Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 2007)
The INDEPENDENT, February 1, 2007 Page 3 Letters Family hurt by urgent medical expenses To the Editor: Living in a small town we tend to look out for one anoth- er. Presently, a local family needs our help. The Schirmeis- ter family had an unexpected way to spend their Christmas this last year, and have en- dured much emotional and fi- nancial burden. When Hyrum, a husband and a father of two young ladies, went to the doc- tor because he wasn’t feeling well, he was unexpectedly rushed to the hospital by ambu- lance. Once he got to the hos- pital he suffered further compli- cations. Hyrum stayed in the hospital for several weeks. Though they had health insur- ance, it has not covered all the necessary expenses, nor will it cover an additional surgery that is needed. An account has been set up at Wauna Federal Credit Union in Vernonia to help with all the additional medical expenses for Hyrum Schirmeister. Your do- nations and support would be greatly appreciated. Plans for a can and bottle drive are in the making, please watch for fur- ther notice. Thanks, Camrin Eyrrick Vernonia Senior Spelling Bee wasn’t frozen out To the Editor: The 5th Senior Spelling Bee was held at the Senior Center recently, and despite the cold weather, there was a good turnout. Fourteen spellers com- peted for trophies, and the win- ners were: first place – Andy Nebergall; second – Jim Bux- ton; and third – George Gans. The fourth-place speller was also a male, Greg Kintz. How about those guys? Thank you to the Senior Center for hosting the Bee, and to Betty and Pauline for sticking around all afternoon to help out; to past winners Tobie Finzel, Carol Sawyer, and Noni Andersen – they presented the words and checked the an- swers; and to Bob Wagner for his support and computer know-how. And, as usual, Sen- try Market for their generosity in providing refreshments for us. We apologize to those who couldn’t make it because of bad roads – we promise to pick a better date next time. Audeen Wagner Vernonia Peace requires loss of life for all sides To the Editor: PEACE TAKES WORK AND SACRIFICE! Sixty-one years ago the WWII generation fought a massive war which killed near- ly 250,000 Americans and 30 million people world wide. To in- sure that the War was not in vain, Germany and Japan were occupied by America for seven years, and American troop pres- ence remains in these countries even today. Immediately upon the sur- Between the Bookends By Sarah Vandehey, Library Assistant Banks Public Library Join Miss Kathy for Preschool Story Time on Wednesdays at 10:15 am. Upcoming themes are: February 7, Wacky Ways February 14, Hugs and Kisses February 21, Noise February 28, Dragon Tails Want to look as hip as the librarians? Come and order your Summer Reading gear. We have t-shirts and denim shirts for sale. This year’s theme is “Get a Clue at Your Library.” Please place your orders by March 1st. Want to really impress your sweetheart this year? Come check out some poetry to inspire you before Valentine’s Day. We also carry a va- riety of cookbooks, including some on preparing chocolate treats. Some of our newest books include: Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder. The author of Poison Study returns with this story of intrigue and turmoil. Yelena is free, her fiercest enemy dead and she can return to her family. But her brother is out to get her and she has only a year to prove her magic talents or be put to death. Will her family accept her Ixian background and will she be able to help a lost Ixian prince regain his throne? Inès of My Soul by Isabel Allende. The read- ers learn of Inès Suàrez in this work of historical fiction. She starts life as a poor, Spanish seam- stress in the 16th century, but when she goes to find her husband in the New World, she learns he is dead. She takes up with Pedro de Valdivia, a gutsy field marshal under Pizarro. He seeks to conquer Chile despite the fierce warriors and lack of natural resources it holds. Will he succeed and will Inès and Pedro’s fate pull them apart? Plum Lovin’ by Janet Evanovich. This best- selling author returns with a Stephanie Plum novel. Our heroine is looking for relationship ex- pert Annie Hart—lately convicted of armed rob- bery and assault. Diesel knows where she is, but will tell only if Stephanie helps Hart’s most diffi- cult clients. These two better act fast before an- other very hot-tempered person finds her. Death on the Family Tree by Patricia Sprinkle. Katherine Murray is all alone, except for her aunt, Lucy. When Lucy dies, she leaves behind an invaluable Celtic necklace and a diary written in German. These items are a mystery to Kather- ine and reveal a branch of her family tree previ- ously unknown to her. It turns out she had an un- cle, Carter, who was murdered after a peculiar trip to Austria over 50 years ago. The mystery continues when these relics are stolen and the suspected thief ends up murdered. Katherine works to piece together this puzzle before more of the family history is obscured. 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, 10:15 a.m. 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. render of Germany and Japan, the Soviets sent troops into Ko- rea (a Japanese possession), and in retaliation, General McArthur likewise sent Ameri- can troops and met the Com- munists at the 38th parallel. A standoff ensued until five years later when the Communist forces of the north invaded the south, and the Korean War be- gan. However, the American re- solve was firm for winning the peace that we had gained with Germany’s and Japan’s surren- der. We forced the Communist forces back above the 38th par- allel where the war ended, and to this day, American troops still have a presence in Korea to in- sure the peace. We now have defeated the main force (Hussein) in the Mid- dle East which has indirectly supported Muslim terrorism against the West since the 1972 Munich Olympics attack. Like the Soviets in 1945, AlQuida has tried to undermine the victory against Hussein and wants to re- enslave the Iraqi people. As in the Korean War, the enemy has tried to create a “civil war” and hope the U.S. resolve is “soft.” America stands at a critical crossroad. In 1945 we ended the constant “rattling of the swords” that came out of Ger- many and Japan. Those coun- tries are now some of our strongest allies, and those ar- eas are at peace. It is impera- tive to keep the peace and end terrorism in the Middle East to protect our American way of life. This peace could require the presence of American troops for the next 61 years also. A lasting peace in the Mid- dle East, as with Germany, Japan and Korea, is well worth the work and sacrifice! The naysayers say it is impossible to pacify Iraq; the naysayers said the same thing in 1945 and were wrong. Now we have three very powerful allies in these nations. It is my hope that Iraq would join this group of dis- tinguished allies! This is no time for partisan politics and bickering. An ab- sence of peace in the Middle East caused the World Trade Center attack. The motto of “Peace Through Strength” drove America to insure peace in Germany, Japan and Korea in the 1950’s. The same is pos- sible today. Fred Yauney Scappoose Policy on Letters The INDEPENDENT is happy to accept letters for publication. To be sure your letter is published, follow the guidelines listed below. • All letters must be signed and have a verifiable address and phone number. • Short letters (150-200 words) will receive priority. • Letters about public officials must refer to their public functions; personal attacks will not be published. Submit letters in person, by mail, fax or email to the address- es/numbers listed in the masthead box on Page 2. Ike Says… From page 2 of us old timers know it is a fact. More and more people I talk to now are starting to see this decline also and are be- coming alarmed. Many of us know that the Doe seasons of the past had a role in keeping the deer population down, then there was the Hair Loss Syn- drome that is slowing recruit- ment of new animals into the herd, but there has always been a nagging feeling that there was another piece to the puzzle. Some blamed current forest practices, which include mas- sive clearcuts and spraying, yet science seems to dismiss these factors as a problem. I tend to agree, we have had massive clearcuts and spray- ing since the 70s, yet the deer herds back then were the high- est we have seen since the Tillamook burn era. No, there was something else keeping a check on the herds and now something that is causing the deer herds to fall to very low levels. What could that be? Predators. Yes, I shook my head when I first theorized this idea, we have always had predators. Yes, cougars are in- creasing but are still too few to Please see page 21
