The INDEPENDENT, February 5, 2004
Page 3
Letters
Orlowski recall would
be bad government
To the Editor:
[While] growing up, in
Government 101 class I was
taught to research the facts
prior to a debate. In Church I
was taught the 10 Command-
ments. It’s unfortunate the
petitioners are turning a blind
eye to the 9th Commandment,
which states “you shall not give
false testimony against your
neighbor.” Petitioner Becky
Gosselin of Banks, has
successfully acquired the
necessary
68
signatures
needed to bring to the voters, at
City’s expense, the recall of
Mayor Robert C. Orlowski.
Reasons for the recall:
1. Citizens of Banks are not
encouraged to attend and are
not allowed to speak at City
Council Meetings.
2. It’s Mayor Robert Orlows-
ki’s fault the last police levy
failed due to lack of sufficient
voter turnout.
3. Lack of communication to
Banks citizens at large by city
officials in respect to major
decisions.
The Oregonian’s Richard
Colby in the January 28, 2004,
issue quoted Miss Gosselin as
stating “she doesn’t regularly
attend City Council Meetings,
and further states, normally
held on the 2nd Tuesday of the
month.” When asked why, Miss
Gosselin stated “I’m not a
public speaker.” Mayor Orlows-
ki rebutted in the Oregonian by
stating “I don’t know anything
about her. I’ve never met her.
I’ve never seen her at a City
Council meeting since I’ve
been Mayor and I’ve been to
every one of them.” When I
inquired at City Hall, I was told
by City Recorder/Treasurer
Deborah Deegan, that she too
recalls never seeing Miss
Gosselin at a City Council
meeting. Colby again quoted
Mr. Orlowski as stating “City
Government is open and
residents’
comments
are
welcomed.”
Mr. Orlowski told me “There
has not been one instance, to
my knowledge, where a
resident of Banks has not been
allowed to voice their opinions
or comments.” I have personal-
ly seen scheduled city council
meeting notices posted at both
City Hall and the post office. Mr.
Colby further quotes Mr.
Orlowski in reference to the
police levy as stating “I person-
ally knocked on at least 230
doors campaigning for the
$1.80 per $1000 property levy
when it went before the voters
twice last year.” It is this
author’s opinion that the police
levy failed due to lack of suffi-
cient voter turnout, not by the
lack of Mr. Orlowski’s effort.
It’s unfortunate that Miss
Gosselin feels it necessary to
add another job to the Mayor’s
duties – that of personally
keeping you informed of all city
business. In the petition for
recall, Miss Gosselin represent-
ed yourself as a member of
“The Citizens of Banks for a
More Informed Community”
DEMANDING the aforemen-
tioned. My educated guess of
“to be informed” is “to gather
information” or “making an
exerted effort in the gathering
of information.” To DEMAND
anything from city leaders
without first confronting those
who are the target of your
concerns is very hard to
swallow.
Miss Gosselin let me inform
you of Mayor Robert Orlowski’s
contributions to the City of
Banks. During his sixteen (16)
years as a volunteer civil
servant he has held the follow-
ing positions: Member of the
Planning Commission, City
Council, Police Commissioner,
Member of the Executive Board
for Washington County Consol-
idated Communication Associ-
ation (911), City representative
to ODOT, City of Banks
councilor for Grants, Chairman
of the Community Development
Block Grant Program Policy
Between the Bookends
By Ann Krutsinger, Library Assistant
Banks Public Library
Now is the time to catch
up on all your novel
reading – after the Holiday
chaos and before the
spring gardening. I can’t
help but feel the blues
during the month of
January and into February.
I know the days are getting
longer, but the rain! A good
story does help (so do chocolate and coffee.)
Homer Hickam, author of the book Rocket
Boys that later became the movie “October Sky,”
has written a new tale, far removed from the
West Virginia coal mines. The Keeper’s Son
takes place in 1941 on Killakeet Island of the
wind swept Outer Banks of North Carolina. The
town is populated by an assortment of fisher-
men, clammers and oyster rakers. The Thurlow
family has maintained the Killakeet lighthouse
for years. But Josh Thurlow, the Keeper’s son,
has decided not to follow his family’s heritage
and has become the commander of the Maudie
Jane, a small Coast Guard patrol boat.
The story starts when Josh is a boy. His dad
has left him in charge of both his little brother
and lighting the lighthouse by himself for the first
time. Josh is about 14 years old and decides to
go sailing in an attempt to catch a stray red boat
that floats past. Things go wrong as the day
progresses, and Josh ends up losing his baby
brother at sea. The boy is never found.
Josh can’t stop reliving that tragic day. Even
after his stint in the Coast Guard in Alaska, he
comes home to all the old ghosts of both his
dead brother and his dead mother. The thing that
has really tortured Josh is that, by his reckoning
and his knowledge of the currents, the red boat
containing his brother should have washed up
on shore, or at least had some piece of it should
have been found.
A concurrent story is about a German U-boat
captain, Otto Krebs. There is a reason why he is
in the story. He eventually comes to Killakeet
Island and may have the answer to the mystery
that haunts Josh.
The Keeper’s Son has many components of a
fine story – romance, intrigue, some war, and
some geographical detail about the Outer Banks
of North Carolina. It is a fine winter read.
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.m., through July.
Phone: (503 ) 324-1382
Internet: www.WILInet.wccls.lib.or.us.
to browse library resources or to
reserve materials electronically.
Advisory Board and the Mayor
of
Banks. Achievements:
Worked with city council, city
accountant and city recorder to
get city out of a $139,000
deficit. Assisted with the
procurement of $2 million in
Federal, State and Local grants
for the establishment of the
Banks Police Department, new
library, 1,000,000 gal. water
tank, sidewalk repair, renova-
tion of park buildings and a new
intake structure in the city
watershed. He was also the
chief mediator in a $16.8 million
civil rights land use lawsuit
against the City of Banks.
Miss Gosselin if you are truly
interested in the city’s business
and the decisions being made
by your elected City Council
members, I suggest you attend
a City Council meeting. I under-
stand you know the anticipated
scheduled date and time.
This is a call to all Banks
registered voters to get out and
vote. A ballot drop off box has
been established in the Banks
Library for your convenience.
Thank you,
Deborah Brown
Friends of Mayor Orlowski
Ed. note: The writer is water clerk
for the City of Banks
Jamboree, Boosters
will need more leaders
To the Editor:
To my friends, fellow volun-
teers and citizens of Vernonia.
The time has come to refocus
my priorities in life. Presently I
have nine grandchildren and
one more on the way. Now that
they are getting older I plan to
spend more time being
involved in their lives, and more
time with my involvement as a
member of the First Baptist
Church. During the last
Chamber
of
Commerce
meeting I was elected to the
position of President and I am
very proud to be able to serve
our business community.
I currently hold positions in
the Vernonia Booster Club, and
on the Vernonia Friendship
Jamboree Committee, which I
will be resigning from effective
immediately.
The Friendship Jamboree
will hold elections on Thursday,
Feb. 12, at 7:00 p.m. in the
Washington Grade School
Library. The offices of President
and Secretary need to be filled.
The Booster Club will be
holding elections on Wednes-
day, Feb. 11 at 7:00 p.m. in the
City Hall Council Chambers.
The offices of President, Vice
President, and Secretary need
to be filled. The Booster Club
supports school sport and art
functions and also the Christ-
mas
Bazaar,
Echoing
Evergreens Summer Camp.
and Kids League Sports
Programs (Soccer, Baseball,
Basketball, Football). I urge
each of you to attend this
meeting and help with the
Booster
Clubs
continued
success. The Booster Conces-
sion Building is now progress-
ing with ground breaking to
start this month. Volunteers are
needed for this project.
I’d like to thank all of the
volunteers I have worked with
over the years in these organi-
zations. It was truly a great time
and I am looking forward to
spending more time with my
family, church and the business
community.
Sincerely,
Randy Parrow
Vernonia
Thanks to 9-1-1 for
immediate response
To the Editor:
I wish to thank Vernonia 911
who promptly came to my call
for help in picking my daughter
up off her living room floor to
whisk her to St. Vincent’s with a
ruptured appendix. The service
was professional, courteous
and fast.
Thank you to Metro West
and 911 and especially the
volunteers.
Karen Miller
Vernonia
Help needed with
Museum association
To the Editor:
The volunteers at the
museum have taken the month
of January off, partly due to the
weather and also we needed a
break.
We will be back on schedule
beginning the 1st of February.
We need more members tohelp
with the operation of the
museum. If you are interested
in becoming a member dues
may be mailed to: Vernonia
Pioneer Museum, PO Box 26,
Vernonia, OR 97064. Dues are
as follows: one person for
$12.00, couples are $18.00
and families are $24.00 yearly.
All our membership money is
used at the museum to help
with costs. We can always use
help both inside and outside at
the museum.
Please see page 19