The
INDEPENDENT
C w
Serving the upper Nehalem River valley. Published twice
monthly, on the first and third Thursdays of each month,
by Public Opinion Laboratory Ltd., 725 Bridge Street, Ver
nonia, OR 97064, as a free newspaper. Editors and Pub
lishers, Dirk & Noni Andersen. Phone/Fax: 503-429-
9410, e-mail: noni@vernonia.com
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Opportunity is here
to extend linear trail
It has been many years since this newspaper advo
cated for development of the Banks-Vernonia Linear
Park. We were told passionately and vociferously how
local people and property would be harmed by
strangers using the trail, and already depressed prop
erty values would go even lower.
But the small local group supporting the rail-to-trail
conversion had done their homework, including a na
tionwide survey of similar trails. Among the findings
were the following:
— People unfamiliar with this type of park tend to op
pose it because they are afraid of having strangers in
the area.
— After becoming accustomed to the trail, most peo
ple enjoy it and even encourage others to use it.
— Rather than having a negative result on property
values, recreation trails tend to attract people who like
a healthy lifestyle and will buy property in the vicinity,
gradually increasing property values.
All of these findings from the survey of other trails in
the U.S. have been repeated here.
After a few years of a few people talking about it, it
now appears that an extension of the trail from Ver
nonia to Scappoose is a very real possibility. The Co
lumbia Mainline, which was developed by Crown-
Zellerbach along the former railroad right-of-way from
Pittsburg to Scappoose, is now owned by Hancock,
which is amenable to the idea. The Port of St. Helens
will participate with property at Scappoose Landing,
which would be the trail’s end at Multnomah Channel.
Columbia County, the City of Vernonia and the
Scappoose Park and Recreation District are all on
board and working with the Oregon Park and Recre
ation Department to arrange financing.
This isn’t a “done deal” yet, but all of the pieces are
coming together and real progress should be made by
the middle of 2003. If you’re wondering where the mon
ey will come from, then you’ve probably forgotten Mea
sure 66, which voters approved to provide funds for the
development and improvement of parks - local, re
gional and state. Those funds can’t be used for any
other purpose.
Vernonia’s economic future relies heavily on outdoor
recreation. This may lead to a very bright 2003.
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Ho Li O* r s •
Letters ...........
to the . .......................
Editor
Seniors rely on you Remember military
to retain modest aid during Christmas
To the Editor:
As a young state represen
tative back in 1975,1 was proud
to co-chair the committee that
sponsored the legislation that
created Oregon Project Inde
pendence (OPI).
The concept was to provide
a modest amount of in-home
service to people over the age
of 60. We believed that provid
ing a small amount of services
would help to prevent, or at
least delay, very expensive
nursing home care.
The program has proven it
self in 27 years of effective lo
cal services, which include
housekeeping, bathing assis
tance, meal preparation and so
on. In a state budget of roughly
$12 billion, OPI is a bargain at
$13.7 million, serving about
3,800 seniors, statewide.
Please don’t let a vital, cost-
effective program like Oregon
Project Independence become
a memory. Thousands of sen
iors depend on your “Yes” vote
on January 28.
Ralph Groener
Former State Representative
Oregon City
To the Editor:
Remember the year you
spent Christmas overseas?
The smell of the barracks, the
heat, the loneliness? You spent
the day thinking about those
friends and loved ones at
home. Wishing that Christmas
were a normal workday so you
could at least do something.
Our military for all its great
ness, has never really found an
answer for that old Christmas
standby I’ll be home for Christ
mas, if only in my dreams.
As Americans we can tend
to take for granted our free
dom. The realities that right
now other countries are work
ing, other Marine Corps are
working other armies are work
ing. And as we sleep tonight a
young Marine is guarding a
wall. A young sailor is manning
his station: soldiers and airmen
are keeping the wolf from the
door. They’ll do it on Christmas
and most of us won’t even think
about them.
This is the reality they live
with every day so that we might
not even think about our own
safety. Sacrifice? You bet.
If you know a serviceman or
woman, Call his or her parents
and ask if they’ll be home for
Christmas.
They don’t want gifts, what
do you buy a guy who lives out
of a sea bag? They want a let
ter from home. Not E-mail, the
smell of a letter smells like that
friend. Hand write the letter,
“don’t type it" and if you really
want to make Christmas,
Christmas, a cassette tape
recording from friends or family
is better than gold, pure gold.
If you have a friend in the
military this year don’t take for
granted that their family can
provide for them, and the mili
tary won’t do it, believe me. But
if you take the time to send a
piece of your life by communi
cating, that friend will remem
ber you for life.
Joe Cason
St. Helens
WRC says thanks to
many kind people
To the Editor:
The Board, Staff, Volunteers
and Clients of Columbia Coun
ty Women’s Resource Center
would like to thank the many
Please see page 3