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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 2, 2000)
The INDEPENDENT, February 2, 2000 1,1 ' ' " — .I I .- .- I .1.1 , I ■ . 111 lw.M .1 l . l ■ ■ IH ■. !■!■■■■ Letters to the Editor Batwson the Bookends By Cecelia Sadtler Volunteer, Banks Library If you live in the Banks area and are interest ed in supporting the Library, mark your calen dars for March 7th at 7:00 pm. That is the date for the next meeting of the Friends of the Banks Public Library. The Friends always welcome new members. Membership donations, along with other projects, are part of their ongoing fundraising efforts. The Friends’ contributions make possible many of the Library’s vital func tions, such as Pre-School Story Time, monthly recycling and tons of best-selling books. The Friends also purchase items for the Library, such as book-ends and step stools. You can become more familiar with the Friends’ mission and ac tivities by stopping in the Library lobby to read the minutes and notes which are posted there from their most recent meeting. There are several books that are new in Banks this week, including Dr. Atkins’ Age-Defy ing Diet Revolution. Atkins, the world-renowned medical expert who has shown millions how to lose weight and keep it off, now presents a rev olutionary program for a longer, better, and healthier life. The book shows clear and effec tive ways to add years to your life, boost your im mune system, enhance brain function, lose weight, and reduce risk for certain diseases. Dr. Atkins co-authors this latest work with Sheila Buff, a specialist in medicine, nutrition, natural history, and the outdoors. Parents all over the country are raving about John Gray’s newest release. Gray, the popular author of Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus now brings us Children Are From Heav en. In this work, Gray gives a reassuring mes sage that children of today do not need to be motivated by fear of punishment. They already have within themselves a healthy desire to please their parents as well as what they need to grow to develop the necessary skills for suc cessful living. His book teaches techniques that parents can use to bring forth those innate qual ities, and it shows how to deliver the five central messages that support a strong sense of self, and contain the secret to raising cooperative, confident and compassionate children. In an entirely different category is a gruesome account called Monster, written by the master of psychological thrillers, Jonathan Kellerman. Ham radio operators are prepared to help To the Editor: Happy New Year! Y2K made it here with few problems. The Columbia County emergency agencies and utilities were ready for the worst. Amateur Radio Emergency Services was there, too. We had 20 Ham operators manning differ ent sites at Columbia County Operations Center, Columbia 9-1-1 Communications District, Vernonia Fire, and Rainier Fire. There were ARES mobile units on the East side of the county, on the road and ready to go Bn Says... From page 2 for a bigger meeting place is necessitated. Meeting time is 7:00 p.m. Unless a lot of inter est is generated, this project will not be undertaken. Keep a tight line and good fishing. Izaak Walton League meetings are on the third Thursday of each month, 7:00 p.m. The public is welcome. For meeting loca tion, call (503) 429-7193. Page 3 II', Kellerman has brought his expertise as a child psychologist to numerous tales of suspense and twisted plots, and this ingenious new novel is his most riveting story yet. In Monster, Kellerman brings back Dr. Alex Delaware and his partner, Milo Sturgis, to solve a series of grisly and baf fling murders. Their investigations draw them into a web of family secrets, vengeance and ma nipulation where death, sex and drugs are mar keted as commodities. The climactic discovery they make as they race to prevent more killings gives fresh and terrifying meaning to the con cept of monstrosity. Another blood-chilling novel, new to Banks, is Kiss of the Bees by J.A. Jance, the New York Times bestselling author of the J.P. Beaumont series, the Sheriff Joanna Brady mystery series, and the suspense novel, Hour of the Hunter. Set in the beautiful Southwest, this recent release by Jance is a tale of blended cultures, and of a dark and brilliant excursion into evil that will haunt the memory for a long time. Also new is the twelfth book in the masterful “Redwall epic” series by storyteller Brian Jacques, The Legend of Luke. Be sure to get to the Library early to grab these prized selections. Remember that new books are arriving daily. This is a great time to pick up something new and interesting for a dark, rainy night. The Li brary reminds us, too, that it’s getting closer to tax time, and new forms are in. The Library is a convenient place to get your tax forms or to make copies while you are there. Spring cleaning time is here so don’t forget to take all your recyclable items to the SWATCO Service Yard on Sellers Rd. this Saturday, Feb. 12th. Volunteers and Friends of the Library will be glad to assist you between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. If your spring-cleaning includes books that you’d like to donate to the Banks Library, please call first to schedule time to go through the books and to verify donation criteria. This saves time and effort for you, and the Library staff will appreciate your courtesy. Banks Public Library: 111 Market Street Hours: Tues., Wed., Thurs., 11 a.m. - 7 p.m,; Fri, and Sat. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Preschool Story Time, Weds., 10:15 a.m. Phone: (503)024-1382 internet: www.WILInet.wccis.lib.or.us. anywhere with extensive portable capabilities, and on the West side covering Vernon ia, Mist, Birkenfield, Hwy. 47, and Hwy. 202. The 20 Hams put in 84 man-hours for this event. These dedicated Ama teurs deserve a big “Thank You” for the use of their time and equipment New Years eve was also the first “test” of the amateur sta tion at the new Columbia 9-1-1 Communications District dis patch center. The equipment there became operational just the day before. It was made possible by generous dona tions from Hams county wide. Special Thanks also go to Sal ly Jones, administrator for the district, and the staff at Co lumbia 9-I-I. They were very accommodating during our in stallation, and they donated a room with desk and divider. Boise Cascade and the St. Helens Police Department have donated computers for use as packet radio stations at each fire district main station in the county. This was a big step to- O-A Hill annexation hearing draws little comment, either pro or con Brett Costley, a Louisiana Avenue resident, was the only person to express concern at a public hearing before the city council, Jan. 24, about the an nexation of several properties between O-A Hill and Melllinger Road, by the City of Vernonia. Costley’s concerns dealt mainly with the condition of Louisiana Avenue and what im pact there would be from in creased development. Twelve property owners are affected by the proposed an nexation. Of these, Costly and a neighbor, Milton Dennis, were the only two who did not return consent forms to the city. They are also the only property owners among the twelve whose property has been cov ered by 1993 agreements to be annexed in exchange for city water service. A second hearing is set for Feb. 10, at 6:30 p.m., before the Vernonia Planning Com mission. This hearing was rescheduled from Jan 20th. The council will hold a spe cial meeting, Feb. 14 at 7:00 p.m., to make a decision on the annexations. Both meetings will be held in the council chamber at Vernonia City Hall. ward our goal of having packet and voice communications in each fire district, as well as the EOC and Columbia 9-1-1. We are lacking monitors and print ers so donations of equipment or cash would be appreciated. If you have anything, contact John Clouse at (503) 366-3565 or Martin Anderson at (503) 397-2272. There is also consideration of adding another packet node to cover the needs of the Co lumbia County Network. The Goble node, behind Rainier, was very crowded on new year’s eve, creating access problems for lower powered stations. It is the only packet node in Colum bia County and faces a difficult future. It is located at a City of Rainier radio site and will have to pay increased site fees. All are encouraged to contact Rainier officials about the value of packet, and other, modes of amateur communication for public safety and public ser vice. For more information call Anderson, KC7ILK, at the num ber above, or contact Bill, own er of the Packet Node at WA7SJN@ w a7sin.#w a.w a . usa.noam. Suggestions have been made to add more voice re peaters for improved coverage. The repeater at Meissner Look out has full county coverage, but the area is too rough and big to have full quieting cover age for a single repeater. The owner of a repeater in North County would be glad to move his (it sits in a hole and covers about 4 square miles) if a bet ter location could be found. Vernonia is struggling to put a Packet Node on Corey Hill. They have 75-percent of the system but need around $450 to complete the project. There are ARES positions open in the Scappoose and Mist-Birkenfield Fire Districts for Assistant Emergency Coor dinator. ARES members don’t have to live in the districts but need to live close by. They must work closely with the dis trict chief and his staff on meet ing the goals of Emergency Management Communication Organization, and ability to “ac tivate” other volunteers. Again, contact Anderson. Remember, getting involved doesn’t mean giving up your life or your hobby. It can only enhance it Show your family, friends, and neighbors that Ham Radio really means Ama teur Radio Service. Until next time...73s from the Columbia County ARES. Martin Anderson, Columbia County Amateur Radio Emergency Coordinator e-mail: kc7ilkmartin@iuno.com Packet: kc7ilk@wa7sin.#wwa. wa.usa.noam Fears other effects of flouride treatment To the Editor: About two weeks ago, my son brought home a permis sion slip from grade school. “King Flouride has offered mouth rinse and tooth brushes for a program guaranteed to re duce cavities.” It sounded great! Reading on I noticed the chemical as fluoride short for sodium fluoride. I looked up in a 40 year old emergency book and the definition is rat poison. I then went to the internet and found so much information on this “cavity fighter.” Since the 1950s the alu minum factories by-products has been the butt of controver sy. Alcoa Aluminum was being fined for pouring among other toxins, fluorides into the rivers. It was soon discovered this caused biological problems to aquatic life. Searching, the sci entists of these companies dis covered a use for this by-prod uct. Cavity fighter. But still there was so many questions to be worked out. Yes it does cause learning impairment, bone cancer, pre mature aging, along with repro ductive problems. So why has it been added to the water sys tems of over 60% of our na tion’s cities? This all slipped through the cracks of American logic because a lawyer for the aluminum companies was paid $750,000 to run for the Federal Security Administration in charge of the U.S. Public De partment of Health. Oscar Ew ing was almost immediately ad vanced to a position in the U.S. govt, to pass the bills for Sodi um fluorides and legalize its use. The end to the companies’ problems and a monetary boost for the dental business, especially since they “paint” the children’s teeth with it now. OK it’s true, it does reduce cavities by 13 to 15% (not 30%), but the repercussions are far greater than a simple cavity. Incidentally, there is enough sodium fluoride in a tube of toothpase to kill a small child. Children, under age 5, swallow approximately 50% of the fluoride rich with saliva when they dutifully brush their teeth. So what’s the answer on how to keep our children toxic free? Just be aware and re search everything these days. There seems to be a lot of dol lars behind some of the deci sions made these days. With all the dangerous addi tives in our everyday lives, why add one more to the toxic pile. Please research this “simple mouthwash” before agreeing to this program! Claudia Lee Vernonia POLICY ON LETTERS The INDEPENDENT welcomes readers’ letters and will pub lish as many as possible. All letters must be signed and in clude a verifiable address and telephone number, although the address and phone number will not be printed except at the writer's request. The INDEPENDENT reserves the right to edit submissions for brevity or clarity.
