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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (May 1, 2008)
Page 2 The INDEPENDENT, Mayl 1, 2008 The INDEPENDENT Published on the first and third Thursdays of each month by The Independent, LLC, 725 Bridge St., Vernonia, OR 97064. Phone/Fax: 503-429-9410. Publisher Clark McGaugh, clark@the-independent.net Editor Rebecca McGaugh, rebecca@the-independent.net Mentor Noni Andersen Opinion Everybody has an opinion Like the opinions we print in our editorial space? That’s this area, entitled Opinion. Some people love our opinions, some people hate them. Some people don’t seem to understand that what’s written in this space is our opinion, NOT an article. Opinion is defined in the Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary as, “a view, judg- ment, or appraisal formed in the mind about a particu- lar matter,” or “belief stronger than impression and less strong than positive knowledge.” In other words, it’s what we think about a topic, NOT the absolute last word. Our opinions change as we gain information. And, yes, it is nice that we have a newspa- per and can put our thoughts out there for all to see (and agree with or criticize). For those who don’t agree with our opinions (and those who do) we offer space in the Letters to the Edi- tor area. We do not edit those letters, we just correct spelling and common punctuation. We don’t shorten them, we don’t lengthen them, and we do print all of them. Except the ones that attack private citizens or, due to space limitations, letters that are longer than 300 words. And, no swearing, kids read this paper, too. If we don’t print your letter in the next issue, it’s be- cause we ran out of space. Stay tuned, it will appear. Unless, as recently happened, we didn’t get your letter or couldn’t verify, by phone, who sent the letter. Be sure to include your name, address, and a daytime phone number where we can reach you. We won’t print the address or phone number, just your name and the town you live in. By the way, we don’t print anonymous let- ters. If we have to put our name out there, so should you be willing to do so. The law allows all of us to have, in print or otherwise, opinions about public figures. Public figures include elected officials, and top administrators, among others. That’s called FREEDOM OF SPEECH and is protected in the United States Constitution, first amendment. Be- ing the first amendment doesn’t make it any more im- portant than any other amendment, but it sure should make it easier to remember. Here’s what the first amendment says, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of reli- gion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridg- ing the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” Notice the ‘of the press’ part? That’s us. See you in the paper. Ike Says… By Dale Webb, member Nehalem Valley Chapter, Izaak Walton League Hunters, make sure to report your success or lack of for last year’s (2007) hunting seasons. Sportsmen for years had requested that ODF&W enact such a program so that accurate harvest and effort information could be acquired to more accu- rately manage our state’s wildlife. Many smaller hunt units in years past have had poor or no har- vest results reported. Many sportsmen view this situation as being unacceptable. Here is the re- cent announcement from ODF&W. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife staff announced the new Mandatory Hunter Reporting System is available for use. All persons who pur- chased an Oregon deer, elk, pronghorn, cougar, black bear or turkey tag for a 2007 hunt are asked to report the result of their harvest efforts, whether or not they were successful, whether or not they hunted. According to Tom Thornton, ODFW Game Program manager, the results of the new report- ing system will improve the quality and quantity of hunting effort and harvest information. “To successfully assess game populations and provide all the recreational opportunities we can, we need accurate and timely information,” he said. “We have tried to make the reporting system as convenient as possible so it’s easy for hunters to participate.” Hunters can report either by telephone or through the ODFW Web site. Call 1-866-947- ODFW (6339) for the automated phone system, or access the hunting report form through the Hunter Resource section of the Web site, http:// www.dfw.state.or.us/resources/hunting/report ing/index.asp “We would like all hunters to use the new sys- tem to report their hunting activity,” said Thorn- ton. “Even if you received a survey phone call from ODFW this year, we would like you to try out the new system.” Hunters who purchased bighorn sheep and Rocky Mountain goat tags do not have to report, as these hunters are required to check out of the hunt area. When to Report • 2007 season hunters are asked to report by June 1, 2008. • Hunters with tags for 2008 hunting seasons can report beginning June 1, 2008. Before Reporting Before calling the phone line or logging into the new online system, hunters should have the following information ready: • Hunter/Angler ID number (located on ODFW licenses, tags and applications) • The two-digit Wildlife Management Unit (WMU) number of the unit hunted. If the hunt area included more than 1 WMU, use the num- ber of the unit hunted in most of the time. Please see page 26
