Page 2
The INDEPENDENT, January 20, 2005_________
n . INDEPENDENT
Serving the upper Nehalem River valley. Published on the
first and third Thursdays of each month, by Public Opinion
Laboratory Ltd., 725 Bridge St., Vernonia, OR 97064, as a
free newspaper. Publishers, Dirk & Noni Andersen. Editor,
Noni Andersen. Phone/Fax: 503-429-9410, email: noni@
the-independent.net Display Advertising, Clark McGaugh,
email: clark@the-independent.net Classified Advertising,
Rebecca McGaugh, email: rebecca@the-independent.net
/
r r 1} oo£. o u r r A/ut>
\
¿xt
to
iW s r ,
ttfe r Aftx p a îç
that Tïte w u L o p
Ç>é©PLé
AMT bfc
J
ôA Ri
} /
7<t\ M Arty w A y t
J
What will these changes
contribute to the future?
“Improvement” is an interesting word, but it has dif
ferent meanings for different people.
The city is making improvements by removing black
berry bushes and installing lights around Vernonia
Lake. Previous improvements have included a paved
walkway, handicapped accessible fishing piers and a
primitive camping area. More parking is planned, too.
The school district has made improvements by cut
ting down a 35 year-old grove of overcrowded conifers,
adding parking and installing chainlink fences. Almost
all of the towering old Douglas fir trees have now been
removed, too.
A couple of years ago, the fire district improved a va
cant lot by removing the trees and making a gravel
parking lot.
With all of these improvements, what will Vernonia
look like in the future?
Should the lake and Webb Way be improved so
much that they look like a suburban park? There is le
gitimate concern that too many lights, too few large
trees and too little ground cover will result in fewer
birds and wild animals. Vernonia is a rare place, where
a visit to the lake may be shared with bald eagles,
great blue herons, osprey, red-winged blackbirds,
banded kingfishers, Canada geese, many types of
ducks and small birds, plus otters, beavers, deer, rab
bits, raccoons, coyotes, even occasional bobcats.
Trees grow easily here, but big trees still need time.
Should native big leaf maples or red alders be re
placed with hybrids that are neater? Should there be
an ordinance that requires oversight of tree removal,
as is done in many Oregon towns?
If Vernonia Lake and Webb Way become like any
suburban path, what will we gain, and what will we
lose? Is nature’s landscape, with mossy tree trunks
and branches, wild elderberry, wild strawberries and
wild flowers less appealing than neatly trimmed hy
brids that don’t lose their shape? Do we want to look
like Beaverton?
If we add a little more blacktop and chainlink fence,
our schools can even look like any inner-city campus.
Is this what we want?
Is it time for another look at Vernonia’s future?
Who was the first president of the United States?
If you aren’t already sufficiently con
fused by U.S. history, here are a few
obscure facts to thoroughly cloud your
understanding:
Was the George Washington the first
president of the United States? Techni
cally, the answer is no. Washington
served from 1789 to 1797.
The United States of America was
actually formed on March 1, 1781 with
the adoption of The Articles of Confed
eration by Maryland, whose delegates
delayed its ratification over a western
border dispute with Virginia and New
York. Upon the March 1 ratification, the
President of the Continental Congress
officially became President of the Unit
ed States in Congress Assembled.
To make matters even more perplex
ing some historians claim that John
Hanson was the first President of the
United States as he was the first per
son to serve the full one-year term
(1781-82), under the ratified Articles of
Confederation. This again is incorrect.
The ratification occurred during the
term of Samuel Huntington who served
as President from September 28, 1779
to July 6, 1781. Consequently, Samuel
Huntington was the first President of
the United States in Congress Assem
bled.
From 1781 to 1782 John Hanson
was "President of the United States in
Congress Assembled" under the Arti
cles of Confederation. As the presiding
officer of Congress, Hanson was re
sponsible for initiating a number of pro
grams that helped America gain a world
position. During his tenure the first con
sular service was established, a post
office department was initiated, a na
tional bank was chartered, progress
was made towards taking the first cen
sus, and a uniform system of coinage
was adopted. As "President," Hanson
also signed a treaty with Holland affirm
ing the indebtedness of the United
States for a loan from that country. In
addition, he signed all laws, regulations,
official papers, and letters. In that office
President Hanson gave Washington the
thanks of congress for the victory at
Yorktown. After 1782 feeble health
compelled him to retire from public life.
The question now is:
Who served from 1782 until Wash
ington was elected in 1789?