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