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The INDEPENDENT, Oct. 11,1995
ikUDEHNDENT
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 ve nu e, V ernonia, OR 97064, as a fre e
new spaper. E ditors and P ublishers, Dirk & Noni
Andersen, (503) 429-9410.
OJ in the classroom;
what is the purpose?
Many classrooms at Washington Grade School and
some at Vernonia High School used their television
sets to show the verdict in the O.J.Simpson trial. Ini
tially because of complaints from parents, then out of
plain old curiosity, we talked with the principals at
both schools to find out why that tawdry display of
sex and violence was considered appropriate for the
classroom, even down to one third grade class.
Their individual responses were that the trial and
verdict were “news” and, therefore, of interest in the
classroom. Neither knew how many teachers had
shown it, nor did they address the educational basis
for watching such a show, or how it was used.
Principal Randy Aultman later called back with in
formation on how many classrooms showed the ver
dict. He said the seventh-eighth grade classes were
studying law and trials and the fifth-sixth grades were
studying government, adding that those teachers
were prepared to use the lessons of the trial and/or
verdict, and spent only a brief time on it. We appreci
ate his following up on the questions and providing a
response.
Other than the information that a shop class was
brought in to the library to watch the verdict, and an
offer to provide a “rationale,” no information has been
forthcoming from the high school, though it seems
reasonable that both government and history classes
could develop good lesson plans around the subject.
The question, after all, was what was the educational
basis for watching the program?
Curiosity now leads to more questions: What val
ues are utilized in determining whether to watch com
mercial television at school? Would the Heidi Fleiss
trial have been appropriate? It was also “news” ,
though not on the level of a space shuttle launch.
Schools could, and probably should, leave the
more lurid examples of daily life for parents to explain
to young children. Aside from that, there are better
ways to utilize the time available to teachers and stu
dents.
Smith voted for the best
available candidate
Columbia County’s new commissioner, Carole
Smith, showed courage in voting for Jackie Taylor to
replace Tony Federici in District 1. She is, of course,
being criticized for that vote because Taylor is from
Clatsop County instead of Columbia County.
Those who feel that a person should be judged
solely on the basis of where they live, are missing
some very important factors. Taylor has experience in
the legislature and, with a special session scheduled
for January, she will most likely be able to represent
the county more effectively than an inexperienced
person could; given the chaos that has beseiged the
legislature this session, that is even more important.
Beyond that, Taylor has already ably represented
part of Columbia County—it just wasn’t St. Helens.
Parochialism is not a particularly admirable trait.
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By David Michael Jones, member
Izaak Walton League, Nehalem Valley Chapter
The bugle seemed to cut through the early
morning fog—hang suspended for a moment
in the billowing, ground-clinging clouds—-then
broke into the donkey-like braying at the end
that identified the caller as an older bull elk. I
knew instantly that I was hearing the bull I had
been hunting for since the early part of bow
season. R ight place, rig h t canyon, even
sounded the same...only trouble was I was
where the herd had been the day before and
that bugle was a couple draws away.
By the time I made it over to where the bull
had bugled, there was a regular conversation
going...with another bull? The more I listened
to the other caller (it was bugling way too
much), the more I became sure it was another
hunter. I have heard hundreds of Roosevelt
Elk bugle while hunting and while photograph
ing them around the Pacific Northwest and
this bugler was just too “good” and too fre
quent. When I saw another hunter enter from
the other side of the draw below me and not
go into the bottom, I became convinced that
there was another hunter in the bottom, so I
walked out the way I came in and left the herd
to them. The next morning the scene was the
same except I couldn’t see the other hunter
and I stayed out of the canyon. You know, I
hunted that herd all season off-and-on and
never even got to see them. But next year I’ll
put to use what I learned this year and maybe
I’ll be the first one in the right place at the right
time; although that isn’t always a gimme.
Another place, another morning, another
herd—the wind was perfect and I had an ar
row knocked on my recurve waiting for things
to feel “right”. Sensing something, I turned my
head and looking into the eyes of another
bowhunter up behind me on the dirt road.
Pointing down the hill I urgently put my finger
to my lips and mimed a “ssssh”. The hunter
turned and crept away and I thought “Far out,
he’s not going to screw up my hunt.” That
“sportsman" returned with two others and they
all ambled down the road that was covered
with elk tracks. With the wind starting to swirl
and three more stinkers in the area, I opted to
go down into the herd. A spike made me
about forty yards into the salal and barked at
me like a cow elk will— I was so flabbergasted
that I just stood there. I have had bulls bugle
at me, snort, bray, chuckle, and chirp and
mew in my hearing, but never alarm bark like
a herd cow. He barked a couple more times
and the whole hillside erupted in running elk.
The spike was broadside and an easy shot
but he isn’t legal in the Saddle Mountain Unit
so I didn”t draw my bow.
In fact the whole season went by without an
arrow being released at an elk. I did finally get
to call in a bull on the last Saturday of the sea
son. Had him within twenty-twenty five feet,
but he wouldn’t take that last fatal step from
behind some alders and, since he was able to
get downwind of me faster than I was able to
run through the fading evening light, he scent
ed me and stopped. I pulled out my wind di
rection bottle, sent a small puff of powder into
the air and saw that it was toward him. Using
my grunt tube and Larry Jones (no relative)
blue c a lf-c a ll diaphragm , I m ade a sm all
squeal into the tube and pointed it behind me
to try to get him to come ahead a little. It was
to no avail, the bull turned and headed back
through the darkening alders toward his herd.
Although it was s till legal hunting tim e, I
couldn’t see well enough under the alders to
see if there were any of those small dead
limbs that could deflect an arrow and possibly
wound this magnificent animal. It was legal to
shoot, but it wasn’t right. Anyway, I have some
rifle hunting buddies, so I’ll let them know
where I saw some of the bulls this year and
they can have a chance at them.
The salmon are in the upper Nehalem sys
tem now and th e y are s p a w n in g . S teve
Thomas on Rock Creek called me and told me
there were two pairs spawning behind his
pro pe rty w ith in a few feet of w here they
spawned last year. He also saw a dead fish so
you may want to keep your dogs away from
the river to prevent them getting salmon poi
soning.
Izaak Walton League meetings are
the third Wednesday of each month,
Vernonia Public Library at 7:00 p.m.
The public is welcome
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