The INDEPENDENT, May 7, 2009
Page 21
Merkley holds Town Hall in Scappoose, continued Practice non-toxic lawn care now
From page 20
ment organization, a question-
er asked if Merkley will support
“Ron Paul’s bill” to eliminate the
Federal Reserve? “I just
backed a bill to regulate the
SEC (Securities & Exchange
Commission),” the senator
said, “because we must have
transparency and accountabili-
ty” in our financial systems, but
he was not yet familiar with the
bill referred to.
Noting that he is “in a merci-
less battle to change regula-
tions on credit cards,” Merkley
asked if anyone in the group
had negative experiences with
credit card companies. One
man told of being offered a
credit card with no interest for
one year, then was charged in-
terest the first time he used it.
When he complained, his card
was canceled. This “bait and
switch” is nearly universal,
Merkley said, adding that the
Finance Committee had just
passed out the first credit card
reform in 20 years.
Vernonia Police Dept.
From page 19
on Knott St.; under investigation.
Apr. 10 – Burglary on C St; un-
der investigation.
– Report of threats on Alabama;
under investigation.
– Welfare check on Cherry St.
– Assisted CCSO with possible
Fraud on Nehalem Hwy N; report
unfounded.
Apr. 11 – Golf cart collided with
parked car on Madison Ave due to
golf cart driver having medical
emergency; transported by ambu-
lance.
Apr. 14 – Derek Warwick, 41,
Vernonia, arrested for Improper
Use of 911 and Disorderly Con-
duct II; taken to CCSO jail.
Apr. 15 – DHS report taken on
F St.; under investigation.
Apr. 17 – Nathan Riley, 24, Ver-
nonia, arrested for Violation of
Conditional Release Agreement
on Bridge St.; taken to CCSO jail.
Apr. 26 – Nuisance Abatement
started on A St.
Apr. 30 – Completed investiga-
tion of possible threats at VHS;
complaint unfounded.
Traffic ..........................5
Columbia County
Mental Health
800-294-5211
-----------------
Suicide Hotline
800-784-2433
Another man related an er-
roneous $5,000 charge on his
card, but said “this credit card
stuff should be handled by the
state.” When Merkley ex-
plained that federal law doesn’t
allow states to regulate credit
cards, the questioner said it
didn’t matter, anyway, because
the problem isn’t credit cards;
the problem is the amount of
money in the stimulus bill and
the deficits it creates. “The
problem,” Merkley responded,
“is do we do as Hoover did and
say we will let [the economy]
cure itself?” He briefly men-
tioned the deficit that existed
when this Congress took office
and discussed the reasons for
adding to it, primarily the need
for jobs. He also mentioned
that some of the stimulus mon-
ey will go to Scappoose.
Scappoose Mayor Scott
Burge agreed, saying that the
city will get stimulus money for
road work.
“My grandkids will be paying
for this deficit,” the questioner
said. “Yes,” Merkley agreed,
“they will.” Having a job,
Merkley said, is necessary for a
family’s successful future.
From the Sheriff’s Desk…
From page 18
happens in front of you, will you have the presence of mind to
identify the person committing the crime and report accurate infor-
mation to the authorities?
Practice your observation skills in everyday life. See how diffi-
cult it is to remember someone’s hair and eye color, height and
weight, mannerisms and speech patterns, and the clothing and
means of transportation they have, even when the situation is nor-
mal? Try it when the chips are down, and the tension is at its high-
est.
Prepare yourself to be a good witness by imagining intense sit-
uations going down in your presence. Train yourself to pay atten-
tion. In your mind, be prepared to tell law enforcement exactly
what you saw, and to note – not only descriptors of the perpetra-
tor, but also information that could lead us to other witnesses as
well (license plates on cars of other drivers in the vicinity, or the
phone numbers of others who stopped to help).
You may not always have a cop when you need one. But you
can prepare yourself for the time when you need to protect your-
self or help us keep the community safe.
It is this kind of partnership with the Sheriff that every citizen
can enjoy and create a safer community for us all.
Ike Says…
From page 2
of them is the incidental hook-
ing mortality on fall Chinook
salmon; the second is the very
fact of opening a consumptive
fishery on an ESA listed salmon
stock.
I have never felt good about
the coastal Coho plan because
it has never indicated what lev-
el of population is needed for
the Coho to rebound, before a
fishery would be considered.
The Nehalem has seen a signif-
icant increase in Coho salmon
starting in 2000, but with an av-
erage of around 18,000 fish a
year, are we ready to start
killing some of them?
What ODF&W has told me is
that the Nehalem River system
is habitat-limited and they esti-
mate that the available fish-
rearing habitat can be fully
seeded with 17,500 returning
adults. The forecast for the re-
turning adult run is expected to
be 22,000 and the fishery is
proposed at 1,000 fish. Since
4,500 fish are assumed to be in
excess of what is needed, the
department feels there will be
no harm. I would think that
large private timber companies
and the local Watershed Coun-
cil, who have spent huge sums
of money trying to restore these
threatened fish, might have
something to say about this
proposal. The meetings on the
coast to give input are already
completed (14 day notice) and
the decision by the commis-
sioners will be made in June. If
you want to comment, time is
short.
Izaak Walton League,
Nehalem Valley Chapter
meets monthly on the 3rd
Thursday at 7:00 p.m. Call
503-428-7193 for location.
From page 8
contaminates an important
food supply for Oregon’s native
populations and others who eat
wild, fresh-caught fish.
Pesticides and herbicides
top the DEQ draft list of priority
persistent pollutants that are
toxic and either persist in the
environment or accumulate in
the tissues of humans, fish,
wildlife or plants. The draft list
is available for public review at
http://www.deq.state.or.us/wq/
SB737/
Eugene resident Sharyn Lee
says, “I had a dog that I totally
loved and he was old at the
time, and I just didn’t want to
use chemicals because it con-
cerned me thinking about him
walking around out here and
laying on the lawn.”
For a related website go to
www.cleanriversand
streams.org.
Vernonia Justice Court
From page 19
civil responsibilities class; no con-
tact order; $345 FF&A.
Traffic...........................8
Weighmaster............... 3
Obituary
DONALD DEAN FAST
Donald Dean Fast, 67, Beaver-
ton, died April 4, 2009. A ceremony
honoring him was held April 4 at
the Forest Grove Elks Club.
Mr. Fast was born March 2,
1942, at the family home in Bux-
ton, to Loyd B. and Doris White-
side Fast. He was raised in Buxton
and attended Banks High School.
He served in the U.S. Navy. He
worked at Peerless Truck & Trailer
in Tualatin as a welder, and was a
millwright for Forest Fibers until
being disabled after an industrial
accident.
Survivors include two sons,
Ron and Dean; four daughters,
Sue King, Joanna Atcheson, Tom-
mie Ralls and Angie Maier; two
brothers, Bud and Cleo; a sister,
Berniece Cop; one uncle; 16
grandchildren; and five great-
grandchildren.
RITA COLLETT SPIERING
Rita Collette Spiering, 96, For-
est Grove, died April 13, 2009. A
funeral mass was held April 17 at
St. Francis of Assisi Catholic
Church in Roy, followed by vault in-
terment at St. Francis Cemetery.
Mrs Spiering was born August
21, 1912, in Verboort, to Theodore
and Dinah (Smits) Vandehey. She
was raised on the family farm in
Verboort and attended Visitation
Grade School through the eighth
grade.
In 1932, she married Lawrence
Spiering. They made their home
near Banks for one winter, then
moved to their farm in Roy. In
1993, she moved to Forest Grove.
She was a homemaker and helped
on the farm.
She was preceded in death by
her husband; a daughter, Joann
Peters; and 12 siblings.
Survivors include three sons,
Duane, Ronald, and Allen Spier-
ing, all of Banks; one daughter,
Sharon Wood-Rackemann of Coto
De Caza, California; 18 grandchil-
dren; and 18 great-grandchildren.
Remembrances are suggested
to the St. Francis Church, 39135
NW Harrington Rd., Banks, OR
97106.
"A Trusted Name in Funeral Service"
Fuiten, Rose & Hoyt
Funeral Home
Third Generation
Family Owned & Operated
Jeffrey Hoyt, Gregory Hoyt,
Christopher Hoyt, Ross Mathews,
Jane Schneider, Dan Raney,
Yvonne La Mont, Stephanie
Kachmarek, Peni Flores.
Attendant: Ray Pelster
2308 Pacific Av. Frst Grv....357-2161
741 Madison Av. Vern.........429-6611
E-mail: Fuitenrosehoyt@aol.com
To sign the online guestbook or send
a condolence to the family, go to:
www.fuitenrosehoyt.com