Tha INDEPENDENT, January 5, 2000
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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
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Letters to the Editor
BatwBon the Bookends
By Cecelia Sadtler
Volunteer, Banks Library
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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
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