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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 2007)
PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. Postage Paid Vernonia, OR 97064 Permit No. 37 Vol. 22, No. 3 “Voice of the Upper Nehalem River Valley” Wyden hears concerns about county fund, Iraq, health care Lunch time This bald eagle at Vernonia Lake apparently stopped in for a frozen entree while ice cov- ered most of the lake . Flea market planned to help B’feld couple The Mist-Birkenfeld Helping Circle and Natal Grange are sponsoring an area-wide flea market fundraiser, including a bake sale and lunch items sale, on Saturday, February 10, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Natal Grange to help Bill and Lynne Kyser of Birkenfeld, whose home was damaged by a chimney fire December 17. While the Kysers were home the evening of December 17, they noticed a clicking sound, then saw sparks around their chimney. They immediately va- cated the house. The Mist-Birkenfeld Fire De- partment responded and put out the fire. However, much smoke damage occurred and February 1, 2007 chimney repairs are needed before they can move back in, according to the fire marshal. Since the fire, there has been additional damage due to the re- cent wind storm. They are cur- rently staying with a neighbor. There is no estimate on the cost of repairs yet. The Kysers had no fire insurance due to on-going medical expenses from Bill Kyser’s heart trans- plant. Another local fami- ly is also in need of help because of medical expenses. For information, please see Letters, Items are being sought from the public to be sold at the fundraiser. Donated items can be delivered to the Natal Grange on Friday, February 9, from 2:00 to 7:00 p.m. Cash donations can be made by check to Mist-Birkenfeld Help- ing Circle, Secretary-Treasurer Irene Jones, 69099 North Bank Road, Birkenfeld, OR 97016. Anything not sold before 5:00 p.m. on the day of the sale will be sent to St. Vincent de Paul or Goodwill. Donors who wish to pick up their unsold items should do so by 5:00 p.m. Funds raised will be used for materials, permits and contrac- tor expenses necessary to re- pair the Kysers’ home. Oregon citizens are con- cerned about the loss of feder- al payments to counties, Iraq, and increasing health care costs, Senator Ron Wyden told reporters Monday morning, fol- lowing conversations with Ore- gonians during five town hall meetings during the weekend. Before a law passed in Sept. 2000, counties received pay- ments based on 1908 and 1937 laws requiring the federal government to share 25 per- cent of U.S. Forest Service (USFS) receipts and 50 per- cent of Bureau of Land Man- agement (BLM) receipts with counties in any state where timber was cut on Federal land. In the nineties, federal timber sales declined by over 70 per- cent nationwide, and the corre- sponding revenues shared with rural counties also declined. The Secure Rural Schools and Community Self Determi- nation Act of 2000 established a six-year payment formula, based on historical timber re- ceipts, for counties that had been receiving revenue shar- ing payments for the USFS and BLM lands. The formula estab- lished a stable revenue source for education, roads and vari- ous other county services in ru- ral areas. Because the federal government owns more than 50 percent of Oregon land, 33 of Oregon’s 36 counties re- ceive the funds. Without reauthorization of the act, Columbia County will lose $2.4 million, which is 25.9 percent of its general fund – the discretionary funds that are used for law enforcement, roads, transportation and other vital services. Some Oregon counties will lose as much as 70 percent of their general funds. Citizen’s comments about Iraq were “spirited,” Wyden said, but regardless of their opinions, they feel it is neces- sary to protect the troops. There was no consensus re- garding funds for additional troops. Escalating health care costs, about 11 percent for 2007, are resulting in more people with- out health insurance. Wyden has introduced a health care act which The INDEPENDENT will cover in future issues. A Life Flight helicopter landed at Vernonia High School about 2:00 a.m., Jan. 23, to transport a local woman to OHSU hos- pital after she fell five feet from a balcony and suffered a con- cussion. She was released from OHSU on Jan. 30.
