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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 19, 2009)
The INDEPENDENT, November 19, 2009 Where to Find Them U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (Dem) 1220 SW 3rd Avenue, Suite 585 Portland OR 97232 Phone: 503-326-7525 223 Dirksen Senate Ofc. Bldg. Washington, D.C. 20510-0001 Phone: 202-224-5244 E-Mail: http://wyden.senate.gov/ contact Website: http://wyden.senate. gov U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (Dem.) One World Trade Center 121 SW Salmon St., Suite 1250 Portland, OR 97204 Phone: 503-326-3386 107 Russell Senate Ofc. Bldg. Washington, DC 20510 Phone: (202) 224-3753 E-Mail: http://merkley.senate. gov/contact WebSite: http://merkley.senate. gov U.S. Representative David Wu (Dem) OR District 1 620 SW Main, Suite 606 Portland, OR 97205 Phone: 503-326-2901 2338 Rayburn House Ofc. Bldg. Washington, DC 20515 Phone: 202-225-0855 Website: http://house.gov/wu Senator Betsy Johnson (Dem) Senate District 16 PO Box R, Scappoose, OR 97056 Phone: 503-543-4046 900 Court St. NE, S-314 Salem, OR 97301 Phone: 503-986-1716 E-mail: sen.betsyjohnson@ state.or.us Website: http//www.leg.state.or. us/johnson Representative Brad Witt (Dem) House District. 31 21740 Lindberg Road, Clatskanie, OR 97016 Phone: 503-728-4664 900 Court St. NE, H-373 Salem, OR 97301 Phone: 503-986-1431 E-mail: rep.bradwitt@state.or.us Website: http//www.leg.state.or. us/witt Representative Deborah Boone (Dem) House District 32 PO Box 926 Cannon Beach, OR 97110 Phone: 503-717-9182 900 Court St. NE, H-375 Salem, OR 97301 Phone: 503-986-1432 E-mail: rep.deborahboone@ state.or.us Website: http//www.leg.state.or. us/boone Letters Thanks for help to national rodeo finals To the Editor: Thank You for your support. I wanted to thank everyone who has contributed money for my trip to the national finals in Oklahoma. I wish to thank the Carr family, all the teachers at Vernonia High School, The Vernonia Ridge Riders, Cafe 47 and a special thanks to Dawn at Double C Tack who has done so much to help me. Once again thank you every one who has sent me sponsor- ship money. I also want to congratulate my brother Matt Bringman. We found out two weeks ago that his last ride placed him high enough to ride in the finals also. Matt, we are all so proud of you – good job. Jake Bringman Vernonia More letters on page 21 Policy on Letters The INDEPENDENT will not publish letters that in- clude personal 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 ad- dress or phone number. The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's old- est exercises in moral philos- ophy: that is the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. — John Kenneth Galbraith Page 3 Between the Bookends By Nancy Burch, Librarian Vernonia Public Library Late this past summer information was received inviting Oregonians to submit stories about life in rural communities. The in- formation was posted for the public but, with a deadline of September 30, 2009, those who might have been interested felt that didn’t give them enough time. It happened that Errold and I spent a week in Central Oregon during September and I had lots of spare time while he fished, so I fooled around on my com- puter trying to write something about Vernonia. With input and editing help from Noni Andersen and pictures from Donna Webb, the story was submitted. A letter arrived last week informing us that this story was accepted and that it had “won first place in the Oregon Rural Communities Ex- plorer story competition”. This also means that the story will be featured along with other win- ners on the Rural Communities Explorer website (www.oregonexplorer.info/rural) this winter and that it will be permanently archived in Schol- arsArchive@OSU. This story is about the bless- ings and the hazards of living in this “pocket in the woods” in proximity to the Nehalem River and Rock Creek. I wanted the story to reflect the spirit of the community—why we choose to live in this gorgeous locale despite the forces of na- ture that seem to have conspired against us over the years. I also wanted others to know about this fantastic community—how it has responded to good times and dreadful times and how, through the resilience of its citizens, it is looking to the future. On Saturday, November 21st at 1:00 p.m., Merv Johnson will be showing slides of Fred Busch Logging on Humbug Mountain. These photos, taken in 1979 of the logging of a patch of green timber which had been untouched by the Tillamook Burn, will be shown in the library with all interested people encouraged to attend. To again offer library supporters the opportu- nity to give to the library during the holidays, a selection of books will be available for “adop- tion”. The “adopted” books will then become part of the library’s collection. Obtained through The St. Helens Bookshop, all of these items will be available at 20 percent off their regular price. New acquisitions include Ford Country by John Grisham, Kindred in Death by J. D. Robb, Last Night in Twisted River by John Irving, A Quilter’s Holiday by Jennifer Chiaverini, The La- cuna by Barbara Kingsolver, and Abandoned by Cody McFadyen. The library also has a very nice selection of holiday videos, as well as CDs by such artists as Elvis Presley, Kenny Rogers, Bing Crosby, Josh Groban, and The Mormon Tabernacle Choir. A recent donation from U. S. Bank is now included in the library’s collection of books. Entitled, Gung Ho!, this book is a motiva- tor for increasing productivity, profits, and per- sonal prosperity. Last year the Oregon Library Association pro- moted “Oregon Reads” by encouraging the read- ing of a specific book, Stubborn Twig. This com- ing year, we will be having a “Community Reads” and have chosen George Bryon Wright’s novel, Driving to Vernonia, for residents of our commu- nity to read. Mr. Wright donated four copies of his novel to the library, so it should be readily available. Upcoming movies to be shown at the library include: An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving on Thursday, November 19 at 6:30 p.m., and Mon- sters vs Aliens on Saturday, November 28 at 2:00 p.m. Several movies will be offered during the holidays. Watch for the dates and times, which will be posted in the library. The book for discussion this month is Maiden Voyage, with the meeting scheduled for Monday, November 30 at 5:30 p.m. The American Library Association recently sent several card games to promote “Game Day” at the library. Friday afternoons will be “Game Days” in our library, with everyone encouraged to play chess, board or card games. 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 Avakian applauds extension of “Whistleblower” law to businesses Oregon Labor Commission- er Brad Avakian, on November 2, offered his thanks to the Ore- gon Trial Lawyers Association (OTLA) for the group’s hard work on House Bill 3162 (2009) which extends “whistleblower” protection for reporting viola- tions of the law to employees of private entities. HB 3162 builds on Oregon’s existing protection for public employees who re- port violations of state or feder- al law or regulation. The new protection goes into effect on January 1, 2010. “Oregon workers should not have to risk their livelihoods to report wrong-doing, regardless of who their employer is,” said Commissioner Avakian. “I ap- preciate all of the effort by OTLA during the legislative session to enact this new pro- tection. The Bureau of Labor and Industries’ Civil Rights Divi- sion stands ready to vigorously enforce the law.” Under current law, public em- ployers have long been held ac- countable for retaliation and dis- crimination against employees who report violations of law. En- actment of HB 3162 means pri- vate employers will also be held accountable if they engage in discrimination or retaliation against whistleblowers. “Courts have been narrow- ing employees’ protections against wrongful discharge,” said OTLA President Dana Sul- livan. “The legislature recog- nized that workers need to feel secure reporting issues to their employer, who is in the best po- sition to remedy the problem.” Supporters of the new law believe that protection from dis- crimination and retaliation will encourage whistleblowers to come forward, reducing mis- conduct and creating a fair and level playing field for law-abid- ing employers. The Bureau of Labor and In- dustries defends the rights of workers and citizens to equal, nondiscriminatory treatment in workplaces, housing and public accommodations and encour- ages and enforces compliance with state laws relating to wages, hours, and terms and conditions of employment. The bureau also partners with busi- ness and labor organizations to build a skilled workforce in Ore- gon and trains employers to un- derstand and comply with civil rights and other labor and em- ployment laws.