Donkey basketball
was a huge success
To the Editor:
The donkey basketball game
was a huge success, far be
yond anything Vernonia Pride
anticipated. We would like to
give a big THANK YOU to
EVERYONE who helped - 28
donkey riders/basketball play
ers, pooper scoopers who were
ready with mops and shovels,
emcee Randy Parrow, Vernon
ia Mercantile for donating a raf
fle prize, the school district for
the use of the gym, the VHS
tech crew, the junior class for
running the concessions, and
Brett Eagleson for all his help in
setting up and cleaning up.
The enthusiasm and support
were fantastic.
Vernonia Pride has many
projects planned for this year:
new garbage receptacles down
town built by Alan Hein, hang
ing baskets with real flowers,
flowers in the garbage recepta
cles, a donation to Shay Park,
flowers and plants in parks,
walking tour, 4th of July fire
works, planting around down
town ornamental trees, and a
framed picture of downtown
Vernonia in the 1920s to be
hung at city hall.
The most ambitious project,
headed by Enid Parrow, is to
create a Historic Walking Tour
of downtown businesses. Sev
eral people have been meeting
to research when the buildings
were built, etc. Plaques will be that they will return to Vernonia
made and placed on each next February, as they have
building. There will also be a truly enjoyed your hospitality
booklet with the walking tour and friendship. This is a first for
that will have additional infor our troop and although we have
mation and other interesting tried to give receipts to all who
facts about Vernonia.
donated, we may not have
Thanks again to all who been successful. If you need a
made our fundraiser such a receipt for your donation,
success. As you can see we please call Jill at 3900, or Jua
have a lot of projects planned na at 7024.
for the money we make.
Sincerely,
Another thing coming up is
Rebecca Brookins
Make Vernonia Shine Day. This
Committee Chair, Troop 201
year it will be on Saturday, April
Vernonia
26. Mark your calendars and
come on down.
Immigrants must act
We will also have a bake
sale March 15 at Sentry Market like Americans
from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Come on To the Editor:
down and get some goodies.
After reading an editorial
Donna Webb for published by a Tampa, Florida
Vernonia Pride newspaper, stating that the
state of Florida had now
Flamingo flock gone, changed its opinion and was al
lowing Muslim women to have
but they will return
their picture on their driver’s li
Dear Flamingo Recipient, and cense while wearing a mask, I
the Editor:
have to ask myself this one
Thank you so much for play thing, “When
is enough,
ing with us last month. You enough?”
were all such good sports and
Immigrants, not Americans,
very generous. We had a great must change and adapt to our
time sending greetings to all of ways. I am growing sick and
you from many of you. I hope tired of a nation worrying
you were very surprised when whether or not we are offending
you awoke in the morning to someone’s culture. The dust
the lovely flock of pink flamin and smoke of the terrorist at
goes that graced your front tack of Sept. 11 had hardly set
lawn. You are all very special! tled before the “Political Correct
The flamingoes have had to fly Crowd” was worrying that our
south to warmer climes; how- patriotism might be offending
ever, they have assured me others.
I Botweoo tha Bookend
By Ann Krutsinger, Library Assistant
Banks Public Library
Bosnian War, he finds that many challenges
await him. Though his village was spared heavy
combat, it was completely destroyed. Food is
scarce and Christians and Muslims, once
friends, are now enemies. Over three days Halid
searches his village for his past. What he finds is
total upheaval. Homecoming is much more than
a book about one man; it is also about a tight-knit
community torn apart by the politics of ven
geance, brutality and ethnic bias.
The Friends of the Banks Public Library Plant
& Book Sale is scheduled for Saturday, April 26
from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. For information or to
volunteer, please call the library. There will be a
selection of perennials, annuals, shrubs and
trees, and possibly some vegetable starts. Be
prepared to peruse the large collection of both
used and new books available.
Help us celebrate St.
Patrick’s Day by attending
a free concert on Saturday,
March 15 at 7:00 p.m.! Inn-
isfree will be making a re
turn appearance to play
their unique style of tradi
tional Irish music. This pro
gram was a big hit last year
and is bound to be fun.
Come early because we’ll be packed!
Preschool Story time at the Banks Library is a
very fun way to introduce the library to your tod
dler or preschooler. The group of children is usu
ally smallish enough so that even shy children
can be engaged. Miss Cathy is loads of fun!
Themes for March are:
March 5th, “Love Bugs”
March 12th, “Little, Big, Bigger”
March 19th, “Friendship”
Remember that story time is cancelled March
26, during Spring Break.
One of the new books that the library has re
cently acquired is Homecoming, by Natasha
Radojcic-Kane. When <° the
character,
Halid,
hls main
village
following
the L
B anks Public Library: 111 Market S treet
Hours: Tues., Wed., Thurs., 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.;
Frh and Sat. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.
P re s c h o o l S to ry T im e : W ednesdays, 10:15
a.m., when school is in session.
P h o n e : (503)324-1382
Internet: www.WILInetwccls.lib.or.us.
to browse library resources or to
.
- reS6,Ve m9.le,rtal,?
„
I am not against immigration
if it is done for the right reason.
Our nation’s population mainly
is made up of immigrants who
came to America to better their
selves. However, there are
some things an immigrant, as
well as the Political correct
bunch must understand. This
idea that American being a mul
ti-cultural com m unity whose
sole purpose is of serving the
cultural whims of immigrants
has only weakened our sover
eignty and our nation’s original
aim and purpose. We have our
own culture, our own society,
our own language and lifestyle.
A culture that has developed
over centuries of troubles and
trials and what millions of men
and women have fought and
died for has left it to us as a sa
cred trust.
We speak english in Ameri
ca, not Spanish, arabic, Chinese
or any other language under
the sun. Therefore, if an Immi
grant wishes to become a part
of America, let him or her learn
to speak our language.
“In God We Trust" is our na
tional motto. Not because of
some right winged political slo
gan declares it so, but rather it
was adopted by Christian men
and women based upon bible
principles who founded this
great nation of ours. This is
clearly documented in our con
stitution as well as the writings
of our forefathers. No school in
America should be ashamed to
hang it proudly from its walls. If
the word “God" offends you, I
suggest you find another part of
the world in which to hang your
hat. God is part of America’s
culture, like it or leave it.
If you have a desire to burn
the stars and stripes or you
hate Uncle Sam, you should
seriously consider a move to
another location on the planet.
We Americans are happy with
our culture and have no desire
to change, and we really don’t
care how you did things where
you come from. This is our
country, our land and its our
lifestyle. The first amendment
gives you the right to express
your opinion, but once you
have done your griping, whin
ing and complaining, about our
flag, our pledge of allegiance,
our national Motto, our lifestyle,
I encourage you to take advan
tage of another great American
freedom, just pack your bags
and leave. As far as I am con
cerned, Am erica don’t need
you.
Juneious F. Harty
Scappoose
Rep. Johnson will hold Town Hall
meeting In Vernonia on Saturday
State Representative Betsy
Johnson (D-Scappoose) has
scheduled a series of town hall
meetings to discuss the contin
uing budget issues and poten
tial responses. She will meet
with Vernonia area residents on
Saturday, March 8 from 1.00 to
2:00 p.m., at the Scout Cabin.
With respect to the budget,
Johnson indicated that the
State’s financial future contin
ues to look bleak.
“The total projected revenue
shortfall for the remainder of this
biennium is $300 million and,
when you factor in other issues,
such as long-term care reim
bursement and hospital reim
bursement in the Department
of Human Services, we find
ourselves $344 million in the
hole.” Johnson said.
Johnson continued, “When
you consider that the total of
the sources of revenue avail
able to us is $308 million, which
includes the entire Education
Stability Fund; securitization of
the tobacco settlement; lottery
funds and all other sources, we
are still fiscally out of balance.
In other words, if we root out
every last penny of money
available to us, we’ll still come
up $35.7 million short for the
current budget cycle."
“The current budget issue
before us should be a wake-up
call to all Oregonians. It is our
sum m ons to begin serious
work on a new system of State
budgeting. Unless we do so,
we run the risk of finding our
selves in the same untenable
position — year after year, bi
ennium after biennium, — ei
ther cut services and ruin the
lives of countless people, or
take some inadequate stop
gap measure.” Johnson said.
“There will not be any easy
answers” Johnson stated, “ I am
looking forward to discussing
the issues and listening to what
my constituents are thinking.
To die for an idea; it is unquestionably noble. But how much no
bler it would be if men died for ideas that were true!
"
*
— H. L. M