The INDEPENDENT, August 7, 2003
Letters
Page 3
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Teacher says thanks
for 15 great years
To the Editor:
In 1988, [Vernonia] high
school principal Randy Ault-
man, took a chance on a 28
year old “greenhorn” and hired
a social studies teacher/basket-
ball coach. Fifteen years later I
still can’t properly express my
gratitude for the opportunity
given to me. But I’d like to give
it a try.
The reason for this letter is
that I have taken a position in
the Beaverton School District at
Mountain View Middle School,
teaching eighth grade social
studies. Closer to home, closer
to my family. This will be a ter
rific opportunity for me in a
number of ways. However, that
means I will be giving up the
“home” that I’ve built here. So,
in saying goodbye, I would like
to try to convey my gratitude for
the experience I’ve had with the
community of Vernonia.
Over the years, I’ve been
fortunate enough to develop
many special relationships in
the community. I would like to
single out a few people here as
examples of the wonderful
treatment I have received from
this community. Certainly it
started with Randy Aultman. In
the first years here, I had to
learn fast or get swallowed up.
But I got valuable support from
Randy and the cast of teachers
on hand at that point. What
started out as a big challenge
became a labor of love as I
came to appreciate what each
student has to offer if you get to
know them.
Teaching is what I do, it is
part of how I define myself, but
basketball is a passion of mine.
It was my way of building onto
my experience in the communi
ty. While learning the craft of
coaching at Vernonia, I re
ceived a lot of help. Among
those who stand out is Chris
Cota. While he and his family
were welcoming the Finlays to
Vernonia, Chris took the time to
watch how I operated and pro
ceeded to enhance our pro
gram by picking up on and do
ing the things that I didn’t. In
this way, his assistance made
my coaching look much better. I
have been around a lot of good
coaches throughout the years
and Chris is the kind of guy that
I’d like to have coaching my
kids.
Among the many people that
surrounded me in the building,
Jill Griffin is an example of the
number of educators that truly
reflect a caring attitude for our
youth. Anyone that spends time
with her knows that her com
mitment is unquestionable.
Likewise, Roxanna Sherman-
Heath exemplifies the quality of
help that our classified staff
brings to the classroom. She
always makes extra time to
work with both the students and
the teachers to provide oppor
tunities to meet our students’
By Ann Krutsinger, Library Assistant
Banks Public Library
When I look for a good
vacation read, I always
think mysteries. I'm not a
big fan of mysteries gener
ally, but somehow, hot
summer weather and travel
whet my appetite for a sus
penseful but not too scary
read. Lately I’ve been
hooked on the mysteries of Walter Mosley. His
main character, Easy Rawlins, is a complex fel
low. Learning about the man is almost as fasci
nating as the scrapes he gets into and the mur
ders he seeks to solve. The novels are set in
post WWII Watts, California. Easy is a black man
and a vet whose life was changed by serving in
the military. Coming back to Watts, Easy is
amazed that nothing has changed in his com
munity. The police are all white and persecuting
the black community (particularly him), the
dance halls are still full of dangerously sensual
women who drink too much and violent men who
gamble away their paychecks.
Easy came home from the war craving the
individual needs.
If you look at the positive
changes that w e’ve gone
through over the last five years,
certainly the leadership of Mike
Durbin has been critical for the
high school. Our administration
has also been surrounded by
cheerful, competent and effi
cient personnel like Jan
Bernardi, Barb Carr and Cindy
Baker (to name only a very few
of our many terrific staff). Leon
Torgerson represents the im
mense and often thankless ef
forts from our maintenance
crew.
On a daily basis, I have been
surrounded by teachers that, in
their own way, have brought
the best they have to the class
room every day to share and
help educate our children. “Old
timers" like Gordon Crowston
and Ward Nelson have been
great sources of information
while the “young bloods” like
Laura Waddell and Tony Pupo
are among the many whose en
thusiasm will be the base for
VHS’s future in education.
James Brookins has been a
colleague across the hall from
me for years. We have shared
ideas, stories, laughs and a few
Altoids! At lunch, though the
crowd has changed a bit over
the years, Randy Shockey and
Jeff Cheney and I get together
and embellish our war stories.
These guys are quality profes
sionals in their craft. Jeff has
done a good job of taking over
the basketball program and
American dream: He wanted to own his own
home, have a wife and kids. In the series, he
achieves these things, but not without a price. It
isn’t easy to keep a woman when you’re always
Sneaking out of the house to do his sideline -
sleuthing. Coming home battered and bleeding
without any explanation is hard on a relationship.
Each book has an interesting insight into Easy’s
life and the characters around him. So, if you
want to read a great series, try starting with Dev
il in a Blue Dress, White Butterfly and A Red
Death. The newer edition is Six Easy Pieces.
Banks Public Library patrons with Internet ac
cess can browse the library resources by click
ing on www.WILInet.wccls.lib.or.us. Materials
can be reserved electronically.
........
Banks Public Library: 111 Market Street
Hours: Tues., Wed., Thurs., 11 a.m. - 7 p.m,;
Fri. and Sat. 11 a. m. - 5 p.m.
Preschool Story Time: Wednesdays, 10:15
a.ro., through July.
Phone: (503)324-1382
Internet: www.WILInet.wcds.fib.or.us.
ss
......
making it his own and Randy is
always finding ways to help
kids “get math” (no easy task).
Thanks too, goes to the Staff at
WGS for sending us kids that
are ready for high school.
Finally, I could list many
many more people than have
been mentioned so far. Hope
fully, the few that I have men
tioned shine as examples of
what is good about education in
Vernonia. However I need to
finish with two more debts of
gratitude. First to the parents of
all the young men and women I
have had the opportunity to
work with: Thank you for your
support and for entrusting me
the care of your children’s edu
cation. Last, to all the students
that I have worked with over the
last 15 years, that allowed me a
chance to get to know them
better: Thanks, Dudes! I am
better for it.
Give me a call if you’re in the
Tanasbourne Area. I’m in the
phone book.
Scott Finlay
Portland
How can we get back
the good in Jamboree?
To the Editor:
The Vernonia Friendship
Jamboree has reached a fork in
the road and our annual little
get together is going through
some growing pains experi
enced by many events of a sim
ilar nature.
Granted, there have been
problems in the past due to in
dividuals blowing off steam in
ways that are disturbing and
sometimes downright danger
ous to others. When that many
people are together, there are
bound to be problem s that
need to a creative resolution.
I don’t think anyone wants a
return to the brawling and scuf
fling of the past, but the
overzealous policing of this last
Jamboree seems a step too far
in the other direction. What is
needed is to find some middle
ground or we will lose the Jam
boree altogether.
Some local business owners
said their revenue was down. I
spoke with several vendors that
told me of their lack of business
and [that they] might not return
in the future. Several lost mer
chandise to pilferage. With the
economy in bad shape, it is dif
ficult to make up for losses like
that.
I agree that a police pres
ence is necessary to deter
problems and I fully support
them with their all too difficult
task of keeping the peace,
however, I have heard several
reliable reports of confronta
tional behavior by the State Po
lice. The peace can be kept by
presence or intimidation. The
State Police seemingly chose
the latter whereas the interac
tions I had with our local police
were pleasant and respectful. A
little respect by everyone in
volved goes a long way toward
keeping the peace.
In the end, we must decide
what kind of a Jamboree we
want to have. Do we want a
friendly gathering to see old
friends and have a good time,
or to be surrounded by an
overzealous and intimidating
presence that knows nothing of
our rich history and culture?
Somehow we need to find a
way that everyone can respon
sibly enjoy them selves and
deal creatively with those that
go overboard, without turning
the city into an armed camp.
The only way we can put the
friendship back in the Jam
boree is to get involved person
ally and help make it happen.
We need to address the issues
that came up this year and start
planning for the next. We need
people with productive sugges
tions who are willing to assist in
the im plementation of those
suggestions.
We have been given an op
portunity to create a new future
for the Jamboree. What will we
do with it?
Burt Tschache
Music Chairman
Vernonia Friendship
Jamboree Committee
C o u n ty listen s to
voters, State doesn’t
To the Editor:
On July 22nd at Vernonia
City Hall, our Columbia County
Commissioners listened to lo
cal County residents voice their
concerns regarding the Goal 4
proposal m andated by the
State of Oregon. Despite the
few voiced objections over the
State requirements, it was my
observation that the Commis
sioners are trying to implement
the process in such a way as to
be the least intrusive of County
Property owners. Nevertheless,
when I requested that the Com
missioners simply tell the State,
"No!", I was provided the fol
low ing: The last tim e the C o
please see page 20