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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 6, 2003)
The INDEPENDENT, February 6, 2003 .. Page 3 .11.U--J..J..11.I.LU.......1 I Letters to the Editor Cynicism unneeded in local government To the Editor: It’s real easy to get cynical about national politics, when of 435 elections for the U.S. House, only half a dozen were actually contested, and three of those were in Iowa, which has a non-partisan electoral com mission. Don’t be a cynic locally. You can make a difference. The school board, the fire board, several county boards...they all depend on what are, essential ly, volunteers. People like you, who will spend a little time see ing to it that the systems con tinue to operate. You don’t get paid money for these jobs. You get paid by the satisfaction of helping. Three positions on the Ver nonia fire board are up for elec tion this year. Mine is one. I in tend to retire, after twelve years. Someone will be elected to take that position and the other two. As a board member, you would set policy and pass budgets. You will not, as a fire board member, hold a hose at a fire. You would not, as a school board member, teach arith metic. Boards hire a chief or a superintendent to be the exec utive and run the outfit, al though all boards, being hu man, tend to micromanage their executives. To see if you would like to volunteer (run for election), go to a board meeting or two. Al most all meetings, by Oregon law, are open to the public. Watch the board in action and decide if you want to help. If you do, the filing deadline is March 20. Of course, some or all of the incumbents on these boards may file for reelection, but hey, that’s what voting is all about, at least locally. in value appears to be in the quality of standing timber. The state decided to sell the standing timber on two parcels prior to the sale in order to equalize the trade value and meet their harvest quota. The Selders Creek timber was auc tioned on December 17th, 2002 (not in August) to Olympic For est Products at a cruised price of $4.1 million. Timber on another ODF par cel involved in this trade, East Deep Creek, was auctioned in May of 2002 to Hampton Tree Farms for $3.2 million. ODF policy states that trades cannot happen if the values are too wildly unbalanced, so it seems that ODF has “cut and run,’’ tak ing $7.3 million in timber in or der to make this trade happen. I suspect that in light of sev eral recent lawsuits against the ODF, they may become more willing to open up their pro cesses to public scrutiny. After all, they have been entrusted with the management of public lands, a duty that has a real long range implication to the fiscal stability of the state, the county, and most importantly, the people that work in the woods. were supplied by ODF Forester Tom Savage, or came from infor mation printed by ODF. If there were errors, they were unintention al on our part. Critical analysis is missing from trade girls younger than 18 were asked what effect mandatory parental notification would have on their current use of Planned Parenthood health care serv ices. 59% said they would stop using all sexual health care services, delay testing or treat ment for HIV or other STDs, or discontinue use of specific sex ual health care services rather than informing their parents. Of course we all wish that every girl could go to her par ents with every need. But that's not reality. For whatever rea son, well more than half of the girls in this study would forgo needed medical testing and treatment if Wisconsin had a law like Measure 5-103. This Measure would put the kids most at risk at further risk. It attempts to legislate commu nication between parent and child, which sim ply doesn't work. Please vote No on Measure 5-103. To the Editor: Whoops! The Vernonia wa ter supply? Clear cutting the wooded slopes of its basin? Duhhh! I mean, give me a break. This is a no brainer. I Frazier Rohm thought graduate business Vernonia schools at least taught critical analysis in the absence of fair More details on ODF play, even if only to cover lead footed shoe prints. But maybe timber land trade this is just another sign of the To the Editor: times. This lustful behavior for I was gratified to see that the a perceived “must-have” corpo ODF decided to inform our city rate piece of real estate is of the impending land trade be crass. tween Longview Fibre and the This act violates everyone in state. I have been aware of the the political-social spectrum: on trade since early December, the left, on the right, in the mid and some details were misre- dle and off-the-map. It even in ported in the article. Longview cludes hard working independ Pat Zimmerman Fibre is willing to exchange ent contractors, truck drivers, Scappoose 4,228 acres of their land for lumber workers and employees 3,404 acres of state land. De of both the State and Long Fi Council is right to spite the 800 acre difference, bre who live in Vernonia. Every the state declares that their one lumped into one holding- protect watershed land is worth almost $1 million pen in harm’s way: old, young, To the Editor: more than the Longview land. I Bill Langmaid infant, adult. Their health does I want to express my' g r a t is had difficulty with a lot of the not matter. And for what? Of tude to the City C o un cil for-»* Vernonia state calculations, especially course, I don’t even need to watching out for our drinking the use of a 7.25% discount Ed. note: All dates, dollar and say it. We all know. Well, if En water quality and supply. Leav rate, but the primary difference acreage amounts in the article ron can do it to the World, ing no timber in our watershed what’s a few hundred acres in is cutting water levels to the Vernonia? What hurts was the lowest levels ever. Running out demonstrative 3 days notice to By Ann Krutsinger, Library Assistant ings will be held at 7:00 p.m. the first Tuesday of the city. Dumb! Does anyone of water is a real threat we must Banks Public Library each month in March & April also. The Plant & know a good lawyer? On the tackle before it is too late. Sev Book Sale is scheduled for Saturday, April 26th other hand, Long Fibre and the eral streams dried up com pletely last summer which have The Friends of the from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Meetings are almost State could get back together, not done so in my many years Banks Public Library will be always over by 8-8:30 p.m. For information or to do some editing and eliminate here. Though there was more hosting several events this volunteer, please call the library. the problem. Question is, are rain than the previous year, and winter/spring 2003. Colleen Winter is a great time to catch up on reading. they up to it? cooler weather, these water Cavin will be teaching an The library has some new bestsellers and adult Jack Phillips sheds had been almost com art workshop called “Sim award winners to explore. Daniel Mason’s The Vernonia pletely clearcut in the last 15 ple Relief Printm aking.” Piano Tuner is a first novel about a nineteenth years; with new ones in the last The workshop is free and century British piano tuner who is sent deep into Measure 5-103 would two. ft’s long past time to draw will be held Saturday, Feb Burma where a rare “Erard” grand piano is in ruary 22,11 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. All materials will be need of repair. Edgar Drake has to leave his wife put more kids at risk the line. • •• Our people have unwittingly provided. Ms. Cavin is a Fulbright Scholar who and his quiet, comfortable life in London to trav To the Editor: suffered from toxic waste poi teaches classes in calligraphy and bookbinding el across Europe, the Red sea, India and into An initiative (Measure 5-103) soning up stream where there at Portland Community College. Class size is Burma, meeting tale tellers, mystics, bandits and placed on the March ballot by is no filtration. There are those limited to 25 participants age 10 or above, un soldiers along the way. the Constitution Party would around them who will continue less the child is accompanied by an adult. Pre Recycle Saturday, sponsored by the Friends have serious effects on the to suffer much of their lives with registration is required. of the Banks Library, is held from 9:00 a.m. to health of our teenage girls. If the harmful effects of herbicide Mark your calendars for Saturday, March 15 3:00 p.m. on the second Saturday of each passed, it would require in their drinking and bathing at 7:00 p.m. Innisfree will be making a return ap month, at the Swatco yard on Sellers Road. teenagers to get parental con water, especially young chil pearance to play their unique style of traditional Banks Public Library: 111 Market Street. sent before receiving any pub dren. Herbicide is poisonous. Irish music. Last year's program was a huge suc Hours: Tues., Wed., Thurs., 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.; lic services, including mental cess and very well attended! Both of these pro Now the state, who is sup Fn. and Sat. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. health counseling and medical grams are sponsored by WCCLS. posed to be obligated to protect Preschool Story Time: Wednesdays, 10:15 care. If you want to get involved in any of the vol water quality and supply, wants a.m., when school is in session. The Journal of the American unteer/ fundraising events sponsored by the to put a steep 214 acre clearcut Phone: (503 ) 324-1382 Medical Association published Friends of the Banks Library, why not start by at right where much of our water Internet: www.WILInet.wcds.libbr.us. a carefully designed statistical tending a meeting? Planning for the Friends’ An comes from and spray it with ’ to browse library resources or to study (Aug. 8, 2002) on this nual Plant & Book Sale will begin Tuesday, Feb toxic herbicide w h ic h c a n 'im - *• reserve materials electronicalfy. subject. Set in Wisconsin, 1118 4th at 7:00 p.m. at the library. Additional meet- • • Please see page 12 • Between the Bookends
