The INDEPENDENT. June 16, 2005
From page 2
nior High students the past 10
years. There has also been
productions put on by high
school students, and only re
cently, it has stopped. This was
as well the first year without
Science Bowl, something that
even I participated in when I
was in the 5th grade, and Quiz
Bowl is still alive at the High
School. I haven’t seen any re
porters or anybody in the
places I have talked about, for
example, the band room.
Please get the facts straight,
because if you would have tak
en the time to see, our school is
actually a great place to go to
school.
Ben Schorzman
High School Student
Vernonia
Ed. note: We thank Mr. Schorzman
for his response to criticism of the
school district and are pleased to
publish it. We are also pleased to
publish information on student ac-
tivities other than sports whenever
we have information about them in
advance. In spite of difficulties cre
ated with a staff of only 3.5 people,
The INDEPENDENT has pub
lished hundreds more inches of in
formation about student activities
than of criticism.
One clarification is needed: Mr. Ist-
ed resigned when the music in
structor’s salary was reduced by
33 percent, then an inexperienced
teacher was hired. That doesn’t
make Mr. Shannon a bad teacher,
merely less experienced.
Abortion notification
bill is right direction
To the Editor:
“What’s wrong with this pic
ture?”
I would like to respond to
Gayle Lee’s comments regard
ing Oregon House Bill 2605,
which would require parental
notification of abortion (May 5
edition).
HB2605 is definitely a step
in the right direction. HB2605 is
NOT about more regulation. It
IS about giving back to parents
something that never should
have been TAKEN away in the
first place - the RIGHT (yes,
right) and responsibility of par
ents to know what’s going on in
the lives of our children.
Parents are required to be
notified before their children
can be given aspirin, but our
daughter can be taken to a fa
cility that performs abortions
WITHOUT our being informed.
“WHAT’S WRONG WITH THIS
PICTURE???”
Another concern I have is
this - because an abortion (like
any other medical procedure)
has the potential for failure,
who pays for any subsequent
medical expenses incurred
upon the young woman be
cause of a mistake made by the
one performing the abortion.
Will the doctor pay? NO. Will
I
By Nancy Burch, Librarian
Vernonia Public Library
Does it seem possible
that another school year
has ended and summer
vacation is here for the
youngsters of the commu
nity? To mark the end of
the school year, a bedtime
story/activity time will take
place at the library Thurs
day, June 16 at 7:00 p.m.
This will be the first of the summer activities
sponsored by the library. Summer reading ses
sions will be held on Wednesdays from June 22
to August 3 with the time being 10:30 a.m. ex
cept for June 29, which will be the presentation
by Mad Science at 7:00 p.m. Registration forms
and further information are available in the li
brary. Prizes will once again be awarded when
youngsters meet the reading goals which they
set for themselves. This promises to be an excit
ing summer filled with activities related to the
theme of Dragons, Dreams, and Daring Deeds. ’
A book drop for those wishing to donate books
for the Friends of the Library’s annual book sale
will be at the library, Saturday, June 25 from 10
a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Take note of the fact that the
book drop and the sale will be held at the library
this year.
Beginning Saturday, July 2nd, the library will
be open from 10 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. These will
be the new permanent hours for Saturday library
users.
Tuesday, July 5th will be the regular meeting
for Friends of the Library at 6:30 p.m. They will
be making arrangements for the book sale to be
held Saturday, August 6.
The Friends have renewed the annual pass to
the Portland Children’s Museum, which is avail
able to be checked out from the library. This pass
will admit either two adults and one child or two
children and one adult to the museum—not to be
used by the same family more than twice in one
year. It is quite a savings considering that the
cost of tickets is $6.00 each. Just in time for hot
weather, the water works is back at the museum.
There are other special exhibits and programs
offered for the months of July and August as well
as summer camps. A newsletter with further in
formation is available in the library.
Stella Bellingham Satern’s book signing was
a successful event with much reminiscing taking
place between those in attendance. Copies of
this delightful, informative book, The Nehalem
River Valley—Settling the Big Timberland, are
available for purchase at Sentry Market and for
checking out from the library.
New acquisitions for adults include The
Closers by Michael Connelly, Rage by Jonathan
Kellerman, Marker by Robin Cook, The Golden
Spruce by John Vaillant, and No End in Sight:
The Rachael Scdoris Story by Scdoris and Rick
Steber.
A nice selection of books for youngsters re
flecting the summer reading theme has also re
cently been acquired. Titles of these materials
include: Artemis Fowl, Magical Animals, 97
Ways to Train a Dragon, Stories of Knights, Sto
ries of Dragons, and My Brother the Knight.
Remember that the library with its materials,
programs, and resources is a wonderful source
of summer’s entertainment.
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, 10:30
a.m., when school is in session.
Phone: (503 ) 429-1818
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I
you pay? NO. Are the parents
of the young woman having the
abortion exempt from paying
her medical bills simply be
cause they weren’t notified of
her abortion? Again, I say NO!!!
Legally, her parents are still re
sponsible for payment of med
ical expenses. So why in the
world should this one issue be
exempt from parental notifica
tion when they are responsible
for the welfare of the young
woman until she becomes an
adult? This isn’t “rocket sci
ence,” just plain old common
sense.
I do not approve of abortion
for any reason, because all hu
man life should be honored and
protected from conception to
the grave. For those who view
abortion (versus adoption) as
an option, those parents should
be notified if their daughter is
going to have an abortion (just
like any other medical proce
dure).
The issue of parental notifi
cation is not about parents who
“have fallen down on the job,”
it’s all about restoring the right
of parents to be informed of
anything that impacts the lives
of their children, which is con
trary to the liberal mindset that
would undermine any and all
parental authority over our chil
dren.
Robert Huntington
Birkenfeld
Page 3
need the support of the whole
community to fund this event.
The Buckhorn Restaurant
will be offering their support by
having their annual spaghetti
feed. It will be June 30 from 5 to
8 p.m. The dinner includes
spaghetti, roll, salad and
dessert. Drinks are extra.
Prices are $7 for adults and $4
for children 11 and under.
The 4th kicks off with a pa
rade at 7:30 p.m. forming at
City Hall and ending at Wash
ington Grade School. Everyone
is welcome to be in the parade,
no pre-registration required.
The booster club will be serving
their delicious burgers and hot
dogs and the cub scouts will be
selling popcorn, etc.
There’s a rumor going
around that we have changed
the location of the fireworks,
NOT TRUE! They will be at the
high school as usual.
Come out and support the
concessions and enjoy the pa
rade and great fireworks show.
Thank you to the volunteer fire
fighters who help organize the
event and provide the py-
rotechnician, Tom Ramsey, to
set off the show. Come early as
due to the new school building
there will not be as much park
ing on site as there has been in
the past.
Dede Webb
Vernonia Pride
Have fun and help
From verse to worse? with Cycle Oregon
To the Editor:
To the Editor:
Those of us who are not as
(with picture if possible, of
gifted in verse as previous con
the not McLean logging bicy
tributors would like to offer our clist)
impressions of the urban log
Your Town Needs You!
ging issue. We will be perform
Volunteers for Cycle Oregon
ing an interpretive dance enti are needed on September 16
tled “Requiem for a Stump” at and September 17.
Hawkins Park. Check local list
Many clubs will benefit if
ings for time.
you help out. Earn money for
Peter O’Leary
Please see page 21
Jimi Kobson
Vernonia
NOTICE
Donations are needed
for July 4th fireworks
To the Editor:
Once again Vernonia Pride
is asking for your donations for
this year’s 4th of July fireworks.
Letters have been sent to busi
nesses and some individuals.
We will also be collecting mon
ey at the end of the show, so
please stick an extra dollar or
two in vour pocket, as we reallv
The
INDEPENDENT
publishes on the first and
third Thursdays of each
month. Because June has
five Thursdays, there will
be three weeks between
this issue and the next pub
lication on July 7.
The deadline for sub
mission of ads and articles
for the July 7 issue will be
July 1.