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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (July 6, 2006)
The INDEPENDENT, July 6, 2006 Page 3 Letters Working together, we had a great July 4th! To the Editor: Vernonia Pride wishes to thank all of those who helped to make this year’s 4th of July a success. George and Donna Tice, of the Buckhorn, for providing the spaghetti dinner, we made the most ever. A special thanks to Dixie Palmer and the Jamboree princesses who volunteered to help serve, and also the Ver- nonia Pride gals who helped. They did a great job. The princesses also helped to collect donations after the fireworks. We really appreciate all their help. To all of you who supported the fireworks by your dona- tions, no matter how large or small, it wouldn’t have hap- pened without your support. A big thank you to our py- rotechnician, Tom Ramsey, and his fellow firefighters for anoth- er great show. Thanks also to all of you who entered the parade. To all of you our sincere ap- preciation, DeLoris Webb Vernonia Pride Thanks for making plant sale a success To the Editor: On behalf of the Vernonia Senior Center, I wish to ex- press many thanks to those that helped in making this plant/garden sale such a big success, names being listed in Karen’s Senior News Column. I also thank everybody who came and participated by pur- chasing and contributing to our fundraiser. We were very pleas- antly surprised how much mon- ey was in the bucket that was passed around for any kind- Between the Bookends By Sarah Vandehey, Library Assistant Banks Public Library The Washington Coun- ty Cooperative Library System will begin email notification soon. Notices sent by email will include the following: A reminder 3 days before an item is due, a notice when an item is 2 days overdue, and a notice that your card will soon expire. If you would like to receive email notices, please stop by the Banks Library so we may add an email address to your ac- count. The theme for Washington County Libraries Summer Reading Program is “Claws, Paws, Scales and Tales”. Sign ups for the Summer Reading Program at the Banks Public Library continue through July 15th. Every child in Washington County who signs up for the Summer Reading Program will receive a coupon good for one free attraction at the Family Fun Center & Bullwinkle’s Restaurant (coupon expires September 9th). Children who meet their goals and turn in their reading records will also receive a paperback book, a coupon for a non-caffeinated drink at Starbucks, and a coupon good for an all day Oaks Park Amuse- ment Park bracelet for only $2.00. Reading records may be turned in from August 1-31, but the “End of the Summer Reading Party” at Oaks Park is on August 16th. If you want to attend this event, turn in your reading record by August 16! All special entertainment programs are Thurs- days at 2:00 p.m. Weekly drawings are held be- fore each event and every child signed up for the summer reading program may fill out one draw- ing slip for every book they’ve read that week. The schedule for Banks Public Library is: July 13th: Reptile Man July 20th: Furfest (for 4th and 5th graders) July 27th: When Animals Were People August 3rd: Pink Pig Puppet Theatre Preschool Story time will continue through July, on Wednesdays at 10:15 a.m. It will resume the first week of school in September. July 12th: The Cat’s Meow July 19th: Down on the Farm July 26th: Picnics with Pals (Ants in my food) Some of our newest books include: The Bookwoman’s Last Fling by John Dun- ning. Former homicide detective Cliff Janeway finds more than he bargains for when he agrees to appraise a collection of rare children’s books. Thievery and murder ensue in Idaho as Janeway becomes embroiled in the world of books and horse racing. The Last Templar by Raymond Khoury. This novel by celebrated screenwriter Khoury is de- scribed as cinematic, and in the style of Dan Brown’s work. In a dramatic scene, four horse- men dressed as Templar Knights invade the Metropolitan Museum of Art and steal one of its pieces. Archeologist Tess Chaykin and FBI agent Sean Reilly pursue the murderous horse- men. At Risk by Patricia Cornwell. When the district attorney running for governor of Massachusetts asks a state investigator to use cutting edge technology to solve a 20-year-old murder case, violence disrupts the case. Is this a personal or professional attack? Surprises await the reader of this thriller! Blood Orange Brewing by Laura Childs. In this 7th installment of the Theodosia Browning series, our heroine caters a fund-raising tea par- ty for Charleston’s elite. When a respected politi- cian is murdered at the event, Theodosia may be able to dig up more information than the police. The Hunt Club by John Lescroart. P.I. Wyatt Hunt and his friends, the Hunt Club, investigate the murder of a federal judge and his mistress. Their efforts reveal scandal and turn up an unex- pected suspect in the form of Trial TV commen- tator Andrea Parisi. No Brad Pitt in this Hunt Club. 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. thru July Phone: (503 ) 324-1382 for information (503) 846-3245 to renew material Internet: <www.WILInet.wccls.lib.or.us.> Browse library resources, reserve or renew materials online. Call for information. hearted contributors on Wednesday! It was great to see all the fa- miliar faces and welcome the new ones. Because of all of your efforts it was a huge suc- cess. Thank you once again, Romanna Manusos Vernonia Senior Center Fundraiser Chair Opposition to state’s revised cougar plan To the Editor: I am writing to express the fact that a mistake was made in an earlier column. It was print- ed that I support the newly passed “Revised Cougar Man- agement Plan,” when in fact I am whole heartedly against it. In this plan, houndsmen do not get their rights back. In fact they are put farther from our reach. But the worst fact of all is that at a time when our state is in serious need of funds we are paying 2 individuals to hunt cougars. This fact is stifling when houndsmen are willing to pay a fee to hunt these ani- mals. This could be accom- plished in the same way that all fish and game are managed, with licenses and fees and lim- ited to the number of cats that need to be managed. Cougars and bear are dan- gerous animals. Yes they are beautiful and amazing animals, but the truth is that since hunt- ing the big cats with dogs was abandoned their numbers have increased steadily. And so are bear populations. Cougars are territorial, each animal staking its claim on a domain and guarding it fiercely from com- petitors. This means that younger and displaced cats have to travel farther from prime habitat to establish a new home. This is the reason we are seeing cougars nearer towns and cities more each day. We are also hearing of cougars and bears stalking and attacking humans on the news at least once a week. Our children and pets are easier targets for a hungry cat than fast moving deer and elk. This is why cougar and bear attacks are becoming more common. Most healthy cougars probably will never attack a human, but old, injured or very young and inex- perienced cats can and do. Hunting these cats with hounds is a safe and reason- able method and will not affect Oregon’s population, but it will lower the numbers. Of course the state game officials would set a “quota” or limit on the amount and sex of the animals taken, ensuring their future. Hunting with hounds enables the hunter to view the animal and take an animal based on a more informed decision. Espe- cially if you think about the fact that cougar tags are sold to rifle and bow hunters who are lucky to ever even see one. With hounds the cougar or bear is treed, allowing the hunter to de- termine age, sex and the condi- tion of the animal. In this situa- tion the hunter can make an in- telligent decision, according to Game Commission rulings, al- lowing young and protected sex animals to go free. This would allow us to take sick, in- jured or debilitated animals. This would protect our children, pets and livestock from a very dangerous predator. Why should we the taxpay- ers pay for a privilege that houndsmen are more than will- ing to pay for. By helping houndsmen you are protecting and helping yourselves. This will also help to put the fear of man and dog back into cougars deterring them from our towns and cities in the first place. Thank you, Rebecca L. Thies Forest Grove ( Editor’s Note: In the last 100 years there have been only 14 fatal attacks on humans in the entire U.S. by cougars vs. year- ly deaths of 15,000 attributed to lightning, 4,000 by bees, 10,000 by deer and 1,300 by rattlesnakes. Oregon has never recorded a human fatality at- tributed to cougar. ) Had a wonderful time at Vernonia Airport To the Editor: I just wanted to let you know how great a time I spent in Ver- nonia on Sunday, June 11. Lar- ry, my paraplegic boyfriend re- ceived an email from his friend, Mike Seager, and his wife Georgeann, about an event at the airstrip in Vernonia. I reside in Vancouver, Washington. The group that gathered at your Please see page 23
