The INDEPENDENT, March 1, 2007
Page 3
Area residents speak out on impact of Iraq at Town Hall meeting
Imagine nearly 20 new ele-
mentary schools or 3,000 af-
fordable homes, or health care
for 80,000 youngsters.
Nearly half a billion dollars of
funds from Oregon Congres-
sional District 1 have been
spent on the war in Iraq. Co-
lumbia County’s share of the fi-
nancial cost of war in Iraq is
over $40 million. That could
have provided local students
with 1,937 four-year college
scholarships.
Decision makers in Wash-
ington, D.C., are debating mul-
tiple proposals ranging from
troop escalation to a timetable
for immediate withdrawal. A
supplemental appropriations
vote for funding in Iraq is ex-
pected in Congress later this
month; a vote that will test the
impact of the recent 2006 elec-
tions on decisions relating to
the war.
Congress will also decide
this session whether to reau-
thorize the Secure Rural
Schools and Community Self-
Determination Act, legislation
that relies on timber receipts
and federal lands compensa-
Between the Bookends
By Sarah Vandehey, Library Assistant
Banks Public Library
J oin Miss Kathy for
Preschool Story time on
Wednesdays at 10:15 am.
Upcoming themes are:
March 7: Turtles
March 14: Bath Time
March 21: Bad Hair Day
March 28: No Storytime
due to Spring break.
Have a craft project that you’re working on?
Join others in a craft night on Wednesday, March
7th from 5:00-9:00 p.m. in the Community Room.
Light refreshments will be provided. This will be
a repeating event on Wednesday evenings.
The annual Plant and Book Sale is coming up
on May 4th and 5th. If you’re dividing plants in
your yard, we’d appreciate it if you set some
aside for this event. All plants need to be in clean
pots that are in good condition, well rooted,
weed free and identified (botanical names are
great). For more information or if you need con-
tainers, call Sheila Day at 503-324-6191.
Need tax forms or help? Federal and state
forms are available at the Forest Grove, Shute
Park and Tanasbourne libraries (the Banks Pub-
lic Library currently has only state forms). Free
tax help is available at the following locations:
the Forest Grove Senior Center, Hillsboro Public
Libraries, Beaverton City Library, and the Elsie
Stuhr Center. Some offer assistance by appoint-
ment only, others are walk in. For more informa-
tion call the locations above or call us here at the
library.
Some of our newest books include:
Claire and Present Danger by Gillian Roberts
(aka Judith Greber). A young widow with a hid-
den past, Emmie Cade, quickly becomes en-
gaged to a wealthy bachelor in this Amanda
Pepper mystery. Pepper, an English teacher at a
Philadelphia preparatory school spends her
evenings as a P.I. She’s joined by C.K. Macken-
zie, formerly with the homicide squad, in the
hopes of discovering why Cade’s past is strewn
with dead men. Will Pepper be able to unravel
the mysteries of the past and a current murder in
time for her own upcoming nuptials?
Slay Bells by Kate Kingsbury. All the town’s
children are invited to meet Jolly Old Saint Nick
at the hotel in this Pennyfoot Hotel mystery.
Their wishes will not be heard, though, as first
Santa’s helper, and then Santa himself are found
dead. The former seemingly fell from the roof.
The latter, the town drunk, was discovered
stabbed and stuffed down the chimney in his Fa-
ther Christmas costume. Will Cecily Sinclair Bax-
ter be able to solve these mysterious deaths and
get her husband to account for his time with an
enticing French singer?
Step on a Crack by James Patterson. NYPD
Detective Michael Bennet is struggling with his
10 children and ailing wife while trying to rescue
politicians, billionaires and celebrities from their
ruthless hostage-taker. All this comes on top of a
favorite former first lady’s death. Will Bennet be
able to defeat the cold-blooded criminal? The
world is watching.
Sunstroke by Jesse Kellerman. When a busi-
nessman, Carl, disappears while vacationing in
Mexico, his devoted assistant Gloria works tire-
lessly to discover what happened. She’s motivat-
ed by more than a sense of duty…she’s in love
with her employer. After making endless calls,
she is told that Carl died in a car accident. When
Gloria is unable to locate the next of kin or Carl’s
will she decides to go to Mexico herself to tend
to the burial. Her journey leads her to stunning
revelations about herself and Carl.
There are new nonfiction choices, too.
The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama. The
junior senator and presidential candidate speaks
about his vision for the future amidst bitter parti-
sanship, terrorism, and economic insecurity.
Obama, a lawyer, professor and father of two,
writes with humor as he discusses his time in the
senate and balancing that with his personal life.
The senator also speaks about faith and the role
it plays in democracy. He stresses the impor-
tance of returning to the values of the Constitu-
tion as a way to heal the political divide and re-
store our government.
Teach Like Your Hair’s on Fire by Rafe Es-
quith. This talented teacher gives tips, tech-
niques and exercises to encourage kids to do
their best. Esquith teaches at a Los Angeles
school where the students are poor, and first or
second-generation Americans. English is often
not the first language among these students, but
Esquith aids them in reading literature, perform-
ing classical music, grasping algebra and just
being kids. He does this by treating his students
with respect, allowing them to be creative and
engaged, and not settling for mediocrity.
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.
tions to fund approximately
4,400 school districts in 615
counties in 39 states.
Constituents in Oregon’s 1st
Congressional District, repre-
sented by David Wu, are not
waiting for the decisions to
come to them. A town hall in-
cluding delegations from the
five counties that comprise the
1st Congressional District, was
recently held at Pacific Univer-
sity in Forest Grove.
Testimony from constituents
to Rep. Wu highlighted human
needs in the 1st District that are
unmet as a result of federal
funding priorities and spending
on the war. The 1st District’s
tab for the war in Iraq is
$602,513,729.00, the equiva-
lent of 60 new elementary
schools or 3,152 affordable
housing units or healthcare for
80,057 children since the start
of the Iraq war.
Air Force photographer Tina
Bean, a veteran and Washing-
ton County resident knows
some of the personal cost of
the Iraq war. She spoke of be-
ing evacuated from Iraq about
a year ago, after her base fell
under heavy mortar attack. Her
most serious injuries carry no
outward scars.
“I’m still trying to deal with
the effects of being there,” she
said. “I knew from the moment I
got to Iraq that we shouldn’t be
there, that this war was not
something we could win and
that our presence is doing noth-
ing but making it worse.”
Since being taken off the
front line, she has been recov-
ering at home in Tigard and has
become an advocate for getting
U.S. troops out of Iraq as quick-
ly and as safely as possible.
Rural America is also home
to a disproportionate number of
soldiers who have lost their
lives in Iraq. The New York
Times reported in July, 2005,
that of the soldiers who have
died in Iraq, nearly two-thirds
were from rural counties. Rural
Oregon is paying a high price
for this war, in terms of human
costs and lost investment in
economies and human services.
The Town Hall held an over-
flow crowd, many of whom
came to testify about the per-
sonal cost of war. Many were
veterans, some from the cur-
rent conflict, some from the Viet
Nam era, and some from previ-
ous wars. Nearly all supported
troop withdrawal from Iraq.
Others testifying included so-
cial workers, students, teach-
ers, health care workers, all of
whom have been affected in
their work or studies by the lo-
cal cost of war. Cited were lack
of funds for text books, medi-
cines, diminishing social serv-
ice assistance, all of which are
beginning to have devastating
effects in District 1.
The Town Hall was hosted
by the Rural Organizing Project
(ROP) and the following local
groups: West County Council
for Human Dignity, Yamhill Val-
ley PeaceMakers, Columbia
Pacific Alliance for Social Jus-
tice, Adelante Mujares and Co-
lumbia County Citizens for Hu-
man Dignity. ROP and member
groups other districts are hold-
ing similar Town Halls during
the Congressional recess.
For more information, con-
tact Marcy Westerling 503-543-
8417, or marcy@rop.org.
Ike Says…
From page 2
school; although I see Chief
Workman has stated that the
ATF is interpreting the law oth-
er than how it is written in the
Act, in regards to how long you
may stay in the school. CHL
holders were represented by
53% of the people on the poll,
but I have a feeling that number
is high.
My solution to this problem –
so I don’t have to fear becom-
ing a federal felon – is buying
some locking hard gun cases
and cable locks for the gun
rack. Does this make the
schools safer? No. It is not law-
abiding citizens that we have to
worry about, it’s somebody who
has evil intent and, at that
point, laws mean nothing to
them.
My final thought on this sub-
ject is that this Act places peo-
ple in the position of authority in
a difficult place. While they are
obligated to follow and enforce
the laws of the land, the politi-
cal ramifications of enforcing
this Act could have profound
consequences in the form of
support for the schools and the
local police department.
Izaak Walton League,
Nehalem Valley Chapter
meets monthly on the 3rd
Thursday at 7:00 p.m. Call
503-428-7193 for location.