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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 5, 2000)
Tha INDEPENDENT, January 5, 2000 ■............ . ....... ..... . .............. . ....... . " ......... —— ..............I I What kind of New Year’s Resolution is unique enough for a millennium? Are you tired of mak ing the same old promises to yourself? Do you long to do something truly different? Have you thought about something that would benefit your community? The Library would be a great place to start. For folks who live in the Banks area, the Pub lic Library offers many opportunities for volun teers. Volunteering for the Library can take on many forms. Beside helping to sort and cata logue books, there are small jobs like dusting the shelves or watering plants. The Friends of the Library who coordinate the monthly SWAT- CO recycling project could always use a few more hands, even if it’s only for an hour or two a year! Maybe you have some wonderful books that you’ll never read again and would like to share them in the community. Or perhaps you received a new pentium computer for Christmas and would consider donating your old pentium to the Library. Please call the Library to discuss such generous donations. Maybe just visiting the library on a regular ba sis is a resolution you’d like to make. You can spend time browsing the aisles for interesting ti tles, you can select a bestseller from the new book section, you can relax while reading one of the many magazines that are also available for checking out, or pick up a copy of The INDE PENDENT while you’re there. You can also make selections from the audio section to play in your car while commuting to and from work, or check out an educational video for great evening entertainment. If you missed the popular historic program held at the Banks Library, you’ll be hap py to know that the series was filmed by Tu alatin Valley Community Public Access. The fol lowing videos are now available for your enjoy ment: “Steam Whistle Logging,” “Hands All Around: Quilting Traditions,” “Japanese Ameri cans in Banks,” and “Banks, A Darn Good Little Town.” Speaking of donations, the Friends of the Banks Library have donated a plentiful supply of I -M .......... ...................................... Letters to the Editor BatwBon the Bookends By Cecelia Sadtler Volunteer, Banks Library I Page 3 new books for the shelves. One new title is “Sharpy’s Triumph" by Bernard Cornwell. Set in India in 1803, Richard Sharpe is a brave English sergeant whose pursuit of a turncoat officer takes him into enemy territory. Whether writing about battlefields in the time of Napoleon (as this story is), the U.S. Civil War, or Arthurian England, Cornwell writes more gripping battle scenes than any other contemporary author. A more modern story of action and drama is Stephen Counts’ latest novel, "Cuba." Counts’ popular hero, Rear Admiral Jake Grafton returns as the United States and Cuba engage in a ter rifying gamble that makes the Bay of Pigs look like child’s play. Only Grafton knows the extent of impending danger, and only he can save America from unimaginable disaster. Another thriller of a story in the new section at Banks is Tom Clancy’s future-oriented new re lease, “Shadow Watch." This powerful tale is based on the Red Storm Entertainment comput er game, and focuses on terrorism in the next millennium. And if you like excitement in books, you are probably familiar with America's most celebrated true-crime writer, Ann Rule. The author of fifteen New York Times national bestsellers, and a for mer Seattle policewoman, Rule brings us her latest shocking true story, “Never Let Her Go.” This riveting account of forbidden love and mur der among the rich and powerful is a chilling in sight into the evil that sometimes hides behind even the most charming facade. Don’t forget, as you clear away your holiday decorations, that there’s a place to get rid of all that Christmas wrapping paper and all those mil lennium celebration bottles. January’s recycling day at the SWATCO Service Yard will be on Jan uary 8, 2000. p 111 Market Street Hours: Tues., Wed., Thurs., 11 a.m. -7 p.m.; FrL and S a t 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Preschool Story Time, Weds., 10:15 a.m. Phone: (503 ) 324-1382 Internet: www.WILinet.wccls.lib.or.us. From page 2 Potter of the Division of State Lands, the City of Vernonia was re sponsible for constructing the crossing in an environmentally sound manner. The permit allowed stream disturbance to be con ducted for a maximum of two hours. The pipeline crossing ex ceeded the time limit, and was not performed under environmen tally sound practices. The pipeline was put in like in the old days, just rip a ditch across the stream. No attempt was made to divert the stream while digging one half of the stream at a time. Stream turbidity was so bad, the Oregon Department of Forestry turned in ODOT for stream pollution at the Highway 47 road stabilization project, at the Scappoose road junction seven miles downstream from the real culprit, the pipeline crossing. The City of Vernonia could have been fined for this act of environmental disregard. I have photographic proof of this violation, but it would be like fin ing myself to pursue the matter further. This article should be all that is needed to ensure this does not occur again. Division of State Lands - rates a Rotten Salmon. Simply put, lack of initiative, and teeth. There’s no sense in having a state agency that has the responsibility to oversee state resources if they are not willing or able to enforce the laws to protect these re sources. Oregon Department of Forestry - rates a Gut-Shot Buck. Where the environment is concerned, many people feel that this agency is like having the “fox guarding the hen house.” ODF was designed to promote forestry, not environmental protections. Per sonally, I feel that police officers should enforce the laws in our state and that the Oregon State Police should be the enforcement arm for both the Department of Forestry and the Division of State Lands, as they are for the Department of Fish and Wildlife. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife - rates a Rotten Salmon. There are some serious flaws with this department. The disconnect between the department and the sportsmen popula tion is growing wider. ODF&W has become a world of its own. This was dramatically illustrated at a public reception held in As toria last October. While the event was public and had been an- Izaak W alton League Nehalem Valley Chapter meetings are on the third Thursday of each month at 7:00 p.m. The public is welcome. For meeting location, call (503) 429-7193. Group says thanks to Bazaar organizers To The Editor: The P.E.O. Sisterhood wish es to thank everyone who helped make the Christmas Bazaar such a great success. We really appreciate the efforts of so many people in organiz ing and carrying out the the event. It is a huge accomplish ment. P.E.O. is an international or ganization of women whose main goal is support of educa tional opportunities for women. The proceeds from the annual sale of P.E.O. wreaths and crafts at the bazaar go toward college scholarships and ongo ing education for women in our community. A scholarship is given each year to a graduat ing senior at Vernonia High; in addition, the local chapter is helping five local woman in col lege. Our thanks to the com munity for ongoing support of our efforts. Audeen Wagner Corresponding Secretary, P.E.O., Vernonia Medical mistakes protected by silence To The Editor: A recent study concerning the thousands of Americans in jured each year by medical mistake is bringing welcome attention to this major problem. As the authors of the National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine study point out, a major obstacle to putting a bet ter system in place is the cul ture of silence and secrecy that pervades the medical estab lishment. Unfortunately, many doctors and their insurance companies are continuing to stand in the way of needed improvements in patient safety, by insisting that doctors and hospitals should not be required to dis close their mistakes. With a straight face, the insurance companies complain that if medical providers were re quired to report their mistakes, this information might fall into the hands of their patients, who then might want the doctor to accept some responsibility for the harm to the patient. If a driver hits a parked car while its owner is asleep in the house, does his auto insurance company advise leaving the bounced, there were very few, if any, members of the public there. One of the largest sportsmen group in Northwest Oregon, the North Coast Game Association, was not present. As I observed the group of peo ple in the room (as a represen tative of the Salmon Trout Advi sory Committee), it became ap parent that they were mostly ODF&W personnel and a scant few members of the public, most of whom had a financial stake in ODF&W decisions. The potential for Joe Average to influence crucial manage ment decisions is, basically, a pipe dream. The department says it wants public participa tion, but it looks like this is done to keep the state legislature off their backs. I believe ODF&W’s future is in dire jeopardy if this -------------------------------------------- behavior continues, since this department depends on the sports men of this state for its existence... without us they will cease to exist! The Future: My glass ball tells me that fishery issues will con tinue to be cloudy for a long time. The Columbia River salmon fishery is most likely a lost heritage. Locally, an increase of both Steelhead and Coho salmon will be a result of better ocean con ditions. ODF&W will again exploit these small salmon increases with more fisheries. Blacktailed deer populations in Northwest Oregon will crash due to both the hair loss syndrome and ODF&W’s increased antlerless harvest. Saddle Mountain’s 3- point or better regulation will be challenged by ODF&W, which wants a spike-only hunt format. ODF&W’s decision will be over turned in the legislature after a hunter uprising against ODF&W. I am sorry that this column is so negative and pessimistic but, unfortunately, this is the reality of the world we live in. It is time for all citizens to finally heed the words of John F. Kennedy, one of the greatest presidents of the last millennium: “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” scene and remaining silent? The overdue reforms under discussion should at least in clude a patient's right to be told the truth when he or she has been seriously harmed due to a medical error. The system now in place encourages med ical hit-and-run. Sincerely, Joe DiBartolomeo Astoria Visitor points out dangerous condition To the Editor: I recently visited Vernonia for the Christmas holiday. I went for a walk downtown and was alarmed when I saw a bro ken window on a deserted business. The business is across from the Union 76 gas station [it is] called “The Nest." An attempt to keep the window from falling completely out has been made with duct tape, however, the tape has come off part of the window edge that could be very dangerous to someone. I saw some kids skate boarding across the street on the sidewalk and one kid had his arm in the air to balance himself. I wondered what would happen to that arm if he had been skateboarding across the street and his arm hit the exposed glass. Or it would also be possible for that same glass to fall completely out and injure someone. I would appreciate it if your attention were turned to this problem and see if there isn’t something that could be done about a possible hazard in your town. Sincerely, Bobbie McCienny Lincoln City Ed. Note: The window men tioned has now been covered with plywood. Public apology To: Mario Leonetti, Sr. and Mario Leonetti, Jr. I apologize for any matter that was discussed in Novem ber. As I stated I was not the source of the rumors. The ru mors I had heard were faulty and should not have been dis cussed. S. Roberts Vernonia P O U R ON LETTERS The INDEPENDENT wel- comes readers’ letters and will publish as many as possible. All letters must be signed and include a verifiable address and telephone number, al though the address and phone number will not be printed except at the writer’s request. The IN DEPENDENT reserves the right to edit submis sions for brevity or clarity.
