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The INDEPENDENT, September 21, 2006
Oregon Beach Cleanup finds burned piano among 21 tons of debris
Over three thousand Orego-
nians celebrated the 22nd an-
nual Great Oregon Fall Beach
Cleanup together on Saturday,
September 16. They worked
side by side to clean up the
beach along the entire Oregon
coast, from the Washington to
the California borders.
They
collected
42,183
pounds of debris that had accu-
mulated during the summer
months on Oregon’s beaches.
There is more to the story
than poundage, however. In
Gold Beach a volunteer discov-
ered a small plastic Godzilla
toy. Near Pacific City the left-
over carcass of a grand piano
that had been burned (perhaps
by Godzilla?) added interest to
the day.
The fall cleanup was a suc-
cess only because of the dedi-
cated volunteers that make it
happen,” said SOLV Outreach
Coordinator Gerik Kransky,
“The event’s potential pitfalls
were overcome by thousands
of Oregonians giving one Sat-
✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯
Leadership.
Values.
Accountability.
Results.
Our State Senator!
• Bringing people together to find common ground
requires patience, understanding and leadership –
qualities that Betsy Johnson has displayed time
and again as our State Senator.
• After years of frustration, Betsy was able to secure
the much needed third Circuit Court Judge for our
area. Now, criminal and civil cases will be heard in
a more timely manner.
• When dealing with controversial issues, Betsy
listens to and considers all points of view before
making a decision.
• Betsy understands that serving as our State Senator
means working with our locally elected officials as
part of a team. Betsy is more interested in making
sure the job gets done than in who gets the credit.
• Above all else, Betsy knows that her first responsibility
is to be our voice and our advocate!
✓ Elect
urday to ensure clean beaches
for all.”
Along with SOLV, the
cleanup was coordinated by
the Oregon Parks and Recre-
ation Department, and the local
coastal haulers.
Did you call 9-1-1 long distance?
If you were wondering what
happened to your long distance
call on September 13, between
9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Verizon
Telephone mistakenly translat-
ed a switch, sending all long
distance calls from Vernonia to
Columbia 9-1-1. In that period
of time, 9-1-1 usually receives
between 29 and 35 calls on
their business line. During this
time period, they received 149
calls, according to Sally Jones,
Administrator for Columbia 9-1-
1 Communications District. By
1:00 p.m. Verizon had identi-
fied and corrected the problem.
Free Rural Road Safety brochures
When was the last time you
noticed a red-and-orange, tri-
angular sign used to mark a
driveway entrance, fence, or a
mailbox? Probably only very
recently, right?
Unfortunately, many people
don’t realize that these signs
are actually Slow-Moving Vehi-
cle markers. SMV signs are for
use on slow-moving vehicles
ONLY. It is against the law to
use them as reflective markers
on any type of permanent, sta-
tionary object.
In recognition of National
Farm Safety & Health Week,
September 17-23, the Oregon
Farm Bureau has created a
new Rural Road Safety bro-
chure. Its goal is to educate the
public on the proper use of
SMV signs and how to share
the roads with farm equipment.
It also includes safety tips for
ag producers.
To request free copies, or to
help with the distribution effort,
contact Anne Marie Moss, OFB
Communications Director, at
503-399-1701, ext. 313, or e-
mail annemarie@oregonfb.org.
You can also download the
brochure from Oregon Farm
Bureau’s website at www.ore
gonfb.org.
No Oct. 7 exhibit
There will not be an Exhibi-
tion of area skills during this
year’s Salmon Festival in Ver-
nonia on October 7.
“We’re Moving Ahead
But We’ve Got a Lot Left To Do!”
The Difference Between
‘Hearing’ and ‘Listening’
We all listen to the radio or televi-
sion, but do we really hear? Hearing
someone means understanding what
that person is saying. I have made a
practice of hearing what you are say-
ing and making sure that I understand your point of
view. Although we might not always agree, you can be
sure that your position and your suggestions will be
heard! I never forget who I work for – you!
Betsy Our
Johnson
State Senator!
Re-Elect RITA BERNHARD
✯✯✯✯✯✯✯
Paid for by the Committee to Elect Rita Bernhard
P.O. Box 564 Scappoose Oregon 97056
P.O. Box R • Scappoose, Oregon 97056
Columbia County Commissioner