The INDEPENDENT, February 2, 2000
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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
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