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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.
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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ing the outdated equipment.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GTE, when are you going replace the outdated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
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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