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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 21, 1996)
By Nancy Burch Vernonia City Librarian With Jamboree and the parade, the 1996 Summer Reading Program is officially over. Once again it was a rewarding summer, to be able to excite youngsters with stories and books while enjoying some accompanying fun-filled activities. This summer’s activities happened mainly through the efforts of Lori Longoria, Vernonia Preschool teacher, and M arguerite Nice, Kindergarten/First-Grade teacher at Lincoln Elementary. Lori read stories and directed several activi ties and, with her husband, Ed, created the “waves” and slogan for our float “the little boat that kept us afloat”. Marguerite also read and organized one of the programs, arranged for our use of the boat that was our float, while providing the inspiration and props for our sand baggers and umbrella bedecked, candy throwing, riders on the float. Randy Parrow and Sentry Market also, once again, saw that our parade participants had candy to throw along the parade route — and a little for themselves. The Pelster family’s puppet presentation of Vernonia’s flood great ly added to the summer’s activities. It was also youngsters and adults of the local Head Start program I cannot stress often enough that without the encouragement, help, and involvement of the adults and youngsters of the community, these summer programs would not happen. Thanks to all of those who helped in making this summer’s program fun, and thus, suc cessful. This year’s parade was especially wonderful for me because all six of our grand children, our daughter-in-law, daughter, and my mother all rode on the library’s entry. Young readers may still bring in their lists of 10 books and be awarded their certificates from Norma Paulus, the State Superintendent of Public Instruction. Because of a price-break we recently re ceived on magazines, the library now has sev eral new periodicals that might be just what you’ve been looking for. Country Living, Dirt Rider, Parents, Quilt World, Good Old Days, Cats, and Better Homes and Gardens Tradi tional Home are some of the new titles to be found in the library. Of course these may also be checked out. Come on in and do ju st that— “Check out" the library and its varied materials. One last word— it has been brought to my attention that the September issue of Read ers' Digest contains an article on the Mennon- ites and their help to Vernonia’s residents in rebuilding their homes following the flood. This is also available here in the library. Library Hours: Monday and Friday 1-5 p.m., Wednesday 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Preschool Story Time: every Wednesday from 10:30-11 a.m. | Ike Says (cont.) From page 2 The ultimate mystery of the trip was the young man who was seen, fishing pole in hand, fishing through the toilet seat in the ladies’ outhouse. Was he confused; maybe he uiuuym ii wao w iiiic i | let fishing just ask Tim at WOEC, surely it is something he has passed on to his son. The weather cooperated nicely, with wind, rain and snow but, through it all, three genera- tions had a very good time. anu uiai iritf oumouse was an ice shack?! It was reported that he even went and got a fishing net and was seen landing a whopper, could it have been a Brown Trout?! For more information about toi- Izaak Walton League meetings are on the third Wednesday of each month, 7:00 p.m. at the Vernonia Public Library. The public is welcome. The Josi Report By Rep. TimJosi Oregon Representative, District 2 \Ne have a system in Oregon which some times impairs the legislature’s ability to be in novative. Legislators are really no more than puppets to this system because we are bound by its mandates. It is the initiative process. Oregon has the most lenient system, of the fifty states, for placing measures on the ballot without the scrutiny of the legislative process. The process is generally good because it al lows citizen involvement in developing public policy. Where the process falls short is that the “what if’ questions are not often asked. Measure 11, which passed in the Fall of 1994, is a product of the initiative process. Oregon will be spending over a billion dollars by the turn of the century to build nine or ten new prisons. Operational expenses will be an additional burden. A constituent recently wrote, “Maybe our priorities are what is poorer now. Millions upon millions to build ever more prisons at the ex pense of education, libraries, health care and parks is a blueprint for disaster. When will we be safe...when everybody is locked up? Fear and hate seem to be the only powerful ideas around any more.” The initiative process allows well-financed demagogues to run this state. This Fall we will be voting on Measure 47, which would add more than a thousand words to the Oregon Constitution. It’s main purpose is to cut and cap property taxes, which would fundamental ly change the state’s property tax system. If passed, the total property-tax collections avail able for the state’s schools and local govern ments will be about $467 million less in 1997, a cut of roughly 20 percent. President Franklin D. Roosevelt told us that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself. I would add that, for Oregon, we should also fear the initiative process. We will have 16 measures on the ballot this fall which came from the initiative process. Some measures are very complex. One example is Measure 35, which deals with Capitation. This measure would limit billing options for physicians and prohibit doctors from being paid on a per capi- ta or per patient basis. I attended an all-day seminar on Capitation and I am still not sure if Measure 35 would be good public policy. Please take the time to read these 16 mea sures before voting this Fall and if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to call me. I will do my best to find the information you need to make an informed decision at the ballot box. Rep. Josi may be contacted at 6740 Baseline Bay City, OR 97107 Phone/Fax: (503) 377-2111 E-Mail: RepJosi America On Line l e t t e lM e Editor Future of Vernonia Grange considered To the Editor: September 7, 1996. Write that date down on your calen dar. It is a Saturday. Between 2 and 4 p.m. come to the Ver nonia Grange Hall. The time has come see if you are inter ested in re-starting Vernonia G range. We need to hear from you, the people who will benefit most, w hether you want a grange in your town. The b u ild in g has been used off-and-on by several organizations over the last seven months. Flood Relief efforts used the hall for a dis tribution center. WIC has re quested continued access to the facility for their programs. Recently an art group used the hall for victim recovery projects. We would like to have re p re s e n ta tio n from those organizations, if possi ble. Those of you who have reaped benefits from the use of the hall might see a place where you would like to dedi cate som e of you r tim e ... Anyone who wants to share their opinion about Vernonia Grange, Past or Future tense, you are invited. If you have ideas how the hall could be used to benefit your commu nity, please come. If you are curious about the Grange in general, we’d love to see you there, too. We w ill provide snacks to munch on and cof fee or juice to drink. Although we have appreci ated our contact person that has helped w ith a rra n g e ments for furnace oil, flood dam age re p a irs , e tc., we need to get con trol of this grange back into the hands of the members. The fate of this hall must rest with those indi viduals who take an active in te re s t in the lo cal events. Over 75% of the listed mem bership have sent in the an nual dues for 1996. This ex presses to me at least a fi nancial concern and interest in the continuation of the Ver nonia Grange. It appears that a p p ro x im a te ly 90% of the members live in the immedi ate Vernonia area. This could be an e x c e lle n t so u rce of community-aware citizens. What can the grange offer you? Come to the grange hall and see. We will have infor mation available on the pro grams offered. From leader ship opportunities to discount phone ca rd s and c o lle g e scholarship information. Na tional projects, State contests and county-w ide interests, like they say “Something for everyone” . Members of the grange from around Colum bia County will be available to answer questions and share experiences with you. Meet some of the grangers that are active in the area. It is an op p o rtu n ity to he lp V ernonia grow into the year 2000 with the fa m ily in m ind. W ho knows?... You might decide you want to join the organiza tion called “The Grange". Teresa Hoag, Master Columbia Pomona Grange Thanks fo r help with fishing derby To the Editor: The Nehalem Valley Chap te r of the Izaak W alton League of America wants to thank all those who helped at the Fishing Derby during the Friendship Jamboree. Donatons were from The IN D EPEN D EN T, Vernonia Hardware, Dave Jones, Kauf mann’s Streamborn Sporting Goods in Tigard, Cabella Mail Order Outfitters, and Chuck Cradit’s Bridge Street Bait & Tackle. Those who helped at the Derby w ere: Dave Jones, Ralph Bergerson, Dale Webb, Jack & Jessie Lindsley, Bob Scroggins, Bob Hennessey, Dennis Nelson, Bill Yeo and Fish Derby C hairm an Don Webb. Nehalem Valley Chapter Izaak Walton League of America Thank you for Arts & Crafts Show help To the Editor: Vernonia Arts and Crafts S ociety w ishes to express their thanks to everyone who visited us during the [Vernon ia Friendship Jamboree] but especially to those ladies who came in to help in hostessing the show. Our thanks also to the muscle men who helped to set up and take down the boards and easels. We ex tend a very sp e cia l, large thank you to Vernonia Health Clinic for use of the building. Barbara Sturdevant, V-P Vernonia Society of Arts & Crafts Many needed to put on Logging Show To the Editor: The Logging Show Com mittee would like to take this time to thank all the people who made the logging show possible this year. It takes a lot of people to bring about a great show like we had this year. It takes the people who volunteer their time at the log ging show, like Pete Peters, Jack Carter, Al Widme, Bill Woolsey and Jani Richard, who keep th in g s running smoothly each year. We also want to mention all the guys who do the set up of the logging show and the judging during the logging show, and the la d ie s who take care of the paperwork. We can’t forget to thank the C o lu m b ia C ounty Rodeo Court who came over to pre sent our trophies for us this year. O thers we could not do without are the many, many sponsors who support the an nual logging show. We thank all of you for your hard work and generous support. Sincerely, Chris Cota & Jerry Budge, Co-Chairmen Vernonia Logging Show Committee Forester says letter was “ misrepresented” To the Editor: The July 17, 1996 editorial Please see page 12
