Letters to tha Editor
County GOP urges
support of president
To the Editor:
The Executive Committee of
Columbia County Republicans
calls upon all Oregonians and
especially those of Columbia
County to join us in supporting
President Bush in his efforts to
fight terrorism and to disarm
Saddam
Hussein
of
all
weapons of mass destruction
-chemical, biological or nu
clear.
We support our president’s
decision to act on this without
further delay and we support
our troops as they move to rid
Iraq of this dangerous tyrant
and free the people of Iraq.
We also call upon all Orego
nians to join us in prayer for
President Bush, his cabinet,
and the leaders and members
of the Armed Forces and all
Americans who are in harms
way in this struggle in defense
of our nation and our freedom.
Sincerely,
Mike Powell, Chairman
gle $12.00, Couple $18.00, and
Family $24.00 per year. Our
address is Vernonia Pioneer
Museum, P.O. Box 26, Vernon
ia, OR 97064. Please give your
time and support to our muse
um so we can all be proud of
the achievements we are mak
ing.
We are interested in finding
someone who will take care of
the yard work. If you have a
yard work business and would
like the job, we would allow you
to advertise with a sign at the
museum, but do not have the
money to pay anyone for the
work.-It would be on a volun-
teeer basis.
We have work days, usually
on a Saturday, so if you are in
terested in helping, call me at
503-429-8134. We are plan-
ning an open house this spring
and later we will be having a
yard sale. Stop in and see us.
Enid Parrow, President
Vernonia Pioneer Museum
111!
monarchy.
Apparently, you would prefer
to see our citizens killed by
ruthless, unmerciful terrorist at
tacks, to be fought with fire
fighters and law enforcement
personnel, than to face this
clear and present danger head
on with those who are trained,
prepared and equipped to meet
those who have truly corrupted
their power.
As a nation, we need to fully
support our president and our
troops, otherwise we could very
likely face many more days like
9/11. God help us!
Robert Huntington
& Family
Birkenfeld
Fire district needs to
U Tiprove p r o c e s s e s
«
There is a new election and leave the room as my coworker
three board positions are to be was screamed at about the ed
filled. Some of the people who itorial.
are running have an axe to
The Independent has always
grind with Chief Epler. Over the printed letters to the editor with
past four years I have watched opposing viewpoints. This is
the way some of the volunteers the rational way to express an
have treated the Chief. Let me opposing viewpoint. All that is
tell you, I would not put up with required is a signature and a
that. Even on the Board, we verifiable address.
have not backed him on some
The Independent welcomes
issues as we should have.
your viewpoints. Please, collect
We did not hire a Chief to sit your thoughts and be calm as
up at the Fire Station and polish you share them.
trucks. He should be out taking
Susi Holsey
classes, attending county train
Vernonia
ing meetings and conferences,
writing grants for needed
9/11 used as excuse
equipment and overseeing
training in this department; not for abuse of power
babysitting, sweeping floors or To the Editor:
building a storage shed. This is
I appreciate your editorial
a waste of Fire District funds. very much. You are dead on
This is why we have volun target when you describe the
teers.
underlying issue as power!!
At some of the latest meet 9/11 became an excuse for all
ings I have heard volunteers sorts of bullying tactics. Not
state that if these changes hap only military budgets are blown
pen, they will quit. I say, “Good out of proportion - the Home
bye." There will always be land Security (new Sacred
someone to take their place.
Cow) becomes the receptacle
I’m certainly not criticizing all for absurd allocations - to say
of the volunteers; just a few, nothing of their new power to
and they know who they are. invade freedoms.
We have some really good
Paul Nussle
people on this department who
Sumner, Washington
understand that change is nec
essary to move forward. I hope
Venomous comments
more district members will
come to these meetings and unsupported by fact
express themselves.
To the Editor:
We all need to work togeth
I would assume having read
er-board, Chief and volunteers the editorial in your March 20
alike; set some goals and quit issue that you don’t think much
backstabbing each other. What of our president. I don’t have a
we do now as volunteers and problem with that but when you
board members will reflect on make such venomous com
this district in the future.
ments about his policies you
Stephen Roberts ought to back them up with
Vernonia some facts. I would appreciate
To the Editor:
My family and I moved to
Vernonia after the ‘96 flood.
The first person we met was
Fire Chief Paul Epler. When he
Thankful for resolve found out that my wife and I
had firefighting experience, he
Columbia county GOP ^f President Bush
enlisted us as volunteers for
To the Editor:
the Vernonia Fire Department.
“Bush is No Bully”
During my six-month probation
Editorial is forceful
As a family, we are thankful period I had some personal is
and courageous
that President Bush has the sues with some of the training
backbone and determination to the volunteers were receiving.
To the Editor:
Bless you for your coura protect our nation from a repeat Adjusting from a full time de
geous editorial about Bush’s of the events that took place on partment with daily training to a
war! It can’t be a popular point September 11, 2001, and to volunteer department with
of view in our little part of the hold those accountable who training three times a month
world, and will be even less so are responsible for the perpe was difficult. Some volunteers
since he predictably went tration of these cowardly, un saw me as a threat and soon I
ahead with this sordid war, but I provoked terrorist attacks was so frustrated working with
them that I foolishly decided to
hope your forceful arguments against our citizens.
Men
like
Saddam
Hussein
leave the Volunteer Associa
will lead some people to think
about the shameful way this and Osama Bin Laden, who tion.
have no regard for human life,
At the time of the next Fire
administration operates.
know
that
the
United
Nations
is
District Board election I felt I
Michael Fox
powerless
to
stop
them,
will
could put my experience to
Banks
continue their reign of terror, work for the district, ran for a
until someone like President board position and was elect
Museum group seeks Bush, who will not only say ed. I started to take classes and Please present views
“Enough is Enough", but will attend Special Districts Associ calmly and clearly
members, volunteers also
take action to stop them.
ation of Oregon (SDAO) con To the Editor:
To the Editor:
Historically, we see that ferences to become a better
As an employee of The Inde
We have a group of volun timidity and appeasement have board member. At these class
pendent for the past three
teers who are working very only resulted in increased ag- es I learned how the board and years, and as an American citi
hard to get everything working gression, as can be seen clear- the district should be run. I
zen, I would like to remind
smoothly at the museum. We ly with Adolph Hitler. He and his have tried to bring some of that
everyone that we do still live in
have chosen a new name, Ver- Nazi regime took full advantage knowledge back to our Fire Dis a country which allows us to
nonia Pioneer Museum Associ- of the nations that attemped to trict Board. The SDAO Confer
speak (and write) our opinion,
ation, and are now accepting appease him. They were quick- ences are an invaluable source as we see fit.
memberships to help with costs ly trampled under foot as he of training and information.
My editor did just that in the
at the museum. Costs are: Sin- marched over them to conquer
Over the past three months, last issue, as she does in every
the next country.
there have been changes going issue. She did it in a clear and
Library column moved
Aggression must be met with on at the Fire House that some concise manner for all to under
“Between the Bookends”
strength.
volunteers don’t like. These stand.
may be found on page
Where would we be if the changes are necessary for the
Whether I agree or disagree
12. It has been tem
early patriots had tried to ap continued good health of the doesn’t matter. What bothered
pease the King of England in district. This is a pivotal time for me was the manner in which
porarily moved in order
stead of opposing him? More our Fire District Board and the some with opposing views ex
to allow more letters on
than likely, we would be British community served by the Ver pressed those views. In one
this page.
subjects under the rule of a nonia Fire Protection District.
particular instance, I had to
some equal time to respond to
some of your comments.
From your second para
graph ‘while he orders the
killing of innocent civilians’?
You can’t be serious. Having
seen the first few days of the
war it looks to me as if the pres
ident is doing everything possi-
Please see page 14
POLICY ON LETTERS
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