The INDEPENDENT, August 17, 2011
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
313 Hart 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 ace
l
Portland, OR 97205 ep
r
Phone: 503-326-2901
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t Ofc. Bldg.
2338 Rayburn – House
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d DC e 20515
e
Washington,
n til
ig 202-225-0855
Phone:
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Website:
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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
Thanks for support
of Vernonia Bands
To the Editor:
Vernonia Band Program
says THANK YOU Vernonia!
Vernonia Band Boosters
would like to thank Lisa Brewer
and the Booster Club for allow-
ing us open the snack shack
during Jamboree. Thanks to
students Alex W., Sarah W.,
and Daniel S. and parents
Stacy Adams, Camrin Eyrrick
and Betsy Miller for arriving at
7 am to serve breakfast burri-
tos. Thanks to the parade com-
mittee for again allowing the
combined middle and high
school marching band plus
some to participate. Thank you
to Lauyrn McCroskey for
marching. And special thank
you to drum majorette Kourtnie
A. for leading the band in the
parade and Stacy Adams for
dusting off her clarinet and
marching along. The band pro-
grams appreciate all the sup-
port we receive from our com-
munity.
Vernonia Band Boosters
and Vernonia Christian Church.
Within a few hours of the fire
we were given an awesome 3
bedroom home fully furnished,
with clothes and shoes and a
kitchen full of food.
So many of you dropped
everything to come to our aid.
What a wonderful thing God did
when he put Vernonia on the
map.
Thank you again,
Steve, Lois & Kane Losli
Vernonia
Thanks for help with
kids’ fishing derby
To the Editor:
A big thanks to the people
who helped with this year’s
Izaak Walton fish derby.
Rebecca McGaugh, Jack
and Jessey Lindsley, Marvin
Long, Bill Wilcoxen, Bob
Scroggins,
DeDe
Webb,
Donna Webb, and Bill Yoe
(Auctioneer).
Thanks again,
Don Webb
Vernonia
9/11 responders are
Jamboree Cruise In shortchanged by law
was a huge success To the Editor:
To the Editor:
Nehalem Valley Speed and
Beauty would like to thank all
those who participated in the
2011 Jamboree Cruise In. This
show would not be possible
without our sponsors, partici-
pants, family and friends. With
your generosity and enthusi-
asm, our 20th Anniversary
Cruise In was a huge success.
Thank you!
Glenda DeLemos
Nehalem Valley Speed
and Beauty
Family grateful for
response to fire loss
To the Editor:
God bless you all and thank
you from the bottom of our
hearts. Once again this won-
derful community banded to-
gether to help a family in need.
As most of you know, our
home burned to the ground
Saturday, July 30, at 10:00
a.m. We praise the Lord – no
one was home at the time.
The outpouring of love, kind-
ness, and generosity is over-
whelming and humbling. We
will be forever grateful to all the
members of this community
According to an article dated
Sunday, July 3 2011, First Re-
sponders/Health Effects – 9/11
Zadroga Health Care Law
Goes Into Effect, by Alex Katz,
NYDailyNews.com: “It took
years of lobbying and partisan
bickering, but the 9/11 Zadroga
Act to help ailing Ground Zero
responders finally took effect
today.
The law provides $4.3 billion
in guaranteed federal funding
to cover health costs and finan-
cial compensation for emer-
gency responders, recovery
workers, volunteers, and resi-
dents who were affected by the
attacks almost 10 years ago.”
In his article Katz quotes
Carolyn Maloney, “This is a his-
toric milestone, not only for the
more than 36,000 Americans
who lost their health as a result
of 9/11 and are in the program,
but also for our moral obligation
to care for those who rise to the
defense of our nation in a time
of war.”
Katz also goes on to explain
that “the original bill’s price tag
was scaled back from $7.4 bil-
lion as part of a compromise
with conservatives in both par-
ties, which allowed the legisla-
tion to pass through Congress
and get President Obama’s
signature in early January.”
Katz then quotes NY Mayor
Bloomberg in the following
statement, “There’s no way to
think that we can ever fully
repay the thousands of first re-
sponders
who
fearlessly
charged into the towers as oth-
ers rushed out.” He added, “But
we can give them the care they
need and the care that they de-
serve.”
Katz informs us that the law
was named for NYPD detective
James Zadroga, who died of
9/11-related illness and that the
funding is set to expire in five
years.
Now this bill being passed
made headline news all over
the United States. I chose this
one simple article because I felt
it summarized the events well,
and used it to provide a brief
history of what is currently
being done for our Heroes of
9/11.
I feel that the fact that it took
years to implement this legisla-
tion, and that there is an expi-
ration date to this bill and to the
health care now being provided
for the Heroes of 9/11 is wrong,
but what is horribly wrong is
what Katz did not mention that
was part of the $7.4 Billion Dol-
lar compromise cutback. Can-
cer is not covered under the
9/11 Zadroga Health Care Law!
The First Responders of this
Country, our United States Mil-
itary (All Branches), Firefight-
ers, Paramedics, Law Enforce-
ment Officers, to mention only
the obvious, are the only rea-
son this country we live in is as
safe and strong as it is. Without
them, we would not have the
protection, security, nor the
Freedom we take for grated
everyday. Can you imagine a
life in this country without our
First Responders? I cannot!
While I realize that our Gov-
ernment has spent years doing
its best to divide us with fear
and propaganda, the one thing
our Government cannot ever
do is take away our Heroes!
Our First Responders, no
matter what our Government
does or does not do, will con-
tinue to do their job, regardless
of pay or benefits because…
many, if not most, are volun-
teers who put their lives out
there for us daily simply be-
cause for them, it’s the right
thing to do. It’s what makes
them our Heroes!
Seemingly…and so sadly,
despite our politicians state-
ments to the contrary, our Gov-
ernment Officials seem to view
our Heroes as expendable. I
know I do not feel that way, and
I am confident that the rest of
America does not feel that way
either, so please support our
Heroes by taking action now on
their behalf. We do have the
power to make a difference,
just like the men and women
who save our lives and protect
our freedoms do every day, by
simply getting involved.
How? There are many ex-
amples throughout history to
help you decide which is best
for you to do in order to get in-
volved, but at a minimum,
please let your voices be
heard! The Brave Men and
Women of this Great Country
deserve nothing less for mak-
ing this country in fact GREAT!
Please write your Congress-
man and State Representa-
tives today…the Men and
Women who risked their lives
on 9/11 to save ours can’t wait
any longer for the health care
they deserve. It’s time we
Americans as a whole rush to
the aide of our Heroes!
Sincerely,
Marie Botchie
Rainier
Policy on Letters
The INDEPENDENT will
not publish letters with per-
sonal attacks on private citi-
zens. 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.
— NOTICE —
The INDEPENDENT pub-
lishes on the first and third
Wednesday of each month.
Because August has five
Wednesdays, there will be
three weeks before the next
issue, on September 7, 2011.
The deadline for the Sept.
7 issue is Friday, Sept. 2.