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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 21, 2001)
Page 2 it. The INDEPENDENT, February 21, 2001 INDEPENDENT V/oV, Mow T/MCS Serving the upper Nehalem River valley. Published twice monthly, on the first and third Wednesdays of each month, by Public Opinion Laboratory Ltd., 725 Bridge Street, Vernonia, OR 97064, as a free newspaper. Edi tors and Publishers, Dirk & Noni Andersen. Phone/Fax: 503-429-9410, e-mail: noni@vernonia.com Opinion Education is goal of 47J board candidates Endorsements are difficult when there is more than one good candidate for a particular position; this year’s Vernonia School District election reinforces that situa tion. Nevertheless, for what may the only time it will ever happen in this Opinion column, The IN D EPEN D E N T recommends returning all of the incumbents to the school board. There are many reasons for this rec ommendation; here are some of them: Having watched the district’s board of directors for over fifteen years, it is a pleasure to see how profes sionalism, for lack of a better word, has come to bear in many areas. Board members now arrive at meetings prepared. They have studied the issues on the agen da and they avoid making snap judgements of issues that may come before them without prior considera tion. In other words, they have eliminated “knee-jerk” reactions. Instead of just carping, or blaming the administration or staff, the board has been willing to make changes in policies and procedures when changes are needed. In addition to monthly board meetings, they attend monthly workshops in order to improve their “boards- manship” and they all attend the annual school board convention, taking different workshops in order to share the knowledge gained. If this happened before, it was more than 15 years ago. Position 1 — This one is a slam-dunk: When it comes to educational issues, Schann Nelson may be the most knowledgeable board member in the county. She understands the Education Act for the 21st Cen tury, CIM and CAM, federal forest payments inside and outside the formula, problems of declining enrollment, equity funfding, unequal ESD funding and much more. As a dedicated school volunteer, she also has been in volved in more facets of local schools than many of the staff members. Position 4 — Leslie O’Leary’s outstanding experi ence and skill at fiscal analysis was a factor in making her the top choice among 10 applicants for an ap pointment to the board. She also uses that analytical ability for non-fiscal considerations. Position 5 — Cari Levenseller, another appointee, has brought some youthful enthusiasm to the board, but don’t confuse her enthusiasm with cluelessness. She studies the issues, she talks with staff and par ents, and she comes to the table prepared. Position 7 — Jeff Blum has quietly become a leader on the board, demonstrating patience and balance as chairman, and his construction background will prove valuable as the new long-range plan gets underway. It is regrettable that no one from Mist or Birkenfeld applied for appointment to one of the three openings last fail. The people who were appointed have worked hard to earn their position. They deserve to stay on the board and they won’t ignore the needs of any part of the district. There is a lot of work to be done in other areas and it would be good to see someone from the Mist area get involved in the long-range planning that is starting. B y Rep. Elaine M. Hopson Second District Good programs continue to come forth in re gard to schools. For example, the Oregon His torical Society wants to work with the Depart ment of Education to provide historical informa tion and opportunities for all children in the state, particularly those in the rural areas. The bill passed out of the Education Committee al though funding will (as usual) be a problem. Programs to promote after school activities are coming forward including one to fund pro grams sponsored by the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. Although a wonderful program, my concern is that this limits the flexibility of com munities without formal Boys and Girls Clubs to access the funding. Other bills with more flexi bility are also coming through the system. In Forestry and Agriculture, we passed a bill out that would lift some restrictions on govern mental bodies using pesticides on other govern mental land. In addition, a professor from OSU presented extensive information on biotechnolo gy issues in regard to agricultural products. Al though we have been using science to modify and improve agricultural products for years, new science greatly expands the opportunity for in creased quality and quantity of production. Measure 7 continues to lurk in the back ground even after the release of the Attorney General’s opinion. There continues to be such confusion that it is unclear whether or not the legislature will even attempt to address some of the controversy this session. Twenty lawyers spent three months writing more than a hundred pages in an effort to clarify the issues raised and there are still more questions than answers. 47J School Board candidates From page 1 More community participa tion is needed at school board meetings, Jones says, though he has seldom attended the meetings. He has no volunteer experience in the school dis trict. Leslie O’Leary Pos. 4 Incumbent Personal: Aee 39 Married one child Education: B.S. in Economics, with minor in accounting. Occupation/Background: Bookkeeper for Gwin Logging; prior, Financial Director for City of Vernonia, budget manager for $40 million biotech compa ny, Training/Documentation Specialst for accounting soft ware company With a diverse business background, an awareness of school district issues, and a commitment to education, O’Leary wants to “help the cause.” The strong sense of commu nity and school spirit among staff and students is one of the district’s strengths, O’Leary says, as well as the difficulty of a student getting lost in a small district. She feels the district needs to seek more public in put and participation to elimi nate communication problems. It is the role of board mem bers to establish policy and set goals, O’Leary says, and those goals should include smaller classes in primary grades. She would also like to see the dis trict pursue non-traditional funding sources. O’Leary volunteers at Lin coln School one day each week. In the past, she voluntar ily put her skills to work helping district staff on accounting is sues. Randy Hansen Pos. 4 Personal: Age 42 Married to a teacher 2 children Education: A.S in Forest Engineering Occupation/Backg rou nd: Longview Fibre Company since 1978 A school board member needs to make sure both tax payers and students get the most for their investment of time and money, Hansen says. Also children’s attitudes about education need to be improved and taxpayers should be invit ed to feel good about being partners in the education process. Please see page 8
