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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 2, 2003)
The INDEPENDENT, January 2, 2003 Lottsrs to the Sditoi As individuals, we can make a difference To the Editor: It has been a most difficult year for many individuals and families in Columbia County. Our Federal and State funding shortages have stripped many jobs and opportunities from lo cal residents. For many, times are not the best. What might separate our county from other impacted ar eas of the country is the high level of local concern that is ex emplified this holiday season by many of our residents, com munity leaders and service clubs. It did, indeed, make the season bright for many less for tunate than ourselves. But, the work has just begun. The downturn in our state and local economies is far from over. Our resolve, as citizens, must continue in seasons yet to ■■ ■ w ........... ■ • come. There is not a time in memory when caring and shar ing has been more necessary. We must continue our commit ment to our fellow man. If you have never donated your time or helped in a time of need, please ask to work and serve in any way possible. It is said that adversity introduces us to our selves. You may find the joy of volunteerism and giving does the heart good. Debi and I want to thank you for all you do. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all. Joe Corsiglia Columbia County Commissioner Name change reflects group’s services To the Editor: For many years The Retired Officers Association (TROA) has represented the interests of all military personnel (active * * : ££££ By Ann Krutsinger, Library Assistant Banks Public Library Nothing is Impossible, by Christopher Reeve, is one of many new books available at the library. Written in a very conversa tional style, Mr. Reeve re lates the tragedy of his ac cident that severed his spinal cord and how he felt afterward. Ultimately he made a promise to his wife that he would try life as a quadriplegic for 2 years before deciding whether to continue living. Different than an autobiography, Nothing is Im possible tells the story of just how Reeve adjust ed to his new life. He credits humor as the best tool for dealing with the deep anger and despon dency that followed his spinal cord injury. He also relates the development of new therapies for quadriplegics that gives hope for regenera .... w.' ■ •: * ' • • ' ' ' >' ■ ............................ duty, reserve, and retired) re gardless of grade or rank. Membership in TROA has been open to active duty, retired, and former military officers and war rant officers. It has been recognized for some time that the name of the organization has given the im pression that only retired mili tary officers could belong to the organization. This has created a problem in recruiting new members. And recruitment has become more important as World War II and Korean War personnel get older and even tually pass away. For that reason members decided to change the name of the organization to one which more accurately reflects the el igibility for membership in this group. The new name, effective on January 1st, is the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA). The mission and the services of the organization will x<-:&x ¿Au tion of spinal nerve tissue. Mr. Reeve never makes the reader feel as though his lot in life is worse than any of our own struggles. He creates a basis for understanding, a bond between the author and the reader. This is a compelling book of hope about rejuvenation, both physically and spiritually. Don’t forget Recycle Saturday, sponsored by the Friends of the Banks Library on the second Saturday of each month from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., at the Swatco service yard on Sellers Road. Banks Public Library: 111 Market Street. Hours: Tues., Wed., Thurs., 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.; Fri. and S a t 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Preschool Story Tim e: Wednesdays, 10:15 a.m., when school is in session. Phone: (503 ) 324-1382 Internet: www.WILlnet.wccis.lib.or.us. to browse library resources or to reserve materials electronically. • ¡¿¡¿aï« From page 2 age, behind the old Ellson’s Cedar Mill site. The obstruction at Fred Skidmore’s has had the North side cut out and is easily passed with a kayak, but might be interesting in a drift boat. I had a new toy on this trip— a helmet camera. This is a video camera that hooks to a cam corder. I had to buy a waterproof case to keep the camcorder dry, but the camera is water proof and mounts on the side of my helmet. It shot good pictures and I can’t wait to take it on a good run with big waves. What’s new for hunting and fishing this year? Not a lot. There are very few changes for hunters and it will be the usual routine for fishermen. One hunting change that caught my eye is al lowing landowners to purchase one leftover tag in units that have spike-only hunts. The catch here is that landowners don’t have to go by the same rules as the general public - their tags are for any bull, while the general pub lic has to draw for very limited any-bull tags or the liberal spike-only tag. What this is doing, es sentially, is giving the landowners another high dollar tag to sell, which furthers the commercial ization of public resources. This is just another example of why ODF&W commissioners should be selected by the hunters that support the agency, not the bureaucrats who are capitalizing on it. Slowly, but steadily, we are being convert ed into another Texas, where the wildlife belongs to the landowners and the public pays. Izaak Walton League Nehalem Valley Chapter meetings are on the third Thursday of each month at 7:00 p.m. The public is welcome. For meeting location, call (503) 429-7193. i i IS H U h .: I not change as a result of the name change. Should anyone be interested in learning more about MOAA, membership, or services of fered, they are encouraged to call the national office at (800) 245-8762 or go to its web site which is currently www.troa.org. (I assume that the web site address will change in the not too distant fu ture.) Or, they may contact e- mail me at mcdaniel@ pacifi er.com or call me at (503) 325- 8933. Don McDaniel, VicePresident Lower Columbia Chapter MOAA (TROA) Astoria New schools, yes, but more is needed To the Editor: I agree with The Indepen dent and Michelle Blum when they call for new schools. Just as the buildings are destined for failure, during times of phys ical stress; the district itself is vulnerable to failure because of an outmoded design. When the physical buildings were de signed, post and beam con struction with masonry sheath ing was reflective of the best public building architecture. Now we have seen this style tested and it fails. Would we re build the exact same physical structure? Of course not, that would be foolish. Consider the public school district system we have that uses this building. It is reflective of a past era. Schoolchildren no longer bring in the harvest with their families and yet we have the time off from learning that was established to accommo date that bygone period. Sum mer vacation is the shutdown of learning for a quarter of the year; fall is a relearning of les sons forgotten during the sum mer. Students are either not learning or relearning for at least one third of the year. Does your com pany shutdown for three months and then spend another three starting back up? That would not be efficient and you would be put out of busi ness by someone willing to work smarter and harder. In a year-around school, a facility can educate a larger number of students by rotating student vacations so that 75 to 80 percent of students are in school at one time. Shorter va cations would mean less re Page 3 learning time. If student time off was decreased from current levels, the rate at which they graduated from grade to grade would increase. Students would graduate earlier and en rollment would drop. Students could begin college classes at an earlier age, including PCC extension classes supported by PCC funding here in Vernonia. Students may also develop bet ter study habits and work ethics with a more constant and sta ble school year format. The teachers bring a more m alignant vestige to our school’s future. The Public Em ployees Retirement System is 15 BILLION dollars in debt and will attempt to make up that debt by pulling money from every public budget in the State, including school district 47J. The teachers’ Union has resisted every effort to consider modifications that reflect the changes in the real world. Summer vacations for teachers are an abominable perk that the rest of us would never con sider demanding of our em ployers. As previously stated, summers off do more than tan teachers. Summer vacations set back students academical ly. With the liability of PERS, and the unwillingness of the Teachers’ unions to be a part of the solution, the public school system seems like a bad in vestment. If the school was locally con trolled and not union controlled, and if the m ission of the schools was to educate accord ing to a modern business blue print and not in the style of decades past, then a new building would be a good in vestment. The district only uses the current buildings three quarters of the year, they give their employees three months of summer vacations and every single holiday, they operate during the winter when utilities are highest, and they spend an other quarter of the year catch ing up on forgotten curriculum. Blum and other concerned parents would be advised to consider that the relic that needs replacing isn’t just brick and mortar. There are home, charter, and private school op tions. Students must pass a Certificate of Initial Mastery to graduate, and if these alterna tive options can educate stu dents to achieve that level, then they should be considered valid. The Federal government Please see page 17
