Page 2
The INDEPENDENT, September 5, 2001
Signs weren’t quite
ready for exposure
The adjacent cartoon explains, very well, one of the
problems with the signs that were erected - briefly - in
Vernonia’s parks. Mayor Mario Leonetti’s letter, on the
next page, explains another element to be considered
when listening to people complain about proposed
park fees. So, one by one:
The word is “entrance.” It most definitely is not “en-
terance.”
When the City Council takes an action following
publicity and a public hearing, why are residents so
shocked? The signs failed to note that the fees do not
apply to residents within the Vernonia School District.
So, all-in-all, the signs were in error and the city
wasn’t yet ready to put them up. The Vernonia Public
Works crew does so much for this community, as vol
unteers in addition to their jobs, that it seems appro
priate to just say “Oops,” and forget about it.
In the meantime, the “shocked” citizens should get
more involved with their community. Involvement
makes it much harder to stay ignorant.
Yes, we’re shorter today
The INDEPENDENT didn’t shrink, it just had three
inches cut off because it is being printed at a different
press.
For many years, we enjoyed the excellent work of
the press crew at Tualatin-Yamhill Press (familiarly
called TYP) in Hillsboro. Unfortunately, a company in
Philadelphia bought the Hillsboro Argus, which owned
TYP.
The Philadelphia company also owns The Oregon
ian, so they started printing the Argus on The Oregon
ian press. Then they decided that TYP wasn’t making
enough of a profit so...the usual. The business was
shut down and people lost their jobs.
The INDEPENDENT has decided to go to Astoria
-for printing, partly because the Daily Astorian is still a
relatively small operation. All of that is the reason your
paper is shorter.
O f the People,
People
B ij the
People and For the
is Meaningless W ilk out the People.
Please register and vote.
Jferlvv,.»
In i ,
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campground on the right and the river picked up
speed as it dropped into a narrow gorge. The
rapids became steady, with few eddies to es
Recently, Donna and I spent a couple of days cape into, then it was over and the gorge
on the Metolius River as guests of Troy and He opened up into a wide meadow with a beautiful
len Horton of Fishhawk Lake. This is a beautiful view of Mt. Jefferson. I thought to myself, “that
part of Oregon and offers lots of outdoor activi wasn’t bad. Heck, I want more than that!” I
ties. There are numerous campgrounds and asked Troy if that was the worst of the rapids
many private cabins. We were fortunate enough and he said “ I don’t think so," with some uncer
to get to stay in one of these cabins.
tainty. My mind wondered about Troy’s uncer
The Metolius River is kind of a strange critter. tainty. How could you forget where the good
The water level does not fluctuate very much at rapids were on this river, unless perhaps you
all, which is quite evident by the numerous low had blocked them from your mind because of
bridges and walkways that span the river. The fear.
reason for the stable river height is that this
The river soon started narrowing again and,
stream literally springs forth from the ground. after rounding a bend, we could see “it.” “It” was
Being on the east side of the Cascade Moun a large sign nailed to a tree that said, “Warning,
tains, the stream’s small basins receive low rain dangerous rapids the next four miles.” I could
fall and this deters the river from rising rapidly.
see Troy stiffen up and start to turn white as we
The water is very cold. I heard one fly fisher- floated by the sign. I meekly asked if these
woman say that the temperature was only 48
rapids were worse than the ones above. “Yep,”
degrees.
came the strained reply from Troy’s taut lips. We
Now, you didn’t think I could have been over entered a steady set of wave trains in a fairly
to the Metolius and not have a kayak story, did wide river. I thought these weren’t so bad, so I
you? You're right.
tried to loosen up and have some fun, yet there
Last year, Troy made a solo trip through what was suspense hanging in the air that kept me on
is called the gorge, which is upstream of Wizard edge. Again, the water calmed down and Troy
Falls fish hatchery. Helen said she had never pointed out springs gushing into the river from
seen Troy look so white as when she picked him the east hillside. We stopped to take pictures
up at the end of his trip. Troy told me about his and stretch our legs. I asked Troy if the water got
adventure when he got home and said that I any rougher ahead. He said, “ I think so!" This
would probably enjoy this run.
concerned me. Troy is a very articulate and
This year, Troy and I launched our kayaks knowledgeable man, and it was not like him to
into the Metolius, which flowed just in front of the have doubts as to whether or not the river got
cabin, a mile and a half downstream from Camp worse. Had he, indeed, suffered from such a
Sherman store. The river is very deceptive at horrible event the year before that his mind had
this point. The water is flat, yet moves at about blocked out all the details?
four miles per hour. We passed by the last
Please see page 3
:n
By Dale Webb, member
Nehalem Valley Chapter Izaak Walton League
hi
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