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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 5, 2004)
The INDEPENDENT, August 5, 2004 Page 3 Letters Good reasons not to despair about youth To the Editor: I just had a custom two- horse barn built on my little farm in Mist. It is attractive with oil stained board-and-batten siding, a cupola, Dutch doors on the stalls, large custom- made rustic hardware, and a flag flying. The only bother- some thing about it is that my daughter has called it a “Barbie Barn” in front of me twice. If you feel disparaged about the local youths in our commu- nity, let me tell you about Jor- dan Zoeller and his brother, Ja- son (ages 21 and 19), who built my new barn. They are both graduates of Jewell School. The older brother, the boss, wrote a contract which we signed, all in a good business- like fashion. The amount was in the neighborhood of ten thou- sand dollars. These fellows did a fine job, it is my first time while living in this area for ten years, that I hired out major work and ended up completely satisfied. These fellows are meticulous artisans and their barn business is really sizzling, it was the fourth barn they have built. If our community can pro- duce fine enterprising young fellows like those two, we’re on a roll. Thanks for letting me write you about these guys. James Woods Clatskanie Please pick up your trash at public pool To the Editor: Has anyone visited the swim- ming pool lately, in the mornings? I have and it is not pretty. I must assume that people us- ing it in the evenings do not know that there are garbage cans lo- cated in the park. I, and I’m sure, the lifeguards and other public works employees will agree, that spending half an hour picking up litter in the mornings is not fun. The swimming pool is free. There is not a day use fee, even though the city pays a lifeguard six hours per day every day. Please be considerate and pick up your garbage (including ciga- rette butts) when you leave. Jeff Burch Vernonia Public Works Sen. Dukes thanked for action on roads To the Editor: Sincere thanks are extended to Senator Joan Dukes by the farmers and rural residents of Washington County. Senator Dukes makes sure that roads in the rural area get attention in our rapidly urbanizing county. Fortunately, we have elected leaders who “Get it.” Rural roads are important to every- one. The entire state benefits from a vibrant farming econo- Between the Bookends By Ann Krutsinger, Library Assistant Banks Public Library The Banks Public Li- brary open hours have been reduced by one hour per day. We open at 12 noon instead of 11 a.m. on our regular open days. We will still be open Tuesday - Saturday. We will continue to be closed on Sundays and Mondays. We are sor- ry for any inconvenience this might provide. The final Summer Reading Program is today, August 5th, but kids started turning in their com- pleted reading records as of August 1st. The award for completing your reading goal is a free book. Verizon, State Farm and Wells Fargo sponsor the purchase of the reward books. Preschool Story time will discontinue in August. But look for it again the first week of school. For adult readers, I’d like to suggest an author I have recently discovered. Tracy Chevalier writes historical novels that are fascinating sto- ries. I’m reading “The Virgin Blue,” Chevalier’s first novel. This novel goes back and forth be- tween 16th Century France and modern France. The characters in the 16th Century, it turns out, are relatives of Ella Turner, a modern American midwife who is living in a small town in France because of her husband’s work. Ella is not very happy in France – people treat her coldly, and she is self-conscious about her French. She has a recurring dream about the color blue, a vivid blue found in some paintings from the 16th Cen- tury. Ella starts researching her family history in France and meets Jean Paul, a Frenchman who works at the local library. As the book goes back to the 16th Century, we learn that the character of Isabelle du Moulin is one of Ella’s relatives. Part historical novel, part mystery, you won’t be able to put it down. I have also read “The Girl With A Pearl Ear- ring” by Chevalier. This book takes place in the town of Delft in the 17th Century. Chevalier has created a story about the unknown subject of one of Vermeer’s paintings. Griet, an illiterate young maid, is sent by her poor Protestant par- ents to be a servant in the house of Vermeer (a Catholic). In her new world, Griet is not treated well. The work is demanding, the six children are ungrateful, the other servant feels resentful and Vermeer’s wife is bitter at being neglected by her husband. Vermeer takes an interest in Griet, and teaches her how to mix his colors. The sudden attention causes a lot of backlash for Griet, but she is excited by what she is learning, though wary about the attention she is receiving from Vermeer. Ultimately, no good can come from this relationship. When Vermeer decides to paint Gri- et, she knows what has been gossiped about the last maid he painted – how she bore his child. The descriptions are vivid and the details bring 17th Century Delft to life. The lack of choices in Griet’s life is astonishing. Two other books by Tracy Chevalier that I have not read yet are “Falling Angels,” and “The Lady and the Unicorn.” Banks Public Library: 111 Market Street. Hours: Tues., Wed., Thurs., 12 - 7 p.m.; Fri. and Sat. 12 - 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. my close to dense urban living. Thank you, Senator Dukes, for listening, understanding, and taking action. Members of the Washington County Road Operations and Maintenance Advisory Committee (RRO- MAC) are most grateful for your commitment to the importance of rural communities to the en- tire state. Mark Bauer and 11 additional signers RROMAC We should vote only for trusted person To the Editor: For the last fifty years I have been paying attention to the candidates that the controlled political parties have been run- ning for office, especially for president. They have without fail ran someone that we didn’t want and in opposition they ran someone that we didn’t dare have. Some of the time we got the one we didn’t dare have! I also keep hearing that if we don’t vote for the one we don’t want, the one we don’t dare have will get into office. What if everyone who says this would say, “I will only vote for a per- son that I can trust?”… and will not vote for the lesser of two evils, and would vote for candi- dates that they know are trust- worthy? That candidate would get into office and we could with God’s help turn our coun- try back to a nation under God, and the constitution our found- ing fathers intended. Respectfully, Keith Carpenter Scappoose Thinks Bush right to go to war with Iraq To the Editor: “Three Cheers.” This letter is written in response to a letter written by Mr. Juneious Harty of Scappoose in the June 17 edi- tion of The INDEPENDENT. I wholeheartedly agree with Mr. Harty’s assessment of our two presidential candidates. I ap- plaud President Bush for his courage and decisiveness in the way he sought to hold the people accountable who were responsible for the terrorist at- tacks in our nation on Sept. 11, ‘01. He did not go after them with a motive of revenge or re- taliation, but with justice in mind. For those of you who are op- posed to the war, remember this – War is never pleasant, but is sometimes necessary. How many more of our citizens would have been killed or crip- pled by repeated terrorist at- tacks if President bush had not taken the firm stand that he did? Yes, war is costly, but we can ill afford to roll over, go “back to sleep” and ignore the people who attempt to control others through fear and intimi- dation, as the terrorists have done. The cost of ignoring them and hoping they will just go away will be far greater than we can imagine. There is always a price to pay for freedom, but it is always worth the cost. So, to Mr. Harty, “Three Cheers” to your comments. Robert Huntington Birkenfeld 4-H Clubs appreciate support of businesses To the Editor: We would like to thank all of the following businesses for supporting our 4-H market proj- ects at the Columbia County Fair. We had four market pens of rabbits and two market goats this year from different Vernon- ia 4-H clubs that qualified for the auction. Despite the heat wave, many buyers showed up to support the kids. Prices were such that we didn’t actually need to use any of the money pledged by Vernonia business- es, but the pledges help us to bid the prices up. Thank you very much to Wil- low and Jay of Vernonia Hard- ware, Gail and Rick Gardner of Gardners Feed, and Ben and Lisa Edgar of Creatures. Sincerely, All Creatures Great & Small 4-H Club, D’Lisa Watts, and Buxton’s Boers & Bunnies Stacey Hargrove, Kirk Avila Village Kids program can use more help To the Editor: Dale Scobert (who was inter- im Police Chief) called me to tell me about a car accident with two children. He was dis- appointed not to have some- thing, such as a quilt, to give them. He is from Sandy, where Bonnie Gallagher had started Please see page 20
