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The INDEPENDENT, , 2006
The
INDEPENDENT
Published on the first and third Thursdays of each month by
The Independent, LLC, 725 Bridge St., Vernonia, OR 97064.
Phone/Fax: 503-429-9410. Publisher Clark McGaugh,
clark@the-independent.net • Managing Editor Rebecca Mc-
Gaugh, rebecca@the-independent.net • Editor Noni Ander-
sen, noni@the-independent.net
Opinion
May 16 primary election
Little interest has been shown in Columbia County positions for
the May 16 election. The only commissioner position on the bal-
lot is held by Democrat Rita Bernhard, who is unopposed. No Re-
publican filed for the primary election.
The only “race” is between long-time County Clerk Elizabeth
“Betty” Huser of Scappoose, and Holly B. Freeman of Clatskanie.
A county ballot measure has attracted attention, however. If it
is approved, a five-year operating levy for the Sheriff’s Depart-
ment will provide a resident deputy in the Vernonia-Mist-Birken-
feld area, among other improvements. Area residents have been
seeking this for a long time, now they can show whether they
were serious about local law enforcement.
Vernonia residents will also see a ballot measure for a general
obligation bond to finance wastewater system improvements. If
approved, the bond issue would add about $400.00 per year
($33.33 per month) to taxes on property assessed at $100,000.
According to the City’s fact sheet, the $7,000,000 bond would still
be short of local project costs by about $1,600,00, which would re-
quire increased sewer rates unless other funding sources can be
found.
If the bond fails, the fact sheet says, the “typical customer’s
monthly sewer bill will increase to approximately $99.” But even if
the bond is approved, monthly sewer rates will increase from $37
to $47 for the typical customer, without any consideration of the,
as yet, $1,600,00 remaining unfinanced.
In Washington Co. Commissioner Andy Duyck, District 4, will
face Susan Mclain and Eddie McMullen. The Commissioner-At-
Large position has Chairman Tom Brian and four challengers –
Samuel M. Cone, Daniel J. Denorch, Dennis G. Holtz and Robert
D. Vanderzanden.
Clatsop County has a four-way race for Commissioner, District
5, including Ann Samuelson of Jewell, who will face John R. Ben-
son of Hamlet, and Russell Earl and John B. Dunzer, both of Sea-
side.
Clatsop Co. residents will also decide a levy request of $0.09
per $1,000 of assessed value each year for five years starting in
2006-07. The taxes would be used to finance operations and
maintenance of the fairgrounds and operation of the annual
County Fair. The Fair Board is considering closing the fair-
grounds, except for the annual two-week fair, which would be sig-
nificantly reduced to only 4-H and FFA activities. The facilities
would not be available for community or private events without
funding for maintenance.
The last day to register to vote in the May 16,
2006, Primary Election is April 25th.
Ballots will be mailed starting April 28th.
If you’re not registered, you can’t vote. If you
don’t vote, don’t complain about the outcome.
Letters
Sheriff seeks votes
for resident deputy
To the Editor:
I hope the people of the Ver-
nonia, Mist, Birkenfeld areas
will join me in voting for Mea-
sure 5-143. I have been proud
to serve as your Sheriff but
have not had enough money to
provide the deputies to proper-
ly serve you. Measure 5-143
provides enough money to do
just that. Measure 5-143 will al-
low us to assign a full time Res-
ident Deputy in your area. You
deserve law enforcement cov-
erage and this measure, if
passed, will provide it. Please
vote YES on Ballot Measure 5-
143.
Phil Derby
Columbia County Sheriff
Resident deputy is
needed in this area
To the Editor:
I have lived in Vernonia for
36 years and started my law
enforcement career with the
City of Vernonia as a Police
Reserve. I was hired by the Co-
lumbia County Sheriff’s Office
in 1974 where I served the area
as a “RESIDENT DEPUTY” in
the Vernonia-Mist-Birkenfeld
area. I did that for a short time
and then was pulled out to the
St. Helens area. I am now re-
tired from the Columbia County
Sheriff’s Office and I have al-
ways believed that we need a
“RESIDENT DEPUTY” in the
area, and now we can have
one. Please join me in voting
YES on Ballot Measure 5-143.
This will guarantee a “RESI-
DENT DEPUTY” in our area. It
will provide more deputies and
result in safer communities for
us all.
Fredric W. Oviatt
Vernonia
Vote yes on levy to
maintain safe living
To the Editor:
Throughout the twelve years
I have resided in Columbia
County, I’ve always appreciat-
ed the balance of our natural
beauty and “small-town” at-
mosphere. Some of the gifts
I’ve come to take for granted in-
clude a low crime rate, gang-
free schools, negligible traffic
problems, as well as our envi-
ronmental gifts of hunting, fish-
ing, hiking and boating, etc.
These are things I could only
dream about while growing up
in Chicago.
Each day it seems, more
and more people discover Co-
lumbia County to be an attrac-
tive and viable option for raising
a family. There is a discernable
tension building from this con-
stant stream of new families re-
locating here. It is beginning to
put a strain on the very things
that have always made our
community attractive and liv-
able to us.
Reasonable citizens of any
society will agree that maintain-
ing a low crime rate requires a
professional police organiza-
tion. Stronger enforcement is
critical to sustain the livability
we enjoy. Because our law en-
forcement has been steadily
eclipsed by our County’s
growth, this livability is being
severely threatened. In the
past year we have seen star-
tling crime incidents like high-
speed car chases, bank rob-
beries, property theft and even
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