The INDEPENDENT, August 16, 2007
Page 3
Letters
Another happy day
for young anglers
To the Editor:
This year’s Jamboree Fish
Derby went off well, everybody
seems happy with the one hour
fishing time.
We did not have as many
prizes as some past years, but
maybe next year we will have
more sponsors.
A special thanks to The In-
dependent , who has been a
sponsor for years, True Value
Hardware and the Old Mill
Eatery.
Bill Yeo auctioned off some
items for us, and we had a few
drawings for prizes. Thanks,
Bill.
We had sixty-four youths
fishing this year, and had a lot
of fun. They caught a total of
114 fish.
Big thanks to those that
helped measure and count the
fish and pick the winners – Bob
Scroggins, Marvin Long, Den-
nis Nelson, DeDe Webb, Don-
na Webb, and Gerie Reynolds.
Don Webb
Fish Derby Helper
Nehalem Valley Chapter
Izaak Walton League
Principal apologizes,
discloses sanctions
To the Editor:
To the Vernonia Community:
Many of you know that I was
cited for possession of marijua-
na during a recent vacation. Al-
though words do little to resolve
this situation, let me take this
opportunity to tell you how
deeply sorry I am.
I made a serious mistake –
one that has affected many,
many people. I have let down
my family, my students, my
staff, my co-workers, this won-
derful community and myself.
Several people expressed a
desire for me to resign. Many
more, however, have asked me
to address the situation and
continue my work here in Ver-
nonia. Although it could be eas-
ier to give up and move on, I
have chosen to stay. Taking re-
sponsibility for my actions and
demonstrating that people
learn from their mistakes is one
of the most important things we
teach our children – and this is
what I plan to do.
While I am the principal of an
elementary school, I am also
human. When students come
into my office because they
have made a mistake, erred in
judgment or broken a rule, we
talk a great deal about respon-
sibility. “Yes. You made a mis-
take. You can’t go back and
change that, but you can take
responsibility for the problem,
try to make up for it, move on
and learn from your mistake so
that it doesn’t happen again.”
It is now time for me to take
my own advice. I will work for
as long as it takes to restore
your trust in me. You need to
know that I plan to be the same
hard-working, kid-focused indi-
vidual who has served you for
the past two years. You have
Policy on Letters
The INDEPENDENT will not publish letters that include per-
sonal attacks on private citizens. Because of space limitations,
preference will be given to brief letters, 300 words or less.
All letters must be signed and include a verifiable address or
phone number; all letters are subject to editing for clarity or length.
Out of My Mind
From page 2
with taxpayers paying $528.73.
Oregon rates are a little different. High coverage premium for a
family is $1044.38/month, with taxpayers picking up the tab for
$697.43. Standard family coverage is $865.84/month, with gov-
ernment paying $216.46.
When you hear Congressmen express horror at the idea of
“socialized medicine,” ask them to pay their own way.
NOTICE
The INDEPENDENT publishes on the first and third Thurs-
day of each month. Because there are five Thursdays in Au-
gust, the next issue will be published on September 6, 2007.
The deadline for articles and ads for the September 6 is-
sue will be Friday, August 31, 2007.
my word – and my deepest
commitment to make things
right.
I plan to begin the process of
healing the wounds I have
caused my family and the Dis-
trict, and get back to the job at
hand: educating the youth of
Vernonia, a job that I love!
While the School Board can-
not legally discuss the sanc-
tions they adopted, I can. My
discipline includes being evalu-
ated by a licensed professional
in the drug rehabilitation field,
following a prescribed treat-
ment plan, and being regularly
and/or randomly drug-tested to
ensure that I am living up to the
agreement. A merit raise that I
had earned has been revoked.
If I do not live up to these obli-
gation I will no longer be em-
ployed by the District. Our su-
perintendent and school board
have made this very clear, and
I will not disappoint them.
You can also be assured this
mistake will not happen again.
Besides apologizing for my
error in judgment, I would also
like to thank the dozens of peo-
ple who have called my family
and me with messages of sup-
port. You have no idea how
helpful your kind words have
been as we work through this
difficult time. Again, I apologize
for the impact my actions have
had on our community. I will do
what needs to be done to help
mend the rift I have caused.
Sincerely,
Aaron Miller
Vernonia
Thief uses dark to rob
fruit of other’s labor
To the Editor:
Well, it’s that time of year
again. You came by Sunday
night (August 5) and stripped
the plums off my tree. I don’t
know if it’s all the colors on the
grafted cultivar, the summer
sweetness of the fruit or the ex-
citement of a nighttime raid that
drove you this time. I hope
you’re at least eating them and
enjoying them as opposed to
having a fruit fight as has hap-
pened in years past.
It’s kind of funny, because if
you had knocked on the door I
would have been glad to load
you up and I wouldn’t be left
with this annual sickening feel-
ing thinking, “Where the heck
do I live anyway?” I prune those
trees, fertilize them, water them
faithfully and try to wait patient-
ly for the summer reward. I
share my fruit with the neigh-
bors and kids, and try to can a
few pints for next winter. And in
a few minutes, slinking in at
dusk or after dark, you come
and take that away from us.
It’s ridiculous. Just knock on
the door and ask. Or leave my
property alone. If you think
about your behavior, skulking
around like that, you know you
shouldn’t be doing it. Stop by in
the daylight like dozens of oth-
er people during the summer.
I’ve never had any reaction but
to talk excitedly about my trees,
and give away fruit. I do, how-
ever, resent it immensely when
I wake up and the first feeling of
the morning is, “Here we go
again; is this ever going to get
better?’
Are you selfish, inconsider-
ate or a thief? It feels like it’s
got to be one of those when
you come by after dark and
help yourself to my work.
Sincerely,
James Brookins
Vernonia
— Correction —
The August 2 issue of The IN-
DEPENDENT should have
said that Elroy Miner received
a lump sum from the City of
Vernonia, not a monthly pay-
ment.
Between the Bookends
By Nancy Burch, Librarian
Vernonia Public Library
Although summer read-
ing activities have ended,
youngsters
completing
their reading goals have
until September 1st to
claim their prizes. This
year’s theme of “Get a
Clue @ Your Library” was
one of the best I’ve seen
in the variety of activities
from which to choose—scavenger hunts, follow-
ing clues, making pirate accessories, guessing
by feel and smell, etc. Linda Johnston and Cam-
rin Eyrrick are the ladies to thank for planning
and implementing this year’s activities. I would
also like to thank Sentry Market for the candy
thrown by the summer readers during the Jam-
boree parade and Brandon Eyrrick for once
again driving the truck.
Weekly preschool story time will resume on
September 10th at 10:30. Each Monday some
stories will be read, with a craft/activity following,
and all preschoolers with an accompanying adult
are invited to attend.
Monday, August 20th will be the next meeting
of the book discussion group with What Makes
Sammy Run? by Budd Schulberg, being the
book for August.
New acquisitions include audio CDs of Ridley
Pearson’s Killer Weekend , Cormac McCarthy’s
The Road , Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird,
Yann Martel’s Life of Pi , and George Orwell’s An-
imal Farm .
New books for adults include The Quickie by
James Patterson, Eye of the Beholder by David
Ellis, Up Close and Dangerous by Linda Howard,
The Burnt House by Faye Kellerman, Beyond
Reach by Karin Slaughter, Critical by Robin Cook,
Still Summer by Jacquelyn Mitchard, Hard Row
by Margaret Maron, and Justice Denied by J. A.
Jance.
New for young adults are Peak by Roland
Smith, Bad Tickets by Kathleen O’Dell, and
Dream Quest by Brent Hartinger.
For youngsters, new purchases include Jun-
gle Drums and Uno’s Garden by Australian au-
thor and illustrator Graeme Base, and word puz-
zles C D C and C D B by William Steig. Try these:
I F-N N-E N-R-G and Y R U Y-N-N? (I haven’t any
energy. Why are you whinin’?) D N (the end).
Vernonia Public Library: 701 Weed Ave.
Hours: Mon., Wed., Fri. 10 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Tues., Thur. 1:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Sat. 10 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Preschool Story Time: Mondays, 10:30
a.m., when school is in session.
Phone: 503-429-1818