The INDEPENDENT, October 16, 2003
From page 2
efficient and effective 9-1-1
emergency response possible.
We’re very proud of the job
that the staff does at your 9-1-1
District. They operate very effi
ciently, with fewer employees
than they could have, without
sacrificing 9-1-1 call service,
dispatch or emergency service
coordination.
And they help us keep our
promises, like getting the 9-1-1
Call Center built for about 1/3
the cost of other 9-1-1 centers,
and qualifying Columbia 9-1-1
for Computer Aided Dispatch
and Enhanced 9-1-1 service.
Those are complicated to ex
plain, but they result in faster
dispatching when you call.
Another important promise
we’ve been able to keep to the
........
voters is getting a countywide count on 9-1-1 as a vital service
microwave backbone radio sys for your children, grandparents,
tem funded and installed - us friends and co-workers. You
ing over $1.4 million in other count on 9-1-1. We all count on
funding sources - instead of 9-1-1.
Likewise, we all count on
District tax revenues. That
means safer, more reliable ra your vote on Novermber 4th,
dio coverage for every part of and your YES vote to renew
Operating
the county - doing much more, Columbia 9-1-1
with less. That new system will Funds. Over half of all regis
tered voters must cast their
be operating in November.
As a result of effective man vote and a majority of those
agement, the rate requested for must approve this renewal for it
the renewal of the District's to pass. Please vote and vote
five-year operating funds is YES.
LOWER than it was five years
Thank you for the opportuni
ago. That means that the tax ty to serve you through Colum
rate to you, the taxpayers, will bia 9-1-1 Communications Dis
go down, while our 9-1-1 relia trict.
Board of Directors of
bility and service increases.
Columbia 9-1-1
This is a team effort, and we
Communications District
take our responsibility very se-
Dee Wooley, Clatskanie
riouslv - because we know ..............
Botwoen tbs Bookends
By Nancy Burch, Librarian
Vernonia Public Library
Those of us in the library
would like to express our
heartfelt sympathy to the
Parrow family. Art Parrow
was a true “friend of the li
brary.” For many years he
read and read. On cards
that are remaining in some
of the older books his
name may be found time
after time. Art was a liaison between the library
and The Lion’s Club, always requesting ideas for
projects to benefit the library. One of these proj
ects was the construction of two portable book
shelves, with materials being donated by The Li
ons and the work being done by Art. Art became
a member of the library board in 1993 and
served until 1997, when he was appointed May
or of Vernonia. He was always supportive, while
intelligently helping to guide policies and prac
tices. Memorial donations to The Friends of the
Library have been made in honor of Art and are
being used to purchase a book about raising
dahlias, another on beginning woodworking proj
ects, several novels, and a book entitled, The
Wisdom o f Grandfathers.
The recent Chautauqua presentation was well
received by those in attendance. Rick Fran-
cona’s presentation about the Japanese attacks
on Oregon’s coast prompted the purchase of
Silent Siege— III, a documentary by Bert Web
ber, on these attacks during World War II. The
book is quite detailed and contains many inter
esting pictures of Fort Stevens and its personnel
at that time and of the bomb carrying balloons.
Listed in the book are the 297 sites where parts
of these balloons were found, ranging from Ore
gon to Montana, British Columbia, Alaska, Michi
gan, South Dakota and Texas. Isn’t the technol
ogy that the Japanese had during that time just
amazing? Also recently added to the library’s
collection is Mr. Francona’s book, Ally to Adver
sary, An Eyewitness Account of Iraq’s Fall from
Grace.
The last book discussion meeting was the
best-attended and liveliest one yet. To Kill a
—
Mockingbird proved to be an excellent choice.
Snow Falling on Cedars is the current selection.
Copies of the book are available as well as au
dio and video editions. Discussion of this novel
will take place Thursday, October 23 at 7 p.m. in
the library.
New acquisitions include Blacklist by Sara
Paretsky, Stone Cold by Robert B. Parker, De
ception Point by Dan Brown, Our Lady of the
Forest by David Guterson, Orchard by Larry
Watson, Split Second by David Baldacci, Blood
is the Sky by Steve Hamilton, Three Weeks in
October by Charles A. Moose and Charles Flem
ing, and The Smoking Gun by Gerry Spence.
Having recently completed the 2003 Oregon
Public Library Statistical Report, I am excited to
report that circulation increased from 17,222 last
year to 21,732 this year. Since the move to the
new building, when yearly circulation was about
10,000, the number of items checked out has
considerably more than doubled. The library pre
sented 98 programs for children last year with
approximately 1,400 persons in attendance and
14 programs for adults with about 400 people at
tending. Approximately 13,000 people visited the
library last year. Isn’t that remarkable? One fig
ure reported for the first time this year is the
number of users of electronic resources in the li
brary— mainly Internet. This figure was very con
servatively reported at 820, and means that at
least 3 people used the Internet each day the li
brary was open last year.
During the hunting/camping vacation of this
past week, our family certainly made use of li
brary materials. Errold and I each read several
novels while the grandchildren read and re-read
spooky stories and spooky jokes. Even while
driving we listened to books— books on tape.
We survived without television just fine, thanks
to books and the library.
Vernonia Public Library: 701 Weed Ave.
Hours: Mon., Wed., Fri. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.;
Tues., Thur. 2 p.m. * 7 p.m.
Sat. 10 a.m. -2 p.m.
Preschool Story Time: Mondays, 10:00
a.m., when school is in session.
Phone: (503 ) 429-1818
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Kathy Denckla, Vernonia-Mist
Connie Budge,
Rainier-Columbia City
Rob Anderson, Scappoose
Henry Heimuller, St. Helens
Voting is easy but be
sure ballot counts
Some elections you have to
think about: some are no-brain
ers, just do it.
The November election to
renew the 9-1-1 levy is one of
the latter. Nothing new about
this levy, it’s just a bit smaller
than the expiring one it will re
place. Almost everyone who
votes will be for this: the prob
lem is getting half the elec
torate to mail or bring in their
ballots. So, with apologies to
Nike for swiping their slogan,
Just Do It. Vote.
Cordially,
Frazier Rohm
Vernonia
We really do call 9-1-1
when seconds count
There is a saying, “When
seconds count, call 9-1-1 first.’’
We know it’s true, and we do
call Columbia 9-1-1, more than
88,000 times a year; more than
200 times a day. 9-1-1 is a vital
service we all expect to be
there. We just know it will.
So, it’s an easy decision
when once every five years,
we’re asked whether we want
to keep providing the operating
funds to maintain 9-1-1 service
for every man, woman and
child in Columbia County. Of
course we do. Vote yes for Co
lumbia 9-1-1 on the November
ballot. And be sure to vote, be
cause while we all need and
want 9-1-1 service, we also
need a double majority turn
out. So please vote, and vote
yes on Columbia 9-1-1.
Randy Parrow
Vernonia
EMT speaks from
personal knowledge
While working/volunteering
as an EMT in Vernonia for 9
years, I’ve had the pleasure of
working closely with our 9-1-1
dispatchers
for
Colum bia
County. These people are al
ways there to help and reas
sure those in need and, at the
same time, dispatch em er
gency responders with the ac
curate and timely information
we need to assist a caller in
their time of need.
However, for them to contin
Page 3
ue doing their job quickly and
efficiently, they need our help
now. The levy that passed 5
years ago needs to be renewed
and will not even raise our tax
es (the cost will actually be low
er).
So expense isn’t the issue
so much as the need for the
percentage of registered voters
required to pass a measure.
Please, GET OUT AND VOTE.
The services provided by 9-
1-1 are something each of us
will probably need at some
point in our life. Unfortunately,
no one knows when an emer
gency will arise, but the better
prepared we are, the greater
the chance for a positive out
come. Please join me Novem
ber 4th in voting “YES” to re
new 9-1-1!
Christine Purvee
Vernonia
9-1-1 service needed
in all emergencies
We all count on government
to provide us with essential
services. One of the most es
sential services is Columbia 9-
1-1, which coordinates all the
police or fire or emergency
medical departments in all of
our com m unities when we
need them. They do it fast and
they do it efficiently.
There is nothing more es
sential in an emergency than
dialing 9-1-1 and knowing a
person is there to help right
away, within seconds. We
count on this essential service
every day, just look at the num
bers: Columbia 9-1-1 handled
over 88,000 calls last year.
If w e’re using it, and we
count on it and it works for us,
we need to keep it. We need to
renew Columbia 9-1-1 operat
ing funds so we have 9-1-1
service for another 5 years -
just like we have for the past 10
years.
I’m voting YES for Columbia
9-1-1 on the November ballot.
It’s a simple, smart decision we
can all make to keep something
we need.
Tom Budge
Vernonia
Vernonia felt like
home on first visit
Welcome to Vernonia.
Some say that when you die,
there are are those who greet
and guide you on to the ‘other
side’. The first place I stopped
in town was Sentry (well, the
Please see page 20