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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 7, 2011)
The INDEPENDENT, December 7, 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 ace pl 620 SW Main, Suite e 606 r Portland, OR 97205 o on Phone: 503-326-2901 – n lecti d e Ofc. Bldg. 2338 Rayburn l ne ti House g i Washington, s un DC 20515 e t Phone: R en 202-225-0855 Website: m 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 Your gift of help is precious to others To the Editor: The holiday season is upon us. For those of you reading this message now is a time of giving. If you are blessed with housing, heat, food and em- ployment I hope you will con- sider giving the gift of your time or a financial donation to an agency in your area who can help those most in need this time of year. A gift, no matter how small, is precious and ap- preciated in more ways than can be counted. Thank you very much. Cindy Peake Astoria Rainier recall effort is right way to go To the Editor: A Vote for Rainier. Thank you Don Puckett for stepping up to the plate starting the recall of Rainier City Coun- cilors Russ Moon and David Langford. It’s not surprising that in less than a week more than 150 signature were gath- ered. I had hoped Mr. Moon and Mr. Langford would save the City the cost and embar- rassment of a recall and resign. But then again, it wouldn’t be like this team to bow-out grace- fully. As a City Councilor I felt the brunt of the rude and erratic behavior of David Langford and have been a target of Russ Moons’ Bullying. Moon over- stepping his authority is second nature. This madness has to stop for Rainier to move for- ward. The actions of these men have taken a dramatic toll on the City and cost Rainier tax payers hundreds of thousands of dollars. I join the Friends of Rainier, Mayor and support the sitting Councilors in this recall effort. A vote to remove Russ Moon and David Langford from the Rainier City Council is a Vote for Rainier. Judith Taylor Former City Councilor Rainier Vote for leadership is greatly needed To the Editor: Well folks, has anyone no- ticed the land of the free is be- ing systematically dismantled? Not only that, but it’s being re- placed by a self-serving, dys- functional, out of control gov- ernment. Our politicians can’t seem to live up to their oath of office, much less show an at- tempt to work together and solve the many problems we are faced with as a nation. The blame game is most assuredly alive and well in Washington D.C. on both sides of the aisle. “We the people” are at the mercy of elected officials that are completely out of touch with our problems. It seems to be more important to the politi- cians to run for re-election than to care for the 14 million Amer- icans out of work and losing their homes. Our nation’s economy is looking more and more like the depression era every day, and the world’s economy is burning like Rome. Our legislation tells us, “Deal with it…we’re going on vacation!” Does that sound right to you? It sounds to me like they’ve lost their marbles! As a 74-year-old American citizen, and a Navy veteran, all of the above are simply unac- ceptable. This country was es- tablished “For the people, by the people.” Not for the gov- ernment, by the government! Don’t fall for this bovine defeca- tion! I urge all the citizens of the United States to go to the polls and vote…vote in some real leadership. We can turn this country around if our current elected officials won’t. Don Sandrich Vernonia Thanks for help with community dinner To the Editor: We’d like to thank the many people who supported our Thanksgiving community din- ner with donated food and la- bor. Special thanks go to Cathy Meyer for her very hard work, and to the Vernonia Communi- ty Church for allowing us the use of their building. Around 130 people joined us for a friendly meal, and we’re very happy to have served the com- munity this way. Our church plans more events of this kind in the new year, and we hope you’ll join us then, too. Again, many thanks…and may you have a blessed Christ- mas and a Happy New Year! Members of Pioneer Baptist Fellowship Tort claim for Kay is oddly humorous To the Editor: The other day, on a whim and caprice or maybe just a lark, I decided to test my con- stitutional rights. I entered city hall. I ask to “review” the tort claim entered by Mike Kay’s extremely adequate lawyer, Michelle R. Burrows (http:// michelleburrows.com). Michelle’s case history is ad- mirable, especially the Kaady v. City of Sandy, Oregon. I filled out the proper paper- work and the city recorder, Joann Glass, was kind enough to accommodate my query. We sat at a desk next to the hall- way entrance to the police de- partment. The lighting was good but I still wore my specta- cles as my eyesight is failing me at my tender age. Tort Claim; four pages; four minutes. Decision: Mike Kay was displayed in a “dim light”. Is full lighting, now, a constitu- tional right!?! Maybe I misread; maybe I missed something but to my amusement I never noticed one mention of a “cognizable (clearly identifiable) constitu- tional right”. Clearly this tort claim is one of “whim and caprice”. I see no basic criteria of viability for this tort claim be- ing tried or adjudicated before any tribunal. I see one big fail- ure to state a claim of sufficient facts, if taken as true, would in- dicate any violation of the law occurred or that the claimant is entitled to legal remedy. I hope the City of Vernonia vies for a dismissal of this case but be wary, this is only the first volley in the set. My advice is to study the due process rights of police officers – section 3303 – investigations interrogations; conduct, conditions, represen- tations, reassignments (http:// www.porac.org/POBOR.html). Res Ipsa Loquitur, Mark J. Akers Vernonia Thanks for the help improving Grange To the Editor: With the season of gratitude upon us, I’d like to express thanks for the many volunteers that make this community tick. Without all of the social service, cultural, civic, and faith-based organizations that are primarily or completely staffed by loyal volunteers, I can’t imagine what life would be for those of us who love living here. I’m especially grateful this year for the new members of the Vernonia Grange who have transformed the well-loved but aging interior of the Grange Hall into a warm and welcom- ing space. With Britt Bensen- Steele’s vision of what it could be and the donated materials and hours of skilled work and artistry by Britt, Diana Peach, Julie Prohaska, Larry Steele, Randy Lee, Jim Buxton, Cici Bell, Dr. Carol McIntyre, and many others, it’s been both physically and spiritually re- newed. The Grange gratefully received a generous donation from the Vernonia Lions to- wards this refurbishment, and upgraded appliances from Evan Doyle and Ken Pitts. I also want to thank Robb Wilson and Maggie Peyton for their many years of dedication to maintaining this century-plus building by providing post-flood cleanup, new exterior paint, in- frastructure repair, and other improvements that have kept the Grange a treasured com- munity space. Tobie Finzel Vernonia Europe and USA both have debt crisis To the Editor: What Europe and America have in common. Europe and the USA have many things in common, one of which noted currently is the massive debt crisis both are experiencing because of politi- cians who fail to learn from his- tory. George Santayana noted that those who fail to learn from the mistakes of the past are doomed to repeat them. In both Europe and the United States, power-hungry politicians have been trying to buy votes with Please see page 16 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.