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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