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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 20, 2003)
The INDEPENDENT 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 ANO ALV Deceptive measure could cause unnecessary harm MW W Measure 5-103 on the Columbia County ballot in March sounds so simple and straight-forward. All it would do is prohibit all non-emergency county services for minors without parental consent. But what does that mean? Here are a few potential results of this deceptively “simple” measure: The drug and alcohol counselor at Vernonia High School works for Columbia Community Mental Health with state funds that “pass through” the county. It is technically a county program. So, if Measure 5-103 is approved, the high school’s drug and alcohol coun selor will no longer be able to help teens when the help is needed. Instead, if approached by a teenager seek Letters to the Editor ing any information or advice about drugs or alcohol, the counselor would have to say something like “Take More information on and show their support for the council’s decision to draft and this permission slip home and have a parent sign it, Selders Creek trade send a letter of concern to then we can talk.” O.D.F. regarding the potential To the Editor: The after school recreation and study programs in effects to our water supply due First I must say that the fol to additional logging activity in Vernonia are funded through the Columbia County lowing is my opinion and in no Commission on Children and Families; they are tech way is meant to reflect the Vernonia’s watershed. It is al nically county programs so, if Measure 5-103 is ap opinions of my fellow coun ways refreshing to know people are paying attention. proved, what happens when a student at the after cilors, the Mayor, or the City of In August 2002, I was made Vernonia. school study program asks which web site to look up aware of this potential sale/trade I would like to take this op by a concerned citizen. No one for answers to history, chemistry or (horrors!) biology portunity to thank the editor questions? Will the tutor have to say “Take this per and staff of The INDEPEN on the city’s staff was aware of mission slip home and have a parent sign it, then we DENT publicly for their accu it and, when inquiries were made to local O.D.F. districts re can discuss it.”? rate reporting of the logistics for garding the proposed sale/trade, Far-fetched, sure, but this measure would allow only the proposed land sale be we were informed there was emergency services without parental consent and it tween the Oregon Dept. of nothing going on. This erro Forestry and Longview Fibre defines emergency services as “services provided im which includes timberland in neous answer was due to mediately to a minor child when the minor child is in the Selders Creek portion of O.D.F.’s flawed procedures for public notice and lack of inter our watershed. And for listing of danger of loss of life or serious physical injury.” nal com m unication between Both supporters and opponents of the measure are O.D.F. contacts included in the their own districts. If not for an impromptu cour concerned with sexuality. One side says only parents article regarding prospective timber sales by O.D.F. in the should counsel minors about sex and the other says upcoming year that was in the tesy call from Tom Savage, shortly before the deadline for that would be best, but it isn’t always possible. recent issue of this paper. public input for this proposed I was present at the hastily A few years ago, a 14 year-old Idaho girl was in the sale/trade, our city would not news. She was pregnant by her father, who had been called meeting with O.D.F.’s have been aware of it until AF sexually abusing her for years. She couldn’t get help, representative and the article TER it had been consummated that was printed on the front even from the courts, without parental consent and her page of the paper accurately and trees started to fall. There has been a lot of mis father wouldn’t give it. When adult friends tried to take reflected what we were told by information about the intent Tom Savage of the O.D.F. Asto her to Oregon for help, her father shot and killed her. and content of the letter the city ria District. An emergency clause wouldn’t have helped. sent to O.D.F. and I would like I also would like to thank the to try and clarify a few points. Please vote NO on Measure 5-103. flOhELAND SfCURlTTl folks who took the time to write First and foremost, the letter was in no way meant to hurt anyone involved with logging activities. Though recent popu lation and economic studies have shown that our communi ty is no longer timber based, as 70 - 80% of our citizens com mute out of town for their em ployment, there is still a gener al feeling that we are a logging community. Therefore the city's letter to O.D.F. was very am bivalent in regard to the effects of logging on water supply and quality. The main point of the city’s letter is a request that O.D.F. assist us in doing a full-scale watershed assessm ent for Rock Creek. As Rock Creek Watershed is our city’s sole source of drinking water, the letter is very proactive in stating that we want to work with O.D.F. regarding the Selders Creek trade/sale AND any fu ture activities that are proposed in the Rock Creek watershed. The only recent studies we have are from the DEQ in which a general summary, at best, is provided regarding log ging activity and its effects on water quality. I have been informed that a full scale study is in the works, Please see page 3
