The INDEPENDENT, October 6, 2005
GUEST OPINION
By Diane Dillard, Chairperson
Citizens for Safer Communities NOW!
Citizens for Safer Communities NOW! is a committee of peo-
ple organized to advocate for [Columbia County] Sheriff Phil Der-
by’s Enhanced Law Enforcement Operating Fund. The Board of
County Commissioners recently put a ballot measure to create
that fund on the November 2005 ballot. We applaud the Board of
Commissioners stepping forward and acting decisively to put this
essential measure on the ballot.
However, we have let the Board of Commissioners know that
our committee won’t be actively campaigning for the measure in
November. That may seem a little odd, and many people have
questioned it, so we thought it might be a good idea to say why.
• In spite of strong support for adding more deputies and law
enforcement personnel, we don’t feel there is adequate time to
fully inform voters and ensure adequate voter turnout in order to
validate the election.
• Because the November election is a Special Election and this
is a funding measure, a majority vote for approval must also be
accompanied by more than 50% voter turnout in order to be a
valid election.
• Unfortunately, Columbia County voters historically don’t reach
a 50% turnout in local Special Elections. The most recent one, in
May of this year, only had about 29% of registered voters even
participate. Though the Sheriff’s measure is one of the most im-
portant our county has ever had, it’s not realistic to expect that this
Special Election turnout will be any different.
• Further, because it’s a Special Election and there are only two
measures, a Voters Pamphlet with helpful, essential information
explaining the measures will not be printed and mailed to voters.
It’s too costly for such a small election. In our view, the Voters
Pamphlet would contain vital information for voters to make an in-
formed decision — especially since all our elections are vote-by-
mail. The next regularly scheduled election, in May 2006, will
have a Voters Pamphlet.
With all of these considerations in mind, we’ve asked Sheriff
Derby and the Board of Commissioners to commit to re-placing
the Law Enforcement Operating Fund on the May 2006 ballot,
which is a regularly scheduled Primary Election. Unfortunately,
because the ballots have to be printed well in advance so they
can be mailed to absentee voters the November Special Election
ballots can’t be changed.
So while Measure 3-138 will remain on the November ballot,
Citizens for Safer Communities NOW! will not be campaigning for
the measure for the November vote. Not because we don’t sup-
port the Law Enforcement Fund — we absolutely do. Instead, our
volunteers and other resources will be conserved and focused to-
ward the May election, beginning now.
We’re looking forward to a full public conversation about the
benefit to people and their families from enhanced law enforce-
ment, answering any and all questions and working for approval
of this important Law Enforcement Fund.
Putting up to 15 more deputies and law enforcement personnel
out on the roads of Columbia County is vital, and an important
step forward for our county in combating crime, methampheta-
mines and other illegal drug activity. Further, this will be the first
time a voter-approved operating fund exclusively for law enforce-
ment will be created for our Sheriff and our county. With the pop-
ulation increase we have seen over the past decade, 2006 is
clearly the time for us to more fully staff our Sheriff’s Department
in order to be able to protect our families, friends and neighbors
as we need and deserve.
We appreciate the Board of Commissioners’ decisive action
and strong support for this measure. We’re not encouraging any-
one to vote no in November, but we’re being realistic about voter
participation and planning for the future. We enthusiastically invite
anyone interested to join the Citizens for Safer Communities
NOW! as we prepare for a successful election in May. Please con-
tact us at Citizens for Safer Communities NOW!, P.O. Box 114, St.
Helens, OR 97051.
Page 3
Letters
Cycle Oregon event
was great fun for all
To the Editor:
Cycle Oregon made a great
impact on us as well as us on
them.
What a huge success the
ride was here in Vernonia. I,
and others constantly heard
comments from the riders that
Vernonia was the best town of
the ride. They were greeted
with a big round of applause
from Marilyn Nicks and her
daughter dressed in vintage
garb to Janie Wasmann with
her horn and the many store
keepers and public applauding
them on the street. We had a
wonderful group of greeters
here that were employees of
Freightliner who had a loud fun
time cheering the cyclists on.
Ms. Ward and Ms. Skinner did
a great job at the finish line with
the junior high leadership class.
The kids were actually fighting
over who would hand out the
next welcome packet to the
next rider.
All in all we had about 200
volunteers come out to help. I
cannot possibly name each
and every one of you, but you
know who you are. Without you
we could have never pulled this
off. As you have heard, in ex-
change for volunteering you
chose a group to get money for
your work. The Booster Club
received $1,000, chamber
$1,000, learning center/senior
center $1,000 and Vernonia
School
District
received
$1,000. There were several
groups as well that fundraised
to earn money such as a towel
rental by the scouts and porter
services by the kids in school
sports. The junior class earned
$500 for loading and unloading
baggage…and was that bag-
gage huge! Some bags were
bigger then the kids carrying it.
Hands on Art earned $200 for
making signs. The porter kids,
though, earned a miraculous
$1,400 in tips…yes, tips. When
a rider would find his baggage
the porter kid would then ask
him/her if they would like their
bag carried to their tent site.
When they did, the porter had a
wheelbarrow to handle the bag-
gage and would then get a tip.
Rachel Brown had a cute story
to share. Rachel is a small girl
and volunteered to help porter.
When the rider came in he told
her where his bag was. He then
asked her if she had a wheel-
barrow. After sizing her up, the
cyclist then went and got the
wheelbarrow and put the bag in
it. Rachel followed him to his
tent site and retrieved the
wheelbarrow when he was
done. He then gave her a $13
tip…Wow. The riders were very
generous. The kids did a great
job handling the baggage (I am
sure plenty of them have
stacked wood or hauled hay
bales). Way to go Vernonia
kids.
I know that Black Bear Cof-
fee did a bang up business this
day. The bikes were lined up
and down the sidewalk in front
of the shop. One former em-
ployee came in for a cup of cof-
Please see page 20
Between the Bookends
By Angie Spiering, Library Assistant
Banks Public Library
Preschool storytime is
under way. Join us Wed-
nesdays at 10:15 am. The
themes for October are:
October 5th: Moon-
walking
October 12th: Trouble
in the Kitchen
October 19th: Mousies
October 26th: Booooo!
We have some new books on our shelves.
Dearly Depotted by Kate Collins is the third
book in the Flower Shop Mysteries:
“Well, it looks like my cousin Jillian is
heading for the altar again, and guess which
bridesmaid is doing the flowers? Yep, me,
Abby Knight, law school dropout, owner of
Bloomers, and—did I mention?—ex-fiancee
to the best man! That’s a bumper crop of trou-
ble, even before I find a party-crashing guest
dead at the reception…”
The Highest Tide by Jim Lynch. On a moon-
lit night, thirteen-year-old Miles O’Malley slips
out of his house, packs up his kayak and goes
exploring on the tidal flats of Puget Sound. But
what begins as a routine hunt for starfish, snails
and clams turns into a televised spectacle after
Miles finds a rare deep-sea creature stranded in
the mud. When he continues to discover more
exotic ocean life in the quiet backwater bays
near his home, Miles becomes a local sensation.
Soon he is shadowed on the flats by people cu-
rious as to whether he is just an observant boy
or an unlikely prophet.
Ready or Not by Meg Cabot, an All-American
Girl Novel. The top ten things Samantha Madi-
son isn’t ready for:
– Spending Thanksgiving at Camp David
– With her boyfriend, the president’s son
– Who appears to want to take their relation-
ship the Next Level
– Which Sam inadvertently and shockingly
announces live on MTV
– While appearing to support the president’s
dubious policies on families, morals
– and yes, sex
– Juggling her new after-school job at Po-
tomac Video, even though she already has a job
as teen ambassador to the UN (that she doesn’t
get paid for)
– Riding the Metro and getting accosted be-
cause she’s “the redheaded girl who saved the
president’s life” in spite of her new, semiperma-
nent Midnight Ebony tresses
– Experiencing total role reversal with her
popular sister Lucy, who for once can’t get the
guy she wants…
and the number-one thing Sam isn’t ready for
– Finding out the hard way that in art class,
“life drawing” means “naked people.”
Banks Public Library: 111 Market Street.
Hours: Tues., Wed., Thurs., 12 - 7:00 p.m.;
Fri. and Sat. 12 - 5:00 p.m.
Preschool Story Time:
Wednesdays at 10:15 a.m.
Phone: (503 ) 324-1382
Internet: <www.WILInet.wccls.lib.or.us.>
to browse library resources or
to reserve materials electronically.