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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (June 2, 2005)
The INDEPENDENT, June 2, 2005 Page 3 Letters Questions priorities of Commissioners To the Editor: I was shocked to see in the last Spotlight that County Com missioners Joe Corsiglia and Tony Hyde voted to raise their own two salaries by more than 10.1 percent for a total of ap proximately $13,000 per year. At the same time and for virtu ally the same amount of money they are proposing to eliminate the County’s Veterans Services Office, which provides essential services to the county’s 6500 veterans, claiming that they don’t have the money to fund it, From page 2 ly distributed. Making small drives along side the gravel road provided lots of action. I used my big game hunting rifle most of the time. This makes for some very good practice, shooting offhand at targets at varying distances. Hitting a rabbit at over 100 yards builds one’s shooting confidence to a new level. The side roads still had some water sitting on them and are very slimy and, with the re cent rains over east, I think things probably have gotten worse since we were there. We saw a lot of Antelope dur ing our travels. Having been so wet recently, the grass was growing well and the desert was very green. We talked to a local rancher who said the late rains really saved their bacon, before that, things were look ing bad. The Warner lakes are very low, though, since it takes snow pack to provide water to raise the water levels. This rabbit trip kind of com pleted a circle for Dad and me. It was many years ago, I was probably around 12 years old, when that Dad and I went on our first rabbit trip. We made a big circle out around the east side of the Steen’s. This year it was my turn to return the favor and I honestly believe we both enjoyed it just as much as that first trip. So get out there, and build some memories!_______ Izaak Walton League, Nehalem Valley Chapter meets on the third Thursday of each month at 7:00 p.m. Call 503-429-7193 for loca tion of meeting. a Memorial Day surprise for veterans. It should be noted that Rita Bernhard, the third commis sioner, voted against the pro posed pay raise, given the problem of the Veterans Office funding and other critical issues in the county. Voters might want to call Commissioners Corsiglia and Hyde (503-397-4322) about the big raises and Veterans Office funding. Michael F. Sheehan Scappoose Appreciates efforts of local PTA president To the Editor: I wanted to thank Camrin Eyrrick, President of the Ver nonia Community PTA for the “Thank You Celebration” potluck held on May 19. There was a “Calling of All Parents” in the monthly newsletter and I was one of two moms that showed up! I’m not sure if par ents didn’t read the article or if they just forgot to note it on their calendars, but the food and desserts were great. The meeting was very emo tional as the President gave all her help a gift of appreciation and addressed how their sup port carried PTA through the struggle of our PTA President almost dying in October. I’m happy to see she’s pulled through and is going strong. Her leadership is outstanding and I appreciated her sincerity and thoughtfulness. Some of the concerns were participation from a representa tive from Head Start and Mist By Representative Brad Witt Oregon District 31 This week I would like to share House Bill 3486 with you. HB 3486, intro duced one week ago, is one of the fastest moving bills in the House of Rep resentatives. It will make information about predato ry sex offenders available to the public via the In ternet. If the bill becomes law, Oregon will join 48 other states that make this information readily available in the interest of public safety. My interest in this bill goes back several months to a series of discussions with Gregg Mills of Astoria. Mr. Mills had contacted me out of concern that Oregon law made it exceedingly difficult, if not nearly impossible, to determine the identities and residences of sexual offenders. Mr. Mills, like many other supporters of HB 3486, is convinced that an awareness of who and where the predators are enables individuals, parents and local neighborhoods to avoid con tact between predators and potential victims. Late last week, Representative Jerry Krum- mel (R-Wilsonville) approached me to see if I would be interested in co-sponsoring a bill on this subject. After Representative Krummel and I discussed the problem, it became apparent that an internet posting would address our concerns and those of Mr. Mills. Furthermore, it is fortu itous that Representative Krummel and I sit on the House Information management and Tech nology and that our Chair, Representative John Dallum (R-The Dalles) shares our concerns on this subject. With HB 3486 being a natural fit for our Committee, Chair Dallum scheduled the bill’s first hearing just one week after the bill’s intro duction. Our House Committee will be very careful in developing the wording of HB 3486. Civil liber ties of those who may have committed a sexual School. My daughter was ecstatic to hear some of the raised funds would be going towards more swings at WGS, which are des perately needed as my daugh ter had always comments on how she never gets a turn on the swings. The PTA makes improve ments for our children and they are dedicated in the fund rais ing to make all kids happier. I hope there will be more parent participation for this great or ganization for our kids. Virginia D. DeBeikes Vernonia More on the value of trees in our lives To the Editor: I don’t want to make a stink But I have another way to indiscretion in the past, but who no longer pose a threat to either society or personal safety, will be protected. That is why the bill limits Internet disclosure to predatory sex offenders. According to Washington County Sheriff Rob Gordon, Pres ident of the Oregon Sheriffs Association, preda tory sex offenders are the worst of the worst. They have committed the most abhorrent sex crimes and have the highest propensity of re-of- fending. Even worse, their risk of re-offending in creases over time. That is why I am a sponsor of HB 3486. HB 3486 will make the following information about predatory sex offenders available over the Internet: Name and address; physical descrip tion including age, height, weight and eye and hair color; type of vehicle; conditions of parole, probation, post-prison supervision or conditional release; description of primary and secondary targets; method of offending; picture; name and phone number of the parole or probation officer; and if a predator is not under supervision, con tact information for the State Police. There are over 16,000 registered sex offend ers in Oregon. Each year, we add another 800 persons to the sex offender register. To call this a problem is an understatement. Hopefully, HB 3486 will provide a modicum of protection against the very worst of these offenders. I want to express my appreciation to Mr. Gregg Mills, Representative Jerry Krummel, Chair John Dallum and all the bill’s supporters for making HB 3486 possible. Monday and Wednesday are the best days to make an appointment to see me in Salem. If you happen to be Salem and have not made an ap pointment, stop by and see if I am in the office. I try to leave Salem early on Friday for meetings in our District. You can always contact me by calling 503-986-1431 or by e-mailing me at rep.bradwitt@state.or.us to set-up a late Friday afternoon or weekend meeting near your neigh borhood. think. The trees that once were high on the hill Were cut down for someone’s view to fill. The trees that held the hill in place Now are gone-soon mudslides will race. The slides cause havoc for those below That you on the hills will never know. We all want and enjoy trees in our backyards For they are our Sentinels and our Guards! Remember it only takes a year for wheat to grow But trees take much longer - as everyone knows!! So while you enjoy your home with a view Please remember those down below you!! Betty (Mrs. Carl) Holsey Vernonia Thanks to Vernonia Police for their help To the Editor: I just wanted to thank the Vernonia Police Dept. for re turning one of the three missing heirloom seashells (about a foot long each). Hopefully, the person who took them will find it in their heart to return them and put them back on my front porch. Hurray! to the Vernonia Po lice Dept. Virginia D. DeBeikes Vernonia County deputies help whenever they can To the Editor: A tip O’ the hat to the two Co lumbia County deputies that re sponded to my emergency. Al low me to explain. An injured coyote wandered up from the woods and laid itself down just a few feet from my window. After I rescued it from the jaws of my four dogs, I stood back and realized that the ani mal was in dire straits. She was on her back, with her legs twist ed about. It was obvious that she was in severe pain. She needed to be eutha nized; indeed a profound situa tion for a city boy like me. Even after this was done, what to do with the body? Bringing it to the city dump is illegal. I couldn’t bury it on my property; my dogs Please see page 24
