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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