The INDEPENDENT, August 18, 2005
Page 3
Letters
Aloha families, team
enjoy day in Vernonia
To the Editor:
I don’t know how long the
City of Vernonia has been mak-
ing a swimming hole out of
Rock Creek, but the Aloha Bliz-
zard softball team sure love it.
The Blizzards parents and
girls want to thank you for the
enjoyment they have received
at the swimming hole over the
last four summers. We have
been coming out here each
year to play a Vernonia softball
team. It is much easier to find a
field to play on in your town.
It is a better experience to
come here and play a group of
girls that are here to have fun,
improve their skills and win
some ball games. I know that
some friendships have been
formed over the years.
Super competitive teams
have an almost win at all cost
attitude and having fun is not
high on the priority list.
Pizza and pop shared down
by the riverside, swimming with
both teams bonding together.
What a great way to finish a
great day in Vernonia.
Yes, the parents look for-
ward to the Vernonia trip each
year. Thanks to all the coaches
and players from the Vernonia
area who made this another
memorable season.
Bill Shaw
Blizzard Coach
Aloha
Bird watchers enjoy
lake, spend $$ here
To the Editor:
We recently stayed at Big
Eddy County Park, in part be-
cause of a recommendation in
a guide to birding in Oregon
that described the opportunities
of the old logging pond. After
meeting you (Clark McGaugh)
at the pond and reading about
the Jamboree in your special
edition, we want to join you in
your concern about the fire-
works first of all, but go a step
further and relate to your read-
ers the asset we feel they have
in the pond and the wild life it
attracts. We know it hasn’t
been that long since birders
Between the Bookends
By Nancy Burch, Librarian
Vernonia Public Library
It’s been a great sum-
mer for the reading pro-
gram. Camrin Eyrrick, Lin-
da Johnston, and Orissa
Burghard organized and
presented some really
wonderful activities for the
youngsters of the commu-
nity. To date, twelve chil-
dren have completed their
reading goals with the highest number of hours
read, so far, being twenty-four. Goals may be
met and prizes awarded until September 1st.
Continue to read! Wasn’t that a great float in the
parade and wasn’t it wonderful that it was cho-
sen for the Mayor’s trophy? Representing the
theme of Dragons, Dreams and Daring Deeds,
most of the artwork was done by Orissa with
help from the Johnston family. Candy thrown
from the float was once again donated by Randy
at Sentry Market and the gray paint for the cas-
tle was donated by the Tolonens of True Value.
All involved with the program are to be congrat-
ulated for participating in a fun-filled, rewarding
summer program.
The Friends of the Library realized about
$440.00 at the Saturday book sale and would
like to thank everyone who donated and pur-
chased items. Lucky raffle winners were Tammy
Argue, (Makenzie Rice?), and Bob Schilling. All
proceeds will be used to benefit the library and
its programs.
Numerous new intriguing books have been
added to the collection this summer, but they are
checked out almost as fast as they are
processed and placed on the New Shelf, some-
times even before that. Books in high demand in
the last two months include Broken Prey by John
Sandford, Hard Truth by Nevada Barr, True Be-
liever by Nicholas Sparks, Ya-Yas in Bloom by
Rebecca Wells, Superstition by Karen Robards,
Oh My Stars by Lorna Landvik, Rage by
Jonathan Kellerman, and Out of Range by C. J.
Box. The most recent acquisitions include Chill
of Fear by Kay Hooper, Double Tap by Steve
Martini, Cold Hit by Stephen J. Cannell, and The
Historian by Elizabeth Kostova.
Two of my favorite protagonists, Cork O’Con-
nor and J. P. Beaumont, are also back in Mercy
Falls by William Kent Krueger and Long Time
Gone by J. A. Jance. If you’ve forgotten, Cork
O’Connor is the sheriff of Tamarack County in
Minnesota. After an eventful summer in his
beautiful Northwoods jurisdiction, O’Connor
faces a season of murder, adultery, and deceit
that puts his life and that of his family in danger.
J. P. Beaumont is now with the Washington State
Special Homicide Investigation Team. In Jance’s
newest novel, Beaumont gets involved in two
cases—that of a middle-aged nun who suddenly
recalls a 50 year-old murder whose coconspira-
tors happen to be prominent members of the
Seattle community—and a case where Beau-
mont’s best friend is suspected of killing his ex-
wife. If you are fans of the O’Connor and Beau-
mont series, be sure to read these and if you’ve
not read these series, be sure and start with the
first.
Book for discussion to be held September 12
at 5:50 is The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.
Let us know of your interest and we will be sure
and see that a copy is available prior to that date.
As mentioned in last month’s article, the li-
brary will soon be having a family movie night as
well as a Saturday afternoon matinee for young-
sters. The license agreement has been received;
the popcorn machine has arrived; and we will be
starting as soon as dates and times can be de-
termined—probably not until September. Your
recommendations of movie titles as well as pref-
erence of date and time would be appreciated.
Enjoy the rest of the summer. Remember the
library is air-conditioned and COOL!
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. - 4 p.m.
Preschool Story Time: Mondays, 10:30
a.m., when school is in session.
Phone: (503 ) 429-1818
were considered to almost be
from another planet. But now,
one out of five Americans de-
scribes themself as a bird
watcher.
More importantly, an awful
lot of us direct at least part of
our travel so that we can enjoy
good bird watching. That
means we come to your town;
we stay in your campgrounds
or motels; we buy food and sta-
ples in your stores; we eat in
your restaurants; we buy gas in
your stations and even your
laundry gets our clothes. Hey,
wouldn’t you like another
source of revenue to help level
out the crazy ups and downs of
logging?
All you have to do is realize
you have something people like
us want. You have a wonderful
place where wildlife come, and
we will come to see them.
We birders will never bring
back the days of the Oregon -
American Lumber Company,
but if you treat this great re-
source you have with pride and
care, we will be regular visitors
to Vernonia — and hopefully
add to your well being even as
we add to our enjoyment.
Jerry & Shary Hammon
Silver City, New Mexico
Mark your calendar now and
we hope to see you there!
Kinnell Steward
Vernonia Community PTA
Carnival Donation
Committee
Careless or biased?
To the Editor:
The article "Social Security
topic of meetings" in the August
4, 2005 edition of "The Inde-
pendent" was at best an exam-
ple of lazy reporting, and at
worse an example of shilling a
politician's talking points.
If the author of the article
thinks that Congressman David
Wu's votes against voluntary
privatization of one's own So-
cial Security funds is a vote to
"protect Social Security", then
that should given in an opinion
piece and not stated as fact in a
news article.
Sincerely,
Mitch Seibert
Vernonia
Ed. Note: Mr. Seibert is correct.
Publishing a late press release
without adequate editing allowed a
political statement on a news page
when all that was needed was the
topic and meeting dates. I should
have caught that, but didn’t. —NA
PTA getting ready
Use taxes to make
for School Carnival
officials look good?
To the Editor:
The Vernonia Community
PTA will be holding our second
annual School Carnival on Sat-
urday, September 24, 2005.
There were 4 great prizes raf-
fled at our Jamboree booth.
Tickets that did not win at Jam-
boree will continue on for the
drawing at the carnival. Tickets
will sell for $1.00 each, or 6 for
$5.00.
Another exciting feature of
the carnival will be a silent auc-
tion for themed baskets and
other goodies. This year, the
most exciting item up for auc-
tion is a Harley-Davidson mo-
torcycle. The bidding for this
item started at the Jamboree
booth. The bidding continues at
the Clever Cricket until the car-
nival. You are welcome to stop
by during business hours for
more information. Along with
the raffle and silent auction, at
our carnival, we will also have a
BBQ, game booths, a cake
walk and lots of fun for the
whole family.
To the Editor:
Last week the Chronicle
quoted at length from an email
Commissioner [Joe] Corsiglia
sent other county officials. In
his email Corsiglia complained
that local newspapers were
keeping the public too closely
informed of the action, fiscal
and otherwise, of the commis-
sioners, including Mr. Corsiglia.
Mr. Corsiglia’s response is to
propose that the commission-
ers assign a county employee
half time to the task of manu-
facturing
pro-commissioner
press releases to make the
commissioners look good to
the public. The employee in
question is the county’s eco-
nomic development coordina-
tor. Taxpayers pay this person
$81,130 per year with fringes
(or $324,000 over commission-
er Corsiglia’s four year term).
The press release writing func-
tion would therefore cost tax-
payers of this county approxi-
Please see page 25