The INDEPENDENT, February 6, 2003
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Page 3
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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