The INDEPENDENT, November 1, 2007
Page 9
Bits & Bites
By Jacqueline Ramsay
Ques-
t i o n :
How can
a city or
t o w n
dweller
k n o w
how to
vote on
Measure 49? While driving
home from Portland thru the
vast open fields you could see
on the same space, Yes 49 and
Kill 49. No fence or posts to
give the impression there are
two owners, so – flip a coin?
You can sink or swim either
way. I do not understand
legalese jargon so sometimes
who you know is how you vote,
but as I said, you vote or keep
your mouth shut.
Shadow and I had quite a
walk last weekend – of course
around the lake. After the rains
the duck population left the lake
for the mud puddles near the
burner base. Shadow nearly
shook out of her fur coat want-
ing to herd them back to the
lake where she thinks they be-
long. In the same area, I no-
tices the pair of Canadian
geese – maybe the same pair
that was here last year at this
time. Farther along, the Big
Wind has downed another tree,
into the lake, now the lone tree
roots are cracking the path.
NOTE – The city crew should
be given the order to cut the
tree down and save the walk. It
would give someone firewood
and save expense of redoing a
section of path – Right?
Also, the bunnies seem to
have been thinned out. Two
black, one or two light brown
and a brown and white seem to
be all that hang out in the cat-
tails. Oh yes, even some horse-
do on the pathway; yes, I’m nit-
picking. I even saw horses be-
ing ridden on the sidewalks
crossing the Rock Creek
Bridge.
Question #2 to ponder –
“Shangri-La” on T.V. Highway
has been closed out to make
way for a parking lot. The food
was good, the ambiance was
most pleasurable to me. It fed
many people. Why does the $
sign take over when Big Busi-
ness comes in? A few people
were serving many people on
that spot for many years. This
proves I’m stuck in the past and
enjoy the slower lifestyle, I
guess.
I am totally upset:
You know who I am so this is
as good a place an any to put in
my 10¢ worth in writing on the
city mess.
A newspaper reports what it
hears and sees in council meet-
ing and from city records that
are open to the public, Right?
For more than a few years,
there have been ‘goofs’ being
made and kept quiet from the
voters in the running of city
business, Right? The council
folk have found this out for
themselves, Right? So, who
screwed up the pot? People,
elected by the people, to run
our city. The fact we have a new
City (Manager) Administrator
doesn’t make him the Bad Guy
but it falls on his shoulders to
take the heat that was and is
caused by trying to get the city
back on track. We, the city folk,
flip our lips to any and all that
will listen but I neither heard nor
saw anything about the council
meeting that was held to trash
The Independent (no, I didn’t
attend it either). But I’ve heard
plenty (the only packed regular
meeting some had ever seen).
Elected city officers are to be
of an open and fair mind; able
to listen, understand and seek
out what is best for the commu-
nity they are serving. They do
not (or should not) have the
20 Years Ago This Month
The November 27, 1987 is-
sue of The Independent had
the following story on the front
page (Editor’s Note: The Bill
Hansen in this story is not the
same Bill Hansen who lives
near Vernonia now):
A proposal to create and fill
the position of city administra-
tor in Vernonia was approved
by the city council on Novem-
ber 2, but stalled November 16
because of charges that it
would create grounds of a law-
suit by city recorder Don Dun-
away.
In the absence of members
Bill Hansen and Rob Richards,
Tom Buffington and Mario
Leonetti approved the adminis-
trator proposal, which Buffing-
ton had previously presented to
the council for study.
Then, at a special council
meeting on November 12,
Hansen said the city had a two
year contract with Dunaway
and since the administrator
proposal would eliminate the
recorder’s position, the city
would be liable for damages.
When asked by Buffington
why he hadn’t mentioned a
contract previously, Hansen
said he never saw the contract.
When it was pointed out that he
signed it, along with the mayor
and the rest of the council on
December 15, 1986, he said he
thought it was just part of regu-
lar wage negotiations.
Mayor Vaughn also said he
was unaware that it was an em-
ployment contract until that af-
ternoon when Dunaway told
him about it.
Richards, who was also on
the council in December, made
no statement about the docu-
ment.
Following an executive ses-
sion at the November 16 regu-
lar meeting, the council ap-
proved a motion to hold the
proposal in abeyance until the
next meeting in order to seek
legal opinions on the docu-
ments.
In other business during No-
vember, the council agreed to:
• add a second “Business
from the Floor” section to the
council agenda, following Old
business, because the mayor
objected to citizen participation
during discussion.
Alley Auto Wrecking ✮
✮ Gasoline 503-429-7581
Most parts under warranty
Open Tuesday-Saturday 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Closed Sunday and Monday
54372 Nehalem Hwy South, Vernonia, OR 97064
6 miles south of town on Hwy 47
Buying unwanted vehicles with clear title
privilege of leaving the chair
and speaking their personal
feelings in such a demeaning
way. This includes all elected
personnel.
Professional conduct? No.
Acceptable conduct? No. Are
you aware that if you run for re-
election you may find yourself
on the outside wondering what
happened? Mr. Kline should sit
down and ‘talk out’ all of the
Blocks that seem to have been
put on his plate. He probably
had no way of knowing the
closet held a box of hidden
treasures – he just happened to
be the one that opened the Box
– and now people have the
right to know why it took so
long.
I do not feel The Indepen-
dent nor any of its staff has
done anything but what it has
obligated itself to do – Report.
Report – and say Thank You for
your slap in the face.
Sr. Center Bazaar
The Christmas Bazaar at
the Vernonia Senior Center will
be held on Saturday and Sun-
day, November 17 and 18,
starting at 9:00 a.m.
Tables are $10. There will
be wood products, gifts, jewel-
ry, knitting and more.
Contact Barbara Holm at
503-429-0161 to reserve your
table.
First Friday schedule of events
Vernonia’s First Friday for
November falls on November 2
from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. Events
scheduled for First Friday in-
clude an Open House at Provi-
dence to welcome Robert
Giusti, FNP, the new Family
Practitioner, with door prizes
and refreshments.
At the Vernonia Community
Learning Center garden art will
be for sale and the Balloon
Company, the high schools
company, will have free bal-
loons for all, plus cookies and
bouquets for sale.
Goodbye to the ‘50s Sock
Hop will be on saturday, Nov. 3,
starting at 7:30 at the Vernonia
Grange hall, with prizes, raffle,
a photographer and DJ music.
Wear a ‘50s costume.
Questions or comments to
vernoniaart@aol. com.