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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 3, 2002)
Page 2 The INDEPENDENT, October 3, 2002 Odds and ends... Small, volunteer fire departments always face the problem of too few firefighters because volunteers must earn their living on other jobs. The mu tual aid agreements that move engines and personnel where they are needed, when they are needed, are ab solutely vital but they can’t always respond as quickly as is needed. It might help if people who work swing shift or nights could be volunteer firefighters during the day, when most others are at work. How the training and required meetings could be handled is another puzzle, but the idea is worth looking into. In the meantime, responses from other districts are hugely appreciated. United Way’s “Day of Caring”is cer- /is Says... tainly a misnomer for United Way of Columbia County and, most probably, all of the other United Way organ By Dale Webb, member izations, because they work every day at caring. Unit Nehalem Valley Chapter Izaak Walton League ed Way of Columbia County helps fund Vernonia Hunting season is here, Cares, Vernonia Senior Center, and various Communi although there may not be ty Action Team programs that are vital to low income a lot of places to hunt as I residents of the Nehalem Valley. They also help fund write this article, due to fire danger. Please try to be Boy and Girl Scout programs and far more agencies patient, beside, the best than will be named here. So, while their “Day of Caring” hunting is late in the sea is pretty special, what is really special is United Way’s son. There has been a program of “neighbors helping neighbors.” If you landownership change in haven’t made at least a small donation to United Way, upper Rock Creek that please do so. You can get a pledge envelope by call may affect some hunting opportunity. Stimson Lumber Company has purchased 7,000 acres ing Vernonia Cares, 429-1414. Oct. 15 is the last day to register« you want to vote in the Nov. 7 General Election. There will be some important measures on the ballot as well as elections of U.S. and state senators and represen tatives, governor, county commissioners and city coun cilors. Not all of the races will be interesting, not all of the measures will be vital. Nevertheless, if you’re not registered, you can’t vote and, if you don’t vote, you’ve lost the right to complain—and we ALL want to com plain about some element of our government. Whether your complaint is about politicians or bureaucrats or regulations or potholes or the price of stamps or the taste of the water, is really unimportant. The important thing is to become a part of our government by regis tering and voting. Remember, if you don’t buy a ticket, you can’t win the lottery. inches high and three inches to the left. I decid ed it was time to retire my old Weaver and re placed it with my spare scope. It is always wise to test your variable scope to see if this problem has developed. I don’t know how long the scope had been doing this, but now I always check my scope for this problem. Anybody enjoying the outdoors this fall should wear some bright colors, but not yellow, to help avoid becoming an unintended target of a care less hunter. While this is not a common problem, it is a good precautionary measure. With the first rains of this fall, be sure to go down to Rock Creek and watch the Chinook salmon return to spawn. This year’s run should bordered, roughly, by Kauppi mainline, Rock be healthy. My favorite places to observe the Creek road and Coates mainline. If you plan on salmon are at Anderson Park, where the small hunting in this area you may wish to call Stimson falls makes the salmon jump, and behind the as to their access policy. A state forestry official City water treatment plant, where the salmon that I talked to, thought that the area would be spawn in great numbers. Please, do not harass open only on weekends, as is the policy in the the salmon, and keep pets on a leash. If your Camp McGregor area. dog does encounter a salmon carcass, be sure Thank goodness Burn Road will give access to watch its eating habits and, if the dog quits to land behind this recent Stimson purchas, eating its food, call the veterinarian because it which points out the value of keeping these old may have salmon poisoning. county roads in the public domain. I will try to fol This has been a great salmon season, even I low up on this development once I get back from boated a few fish this year. All the bays are deer hunting in Eastern Oregon. pumping out fish and the Columbia has been red Make sure you have sighted your gun in be hot. The fish are also good-sized this year, with fore hunting. It’s unbelievable how many animals 40 pounders not being uncommon. A 66-pound are missed each year because hunters hadn’t Chinook was caught in the Rogue River this year sighted-in their rifles. I ran into a problem last by a bank fisherman. He was helped by some year when I was sighting-in my rifle: I had fired boat fishermen who came to his aid by getting three rounds on 3 power and then turned it up to him into their boat, where he could more effec 9 power to look at the target. Without turning the tively fight the fish. power down, I fired three more shots and was I recently experienced crabbing in Nehalem amazed when they all hit in a nice group - two Please see page 16
