that, accord ing to Oregon state statistics, there have been no fatalities am ong te e n s fo r th e p a st three years, but there have been fatalities for the group over age twenty. The chapter monitor cases upon request, and is currently following a case involving an injured child who was riding with her father. It is also mon ito rin g s e v e ra l c a se s th a t have been adjudicated, but are still having a direct impact on the victim families. A lim ite d sup ply of b ro chures is available on victims rights for DUII crashes and on choosing an attorney. Any one needing a copy may call 397-6159 and it will be sent to you. Several chapter members are active on the speaking c irc u it, a d d re ssin g church g ro u p s, G ra n g e s, s e rv ic e clubs and school classes. Lo ca l m em b ers have also helped on Victim Impact Pan els in C latsop C ounty and Cowlitz County (Washington). Prevention continues be the primary objective of the chapter. There is continual w ork with local schools by providing information, statis tics, brochures and anything that may reach young people. It is not at all uncommon to have students call and need inform ation fo r papers and speeches. This provides an excellent opportunity to work one-on-one with teens. But it is an uphill battle to reach teens who are constantly af fected by industry ads that glamorize alcohol, or whose peers and parents furnish al cohol to under-aged people. Another public awareness campaign centers around the Holiday Red Ribbon distribu tio n . T h is p a st y e a r ove r 10,000 ribbons were given out across the county. Local ly, the program needs to have someone in charge who can devote time to make contacts in the communities to get the ribbons out and on vehicles. If you can spare a few hours in the late fa ll and holiday season, please volunteer to help in your community. The ribbons are available, so all it would take is time to be sure your area has an adequate supply available for the pub lic. In most areas, the tim e commitment is once or twice a week. Though not always in the public eye, Columbia County MADD stays busy, with much of the work going on behind the scenes. Changing peo ples’ attitudes is difficult and involves long-term dedication by people who sincerely care. The chapter has no paid staff and no overhead costs. There is more to be done, but it will take additional vol unteers who are w illin g to work without a lot of personal recognition, just satisfaction for doing a valuable job. If you can help, call 397-6159 and jo in M others A g a in st Drunk Drivers. Your voice is heard when you speak from the ballot box. Register to vote today.
