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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 21, 1998)
Page 2 th. The INDEPENDENT, January 21, 1998 INDEPENDENT Serving the upper Nehalem River valley. Published twice monthly, on the first and third Wednesdays of each month, by Public Opinion Laboratory Ltd., 725 Bridge Street, Vernonia, OR 97064, as a free newspaper. Editors and Publishers, Dirk & Noni Andersen, (503) 429-9410. e tiM t t>ÙTY ow &u Flood threat created interesting situation The meetings recounted in the lead article on page one triggered some interesting conversations as peo ple reviewed the situations faced in 1996 as a result of massive flooding. One that kept bobbing to the surface with remark ably little assistance was whether the community should have saved the switch in the GTE telephone building and whether the effort would be made again. Everybody agreed that it was important to maintain that communication link, if possible, but... At this point, several variations developed, but they all revolved around the foot dragging by GTE in replac ing the outdated equipment. One person suggested that the number of volunteers needed for that single task was a waste of manpower, because they could have been helping a lot of people, not just the phone company. Another said it was okay to use volunteers to help keep the switch dry, but only if they weren’t needed elsewhere. A third person said it was a waste of effort because the long distance lines were out, anyway. Still another said the biggest mistake we made in 1996 was saving that blankety-blankety switch because GTE will never replace it. On behalf of the people who had an opinion and the many more who just listened and nodded, here’s a question: GTE, when are you going replace the outdated equipment in Vernonia with a switch that will allow local telephone customers to access caller ID and other such modern wonders? Before you answer, there is one condition: Don’t use the Public Utilities Commission as an excuse for not modernizing; you can upgrade equipment when you want to. In an entirely different vein, but related to the poten tial emergency situation, some local person, or per sons, nearly created havoc last Wednesday by starting and spreading the reprehensible rumor that flooding was starting and the town had to evacuate in three hours. This not only panicked many people, it tied up at least one phone line at the fire station because so many people tried to find out whether the rumor was true. This isn’t only irresponsible, it’s dangerous. In any real emergency, emergency service phones must be available. The people of Vernonia can be assured that they will be notified by properly identified emergency personnel if such a situation exists. Another consideration... The hallway of every man’s life is paced with pic tures; pictures gay and pictures gloomy, all useful, for if we be wise, we can learn from them a richer and braver way to live. Sean O’Casey Irish Playwright, 1880-1964 61 f r i è take Ate go »* T» Sutto/LT TWS .CfiWTCA r 7WY 600 uiABLe »Ttn5 •«< ReiAi-i IS GMATlX AffttCfATfcO I WISH P£oW.O , W oum W I D ump o f F TM £i* GARBAGE H£A£! I/, » f SpAtfe * * • a Goix Tb “A t To bUMP OTHfcAJ TftA&l 2W5 Sometimes land use regulations can make a muddle out of a mud puddle purchaser of his property told him. You see, Mr. Roberts decided to sell a portion of his land, as his health no longer alows him to maintain the property. When he examples. put the property on the market, a person By David Hunnicutt interested in buying the property told him Bill Roberts owns four acres in Happy he would give Mr. Roberts far less than Valley, a small town on the edge of his asking price, because the property southeast Portland. In response to was a “wetland” according to City Hall. Needless to say, Mr. Roberts was LCDC’s goals, our friends at Happy Valley City Hall decided that there may quite upset for a number of reasons. be a few mud puddles that qualify as First, the city had determined that his “wetlands” in Happy Valley. In order to mud puddle was a wetland without ever make this determination official, the city bothering to personally notify him of their hired a wetlands “expert” to locate all the intent to do so. Second, the city’s mud puddles in Happy Valley. Once all of “experts” trespassed on Mr. Roberts’ the puddles had been located, they land. Third, the only reason Mr. Roberts’ would be mapped, and the city would mud puddle forms (it only exists during adopt zoning laws to preserve them in the rainy season) is that the culvert under the public road next to Mr. their pristine state. Being a dutiful worker, the city’s Roberts’ property fills with debris and “expert” drove up and down the streets of isn’t cleaned out by the city, county or Happy Valley looking for mud puddles. state. In other words, Mr. Roberts would Unfortunately for Mr. Roberts, the n’t have a mud puddle to call a wetland if “expert” found a mud puddle on Mr. the government maintained its culvert. Now for the worst part of this story. Roberts’ property. Unbeknownst to Mr. Roberts, the “expert” summoned a cou Having received the bad news from the ple of additional “experts” who tres potential purchaser of his property Mr. passed onto Mr. Roberts’ property and Roberts marched down to City hall to find took two samples of dirt from the puddle. out who was responsible for declaring After serious scientific analysis, the his mud puddle a “wetland”. When the “experts” decided that Mr. Roberts’ pud city informed him about the “experts”, Mr. dle was a “wetland” and informed the Roberts contacted one of them and invit folks at city hall of their results. The city ed him back to the property. When the placed Mr. Roberts’ mud puddle on their “expert“ arrived, Mr. Roberts asked him wetlands map, and put Mr. Roberts’ whether his mud puddle was truly a “wet property in the Significant Natural land". The “expert” replied that he really wasn’t sure, but if Mr. Roberts would pay Resource Lands zone. Mr. Roberts had no knowledge of any him $2,500, he would do another study of these actions, because the city never of the property! Well gee, if you’re not bothered to notify Mr. Roberts of the sure, why did you put the mud puddle on actions, either before or after they had the wetland inventory to begin with?!? No wonder people don’t trust the land occurred. So how did Mr. Roberts find out his land was a “wetland”? A potential use process. The INDEPENDENT supports good land use planning and applications. Nevertheless, there are times when good planning can be torpedoed by people who haven't done their homework. This one of those Reprinted from Oregonians In Action
