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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 20, 2003)
Letters to the Editer From page 2 due to state mandate, but it will not be available for 1 -2 years at the earliest. Realistically, we should not expect any official documents for 4-5 years. The letter also addressed the policies and procedures O.D.F. uses when involved in proposed sales/trades of state land with private industry. The obvious concern being that Selders Creek is located in Ver nonia’s only watershed, yet the city was not even notified until just before the deadline for public input. This lack of notifi cation was due to many rea sons. I do not feel any of them were malicious, but it is very than the city did. Due to the plete watershed assessment of clear that the policies and pro short notice the city received Rock Creek, as was done for cedures of O.D.F. need to be and the state's policies on time the Nehalem River a few years revisited. The fact that negotia frame for public input, we were ago, we have no scientific proof tions were ongoing for almost “under the gun” to have some of the effects more logging will three years and the city didn’t thing on record with the state. have on the water supply real find out about it until the last Because of the lack of rain- ized from the headwaters of few weeks begs for restructur fall/snow pack the past few Rock Creek, Vernonia’s sole ing of protocol. years and the generally recog watershed. Contrary to the belief of a nized shortage of water in the I was elected to represent few people, the letter the city northwest area, just having wa the citizens of Vernonia and, sent to ODF to make them ter, to say nothing of the quality along with my fellow Coun aware of our concerns, is NOT of said water, is a top priority for cilors, the Mayor, and city staff, the only reason for the delay in every city. It has been reported I feel we are accomplishing a this sale/trade. There were recently that, without a large in lot for the short and long term many other letters from individ crease in rain and snow in the benefit of our community. uals and groups in Clatsop next couple of months, Oregon One of my major concerns County and other areas who will face a drought similar to for many years has been the is had a lot more prior notification 1981. Without doing a com- sue of water and access to it. Until we have firm scientific studies from impartial sources By Nancy Burch, Librarian The book discussion group meets the third it would be very irresponsible of Vernonia Public Library Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. in the library me, as a city councilor and a and all interested persons are invited to attend. concerned private citizen, not Hooray! January 2003 The two books chosen for reading and discus to question both state and pri set a new record for circu sion this month were Five Quarters of the Or vate entities whose activities lation in the library, and not ange by Joanne Harris and A Dream of Wolves might cause undue suffering to by some insignificant by Michael White. As new books and authors are our community. amount, but by over 350 introduced, not all members are necessarily in Glen Purvee items. Circulation for Janu agreement regarding the writing, but each has Vernonia ary was 2,172. This was been introduced to at least one author whose the first month during writings have been an incentive to seek further No deterioration of which more than 2,000 works by that author. Rock Creek water items were checked out and is more than triple New acquisitions include The First Law by the circulation of January 1999, the last year in John Lescroat, The Hours by Michael Cunning To the Editor: the old building. Isn’t this just incredible? ham, The Bone Vault by Linda Fairstein, The I would like to comment on Patron use of the library for other purposes King of Torts by John Grisham, The Best Re your “Sky is Falling” articles of has also increased tremendously. With the acti venge by Stephen White, Silent Partner by 1-16-03 regarding a State tim vation of the new Gateway computers for Inter Stephen Frey, and A box of Matches by Nichol ber sale located in the upper net access, it is not uncommon to find all three son Baker. My recommendation for the month is reaches of the Rock Creek public computers in use at the same time. With Crow Lake by Mary Lawson. This is the story of Drainage. tutoring, studying, reading, children’s programs, four children living in northern Ontario as they Regarding your concern and meetings taking place in the library, it is a struggle to stay together after their parents die in about oversight of the logging, busy place. an automobile accident. Narrated by Kate (the you must understand that the Cataloguing is an ongoing process with two next to youngest child) the tale is told in flash very dedicated library board members, Judy back mode starting with the fatal car accident removal of timber in this State Thiringer and Myron Lane, regularly entering and climaxing with 26-year-old Kate attending sale will be done by a fully in sured Logging Company with data nearly every week. At present the library the 18th birthday celebration for her nephew. professional credentials. Any collection consists of 15,676 titles and 16,642 This debut novel by Mary Lawson is a beautiful copies. When cataloguing was started in mid- ly crafted story of love, death, and redemption timber harvest in the State of Oregon must comply with the 2000, an estimate of 10,000 items in the collec and I am looking forward to future novels by Ms. Forest Practices Act, which is tion was made and was set as the goal for com Lawson. the most stringent Forestry Law pletion of the project. The library collection has Renewals of membership in The Friends of in the world. This law is strictly thus grown by over 50% in the past three years. the Library may be paid in the library with the enforced. Each of these items has not only been entered in next scheduled meeting to be April 1st at 7:00 When discussing water qual the collection, but has been bar-coded, labeled p.m. Start saving books for the book sale to be and protectively covered. Volunteers and staff held during Jamboree. All proceeds from this ity for the City of Vernonia, you must consider the fact that log are also kept very busy. sale will benefit the library. The family pass to the An event to mark on your calendar is Satur Children’s Museum has been renewed for this ging in the area of Rock Creek day, March 8th. On that day at 3 p.m., Ann Ful year with some of the proceeds from last sum and its tributaries has been on ton Ph.D. will present a slide program and lec mer’s book sale. This is available to be checked going for 90 years, without de terioration of water quality. If ture in the library. Professor Fulton is the author out in the library. water quality is not now a prob of Vernonia, A Pocket in the Woods, the history Reading Enrichment programs will continue lem and has never been a of Vernonia that was published in 1997. The af through the end of the school year at 3:30 on ternoon’s presentation is entitled, “Vernonia’s Mondays when school is in session and pre problem in the past, it’s without Historic Buildings, The Stories Behind the Fa school story/activity times are also on Mondays question that logging activity cade” and will complement the research being at 10:30 in the library. Youngsters and parents will not create a problem in the done by Vernonia Pride in their attempt to identi are encouraged to participate in these programs. future. Rest easy, Mr. Editor, the fy and label buildings with their original purpose “Sky is not Falling” and all is Vernonia Public Library: 701 Weed Ave.m and ownership. This promises to be a fun, light well in the watershed. H ours: Mon., Wed., Fri. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.; hearted look at Vernonia and refreshments will Sincerely, Tues., Thur. 2 p.m. - 7 p.m. be served. A limited number of copies of Profes Deri Roberts Sat, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. sor Fulton’s book will also be available for pur Vernonia Phone: (503 ) 429-1818 chase at this time. Between the Bookends At-risk youth need County services To the Editor: Within the next two weeks, everyone in Columbia County will be receiving a ballot in the mail. Very few people are aware of this upcoming elec tion. For most people in the county there will only be one measure to vote on...Measure 5-103. For Scappoose voters, there will also be a school bond measure. What is Measure 5-103? This measure would require that any person under the age of 18 be required to have writ ten parental consent prior to re ceiving any county service oth er than life-threatening emer gency services. What does this mean? It means that our most vul nerable young people under 18 who do not come from loving, caring families would be de prived of the very services they may most need: counseling for drug and alcohol addiction, sui cide prevention, treatment for sexually transmitted disease, protection from sexual or phys ical abuse by a parent or other family member or friend. Cur rent state and federal laws mandate that services be pro vided to those between 15 and 18. Voting NO would keep those laws as they are, protect ing all young people, not just those over 18. So please, when your ballot arrives, don’t just recycle it. Mark No and keep the county services needed by our most at-risk youth. Nancy Federici St. Helens Parents should care for their children To the Editor: I’m pleased to see that Co lumbia County citizens will have an opportunity to vote for a truly pro-family ballot meas ure on March 11. Passage of Measure 5-103 would affirm that parents, not the govern ment, are the responsible deci sion makers for minor children. Vote “Yes” to protect your minor child. Vote “Yes” to ensure a parent’s right to know. Sincerely, Craig Major Newberg More letters on page 20
