The INDEPENDENT, May 2, 2001
Page 3
Letters to tbe Editor
Business benefit for
Vernonia Cares
To the Editor:
Vernonia Cares Food Bank
is putting together a fund-raiser
that will include Vernonia busi
ness owners and benefit Ver
nonia Cares Food Bank. Busi
nesses will have the opportuni
ty to advertise your business at
a one day event. The day cho
sen is Saturday, June 2nd.
The times will be from 10 a.m.
until 5:00 p.m. at Washington
Grade School.
The event will include table
space to represent your busi
ness, club or organization with
brochures, business cards, fly
ers, products, services, and of
course your smiling self. We
would like the community to
know what groups and busi
nesses are available in Ver
nonia that many are not aware
of. This will be an awesome op
portunity to meet people, sign
up perspective customers, and
just get the word out you exist.
All of this is for a tax deductible
charge of $25.00 to benefit
Vernonia Cares.
For complete information,
see page 4 of The Independent.
We look forward to hearing
from you all!!!
Lisa Edgar, Director
Vernonia Cares Inc.
Phone: 503-429-1414
Home: 503-429-4013
Email: edgar@vernoniaor.com
Salem Soane
By Rep. Elaine M. Hopson
Second District
I voted for term limits and
Oregon has the strictest term
limits in the country. I don’t feel
the twelve-year limitation harms
the legislative process. Howev
er, the internal limitations of six
years in the House and eight
years in the Senate have
proven counter to good gov
ernment policy.
Six years equals 18 months
of actual legislative activities. (I
joked about needing the first
term to find the bathrooms,
then found a new one this ses
sion.) In the business world,
how many employers would
want a turnover of all employ
ees in six years, or one third
every two years? Would the
cost of training and loss of ex
perience be beneficial?
The legislative process is
extremely complicated. Learn
ing how to initiate a bill, how to
have it drafted, how to garner
support and identify the oppo
sition, how to compromise and
amend, how to shepherd it
through the process, what the
timelines are and who to con
tact to help with the process, all
require experience and knowl
edge. This cannot be learned
in a short period of time if it is
to be done effectively.
Process aside, the complex
ity of issues is overwhelming. I
am knowledgeable in the field
of education, having lived in it
for over 35 years. However,
water and land issues, medical
concerns, senior and disabled
needs, energy regulation, tele
communications, transporta
tion, formularies, tax codes,
city/county regulations, and
many others, are complicated.
It takes time, education and
dedication to learn enough to
make decisions.
There are a number of pos
sible resolutions to this dilem
ma. I support the twelve-year
limit but will support sending
something to the voters to de
cide as to how the twelve years
can be served. I do believe
there are folks, like me, who
voted for term limits and now
question whether it actually
provides the best environment
for developing good public pol
icy for our state.
As legislators (and staff)
look toward getting us out of
here and back to our homes,
tempers escalate and shenani
gans begin to occur. The main
issue is MONEY. Budgets are
waiting for passage on the mid-
May revenue forecast.
HB3953, a bill that would
preempt smoking restrictions
and limit local governments’
ability to pass laws regarding
smoking, was approved by the
House and sent to the Senate
in spite of some strong opposi
tion. Proponents argued that it
would be difficult for people to
know what the restrictions
were in differing establish
ments. I voted against it be
cause folks are already used to
reading “NO SMOKING” and
seem to understand exactly
what it means. Hopefully, this
won’t leave the building.
Again, in spite of my opposi
tion, bills supporting the killing
of swans and wolf-hybrids both
passed out of Committee and
have gone to the floor of the
House. I cannot imagine killing
swans as predators and the ar
gument for killing wolf-hybrids
is very weak. The bill did allow
killing both wolves and wolf-hy
brids but was amended to in
clude only wolf-hybrids, even
after biologists stated clearly
that it was difficult, if not im
possible, to distinguish be
tween wolves and wolf-hybrids
without DNA type testing.
In Education Ways and
Means we are carefully review
ing budgets prepared by the
Dept. of Education. There is a
great deal of support for $5.2
billion for K-12 education as
long as there isn’t a sharp de
cline in revenue forecasts. In
cluded within the allocation at
this point, is funding for a total
review of special education
services throughout the state,
increased funding for teacher
training and support, and for
early reading emphasis. The
complexity of the funding
mechanism always seems to
divvy up the money with “win
ners” and “losers.” As part of
the process, many compromis
es are made in order to ap
pease the 198 districts.
Rep. Elaine Hopson
H-376 State Capitol
Salem, OR 97310
Phone: 503)-986-1402
email:
ehopson.rep@state.or.us
Says support levy
for Historical Society
To the Editor:
Please
help
Columbia
County preserve its heritage by
voting, and voting “yes” on
Measure 5-90.
Funding is desperately
needed to maintain the existing
museums and their artifacts so
they may be available to suc
ceeding generations. As we
study and preserve our past,
we will be helped in preserving
the future of this still quite pris
tine area.
We have documented know
ledge of how pioneers devel
oped agriculture and industries
while building schools, church
es, roads and raising their fam
ilies. These pioneers laid the
foundation for life here as we
know it.
Let’s keep the museums
alive and well so we may enjoy
them and learn from them.
Mary Peterson
St. Helens
Great
volunteers
made Vernonia Shine
To the Editor:
We Made Vernonia Shine!
Wow, what a great day. The
weather was superb and many
volunteers worked very hard to
beautify
Vernonia.
Look
around! Check out the Wel
come sign on Rose Avenue.
This project will still have some
planting and barkdust spread
around it, but what an excava
tion job. There will also be a
gravel trail from Hwy. 47 to the
Linear Trail.
Spencer Park really got
I
spruced up with lots of volun
teers that day. Hopefully, we
will have two ball fields real
soon.
The lake looks gorgeous.
Take note of the new signs and
bags for dogs and, please, re
member to keep your dog on a
leash and use the bags to pick
up after your dog. There will
also be two new garbage cans
at the top of the docks, and the
primitive campground is com
ing along fine.
Volunteers also worked at
Shay Park, Hawkins Park, Ora
Bolmeier Park, Anderson Park,
Bear Creek, Museum, ceme
tery, the schools, and the linear
trail. Trash cans were painted,
flowers put out, excavation
done, streets swept, senior cit
izens helped, yard debris taken
care of, garbage picked up,
pictures taken and much, much
more. I’d better stop, or Noni
won’t print this for me.
We also had some people
sign up for the Adopt-A-Block
program. This is an ongoing ef
fort and if you missed signing
up, you can still do so by con
tacting Vernonia Pride at 503-
429-5201.
Donna Gehrke
Vernonia Pride
Local television shut
down is temporary
To the Editor:
Hi everyone, me again. I
hope you all have been enjoy
ing what is being put on our lo
cal access channel, Channel 7
in Vernonia. I have to apologize
now for the quality of the show.
Our deck up here in Vernonia
needs servicing, which means
it will be down for a while and
will cost money to fix.
This is all a volunteer effort
and, as you know, with volun
teer efforts, there is usually no
money. I am working on it,
though. I want to take this op
portunity to let someone who
called me about getting a copy
of a tape of a basketball game,
know that I did get your mes
sage, but when I tried calling
the number back, it was not in
service. Sorry.
Anyone who wishes to have
a copy of something seen on
the air can purchase a copy at
a cost of $10 each. Channel 9
in St. Helens is providing this
service. Call me and I will
make the arrangements.
Daylight savings time has
caused some slight changes in
our schedule. It is as follows:
Sunday
2 - 6 p.m.
Monday
5 - 9 p.m.
Tuesday
1 - 5 p.m.
Wednesday 6 - 1 0 p.m.
Thursday
6 - 1 0 a.m.
Friday
1 1 -3 p.m.
Saturday
1 0 -2 a.m.
Because of transportation
and such, events that are
filmed are generally shown
about two weeks later on
Channel 7. I hope you are en
joying this service and remem
ber that anyone interested in
getting involved by filming
events or donating money can
call for more information or to
sign up. It would be nice to
have someone that I could call
on when I cannot make it to an
event. Thank you.
For more information, call
503-429-5201 or email me at
blueshoes88@aol.com
Donna Gehrke
Vernonia
Batwaen tha Bookends
By Cindy Stanley, Library Assistant
Banks Public Library
The Banks Library Plant and Book Sale was
a tremendous success again this year. Thanks
to everyone who attended and those who donat
ed materials and volunteered their time.
One of our new selections for April is Nora
Robert’s The Villa. The backdrop for this drama
of a family business is the lush vinyards of the
Napa Valley. Sophia Giambelli questions her
grandmother Tereza’s judgement when she, as
undisputed head of Villa Giambelli’s world fa
mous wineries, decides to merge with the
MacMillan family vintners. Sophia is told to be
come involved with none other than Tyler, the
MacMillan heir apparent! While Tyler and Sophia
are trading barbs and trying to pretend their
growing attraction to one another is just a pass
ing fancy, trouble is brewing on another front as
several deaths appear to be linked to their
wines.
Another best-selling author’s work available
this month is Maeve Binchy.’s latest release
Scarlet Feather. Cathy Scarlet and Tom Feather,
two friends who have long shared an incredible
passion for food, start a catering business in
Dublin. Their efforts to cook up a grand New
Year’s Eve feast turn into a series of constant
disruptions by their spouses and relatives,
adding grief to their lives. What keeps Cathy and
Tom going is their dedication to the business
and the unexpected arrival of two troubled chil
dren who need love. As they spend more time
together, these longtime friends discover some
very unexpected feelings for one another.
J.A. Jance fans can look forward to another
suspense-filled novel featuring former Seattle
homicide detective J. P. Beaumont. In Jance’s
Bird of Prey semi-retired Beau has agreed to
chaperon his newlywed grandmother on her
honeymoon cruise to the Gulf of Alaska. His time
aboard the Starfire Breeze is meant to be an en
joyable diversion, but Beau’s leisure is abruptly
shattered when one of his new admirers myste
riously disappears.
There are lots of ways to enjoy the benefits
offered by the Banks Library. Books on tape,
popular videos, large print books, and current
magazines are all available. The whole family
can catch the infectious spirit that is generated
by reading.
Recycle Saturday, is coming May 12 this
month, just in time for spring cleaning. Now that
the weather is nice you can clean out that shed
or garage, get rid of old newspapers, eliminate
the accumulation of cans and bottles, and help
your library at the same time. Bring all those un
wanted materials to the SWATCO Service Yard
on Sellers Road between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00
p.m. Friendly library volunteers wearing new
bright-orange vests will be there to assist you.
It’s not too early to think about summer! Lots
of reading fun is in store for all kids who partici
pate in the 2001 Summer Reading Program at
the Banks Public Library. “Read a Wild Tale" will
launch readers on a journey of adventure. Chil
dren of all ages are invited to participate in the
activities and entertainment programs. Even
pre-readers may join the Read-to-Me program
with a parent or older brother or sister. Flyers
with more information will be available in May.
Watch for them!
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 ) 324-1382
Internet: www.WILInet.wccls.lib.or.us.