The INDEPENDENT, August 2, 2000
Letters to the Editor:
Botwoon the Bookends
By Sheila Davis, Volunteer
Banks Public Library
It doesn’t even seem like Summer, however,
the days are already getting shorter. Banks Li
brary has some great new books including
Ernest Hemingway’s last unpublished work,
True at First Light. It is a blend of autobiography
and fiction about his last African safari.
The newest novel of Michael Ondaatje, who
wrote The English Patient, is Anil’s Ghost, a tale
of Anil Tesslia, born in Sri Lanka and educated in
England and America. She is brought to Sri Lan
ka by a human rights group to help discover the
source of organized campaigns of murder en
gulfing the island. Anil must use her training as a
forensic anthropologist to unhook the mysteries
of the bodies and skeletons found on the island.
In Le Marriage, Diane Johnson gives the
reader a comedy of contemporary mores and
manners that celebrates the paradoxes of mar
riage, as it is perceived on both sides of the At
lantic. Add a disappearing American, a wrongful
arrest, murder and various susipicions, seduc
tions and domestic crises, and you have a sexy,
stylish delight of a novel.
Robert B. Parker brings Spenser, a Boston
P.l. to Georgia horse country in Hugger Mugger.
Spenser is hired by Walter Cline to find out who
is threatening his horse, Hugger Mugger, a two-
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Letters te tbe Editor
Employees
have
done remarkable job
To the Editor:
I would like to draw to the at
tention of Vernonia residents
the remarkable efforts made by
[Vernonia City Administrator]
Michael Sykes and [Vernonia
Director of Public Works]
Robyn Bassett. Their success
ful record of writing and pre
senting grant proposals that
benefit our city has resulted in
approximately $480,000 for im
provements to our parks during
the last two months.
Anderson Park will gain up
graded RV and bathroom/
shower facilities. The linear trail
continuation from Anderson
Park to Lake Vernonia has
been purchased and will be
paved, creating a safe and
pleasant path from the down
town area to the lake. The
Shay Park will have an infor
mation kiosk, sharing with visi
tors to Vernonia information
and points of interest. Two
year-old reported to be the next Secretariat.
Spenser gets resentment from local law en
forcement, as well as the security firm Cline had
hired. The case takes a deadly turn when the at
tacker claims a human victim, forcing Spenser to
revise his opinions and to watch his own back.
The “Flying Rhinocerous” will be at Banks
Public Library on Aug. 3 to explore the world of
cartooning, illustration and animation, through
stories, rhino humor and giant cartoons.
Children who met their goals in the Summer
Reading Program need to turn in their reading
records now so they can collect their award -
another book to enjoy.
Remember Recycle Saturday! This on-going
effort, sponsored by the Friends of the Library
and staffed by local volunteers, raises much-
needed funds for our library. So take your recy-
cleables to the SWATCO service yard on Sellers
Road, Saturday, Aug. 12, between 9:00 a.m. and
3:00 p.m.
Banks Public Library: 111 Market Street.
Hours: Tues., Wed., Thurs., 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.;
F it and Sat. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Preschool Story Time, Weds., 10:15 a.m.
Phone: (503 ) 324-1382
internet: www.WIUnet.wccls.lib.or.us.
' W
floating docks will be built that
enable less mobile citizens the
pleasure of fishing in Lake Ver
nonia.
As these projects are devel
oping and completed in the
next few months, please re
member to drop your own per
sonal “Thank You” to Michael
and Robyn.
Sincerely,
Cindy Ball, Councilor
Vernonia
Now proud to say
we’re from Vernonia
To the Editor:
Don and I recently returned
from a trip to Central Oregon
and upon entering Vernonia
we both said at the same time,
“Doesn’t Vernonia look nice!”
The hanging baskets and
new garbage containers with
flowers really add to the im
provements already made on
our main street.
We’d also like to compliment
partially thrown from the pickup
and was lying on the road with
his legs still in the cab. Jawors
ki moved him to safety then
went to the passenger side,
where Busch was trapped in
the burning vehicle.
The door was jammed and
Jaworski couldn’t open it, so he
ran to get tools. In the mean
time, Berg grabbed the door,
ignoring the flames that were
lapping at his hands and arms,
and with superhuman force
moved it enough to reach
Busch. He pulled Busch out of
the pickup before it was con
sumed by fire. Berg’s arms
were scorched during his ef
forts, though not seriously.
Poetter was transported by
Life Flight to Oregon Health
Sciences University in Port
land, with a broken femur and
assorted cuts and bruises.
Thanks for a life
saving hero
A Letter of Thanks:
On Sunday, July 23, my son
and one of his friends were in a
very serious car accident on
Highway 202. Thanks to Dar
ren Berg, both boys had basi
cally minor injuries compared
to what could have happened
to them. When they rear-ended
Darren’s bale wagon, the hay
burst into flames. Darren risked
his own life to save that of my
son. I would like to give Darren
a huge thank you, and to let
him know publicly that he will
forever be my hero! It takes
someone very special to risk
their own life to save that of
someone else. Thank you
again, Darren Berg, for all you
did that day. I am forever eter
nally grateful!
C.L. Kisic (Busch)
So. Carolina
Lions’ community
projects help many
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Glen and Chrissie Purvee on
the improvements they’ve
made to their recently pur
chased buildings. They look
great!
Twelve years ago, I wrote a
different letter to the paper. In
that one, I stated that after
making a trip to Alaska and
South Dakota, Vernonia was
one of the most unkempt towns
we’d seen.
As that old slogan says,
“You’ve come a long way,
baby,” and Vernonia, you really
have.
Thanks to Robyn Bassett
and Michael Sykes, Vernonia
has received over $400,000 in
grants in the last two months,
so there are many more good
projects in the works.
It’s truly been an Exciting
last couple of years to live in
Vernonia, and to be proud to
say you live here instead of
apologizing for it.
Don and De De Webb
Vernonia
Heroic efforts save two from death
Joe Poetter of Vernonia and
Jared Busch of Mist were
pulled from the burning wreck
age of Poetter’s pickup after
rear-ending a motorized hay
wagon on Hwy. 202 at Natal,
July 23. Both vehicles were
heading west at 8:15 p.m.,
when the two 18-year-olds
were blinded by the setting
sun.
They didn’t see the slow-
moving vehicle in front of them
and Poetter drove into the back
of Daren Berg’s hay wagon,
shoving the pickup’s engine
back and shearing off the top of
the carbuetor. The pickup, hay
and wagon all caught fire im
mediately.
Bill Jaworski, an emergency
medical technician with the
Mist-Birkenfeld Fire District,
ran to the wreck from his near
by home. Poetter had been
Page 3
Busch was taken by Mist-
Birkenfeld Fire District ambu
lance to St. John’s Hospital in
Longview. He also had a bro
ken femur, cuts and bruises.
Both are recovering at home
following surgery to repair their
legs.
The hay, hay wagon and
pickup were all totally de
stroyed.
From page 2
to the Nehalem Falls. We
smelled the dairy cattle above
Nehalem and shared a beer
with a new friend, but most of
all, we have gained a new re
spect for a river that runs
through it, our home.
Troy and I have already set
our goal for next year—the
whole 100 miles in one four-
day trip. Oh, by the way Helen,
To the Editor:
The Vernonia Lions Club will
begin their 54th year of service
to the community with their fa
mous barbecued sandwich
booth during the Jamboree.
This is our major fundraiser to
support a variety of civic pro
jects and sight and hearing
programs.
We are looking for some
more service-minded men and
women who are willing to do
nate time and energy to com
munity projects. If you would
like to join a million-and-a-half
Lions in 185 nations in the
largest service club in the
world, stop by our booth near
the Credit Union building dur
ing Jamboree and contact any
of the Lions.
The Vernonia Lions have
contributed well over $120,000
to community projects during
the last 54 years, including
$1,500 in annual scholarships,
Scout and
youth activities,
eyeglasses and support of a
myriad of community projects.
Our motto is “We Serve.”
You do not need to be a new
volunteer member to enjoy the
best food served during the
Jamboree. Be sure to come by
the Lions’ booth and get a great
barbecued sandwich. Your
support makes our service to
the community possible. Every
cent raised is used for worthy
projects and help for those in
need.
Art Parrow
Publicity Chairman
Vernonia Lions
Dog owners should
obey regulations
To whom it may concern:
Dog owners— If you’re going
to have animals, you should be
aware of dog regulations in the
state of Oregon. All dogs must
be on leashes at all times. My
husband and I are tired of re
porting these animals to the
police. Please consider dealing
with this situation.
Please take an interest in
being responsible for your ani
mals or dogs.
Mr. and Mrs. Leland
Bantrager
Vernonia
Correction
A letter by L.W. Denison in
the July 19, 2000, issue of The
INDEPENDENT should have
read:
“In June alone, ODF auc
tioned off 750 acres of public
forest to be clearcut, closing
campgrounds and destroying
horse trails largely in slide
prone areas sensitive to threat
ened coho."
We regret the error and are
pleased to set the record
straight.
Applicants needed for 47J board
The resignation of School
District 47J Director Susann
Ragsdale has created a vacan
cy that must be filled by ap
pointment. Ragsdale, whose
resignation was accepted at
the July board meeting, has
moved out of the district.
School district residents who
think they may be interested in
filling out the two years remain
ing of Ragsdale’s term, may ei
ther pick up an application form
at the district office, or write a
letter explaining their interests
Troy will probably need that
new Sea Kayak for the trip. It
will be after Christmas before
we go. Hint! Hint!
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.
can bring to the district.
The school board also:
Gave Superintendent Larry
McClellan a salary increase of
3.7 percent, the same as the
district’s other administrators;
Denied a request from the
Council on International Edu
cational Exchange to place a
foreign student at VHS be
cause the quota of six students
has already been filled.
Athletic fees...
From page 1
ule is based on an average par
ticipation of 70-80 students in
each sports season, with an
average annual total of 220
student participations. At VHS,
the average student athlete
participates in two sports and
about 30 percent of students
meet Federal requirements for
free/reduced meals.
While details of the policy
are being completed, questions
should be directed to Athletic
Director Jane McClellan, at
429-3521.