The INDEPENDENT, October 21, 2010
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
Page 3
Letters
It’s time for change
of city leadership
To the Editor:
We urge you to vote for
Josette Mitchell for Mayor.
Change is good, and it’s time
for a change in Vernonia. Many
changes are coming in the next
few years and Josette Mitchell
is the one to lead us through
those changes.
Josette Mitchell was an ex-
tremely competent team leader
of the Ford Family Co-hort 2
project to build the Courtyard
next to the Learning Center.
She propped us up when we
got discouraged and kept the
project going through to the
end. She researched each step
and knew how and why we
were doing things and made
sure they were done correctly.
Josette Mitchell volunteered
for the City Budget Committee
– a thankless job. She had the
confidence to make hard deci-
sions and was willing to stand
behind all the decisions she
made. Again, she researched,
investigated and knew what
she was talking about.
Josette Mitchell has been a
leader in keeping the Vernonia
Learning Center open. She has
donated countless volunteer ef-
forts to the community. Josette
lives in Vernonia with her hus-
band, Casey, and daughter,
Sailor. As a family they volun-
teer for many community proj-
ects.
We urge you to vote for
Josette Mitchell for Mayor of
Vernonia. She’s a leader you
can count on to get the job
done.
Carol Davis, Tobie Finzel,
Kathy Larsen, Vernonia
Heimuller is right for
Columbia County
To the Editor:
Please vote Henry Heimuller
for County Commissioner Posi-
tion 2. I have known Henry per-
sonally for many years, and
served with him on the RSVP
Advisory Council. I respect him
and I think he is the best choice
for County Commissioner.
Henry has lived in Columbia
County all his life, and he has
served on many different
boards and committees. I espe-
cially appreciate his commit-
ment to our senior citizens. As
County Commissioner, he’ll
make sure they have trans-
portation options, and bolster
the senior advocate programs
at local senior centers, and call
on seniors to continue to con-
tribute their time and talents to
our community. His kind of sup-
port and encouragement for
our seniors is a win-win situa-
tion that improves life for every-
one in the county.
I will be honored to vote for
Henry Heimuller for County
Commissioner, and I encour-
age you to vote for him too.
Cheryl A Welter
St. Helens
Candidate states her
mayoral priorities
To the Editor:
Citizens of Vernonia: My
name is Josette Mitchell. I am
running for Mayor of Vernonia. I
moved to Vernonia in 1999 and
worked in the Vernonia School
District from 1999-2003 as an
elementary school teacher. My
participation in community or-
ganizations started in 2000
when I joined the Board of Di-
rectors for Vernonia Cares
Food Bank, and currently I
serve as Board Treasurer. In
2005, I was asked to be a part
of the committee for the soon-
to-be Vernonia Community
Learning Center (VCLC); cur-
rently I am the Chair of the
VCLC Committee. In 2008 I
was appointed to the City Bud-
get committee, and this year I
became Budget Committee
Chair. Other community in-
volvement includes Vernonia
Salmon Festival, Ford Family
Cohort 2, Hands-On Art, First
Friday, and Open Air Market.
The City of Vernonia needs
focused attention. I already
have a solid understanding of
the city budget. In order to sur-
vive, Vernonia must live within
its means. The City Council is
responsible for steering proj-
ects forward, being attentive to
what is before them, and doing
what is in the best interest for
the greatest good of Vernonia.
As mayor, I will initiate a return
to formal council sessions, and
use action lists for tracking and
following up on council deci-
sions so issues don’t fall
through the cracks. I will hold
both City Council and myself to
a high standard of due dili-
gence, accountability, trans-
parency, and clear unbiased
communication of council deci-
sions with our fellow citizens. I
am the motivated and produc-
tive leader Vernonia needs.
Please vote for me, Josette
Mitchell, for City of Vernonia
Mayor.
Sincerely,
Josette Mitchell
Vernonia
Homecoming help is
greatly appreciated
To the Editor:
The Leadership class of Ver-
nonia High School would like to
thank the following people for
their help during our 2010
Homecoming Week. We had a
great week and couldn’t have
done it without you!
Thank you: Tom Ramsey
and the Vernonia Fire Dept.,
Mark Brown, Barb Carr, Ms.
Bell, Mr. Ward, Carol Senn, Mr.
Underwood, Mr. Delemos, Ms.
Safier, Mrs. Willard, Mr. White-
man, Lisa Edgar, Julie Ramsey,
Kathi Fetsch, James Brookins,
Mr. Fellas, Mike Fetch, Deanna
Pearl, Randy Parrow, Ginger
Westlake, Julie Benes, Mr.
Lower, John Steward, and for
anyone we missed…once
again we thank you!
Jackson Miller
PR Representative
VHS Leadership Class
Area citizen urges
voting for Mitchell
To the Editor:
I don’t get to vote for the next
Vernonia Mayor. I live South of
town. But, I’ve got much more
than a Post Office box invest-
ment in the city. I’m the District
5 board member at WOEC and
Erika, my wife, spends weeks
each year with Vernonia
Hands-On Art, arranging and
promoting each First Friday
and working with the High
School art program. We more
than care. We invest our abili-
ties and talents for Vernonia.
More than ever, circum-
stances demand a strong may-
or with leadership stamina
through the foreseeable future.
So I’m asking you to elect
Josette Mitchell as Vernonia’s
next Mayor. I have witnessed
her in action and you have ob-
served and enjoyed the results
of Josette’s uncompromising
personal drive, exceptional
managerial skills and inex-
haustible efforts to improve the
lives of 97064 citizens.
Personal, local and munici-
pal budgets have no expecta-
tion of imminent improvement -
Josette’s the one who took pre-
cise action to identify and acted
firmly to resolve fiscal uncer-
tainty before the city overspent.
Recognized over the long haul
- Vernonia’s Citizen of Year for
2009. More than a presence at
meetings – physically led the
Salmon Festival group and
team that built VCLC’s new
courtyard.
Clarity of achievable goals,
vision to adapt to circum-
stances and outstanding moti-
vator of people working with
her, Josette Mitchell is the es-
tablished capable leader will-
ing, ready and able to lead Ver-
nonia through continuing diffi-
cult times. I’d vote for her know-
Please see page 21
Policy on Letters
The INDEPENDENT will
not publish letters with per-
sonal attacks on private citi-
zens. Preference will be giv-
en to brief letters, 300 words
or less.
All letters must be signed
and include a verifiable ad-
dress or phone number.
Out of My Mind…
From page 2
capital gains, but he thinks working people should understand
that they need to shoulder more of the burden! Few Oregonians
earn their living from capital gains and few have big businesses.
Most of us work for a living – or would if those tax breaks for the
wealthy were used to create jobs here, instead of in China.
We, in the Vernonia School District, should be concerned if
Dudley is elected. Even though we passed a $13 million school
bond, what will happen to the support we are getting from Salem?
Kitzhaber wants to reduce capital gains taxes, though only for
Oregon investments. But he also began the “solutions group” ap-
proach for small communities, like Vernonia, with problems that
are too big for us to solve alone. Without continued support from
Salem, will we be able to complete our new school? Or will we
have to use some mods on the new site?