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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 3, 2011)
Page 2 The The INDEPENDENT, August 3, 2011 INDEPENDENT Published on the first and third Wednesdays of each month by The Independent, LLC, 725 Bridge St., Vernonia, OR 97064. Phone/Fax: 503-429-9410. Deadline is noon the Friday before each issue. Publisher Clark McGaugh, clark@the-independent.net Editor Rebecca McGaugh, rebecca@the-independent.net Printed on recycled paper with vegetable based dyes Opinion It’s time for Jamboree! The Vernonia Friendship Jamboree was started 55 years ago as a way for people to get together and reconnect after so many people left to find work else- where when the mill closed for good. It’s a time for old friends to reconnect, families to reunite, and it’s a time to make new friends. We want to send a BIG Thank You to Tony Hyde, Kelly Baska, Lindsay Baska, and Robbie Eide for bringing the Logging Show back to Jamboree after its absence in 2010. Hyde for holding the banner, and the others for taking up the banner and carrying it into the future so Jamboree attendees can continue to enjoy the show, hopefully for years to come. In many ways Vernonia is still a small town where people know each other and smile at both friends and Ike Says… strangers when they pass on the street. Vernonia has its share of problems, as do all communities, but the By Dale Webb, member Nehalem Valley Chapter, Izaak Walton League tone in Vernonia is usually friendly and helpful. We hope every person who comes to Jamboree is treated This year’s wet spring has brought another in a friendly, helpful way so that is the impression our year of higher and guests take home with them. cooler-than-normal In that vein, we’d like to welcome new people to the stream conditions in the community and old timers back for a visit. There is local area. The Nehalem River is running about plenty to do with a parade, a fishing derby, a cruisin’, 25% higher than aver- music, food, a rendezvous, horse gaming, library book age, according to both sale, lawnmower races, softball games, movies, mar- the upper and lower ket events, a talent show, and new this year a Diesel stream flow gauges. This is very good news for Power Show & Shine. There’s lots to see, plenty to do, salmonids and for fishermen. So, why is it important to all sportspeople that and new and old friends to meet. big game populations in the entire state do well? “We’re right here, there’s no need to speed” is the Because, if regions of our state suffer population theme of the 55th Vernonia Friendship Jamboree and losses, the sportspeople who used to hunt those Logging Show. So, take your time when driving in or areas will move to where you hunt. The Saddle Mountain unit is a classic case in out of town and you’ll get where you’re going safe and point. This year, for the first time that I can recall, sound. 1st choice applicants were turned away for both We understand that, for many, drinking always bull elk seasons. Years ago these tags were a seems to be a big part of Jamboree. The bars do a given, and many people picked up their tags as very good business during the three-day celebration, second choice applicants. Then the tag numbers were whittled down and, if you wanted a Saddle and that’s fine…but please, don’t drink and drive. Use Mt. tag, you had better put in as a 1st choice. a designated driver so you can continue to swap sto- This year, 70 resident 1st choice applicants were ries of past Jamborees for many more years to come. turned away for the first season and five resident We hope everyone enjoys our town and its hospital- 1st choice applicants were turned away from the second season. No, these are not large num- ity during the 2011 Vernonia Friendship Jamboree. bers, but don’t expect them to get any better. The food is good, the events are free, and fun is just The first season for bull elk in Saddle Mt. has always been in higher demand and, thus, has waiting for all ages. more 1st choice applicants. This year was actu- ally slightly lower than last year, with 1372 resi- dents applying as their 1st choice. The second season saw only 1303 residents apply as their 1st choice. The number of tags allocated for each season is 1320. I can hear some people saying that my num- bers don’t add up, oh but they do! Many of us forget two things when it comes to the draw– people who have points in the draw, and non- residents. We must remember that people with points in the draw will be totally drawn out as long as there are more tags than people with points, which is the case for both seasons in the Saddle Mt. unit. So those people are drawn out in the 75% pool, which also includes non-resi- dents if they have points. The remainder of the 75% pool of tags is drawn out with people who had no points, but put down 1st choice on their application. Once the 75% pool of tags is drawn out, the remaining applicants go into the 25% pool of tags that is left. Again, 1st choice appli- cants are drawn first, in the case of both bull elk seasons in the Saddle Mt. unit, this draws out the tag allocations totally. People who put in for these hunts as a second choice were completely out of luck. So, for hunters who are relying on the odds, here they are: 5% of resident 1st choice first season hunters without any points were not drawn. The second season hunters came in at .4%, so there is a slim chance that you will not draw this tag. Your chances of making the draw depends upon the number of applicants and …with the continued decline in tags in eastern Oregon and diminishing cow tags here on the Please see page 3