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Council needs to find the next city manager
   The Newberg City Council has a unique opportunity, one that doesn’t arise very often.
   With the August announcement that Jim Bennett will leave his post as Newberg city manager to take a similar post in Damascus, the council has the opportunity to change the way things are done in Newberg government, and perhaps save a little money.
   The council met in informal session Monday evening with a League of Oregon Cities representative to discuss the different options for finding a new city manager. The city can hire the League or commission an executive search or “head hunter” agency to find a replacement. Both options cost thousands of dollars, money we believe could be better spent on the pressing issues of the city, including fixing roads and building sidewalks.
   Instead, we believe the council should do the job itself. The position of Newberg city manager is a plum job that will likely elicit numerous applications if the council (with the help of the city’s human resources staff) advertises in the appropriate trade magazines and through local, statewide and regional newspapers. etc.
   There’s no good reason that with staff’s help the council can’t winnow the applications to a select few, schedule face-to-face interviews with the council, do background checks and visits to applicants’ current place of work, and make an informed decision.
   It is, ultimately, the council’s responsibility to fill the city manager position. Why not see the process through themselves and save time and money?

Reasons for optimism and a hearty ‘thumbs up’
   — The Newberg Earlybird Rotary Club is to be lauded for its effort to help the tens of thousands of destitute folks near Lima, Peru, following an 8.0 earthquake Aug. 19 that rocked the area.
   The club quickly gathered up a $1,000 donation and sent it to our neighbors to the south. Sure, $1,000 doesn’t seem like much, but it will pay for food and water for another day and that’s food and water these people wouldn’t otherwise have.
   We encourage other Newberg organizations, and individuals, to step up and donate to this effort. We humans are all in this together, and those of us who are more fortunate than others have a duty to help out when we can.
   — Congrats to Faith in Action. The Newberg organization was recently notified it will be named the Outstanding Volunteer Program at the 2007 Oregon Governor’s Volunteer Awards.
   In 2006, 300 Faith In Action volunteers donated a total of 3,750 hours of service, most often to the elderly in the community, who reported that the volunteers’ actions help them increase their ability to remain in their own homes and reduced their stress level.
   — And a hearty huzzah to those men and women who make up the Newberg Fire Department. A cadre of them gathered at George Fox University Wednesday to demonstrate to students the dangers of keeping an untidy, unsafe dormitory room or off-campus housing complex. After erecting a makeshift dorm room in the middle of the school’s quad, the firefighters put torch to the room and demonstrated how quickly the room becomes uninhabitable.
   Hopefully, it will get the point across for those students with a penchant for over-microwaving their popcorn.

Dundee won’t lose its identity with new sewers
   The city of Dundee will consider in the coming months hooking its sewer system to the facility of its counterpart, Newberg. Engineers will examine the pros and cons of the move, which could potentially save Dundee some serious cash, and deliver their findings to the town council.
   More importantly, however, connecting Dundee’s system to Newberg’s would make Dundee’s system more efficient and less likely to dump untreated sewage into the Willamette River.
   That’s encouraging, because Dundee’s aging system reached its maximum capacity years ago and this being the rainy corner of Oregon, the chance that large amounts of sewage will be washed into the river is a distinct possibility.
   Now, we know that some folks will cry that connecting Dundee to Newberg’s sewer system will degrade the individuality of the town. These were the same folks that complained when Newberg was contracted by Dundee to take over its police services.
   We hasten to remind those folks that Dundee’s police department had been plagued by problems for decades prior to the change, not the least being the ouster of the former police chief.
   Dundee now has better, more efficient police service at basically the same price it was budgeting to provide service itself.
And the town hasn’t lost an iota of its identity. Imagine that.

Sept. 11: Pay tribute to the loss of life, liberty
   Tuesday marks the sixth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.
   Unlike most anniversaries, it will not be a festive event designed to elicit fond memories. It will, instead, cause Americans to remember back to the horrific scenes of passenger planes hurtling through the sunny September sky into buildings, of people jumping to their deaths to escape the flames, of the twin towers imploding upon themselves into heaps of rubble.
   Those memories have been branded onto our psyches and will live in the collective consciousness of this nation for, we suspect, centuries, much as America’s entry into World War II after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
   On Tuesday a small gathering of public safety personnel, — mostly firemen and police officers, as well as some city officials and members of the public — will gather at the main fire station to honor those who died on the fateful day six years ago. They will also pay tribute, we suspect, to those who have been thrust into service as a result of the Sept. 11 attacks — personnel in the Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard.
   Regardless of your views on America’s war on terror, notwithstanding one’s gripes with our loss of civil liberties, pay tribute Tuesday to those who lost their lives, the families they left behind, and the men and women charged with ensuring it never happens again.

At least consider Measure 49
   The hyperbole that is emanating from representatives, and past representatives, of Oregonians In Action is at a fevered pitch as November’s ballot approaches and voters will be asked to decide the fate of Measure 49.
   The bill was forwarded to the voters by a bipartisan committee in the legislature to fix Measure 37, the land use bill passed by voters in 2004. Measure 49 includes language left out of Measure 37 that limits the number of houses people may construct on their rural land to a few rather than the hundreds allowed under Measure 37.
   Of course, those champions of Measure 37, including former OIA director Larry George, now a state senator representing among other towns Newberg, are attempting everything to defeat Measure 49, including filing a constitutional challenge that argues the ballot title of the measure is “factually inaccurate, unfair and underhanded.”
   If that isn’t the pot calling the kettle black we don’t know what is.
   In a state notorious for asking voters to decide measures so badly written as to stretch one’s imagination, Measure 37 stands alone in obfuscation.
   At the very least, voters should take a long, hard look at Measure 49 and see if it conforms to what they see for the future of Oregon. If it doesn’t pass muster, then it should be rejected. If, on the other hand, it returns Oregon land use planning to a system weighted toward longterm livability, then they should pass it.

A holiday thumbs up for things done right
   * On Sept. 5, the combined forces of George Fox University — students, faculty, alumni, administrators and employees — will disperse from the Newberg campus and blanket the community with caring through the annual Serve Day. Many nonprofit organizations, including churches and others, will benefit from this simple act of Christian service, which should serve as an example of the power of putting one’s religious beliefs into action to the benefit of others.
   * A hearty thumbs up to the city of Dundee for having the will to consider drawing water from the Willamette River to supply its growing citizenry. Other cities who have looked at taking water from the river have met with strong opposition from the Chicken Littles of the world that argue that river water is not fit for consumption. The Willamette’s problems, especially in the so-called ‘Newberg Pool,’ lie at the bottom of the stream where the effluent from upstream abusers comes to rest. Draw the water from the surface, treat it properly and it will meet all the government requirements for consumption. Wilsonville has been doing it for nearly a decade with no ill effects.
   * Finally, thumbs up to Debbie Gill, who recently took over the position of veteran’s services officer for Yamhill County. Gill is a veteran, she understands the issues and challenges veterans face when they leave the service. And in this time when our country is creating veterans at an increasing rate, it’s good to see someone looking out for these men and women.

Labor Day: How was it started?
   It was election year 1894. President Grover Cleveland was looking for a conciliatory gesture to appease the nation’s workers, angry over poor treatment by their employers and increasing the ranks of the labor unions.
   Labor Day would soon be born.
   The movement to honor the nation’s workers had its roots in 1892 when union workers in New York City took an unpaid day off to march around Union Square in support of the holiday.
   The drive picked up steam in 1893 when Cleveland ordered 12,000 troops to quell rioting strikers of the American Railway Union, who were protesting treatment by the Pullman company, maker of railroad cars. When an economic downturn gripped the country, owner George Pullman laid off hundreds of workers and decreased pay in his factories without a corresponding decrease in the rent he charged for company housing.
   Recognizing he needed the workers’ votes to have any chance at re-election, Cleveland quickly shepherded legislation through Congress to create a national day recognizing laborers. The bill reached his desk six days after federal troops had broken the Pullman strike.
   In 1898, Samuel Gompers, president of the American Federation of Labor, termed Labor Day as “the day for which the toilers in past centuries looked forward, when their rights and their wrongs would be discussed ... that the workers of our day may not only lay down their tools of labor for a holiday, but upon which they may touch shoulders in marching phalanx and feel the stronger for it."

This newspaper entertains by informing
   You may have noticed several letters to the editor lately debating who is a journalist. Jim Bellah of Newberg pretty much put everyone in their place with one of the best written letters we have published lately. He informed his readers that the “TV personalities” in question, conservative and liberal alike, are not journalists but political commentators.
   We prefer to refer to those TV folks not as journalists or political commentators but as entertainers. Their exorbitant salaries are determined by the ratings they generate; you’re not going to find any newspaper columnists making $20 million a year.
   If we may, we’d like to take this opportunity for self-promotion of our chosen profession -- newspapering. We find it somewhat curious that of all those mentioned in Bellah’s column, not one of those media outlets happens to be a newspaper. Makes us wonder: Does the reading public still respect us? We’d like to think so. Or are we just not that “entertaining?”
   Now, on occasion we’ve been labeled as the “liberal media,” especially by those who disagree with left-leaning letters and columns printed in this forum. They charge that we should only print letters and columns that are sympathetic to our conservative readers. Trouble is, our readers are made up of liberals and conservatives — our goal is simply to present a forum for discourse.
   Then there are those who accuse our stories of being biased or one-sided. Reporter Amanda Newman was recently lambasted for the first in her series on illegal immigration, for example, because the reader didn’t see in the story “facts” that supported her take on the issue. A reporter can only write based on what information is made available to them; the information that the letter reader accused Amanda of leaving out was not available.
   Whatever the story, we will always tell all sides of it as completely as we can. And we certainly pledge to be as non-entertaining as we can. Actually that’s not true, we hope you are entertained by being informed.

McKern farmstead will find a new home
   We’re hoping that the third time’s a charm for organizers attempting to move the McKern house and barn to a new location west of Sportsman Airpark.
   The group who has taken up the challenge of getting the buildings moved, Friends of Historic Newberg, have worked long and hard to save two of Newberg’s oldest structures. They should be lauded for their work and the tirelessness of their quest.
   The goal of saving the historic buildings has been wrought with setbacks, disappointments, bureaucratic red tape and enough frustration to test even the most determined historian. Money, lots of it, had to be raised to shore up the building, temporarily move utilities to make way for the move and actually transport the buildings on the roughly one-mile journey to their new home.
   It’s been difficult. It would have been easier for the group to just throw up its collective hands and give up, leaving the buildings to the wrecking ball as developers move in to construct a subdivision.
   But Friends of Historic Newberg was not thwarted; they kept plugging, kept up fund-raising efforts, kept prodding the park district for land and help.
   They deserve our thanks and our support. Don’t stop giving because the move is almost here. They need all the help they can get.

Thumbs up to events in Newberg this week
   — Thumbs up to Twila Tschan, named Aug. 11 as Oregon’s Junior Miss.
   Tschan, who will be a senior in September at Newberg High School, was awarded a total of $3,250 in scholarships and will represent Oregon in the America’s Junior Miss National Finals next June.
   — Thumbs up to the folks at the Chehalem Park and Recreation District and the Newberg-Dundee Police Department for putting on the first-ever Safety Town this week at the Chehalem Armory Center. This program teaches 5- and 6-year-olds a wide range of useful safety tips, including being safe in traffic, on a bike, with fire, in the water and with animals. The kids memorized their address and phone numbers, learned how to call 9-1-1 and practiced “stop, drop and roll.”
   At the end of a week of instruction participants received diplomas certifying their graduation from Safety Town. They also got dessert donated by Wendy’s, one of many individuals and groups that pitched in to make the program a reality.
   — Thumbs up to ‘Acoustic Ninja’ Trace Bundy for his Tunes on Tuesday concert in Newberg. Bundy’s unique talent for “finger-tapping” his guitar borders on genius and made for another in a great series of concerts put on by the Chehalem Valley Chamber of Commerce.

Fill the Boot, congrats Friendsview, etc.
  It’s time once again for us to weigh in on the events of the past week.
   — Thumbs up to the members of the Newberg Fire Department who will be out in force this weekend to raise money — and awareness — of the plight of those stricken by muscular dystrophy. The annual Muscular Dystrophy Association’s “Fill the Boot” raises cash for research and to help people stricken by this deadly disease.
   If you see the firefighters braving the elements this weekend on First and Hancock streets, toss a couple of bucks into their boots. It’s the right thing to do.
   — Thumbs up to Friendsview Retirement Community on breaking ground on Springbrook Meadows. As the U.S. population ages the need for housing will increase as Baby Boomers age and retire. Friendsview, along with Astor House, Chehalem Springs and Avamere in Newberg, is filling a distinct niche in the community. We wish them well in providing homes for those folks enjoying retirement.
   — Good luck to the city of Dundee and their ongoing struggle to address their lagging sewage system. The city is turning over operational oversight to the Department of Environmental Quality because the city is out of compliance with state wastewater guidelines. The system will remain in place until the city can construct new sewage facilities, ones that comply with demanding state standards.

The trials of small town government
   — In November voters will have a second opportunity to consider annexing land into the city’s northeastern corner near the intersection of Highway 99W and Benjamin Road.
   Voters turned away in May two annexation requests that would have added about 44 acres of residential and commercial development. The hyperbole on both sides of the issue – much of it erroneous – ran at a fevered pitch up until the vote.
   Developers will return the annexation requests in two phases this go around, but the result will be the same – more land for development.
   Regardless of voters’ views on development and increasing the size of the city, they owe it to themselves to be well informed on the issue before casting their ballots. After all, they will have to live with the results.
   — Dundee is experiencing the same angst via its sign code that Newberg fought with several years ago. City of Newberg officials had their hands full with business owners threatening lawsuits because they weren’t allowed to erect the type of signs they wanted.
   Now Dundee must decide if an objectionable sign erected by antagonist Howard Meredith violates its fledgling sign code and, if so, what will be done about it. The content of signs is First Amendment issue and the courts have ruled that it cannot be censored.
   It’s a sticky issue. We don’t envy Dundee, but wish them well in dealing with the issue nonetheless.

Annexations in Newberg: Part 2
   Did the voters understand what they were doing when they defeated two annexation requests presented to them in the May election?
   Perhaps. Perhaps not.
   Developers determined to bring more than 44 acres into the city’s northeastern urban growth boundary want to “educate” those same voters on the benefits of the Gueldner and NewB annexations. They are touting the many years of planning in conjunction with the city of Newberg to bring about the annexations, which will afford the city the final link in its Northside Collector, a miniature northern bypass of sorts designed to encourage resident motorists headed for north Newberg to skirt downtown in order to alleviate congestion on Highway 99W.
   Of course the annexations will also mean development of more residential and commercial properties, which in turn means more place for people to live, shop, recreate and the like.
   But the annexations also mean stretching city services thinner, funneling more kids into already crowded Newberg schools and adding traffic to Benjamin Road, which is ill prepared to handle it, and Highway 99W, which is notoriously crowded already. Will additional property taxes cover those costs?
   Over the coming months The Newberg Graphic will document the push to bring these two large lots into the city’s UGB. We will present both sides of the story in as balanced a manner as the parties involved will allow us. And then we’ll let the voters decide.

It’s all thumbs up this week, baby
   — Head Start of Yamhill County will soon put the final touches on plans to construct a new facility in Newberg. The 4,000-square-foot building will be located on Crestview Drive and serve to give 58 preschool students a jump on their education. That is a good thing and will, in the long term, serve this community very well.
   — George Fox University recently received notice that La Shana Hall, the newly-constructed student residence facility, has been included among those buildings receiving a LEED certification. That means the building was constructed with and utilizes Earth-friendly materials and practices. This is the second GFU facility to receive the prestigious designation, the first being the Edward F. Stevens Center. The more that buildings are constructed with and utilize so-called “green” technology the better off we all will be.
   — Payday lenders are fleeing Oregon in droves now that the legislature has clamped down on the amount of interest they can charge. And as far as we’re concerned, they can’t leave too soon. These businesses have enjoyed ridiculously high interest rates for too long in Oregon; hopefully the ones that remain, including one here in Newberg will take the high road and provide a service without bilking their customers that can afford it least. Only time will tell.

Illegal immigrants? No one seems to know
   If there is one thing reporter Amanda Newman discovered while researching Saturday’s front page story on illegal immigrants in Yamhill County, it’s that there are no hard and fast numbers, no answers, no one that can say definitively whether this is a widespread problem in our area, or just a hot button issue designed to stir voters.
   As the report says, there are illegal immigrants in Yamhill County, as there are in areas across the West. A closer examination indicates they are a lot like natives of this area. Some of those people use social services to get by, many do not. Some illegal immigrants run afoul of the law, many do not. Some are gainfully employed (we suspect more than average), but some are not.
   Those illegal immigrants are, for the most part, working at jobs in the nursery business, restaurants, landscaping and other manual labor sectors. They perform valuable services to society.
   We don’t condone folks living here outside the law, nor do we support rounding them all up and deporting them. We do support creating a fast-track system where workers from other countries can become citizens of this country.
   After all, isn’t that fulfilling the American dream?

State needs to step up and fund the bypass
   Wednesday’s announcement by Macquarie Infrastructure Group that it was pulling out of the Newberg-Dundee bypass project came as a surprise, although not a big one.
   We suspected for some time that Macquarie would come to the realization that the project wouldn’t yield the income they require to get involved.
   Also, since the company’s announcement that tolling Highway 99W would be necessary to make the project viable, and the subsequent backlash from that announcement, we believed it was likely Macquarie would take a pass.
   Macquarie project manager Nick Hann said as much Friday: “The bypass is not commercially self supporting ... as long as there is a viable free alternative on Highway 99W. The situation is likely to continue for a long time until congestion levels become so intolerable for most of the day that more people are prepared to pay to use the bypass.”
   But that shouldn’t mean the end to the bypass effort. Nor should it mean that the Oregon Department of Transportation should backtrack in any way from the plan it has developed and entertain options — such as a regional route — that have already been eliminated from consideration.
   It’s time for ODOT, and the state of Oregon in general, to step up and fund construction of this bypass. It’s inconceivable to us that between tolling the road, garnering tens of millions of dollars in federal funds and using its bonding ability, that the state is unable to get this done.
   Local, county, state and federal politicians need to apply pressure to the state to make this thoroughfare a reality. And they need to do it now.

It’s festival time — get out there and party
   The Old Fashioned Festival begins Thursday in its customary way — with the kids parade and queen’s coronation. It continues the next three days with fun for everyone in Newberg’s annual rite of summer.
   There’s stage acts, lots of music, a carnival midway and parade, car show, pancake feed and the Saturday Night Spectacular, which features the Boomer Band playing before by far the best fireworks display in the area, bar none.
   Old Fashioned Festival is an opportunity for residents and visitors alike to have some fun, catch up with old friends and celebrate not only Newberg’s long and storied history, but that wondrous time of year called summer.
   It’s a time for Newberg to let its hair down, kick up its heels and, with any luck, luxuriate in the warm summer sun and cool evening breezes of the Chehalem Valley.
   In one shape or another, Newberg’s festival has been around for decades. Each year it has grown in popularity and scope and each year it fails to disappoint.
   So, get out there Newbergites, Newbergians and Newbergists and enjoy the town’s annual summer party in the sunshine. Winter, with its attendant rain and gloom, will be hear soon enough.

It’s time to finish cultural center
   The effort to save Central School from the wrecking ball after its June 1995 closure by the Newberg School District has been a long and arduous journey. And it’s not over yet.
   The building was turned over to the ownership of the Chehalem Park and Recreation District in 1997. The park district twice sought bonds and was twice turned down by the voters, prompting district officials to take a long-term approach to turning the building into a cultural center.
   Some grants were awarded, allowing the park district to perform seismic upgrades to the building, install a new roof and windows, and reconstruct the structure’s original entrance. The park district also used inmate labor to do much of the demolition work inside the building.
   With completion of plans for the cultural center a committee was formed to get the word out and raise funds to complete the project. The committee has been hard at work and has raised about half of the $2.5 million it will take to complete the lobby and gallery on the first floor and what will be the art area in the east wing.
   The committee estimates it will cost a total of $7.5 million to complete the project, and that’s where Newberg residents come into play: It’s time the people of Newberg step up and complete the cultural center.
Residents can help via “Friend-raising Nights” slated for Aug. 16 and 23, which will raise awareness and cash towards completion of the effort.
   Completion of this project will be a great boon to the city, providing a cultural Mecca of sorts while preserving a piece of Newberg’s past.
   Help the park district get this project done and add this important feature to our community.

Meredith should admit defeat, give up the fight
   Howard Meredith should think long and hard about appealing a judgment against him in his quest to turn Dundee’s infamous “Purple House” into a coffee shop, diner or anything else.
   From the onset, Meredith’s argument was ridiculous that Dundee government was impinging on his ability to develop his property. He tried to prove his point in court, saying that under Measure 37 he was entitled to $250,000 in immediate compensation, even though he hadn’t bothered to file a legitimate Measure 37 claim with the city of Dundee, typically the first step in the process.
   Meredith carried the nonsense further by claiming that it was, in fact, the city’s responsibility to prove that the value of his real estate had not been adversely affected by the city’s codes.
   Thankfully, Yamhill County Circuit Court Judge Carol Jones saw through this ruse. She ruled that Meredith failed to demonstrate that the market value of his property had been reduced by Dundee’s land-use regulations.
   This isn’t the first time Meredith has unsuccessfully claimed the government has impinged on his ability to develop his property. He filed a similar claim at the state level and lost.
   We’re hoping that this latest setback will convince Meredith to move on.
   It’s clear that Meredith, a former candidate for Dundee mayor, likes attention. We’re convinced that instead of this being a fight over property rights, constitutional rights or whatever — the root of his fight against the government amounts to vanity.
   It’s a waste of taxpayer money and should stop.

Summer entertainment abounds in Newberg
   It was a good week for entertainment in Newberg, what with the season’s first installment of Tunes on Tuesday as well as the debut of the latest Harry Potter movie.
   The amazingly talented Ben Rice Blues Band caused a small, but enthusiastic crowd to forget the heat Tuesday and enjoy the screaming guitar riffs and soulful vocals of the band’s namesake.
   The five Newberg natives who comprise the band, all 19 or under, displayed talent way beyond their years and kept the crowd rocking for more than two hours at Rotary Centennial Park Tuesday.
   It was an excellent start to what promises to be a great Tunes on Tuesday line-up over the next month. The bill includes the pop rock band The Retrofits next Tuesday, Matt Kirk Jazz July 24, roots rocker Jacob VanAuken July 31, Newberg native Lori Wilcutts Aug. 7, guitar virtuoso Trace Bundy Aug. 14, local Celtic band Roughly Hewn Aug. 21 and the popular Five Guys Named Moe in the last concert, Aug. 28.
   Those seeking entertainment of a more visual nature flocked to the Historic Cameo Theatre Tuesday night to view a midnight showing of “Harry Potter and Order of the Phoenix.” Few of the nearly packed house went away disappointed in the fourth movie in the popular series. The movie also served as a warm-up to the next book in the series, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” which will be released July 21 and available at Chapters Books.

Don’t blame the Demos for inaction
   If you are beginning reading the opinion page with this editorial, you may want to start with the one just below so you will have an idea of the pompousness of which we are about to comment.
   State Rep. Kim Thatcher talks about all of the legislation that her and fellow Republican legislators couldn't get done because of "those Democrats," but let's stop for a moment and really look at what didn't happen and why. In Oregon, enacting or increasing a tax takes a two-thirds majority; the legislature is about 52 percent Democrat.
   Why did the actions of the minority  Republicans stop the actions of the majority Democrats from increasing the cigarette, beer and wine taxes so we can take care of those in need of health care? Why would the naysayers to that tax increase — which would have taken in much needed funds, helped people quit smoking, made society healthier over all, and not affected beer and wine drinkers — do that? There’s one real reason: it is a tax and the Republicans didn’t want to risk not getting re-elected even though it was the right thing to do.
   The aforementioned situation is proof alone that the notion of the "socialists" from Portland not using a bipartisan approach and causing the lack of production in this session is ludicrous. What keeps little from getting done is politicians worrying about their own agenda and acting like their political future really matters. Well it doesn't; 99 percent of our legislators will never become anything politically more than they are right now. So, Democrats, quit trying to save us from the evils of life and Republicans, quit worrying about what's in your wallet.
   Don't misconstrue our opinion of part-time legislators. It is a noble act to serve and if we could skip out of full-time work, it would be likely be a rewarding experience. But we urge anyone with the notion to serve do so with the intent that you wish to give back to society — don't get trapped into voting a pre-determined direction.

There’s good, then there’s better
   — The 2007 edition of the St. Paul Rodeo has become history now after delivering plenty of thrills and spills during its four-day run in the tiny Marion County town.
   The annual Fourth of July tradition has become a mainstay for many families in the area and beyond, providing a glimpse of our western roots and entertainment you can’t get anywhere else.
   We herald the organizers of the rodeo for putting on a first-class show and the money that will flow into the town of St. Paul and beyond through the philanthropic efforts of the rodeo association.
   — Although we are not thrilled with the idea of more development at Newberg edges, we’re giving a thumbs up to the Newberg City Council for its approval of a development agreement between the city and the McClure family, owners of Springbrook Hazelnut Farm.
   The McClures want to construct an upscale, 36-home subdivision on the flanks of Rex Hill and can do that because of their successful Measure 37 claim.
   While we are no fans of Measure 37 because it means development into farm land around communities, everything we’ve seen so far indicates the McClures will construct an attractive, vital community that will serve as a gateway to Newberg’s eastern entrance.
   We plan to hold the city and the McClures to their word that this development will be a valuable addition to the Newberg community.— The 2007 edition of the St. Paul Rodeo has become history now after delivering plenty of thrills and spills during its four-day run in the tiny Marion County town.
   The annual Fourth of July tradition has become a mainstay for many families in the area and beyond, providing a glimpse of our western roots and entertainment you can’t get anywhere else.
   We herald the organizers of the rodeo for putting on a first-class show and the money that will flow into the town of St. Paul and beyond through the philanthropic efforts of the rodeo association.
   — Although we are not thrilled with the idea of more development at Newberg edges, we’re giving a thumbs up to the Newberg City Council for its approval of a development agreement between the city and the McClure family, owners of Springbrook Hazelnut Farm.
   The McClures want to construct an upscale, 36-home subdivision on the flanks of Rex Hill and can do that because of their successful Measure 37 claim.
   While we are no fans of Measure 37 because it means development into farm land around communities, everything we’ve seen so far indicates the McClures will construct an attractive, vital community that will serve as a gateway to Newberg’s eastern entrance.
   We plan to hold the city and the McClures to their word that this development will be a valuable addition to the Newberg community.

Budget process needs increased scrutiny
   Another year of budget wrangling is behind the city of Newberg now that the city council voted to adopt said budget.
   We’re heartened the council was up to the task of refining the budget in order to make it work for the city. We’re also encouraged that, when it became apparent the city would receive more property tax proceeds than previously thought, it chose to send the budget back to committee to determine where best to backfill cuts made earlier.
   We are disillusioned, however, by two things: that the city overestimated by some $600,000 how much it would receive from building fees. And that the council doesn’t seem to be too serious about making cuts to pet programs in order to save cuts to key departments.
   Overestimating building fees by $600,000 is just shoddy work, there’s no other word for it. It shouldn’t happen in a municipality that has so many bright people working for it and we hope it will not happen in the future.
   As to the pet programs, the city appears disingenuous that it is serious about making government more efficient when it funds $2,000 for council dinners, $1,100 for city and county dinners, $700 for a mayor’s conference and nearly $12,000 for membership in the League of Oregon Cities. Other than the LOC membership, we doubt the city gets much for its money, money provided to it by the taxpayers.
   The city of Newberg’s budget is an enormous and complicated document. We understand that. But in these uncertain times the city must work harder to ensure it’s spending the taxpayers’ money properly.

A week has gone by: What’s good and bad?
   — Thumbs up to those folks who participated, and presented, Newberg’s version of Relay for Life, the annual fund-raiser for the American Cancer Society.
   It was encouraging to see so many teams circling the Newberg High School track through the night Friday in support of research into this insidious disease and for outreach for those stricken with the malady.
   The event in Newberg gets bigger every year. If you’re not participating, consider it. The money gathered through pledges goes to a good cause, a cause we can all identify with in one shape or form. And besides, what could be more fun than getting some exercise while walking the NHS track for a good cause?
   — Thumbs way down to the person or persons who shot and killed a miniature horse on Chehalem Mountain June 20.
   If this was simply a teen-age prank, it is disheartening to see an animal suffer for no reason. If it has some connection to the horse owner’s vocal opposition to a Measure 37 claim filed by an adjoining neighbor — and we sincerely hope that it does not — then that’s incredibly sad and definitely criminal.
   As controversial as Measure 37 has become, disputes over land use should never devolve into harming others — people or animals.

Do your homework, then speak up
   Good news came Monday night when it was discovered that the city of Newberg has received an additional $128,000 in property tax proceeds.
   The windfall, which came by way of payment of delinquent property taxes, allayed some fears that the city would have to make drastic cuts within its general fund.
   Word of the windfall, and the proposed budget, was returned to the budget committee, who is charged with backfilling suggested cuts to the general fund.
   Hopefully, the budget committee’s revised document will put an end to the haggling, at least for this year, over the budget.
   A real bright spot Monday was that the city council meeting was well attended by caring people that stayed well into the night. They had a stake in the continued livelihood of this community and were there to ensure the city council knew their position.
   Many times in towns across this state, apathy and anti-government malaise results in no one paying attention until the process is nearly complete; the people that complain arrive late to the process, gnashing their teeth and wringing their hands over issues on which they could have had input months prior.
   This is a lesson to us all: pay attention to what is going on. When you believe something is not the right direction for you or the community, do your homework, understand the issue, and speak up.

It’s time to snuff out cancer once and for all
   Great gains have been made in the study and treatment of cancer over the past 50 years, but much more is needed and that takes money, money provided in part by the Relay for Life events staged across the United States.
   Newberg’s Relay for Life is set for Friday and Saturday on the track at Newberg High School. Dozens of teams ranging from just a few people to more than a dozen will walk through the night to raise money for cancer research.
   It’s the fortunate few that haven’t been directly or indirectly affected by cancer. This insidious disease, in its many forms, has taken the lives of millions in the United States and will continue its onslaught unless research continues to create new treatments and, hopefully one day, vaccinations to prevent contracting the disease.
   It’s time we defeat this disease once and for all, but it won’t happen without aid from ordinary people.
   While it’s likely too late to form a team, get pledges and walk in Newberg’s relay, it is not too late to support those walking. Travel to NHS between 6 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday, put your hands together in appreciation and, if you feel so inclined, open your wallet or purse and give to the American Cancer Society.
   They’ll do good work with the money, rest assured.

The good and bad of a week gone by
   As the newspaper of record in Newberg we are privy to much that goes on in the community. That being said, here are some positive and negative events that have occurred in our fair city, and beyond, in the past week.
   — Thumbs up to the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde for kicking in some cash toward a study that will look at construction of a passenger rail service from Sherwood to Sheridan. Because Spirit Mountain casino, run by the Grande Ronde tribe, stands to benefit from construction of the train, it only makes sense that they contribute toward the study. Now, if we could only get the tribe to fork over some cash for the Newberg-Dundee bypass.
   — Thumbs down to the city of Newberg for considering cutting the nearly $18,000 it provides to the Chehalem Valley Chamber of Commerce to run its visitors center. The money, which the city takes in by way of a room tax, is put to good use promoting not only the tourists aspects of the city, but also playing up the city’s positive attributes to those considering a residential or commercial move to the community.
   — Finally, thumbs way up to those who helped restore a 1970 VW Bug in memory of Jeremy Burrows, the young Newberg native who succumbed to cancer last summer. The car will appear in the Old Fashioned Festival, a tribute to the love the group had for JB and the dedication to see his wishes live on.

It’s up to you voters to decide what’s right
   In November Oregon voters will be asked to take a second look at Measure 37, the controversial property rights bill passed by voters in 2004.
   We urge them to do their homework before voting.
   The referendum asks voters to cut back the amount of development allowed on rural land to three to 10 homes per claim, basically eliminating the landowner’s ability to develop the large subdivisions seen in many claims filed in Yamhill and other counties.
   Opponents, including Republicans in the legislature and property rights organizations such as Oregonians in Action, have said they will fight to defeat the bill, arguing that Measure 37 restored property rights taken away as a result of Senate Bill 100 in the early 1970s.
   Measure 37 detractors — including 1000 Friends of Oregon, Democrats in the legislature and environmental groups opposed to development on farm land — have vowed to mount a campaign to pass the more restrictive bill.
   Much money will be spent and it’s likely that hyperbole will be the order of the day for this election. What will be lost, however, is the truth and that’s where you voters come in. You have a responsibility to inform yourself on the ramifications of this or any other referendum before casting your vote.
   We don’t believe that was the case in 2004’s vote: People voted with their hearts, thinking people were being robbed of their property rights, without recognizing that restoring those rights would mean rampant development in rural areas.
   We will do our best to explain the new bill in stories and editorials. Then it’s up to you.

Budget shows city’s weaknesses
   On June 18, the Newberg City Council is expected to take a first look at the city’s annual budget as recommended by the city budget committee.
   The $72.64 million budget proposal, crafted by city staff, includes more than $205,000 in cuts to the general fund, cuts that will effect a wide range of departments.
   City officials said the budget shortfall resulted from overly optimistic expectations for building receipts to the tune of $500,000 to $600,000.
   While we understand that Newberg is not growing as quickly as some think, the number of houses built and commercial properties added to the community has been robust. That being said, we find it difficult to fathom a $500,000 overestimation of building fees received by the city. On what is the city basing its projections?
   The trend of the city not having sufficient funds for essential services, especially funds for repairing city streets and constructing the final section of the Northside Collector, is troublesome.
   The economy is good, Newberg has more than its fair share of large corporations paying property taxes, and the building market continues at a high rate: Why doesn’t the city of Newberg have enough cash to do what needs to be done?
   We realize the city is loath to touch the nondiscretionary funds in the budget, such as union contracts and PERS benefits, but it seems like a town of Newberg’s vitality should have a little more cash to spend. Perhaps city government has become too top heavy with well-paid administrators. We wonder.

Graduations: And then there was one
   Friday marks the end of the graduation season in Newberg and the beginning of a new chapter in the lives of students at five area high schools and one university.
   The season began in April with commencement exercises at George Fox University. It continued with ceremonies at Open Bible Christian School, C.S. Lewis Academy, Veritas Classical Christian School and St. Paul High School. The season ends Friday with graduation at Newberg High School.
   The rite of passage that is graduation can sometimes be taken lightly. It comes every year and, other than the students involved and their families and friends, typically goes unnoticed by the public.
   But, beyond the pomp and circumstance, the speakers who will be forgotten years from now, and besides the parties, gifts and slaps on the back, their is substance here.
   Graduation marks the end of the education track for some students, the continuance of that track for others. Some students will join the work force, some will join the military, some will continue on to college, some will go out into the world without a clue what they’re going to do.
   And that’s OK because graduation is also about freedom, it’s about parents reaching a time when they have to let go and allow their children to succeed or fail based on the abilities they’ve learned. It’s about taking the next step, whatever it is.
   Congrats grads and God’s speed.

City should stand firm on development
   Ellen and Charles McClure’s wish to extend water from their residence, a historic bed and breakfast at the base of Rex Hill, to a 31-house development in what is now a failing filbert orchard is unusual in that city of Newberg ordinances prohibit extending water services beyond the city limits.
   The McClures successfully applied for a Measure 37 claim to develop the land and, recognizing that, city staff has worked with the couple so as to have input into the development the city wouldn’t ordinarily have because the land is under county jurisdiction.
   The couple is agreeing to have their land annexed into the city at the voters’ discretion in exchange for access to city water.
   Although we’re troubled by the rate of Newberg’s growth into its borders, the McClure’s arrangement with the city seems to be a good one. The housing development will be developed regardless of access to city water, that water has been delivered to the property for more than a half-century because of the location of Otis Springs on the property, and any city input into the type of development at its borders can only be a good thing.
   We encourage the city, however, to stick to its guns on requiring that the development adhere to city codes when it comes to street widths, etc. To allow anything else would set a bad precedent and would not be representing well Newberg’s citizens.

Turning out to honor, cheer and have fun
   Good things have been going on in Newberg since we last published a paper, most having to do with either Memorial Day or school graduations.
   — Thumbs up to those folks who attended Memorial Day services in Newberg on Monday. More than 100, a good crowd by Newberg standards, appeared at Memorial Park and bore witness to the tribute paid to men and women lost defending our country and to those currently fighting in defense of freedom.
   It was heartening to recognize that the crowd increased in number from previous years. Maybe, with the country embroiled in an armed conflict, Newberg residents have become more conscious of the price of war to country, its citizens and especially its soldiers.
   — Thumbs up to all those who attended graduation ceremonies Friday night in Newberg and St. Paul. Commencement exercises at St. Paul High School and Veritas and Open Bible Christian schools saw hundreds of onlookers recognize seniors’ accomplishment at graduating and to wish them well in whatever future they have planned.
   — Thumbs up also to those who attended the Memorial Day boat races at Roger’s Landing. It’s good to see people supporting such a staple in Newberg sports, an event out of the mainstream that is nonetheless a lot of fun to watch.

The true meaning of Memorial Day
   Sure, it’s nice to have a three-day weekend, if you are one of the lucky ones. Sure, it’s nice to kick off summer season with a relaxing weekend of leisure. Sure, it’s nice to have time away from work, time to spend with family and friends.
   But Memorial Day is not about leisure, summer or time with family and friends. It is about recognizing those who have fought and died in service to this country.
   And it’s a remembrance that we should not take lightly. Especially considering that some of the names that will appear on obelisks and memorials across this nation are soldiers who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan, or those who are destined to perish before this war comes to an end.
   Politics aside, America soldiers are fighting and dying in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere as part of this country’s war on terror. Weekly, and often daily, news comes that another soldier has fallen and will be returned to a community that will undoubtedly etch his name in a monument to America’s war dead.
   So, enjoy your hot dogs and refreshments, play with your kids and get to know your friends a little better today and Sunday. On Monday, however, gather up your family and friends and head down to Memorial Park at 11 a.m. for the VFW and American Legion’s annual Memorial Day remembrance. You’ll be exposed to the true meaning of Memorial Day, and you’ll be the better person for it.

Students continue to make us proud
   Typically, we don’t begin heaping praise on high school students until a little later in the school year, usually around graduation time. But this year is different. This year there are so many students doing good things that we though we’d start early.
   Take for example the two teams from the Newberg High School that took first and second in the Oregon Envirothon, a hands-on environmental problem-solving competition. The top team will compete this summer in Geneva, N.Y., to be the top Envirothon squad in the North America.
   Then there’s Veritas School’s top graduate, Derek Top. When he’s not running his own business recycling used nursery containers, Top competes for Gervais High School (Veritas doesn’t have a track team) in the 300 meter hurdles and the triple jump. Top’s academic abilities are top notch as well. He is a National Merit Finalist has received a half-scholarship for academics and $3,000 for his piano skills at Hillsdale College in Michigan.
   Down St. Paul way there’s Erika Wilmes. The Bucks’ valedictorian placed third in the pole vault competition at 1A state track championships last weekend. She has earned, so far, $3,500 in scholarships to attend Oregon State University.
   Good news about high school students is common place in Newberg. Yet, it’s good to know they’re continuing to try to outdo their predecessors. Good work kids.

Open Bible did the right thing in settling
   Former students and Open Bible Christian School have recently arrived at a settlement in a multimillion dollar lawsuit. It was filed by the students for sexual abuse by former coaches Charlie Lasiter and Todd Woods.
   We’re hoping this brings some closure to this sad chapter. We’re also encouraged that Open Bible enacted new hiring practices in light of the controversy, recognizing that if they had done background checks on Lasiter and Woods they might have avoided the coaches’ abuse altogether.
   We’re also heartened by what defense attorney Kelly Clark said was Open Bible’s willingness to treat the girls with respect during the long process toward a settlement.
   It’s unfortunate that it’s only the school’s insurance company, and ultimately the school, that will pay for Woods’ and Lasiter’s misdeeds. We will have to be satisfied that Woods and Lasiter paid in jail time what they couldn’t pay into the settlement.
    Although money cannot return the loss of innocence and the loss of trust in adults these three girls have suffered at the hands of Lasiter and Woods, it’s right that they have been awarded some compensation for their pain and suffering. We hope, with time, their scars will heal and they can put this chapter of their lives behind them.

Teens already have too many distractions when they’re on the road
   The Oregon House passed a bill Monday banning teens younger than 18 from piloting a car while using a cell phone.
That’s a good first step, but we don’t think it goes far enough.
   The bill, which must be approved by the Senate and signed by the governor to become law, only allows police to ticket a teen driver for using a cell phone if the officer has pulled over that driver for another offense.
   That makes the law ineffectual for the most part and probably won’t have much of an impact at reducing cell phone-related accidents.
   In addition, the law only applies to those teens with provisional licenses, learner’s permits or special student driver permits. Those over 18 with full driving privileges can traverse the highways and streets of the state, cell phone firmly attached to their ear, with impunity.
   Legislators told the Register Guard newspaper there wasn’t the votes to make the law more restrictive. In other words, they were again unable to hammer out a solution and settled for a law that won’t have the effect they desired.
   Fourteen states have banned or restricted cell phone use by teens while they’re driving; four states have banned or restricted cell phone use by all drivers.
   That sounds like a solution to us; ban all drivers from using cell phones while they’re moving. No call is worth your or anyone else’s life.

Annexations? Study the issue before voting
   Since the Newberg charter was changed in 1995 to require annexations be approved by the voters, the electorate has not turned down a single annexation request. Not one in a dozen years.
   In fact, voters have overwhelmingly supported bringing land into the city; oftentimes votes were 3-to-1 in favor of annexation.
   However, previous annexations were inconsequential by comparison to what’s being proposed now, a 44.66-acre parcel located on Highway 99W across from Providence Newberg Medical Center. Developers want to construct 15 commercial buildings on 23 acres and 73 homes on 19 acres.
   The pros and cons on annexing these two parcels have been hotly debated in both news stories and opinion pieces in this newspaper for the past month. They continue today on pages one and five and likely will ramp up as Tuesday’s election nears.
   We’re not going to tell you how to vote on this issue. We would advise voters to scrutinize carefully the news stories, printed material, opinions and the like before marking their ballots.
   There’s no question that approval of this annexation will alter the face of Newberg’s eastern border. Whether that is a good thing or not is for the voters to decide. We only ask that they make that decision an informed one.

Newberg’s youth are making the grade
   — Thumbs way up to Roxanne Dinger. The Newberg High School senior returned from a recent trip to Florida with some impressive hardware — a national championship award from DECA, an international student marketing organization.
   Dinger won first-place in the Quick Serve Restaurant Management category, beating out 191 other students from around the country. She adds the trophy to one she received in April from the Chehalem Valley Chamber of Commerce as the 2007 Junior Citizen of the Year. She also has two trophies as part of the NHS girls water polo team, which has won two consecutive state championships.
   — Congrats to the NHS orchestra and three of its soloists. The orchestra returned from the Heritage Music Festival in Seattle late last month with three different awards. Violinists Bethany Taylor-White and Dani Hawblitzel, as well as cellist Joel Gilbertson, all earned “Maestro” trophies as well.
The orchestra also won a district title at a festival in March, qualifying the team to compete Friday at Oregon State University against the best schools in the state.
   NHS has long been known for the quality of its music program. It appears that tradition is safe in the capable hands of these musicians and their teachers. It’s also one more reason to ensure music remains in our public schools.

A tale of sadness in a time of war
   It was with great sadness that we learned of the death of Sgt. Michael Vaughan, an Army airborne ranger who lost his life in Iraq last week.
   Vaughan, although a graduate of Taft High School in Lincoln City, has many ties to the Newberg and St. Paul areas.
   Relatives and friends alerted us Wednesday and Thursday that the slain soldier’s body would be transported to the local funeral home handling services in Lincoln City and St. Paul.
   The response from the community upon hearing of a fallen soldier was demonstrated Thursday afternoon when the motorcade that bore his body traveled First Street on the way to the funeral home. Local firefighters, who erected an impromptu memorial by hanging an American flag from a ladder truck stretched over First Street, stood ramrod straight as the motorcade passed. People emerged from their businesses to recognize Vaughan, most without knowing who he was or what had happened to him.
   The consequences of the war in Iraq, often just an image on the television, came home to Newberg in a very visible way Thursday afternoon. We hope that people will squelch their beliefs on the war, good or bad, and lend comfort and aid to Vaughan’s family and friends.
   It’s the least we can do.

Measure 37: The other shoe has dropped
   News surfaced this week that the major contributors to the 2004 campaign to pass Measure 37 have filed claims worth nearly $600 million and counting.
   Gee, what a surprise.
   Despite the talk that Oregon’s land use law unfairly kept individual landowners from building a house on the south 40 for their grandkids, the controversial measure has become a vehicle for large landowners — particularly timber and lumber companies — to subdivide and develop forest and farm land in Oregon.
   We don’t believe that was what voters intended when they passed the measure in 2004. We also don’t believe voters passed the measure so as to make prosperous companies even more prosperous, at the cost of Oregon’s quality of living.
   This is about greed, folks, plain and simple. These landowners can hide behind the argument that the land use system, as devised in the 1970s, was overly burdensome on landowners and we would agree with that, to a degree. But Measure 37, as a correction to those land use laws, is much worse in that it overturns in one fell swoop legislation that did this state a lot of good.
    What we are witnessing now, as opposed to constructing the single-family homes on large parcels in the country, is applications for subdivisions harboring hundreds of homes. These developments will do nothing to enrich this state; they can only make Oregon more like our neighboring states with a poor quality of life.

Build a PCC presence in Newberg
   It’s been some time since Portland Community College had much of a presence here in Newberg. We’d like to see that change.
   City officials and college administrators, as well as officials from the Chehalem Park and Recreation and Newberg School districts, have been talking recently about creating a branch campus or distance learning center in Newberg.
   It makes a lot of sense, especially when you consider the tens of thousands of dollars in tax money the area sends to PCC annually as part of the school’s taxing district.
   Job training is just one aspect where PCC could lend a hand in the Newberg area.  Others are adult enrichment classes in partnership with the park district, language classes and any number of college prep classes PCC could offer in conjunction wit the Newberg school district.
   Ultimately, we would like to see an actual PCC campus in Newberg. Nothing fancy, mind you, but a central location where folks could receive instruction in everything from beginning guitar to computer programming, from refresher courses in algebra to a satellite center for PCC’s excellent Small Business Development Center.
   The Chehalem Cultural Center seems like a fitting place for a satellite PCC campus.
   What do you think Newberg?

Thumbs up for events from a week gone by
   Periodically The Newberg Graphic will tout individuals and events that make the greater Newberg area a better place to live. Today is such a time.
   Thumbs up to the Newberg Education Foundation and its Educate Your Palate event. Beyond an opportunity to enjoy fine wine and delicious food, the event is a fund-raiser with proceeds going toward education programs in the Newberg School District. The event is slated for May 6 at Adelsheim Vineyard. Attend and you’ll lend your valuable support to enhancing education in Newberg, a goal we should all have.
   Thumbs up also for George Fox University after its board of trustees announced recently a change in its “lifestyle policy” to allow staff, graduate and nontraditional students to consume alcohol.
   We agree with the university that alcohol should be strictly off-limits to undergraduate, underage students, especially on campus. But allowing a professor or 35-year-old MBA student to have a glass of wine with dinner seems reasonable, especially for a university which resides smack dab in the middle of Oregon’s wine country.
   Finally, thumbs up to Julie Drescher and Coach Mike Murphy of the St. Paul High School girls basketball team. Drescher was chosen by the state’s coaches as the top Class 1A player; Murphy was chosen as the top 1A coach. The awards are just the cherry on top of a stellar season that included a state championship. Congrats you two.

Let’s at least discuss the nation’s gun laws
   In the wake of Monday’s massacre at Virginia Tech the inevitable calls for tougher gun laws are now ringing through Congress.
   We’re not surprised, nor do we think that having the discussion is a bad thing, as long as it is a discussion based on fact and law, not emotion.
   The fact is the constitution, right or wrong, gives Americans the right to possess and use firearms. But the constitution was written a couple of centuries ago, when there was a musket hanging over every door and gun violence was primarily directed at wildlife.
   Things have changed. Disagreements are now settled with gunplay. Lives are shattered. People are afraid to travel at night in their own communities.
   We’re not advocating that law-abiding citizens be thwarted in their attempts to buy and use firearms. Nor do we see any reason for semi-automatic handguns, rifles and shotguns to be removed from the hands of the populace.
   We don’t, however, see anything wrong with discussing common sense steps toward keeping guns out of the hands of potentially dangerous folks, of coming down harder on those who use guns in crimes, of more aggressively enforcing the guns laws already in place.
   Monday’s tragedy was perpetrated by a man who legally purchased pistols at a Virginia gun store. He had the requisite ID, underwent a background check, was a Virginia and U.S. citizen and, under the laws of that state, OK to purchase firearms.
   Somewhere the system broke down and needs to be fixed. Let’s at least have the discussion.

Can sense be made of such a tragedy?
   Man’s inhumanity to man. It never ceases to amaze how cruel people can be to each other.
   We join the nation today in mourning the loss of more than 30 students and professors at Virginia Tech after Monday’s massacre at the hands of a mad gunman.
   This tremendous loss will no doubt leave its mark on the institution and on the lives of students, staff and professors for many years to come. Some may never recover.
   Although reliable details are only now beginning to trickle in about the murderous rampage of Cho Seung-Hui, it’s an all too familiar tale: a loner, estranged from a group he longs to be part of, lashes out in a violent and seemingly insane way.
   “You caused me to do this,” Seung-Hui wrote in a note found in his campus dorm room. The note went on to rail against the “rich kids,” “debauchery” and “deceitful charlatans.”
   The note is eerily similar in its content to comments made by two young assailants before they opened fire at Columbine High School in Colorado. The estrangement is also similar to that felt by Kip Kinkel, who shot down his fellow students at Thurston High School near Eugene.
   Responses to the massacre will be swift and, most often, ill-conceived. Reprisals will come against Asians. Renewed calls for tougher gun control laws will sprout in Congress.
   People will want to do something in order to make sense of the event. But what sense can be made of such a tragedy? None. Man has always been cruel to his fellow man; that won’t end. We can only try to love each other while we’re here.

Bill should pass banning discrimination
   The passage or defeat of Senate Bill 2, which bans discrimination based on sexual orientation, could very well define the 2007 session of the Oregon Legislature. At the very least it will remain in the headlines for weeks if not months to come.
   We agree with the bill’s basic premise that no one should be discriminated against based on their sexual orientation.
   We also agree with the bill’s original language that exempts churches and other religious institutions from adhering to the law when it comes to their primary purpose — tending to the spiritual needs of their congregants.
   Where the issue gets sticky is the bill doesn’t exempt churches from discriminating when it comes to their nonreligious commercial or business activities, such as hiring secretaries and janitors, for example.
   An amendment revealed this week would allow churches an exemption from the law, but not affiliated institutions such as religious schools and camps.
   That part of the bill was hotly argued in the House this week, with its leaders putting the bill on hold for seven hours Tuesday so they could work on the language of the exemption. It’s likely this give and take will continue.
   We don’t believe passage of this bill is the first step toward granting gays the right to marry, which is a red herring intent on derailing the whole process. It is an issue of fairness in the work place and everyone deserves that.

Excellent candidates vie for school board spots
   In May, Newberg voters will make their wishes known on a number of issues and contested races, not the least of which is who they want to represent them on the Newberg School District board of directors.
   The board is bound to see some changes in the months following the election, including the departure of longtime member Jim White. But the interest in filling White’s Zone 2 spot is high, witnessed by the four candidates who have filed to replace him: Mark Ankeny, Jim Bascom, Job Rabinowitz and Jeff Tant.
   All four appear to be fine candidates to represent Zone 2, a chunk of the northwest corner of Newberg.
   It’s encouraging to see such high-caliber candidates throw their hats in the ring for a spot on the school board. We can remember when the school board, like the city council, had to extend deadlines in order to give folks more time to file for election.
   We’re also happy to see former school budget committee member Debbie Hawblitzel running for election to the board after having been appointed. She faces another fine candidate, Michael Richter, who is no stranger to education as both a former teacher and site council member.
   Newberg is fortunate to have such good candidates for the school board. Voters should return the favor by becoming involved and casting their ballots.

Congratulations award winners
   Congratulations are in order for the individuals and organizations recognized Thursday evening at the annual awards banquet of the Chehalem Valley Chamber of Commerce.
   The winners of awards from the Chamber itself — as well as the city of Newberg, Rotary and the Newberg School District, — stand as examples of good business, good faith and good works in this community.
   No one recognized better exemplified that theme than David Brandt, retiring president of George Fox University. Brandt was lauded with two accolades: Rotary’s Ken Austin II Service Above Self award and the Chamber’s Ed Stevens Distinguished Service award.
   Stevens was a tireless ambassador of the university and furthered the school’s outreach to the community. Brandt has built upon that legacy to increase the presence of the university in the community and the academic world.
   Other Chamber winners included Newberg Kiwanis, Roxanne Dinger, Steve Austin, Loni Parrish, Jaf-Co Concrete, Kris Horn and Bob Stewart.
   Mike Caruso was Rotarian of the year; Willcuts Companies, CR Woods Trucking and Joe Petshow were recognized by the school district; A-dec Inc. and Windrose Conference Center received the YC Brown Awards from Newberg Garbage and Recycling; and Providence Newberg Medical Center, River Street Dental and Oak Meadows Subdivision earned city of Newberg beautification awards.
   They have, through their actions, made Newberg a better place to live, to work, to shop and, most importantly, to serve. If we follow their example this community can only stand to benefit.

The cost has become too high for this war
   Enough is enough!
   Gov. Ted Kulongoski ordered last Friday that flags on city and state buildings be flown at half-staff in memory of another Oregon soldier slain in combat in Iraq.
    Sgt. Nicholas Lightner of Newport died March 21 at Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington, D.C., from wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device (IED) detonated next to a command vehicle.
   What’s worse, Lightner was a medic, those men and women charged with holding together the bodies of service personnel wounded in combat until they can be transported to field hospitals for advanced care.
   Lightner joins the ranks of dozens of Oregon natives who have lost their lives in this nation’s wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
   And there is no end in sight for this ill-conceived war, no end in sight for an end to governor’s across the United States ordering that flags be lowered to half-staff to honor the dead, no end in sight to family members grieving.
   The cost of war has always been great to those who chose to wage it, but this wasn’t a war the American people agreed to mortgage and now the bill is being paid in the lives of young service men and women.
   The cost is too great and the benefits too small. It’s time to bring the troops home.

State legislators: Get down to the real work
   You’ll be happy to know that your legislators, those folks you elected to undertake the people’s business, are comporting themselves with dignity and the focus this state so desperately needs.
   Why, just this week a dispute erupted between Republicans and Democrats over whether the Willamette Meteorite — discovered in 1902 on a hillside in West Linn — should be returned to Oregon from the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, where it has resided since 1935.
   The House and Senate submitted a joint resolution demanding that the 16-ton chunk of iron nickel be returned, even though the true owners of the meteorite, the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde, are perfectly fine with it remaining in New York. In fact, the tribe was never consulted in advance of the legislation being written.
House Democrats and Republicans spent considerable time arguing the resolution Monday before it was defeated largely along party lines.
   What nonsense!
   This legislature, among other duties, is charged with finding funding for a flagging educational system, fixing Oregon’s aging roads and bridges, creating a rainy day fund for when the economy isn’t so rosy, and passing a budget in regular session without coming to blows.
   Maybe we’re wrong, but it seems they have enough to do without wasting time arguing legislation nobody wants or needs.

The deficiencies abound in Measure 37
   A story on the front page of today’s paper perfectly illustrates one of the deficiencies of Measure 37.
   Bruce Hall, a local land owner, wants to develop one-tenth of his 200-acre farm into home lots. Proceeds from the development would go toward preserving the remainder of the land, now planted in grapes, hazelnuts and other crops.
   But state land use laws, in concert with Measure 37, won’t allow partial development of Hall’s land. It’s either all or nothing and, eventually, it will be up to the courts to decide the issue.
   Measure 37 doesn’t give individual counties the flexibility to do land use planning on a case-by-case basis.
   In the words of Sid Friedman of 1000 Friends of Oregon, “(Measure 37) just takes a wrecking ball to land use planning, where counties don’t have the authority to make the best decisions.”
   That’s no way to run government, nor is it a very efficient way to conduct land use planning.
   Granted, the state’s land use system, which would allow Hall to develop five 40-acre home lots while sacrificing the land to development, also needs tweaking. But Measure 37 is not the fix that it was intended to be and a legislative committee currently looking at the measure should keep that in mind.

Don’t blame light rail for lack of road bucks
   There is a red herring languishing in Salem and it’s been there so long the stench has become overwhelming. It involves the old yarn that Oregon’s roads and highways are failing because the state has focused its transportation goals on light rail.
   Take this quote from freshman state Sen. Larry George this week in reference to the Newberg-Dundee bypass: “Light rail only serves a small percentage of the state’s population, but it gets millions — due to the focused effort by its supporters here in Salem.”
   Nonsense.
   Light rail in the Portland area, by far the population center of the state with more than 1.5 million people, hasn’t received significant funding from the legislature in many, many years. When projects such as the Max line did receive funding from the legislature, it was almost entirely federal funds funneled through the state.
   Construction of Max and other light rail projects in the Portland area decades ago meant that land to house the system could be had cheap before it was swallowed up by development. Max’s ridership has increased dramatically in the past decade and it has become an integral part of moving people around Portland.
   To say that roads, bridges and highways in Oregon have suffered because of light rail is disingenuous at best and a flat out falsity at worst.

Support a veteran in any way you can
   An article on the front page of today’s paper features three members of the Beecroft family — Lester, Stanley and Troy. Beyond representing three generations, the Beecrofts also share another common bond — they’ve all served in the military during this country’s wars.
   The trio gathered Saturday to serve others during the latest Veterans of Foreign War pancake breakfast. There, they mingled with other vets and their families, sharing stories and, on occasion, a laugh about their military service.
   But their military service is no laughing matter. They all have memories, vivid memories, of war and its consequences.  Some memories they’d probably rather forget. But they’re proud of their service, as we should be proud of the contributions they and other vets have made toward keeping this country free.
   Regardless of your views on America’s most current war, soldiers, Marines and sailors are risking their lives in our country’s name. We need to support them in any way possible. That may be by encouraging our representatives to increase vet benefits, fix aging facilities and provide body armor to troops on the ground. Our support may also take the form of demanding they be brought home and this war ended.
   Regardless, the least we can do is to say thank you.

Dundee appears headed in the right direction
   The search for a new city administrator in Dundee became significantly narrower this week when three candidates were named as finalists for the job.
   We’re pleased that the Dundee City Council, with help from current city administrator Eve Dolan and the League of Oregon Cities, has gone about the business of finding a new leader with such refreshing determination.
   Such wasn’t always the case in Dundee. In fact, the small town west of Newberg has experienced more than its fair share of problems when it comes to governing. Wayward police chiefs, out-of-control mayors, criminal investigations and running afoul of state public meetings laws are just a few of the “issues” the town has experienced over the past two decades.
   But those problems are fewer these days and we credit Dolan, among others, for that change. She has carried herself with aplomb, guiding the town through some rocky times. So has the council, the current group and those in the past few years, focused more intently on doing the city’s business in a professional, mannerly way.
   That doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement — any government group can improve. But we’re heartened that Dundee appears to be headed in the right direction.

Welcome GFU’s new president
   George Fox University announced this week that longtime provost Robin Baker will, in June, take over the reins from the school for retiring president H. David Brandt.
   That’s good news on a number of levels.
   First, continuity between one president and the next is paramount in continuing the institution’s mission of providing a quality Christian education to its students.
   Second, by naming Baker, the Board of Trustees has chosen a man with deep ties to the university, a person who has already demonstrated his abilities in eight years as provost. School officials credited Baker, 49, with overseeing a dramatic expansion of George Fox’s academic program since 1999. The position of provost is responsible for overseeing pretty much all aspects of campus life, including academic programs, institutional technology, athletics, student life and library services.
   During his eight years on campus, Baker has overseen the addition of six new undergraduate programs and five graduate programs, and worked toward accreditation of the school’s engineering program.
   This guy knows what he’s doing and will be a valuable asset as school president.
   We applaud the board’s choice and wish him well.

Some good, bad from a week gone by
   Periodically the Newberg Graphic will, in its editorial pages, point out reasons for optimism and pessimism about the world we live in. Today is such a day.
   — Thumbs up to 9-year-old Courtney Croft of Newberg for agreeing to have a barber lop off her long hair to donate to Locks of Love, a nonprofit organization that collects human hair for people who suffer from medical conditions that result in hair loss.
   Courtney’s sacrifice, more than 10 inches of full blonde hair, is an example of the true spirit of giving. People would be hard pressed to find a better example than Courtney.
   — Thumbs up to Cindy Stawicke and Greg Marugg of Newberg. The pair found a disoriented man stuck in a ditch north of town and, after determining that he wasn’t thinking clearly, contacted the police, who discovered the man was an Alzheimer’s patient missing from his Lake Oswego home.
   Stawicke and Marugg could have just as easily driven by the man’s car stuck in the ditch. But they didn’t and their simple act may have meant the difference between life and death for an elderly gentleman.
   — Thumbs down to the big oil companies. Travelers across the nation are bracing for the inevitable increase in gas prices now that spring break and summer approach. We find it particularly peculiar that gas prices would skyrocket at the time when people drive the most. Frankly, it smacks of price gouging and the oil companies should be harshly reprimanded for such practices.

Congrats St. Paul, GFU ladies — well done
   The St. Paul High School girls basketball team won a Class 1A state championship Saturday with a gutsy overtime win over Joseph.
   That’s cause for celebration, not only in the small northern Marion County town of St. Paul, but anyplace where small schools face big odds to play the game they love.
   Sure, there will be some notoriety, at least for a few months, for the dozen or so members of the team and their coaches. But there won’t be any multimillion-dollar contracts, no product endorsements, no guest spots on Leno or Letterman for these girls.
   They won for their town, their tiny school on the French Prairie, their parents and the others that have supported them through thick and thin this season and in seasons past.
   St. Paul High School and its big sister to the north, George Fox University, exemplify what is good about small-time athletics. Not bothered by the bright lights and persistent microphones, these competitors play for the love of the game. There are few perks – in fact, GFU players pay dearly in tuition costs that now top $25,000 annually for the chance to play ball.
   And although the Bruin women were struck down at home by UPS Saturday in the NCAA Division III regionals, they played with aplomb, dignity and a love of the game that is evident every time they take the floor.
    So, it’s with great pride we honor the St. Paul and GFU women. Well done, ladies, well done.

Returning government accountability
   The 2006 revelation that a dozen Oregon legislators failed to report the free trips lavished upon them by lobbyists served to further the commonly held notion that all politicians are corrupt.
   That is unfortunate, because we believe most legislators are honest, hard working folks determined to do a good job for their constituents. On the other hand, it exemplifies the need for reform in the way lobbyists work in state government; they have entirely too much sway in the way politics are done in this state.
   The legislature has shown signs in recent weeks that it may be getting the message. State Sen. Larry George, a freshman Republican, has joined other legislators in introducing a bill requiring their brethren to release lists of clients they hold in the private sector, clients that might be tempted to coerce legislators into supporting bills that are not good for the rest of the state.
   A second bill would create a dedicated, long-term funding source for the Government Standards and Practices Commission, a body who saw its budget slashed in the past decade which is responsible for investigating allegations of unethical behavior by legislators.
   The now defunct Republican majority in the legislature gutted the budget for the GSPC, leaving it with no investigators and the legislature with no way of policing itself. The GSPC’s return to full staffing is a good first step in returning accountability to government.
   Let’s hope it’s not the last.

City of Newberg: Fix these streets
   The residents of Newberg have been dealing with more than just an inconvenience in our quality of life for decades. Its name is pothole.
   On February 20 a morning commuter met up with an unexpected delay when his Saturn hit a pothole on the corner of First and Main streets. Enlarged by a freeze the night before, falling into the pothole seriously damaged the car’s steering and requiring a tow truck to clear the intersection.
   The maintenance of Newberg’s downtown streets has spurred an ongoing debate about who is responsible for some of the city’s streets. Some of our streets are the property of the city, some Yamhill County and some are highways owned by the state. Maintenance of those streets has often proven difficult due the inclement weather of Northwest Oregon.
   Funding is also an issue: Who is to pay for a thoroughfare that is both a city street and a state highway?
   Ultimately, the buck stops with the city of Newberg. These streets cross our town and they are responsible for ensuring streets can be traveled. Their performance in that regard has been poor of late. After all, beyond providing basic public safety, roads are the highest priority of any city.
   The city of Newberg needs to find a funding source and these streets must be fixed. The city must find money in the budget to do the job, or they should find another funding source.

Tax a small price to pay for healthy kids
   A survey released recently indicates that an estimated 116,000 children younger than 19 — approximately one in eight — lack health insurance in Oregon.
   That’s unacceptable for a society as affluent as ours. And it’s a fact that Gov. Ted Kulongoski cannot abide. In fact, the statistic is at the heart of his Healthy Kids Plan to provide health insurance for all of the state’s kids.
   To fund the program Kulongoski has proposed an 84.5 cent increase in the state cigarette tax to $2.02 per pack. That would align Oregon’s cigarette tax with its neighbor to the north, Washington, which currently levies the third-highest cigarette tax in the nation.
   State economists project the tax increase will raise $180 million in the first biennium, plenty to fund the Healthy Kids Plan.
   The Democrat governor has considerable support for the plan, including from an unlikely source in Sen. Gordon Smith, a Republican. Smith threw his weight by the Healthy Kids Plan earlier this week, saying it was “the only tax increase I have ever enthusiastically and consciously voted for.”
   But the tax increase is not without its detractors. Kulongoski must win over enough Republicans in the House and Senate to get the three-fifths majority he needs to raise the tax.
   We wish Kulongoski well. It’s time this state does a better job of caring for the well being of its children. This is a good start.

Commute for a few about to get easier
   Locals have been clamoring for years about commuting difficulties between Newberg and Portland. Public transit options have been limited, at best, for folks working in the metro area. But that’s about to change at little bit.
   Starting March 1, Newberg commuters will have access to more frequent service on county shuttle buses. For example, hourly runs will be available between Sherwood and McMinnville. That will allow those people who commute downtown to catch public transit in Newberg and hook up with Tri-Met buses in Sherwood to take into Portland. (The shuttle bus stops in Newberg at Nap’s Thriftway, Fred Meyer, Izzy’s Pizza and Neil’s Java Jungle on Villa Road on its eastbound and westbound routes.)
   The Yamhill County Transit Area is expanding its Dial-A-Ride service to include Dayton and St. Paul, with extended service hours from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. A run has been added along North Valley Road, allowing riders to connect with a YCAP shuttle to Hillsboro and the MAX line. There is more information about local bus fares and services at www.yctransitarea.org or by calling 1-503-472-0457.
   The additional hours and routes are a bonus to residents not wanting to ply busy highways.

Casino race opens window of opportunity for bypass
 Now that the casino-siting race has heated up, perhaps the folks at nearby Spirit Mountain will ante up – for construction of the Newberg-Dundee bypass, that is.
   Spirit Mountain is reaping the benefits of being the closest casino to Portland. A few years ago, the Warm Springs Confederation announced plans for a casino at Cascade Locks, east of Portland in the Columbia River Gorge (a tad bit closer, and a lot more convenient of a drive).
   Anti-casino campaigns have idled the Cascade Locks casino, but now there’s another player on the scene. The Cowlitz Tribe in Clark County, Wash., has a tidy $510 million plan for a 152-acre site at Exit 14 off Interstate-5 near La Center. The Cowlitz casino is closer to the metro area than either Spirit Mountain or Cascade Locks – not to mention there’s no two-lane bottleneck through Dundee to traverse.
   The clock is ticking on construction in the Gorge and off I-5. But the usual government delays give Spirit Mountain a leg up on the newcomers to improve the route to their tables and slot machines. In fact, perhaps a Spirit Mountain-Chinook Winds pact is in order. The combination of the two casinos should be able to cough up a hundred million dollars toward a bypass as a way of protecting their investments.   Smooth sailing to the Oregon Coast could prove to be enough to convince Portland-area gamblers to continue spending their money in Grand Ronde and Lincoln City.

Thanks to those holding thankless job
   We trust them with our children. We rely on them to make hundreds of decisions each year that will forever impact the lives of our kids — yet they receive no compensation for doing so.
   Their job isn’t easy. Their decisions are often made huddled around a table, late at night, without much fanfare. But the impact of those decisions can tear apart the fabric of a community. Or, those decisions can help propel a community to greatness.
   They are stewards of millions of dollars of our hard-earned money, but we afford them no paychecks. We require them to provide the best for our kids, and in the same breath we lambaste them when we feel they are spending too much money or are not spending it wisely. They are all too familiar with: “give us the most for the least.”
   Sometimes they plan and discuss — seemingly without end — only to have their brainstorms shot down by federal or state red tape.
   The men and women who sit on our school board are responsible for each child in the district receiving the best education possible. They volunteer because they care about education, about the future.
   We may not always agree with what they do, but they nevertheless deserve our gratitude for their work. Their charge is great; their efforts are appreciated.

Bills we like deal with records, drugs, birdseed
   Lawmakers are busy cranking out bills in Salem, including three we like:
   — We like Senate Bill 380, which would make public the disciplinary records of former school employees convicted of sexually abusing students.
   The bill was sent out of the Senate Judiciary Committee this week to a vote of the full Senate. The bill allows people access to a copy of the disciplinary records, which contain all the information about who reported what and what was in the investigations.
   — We also like a proposal that would create a statewide database to track certain prescription drugs. Oregon and 16 other states don’t have such a database. But nearby states do track controlled substances, and some say that leads to “doctor shopping” by drug traffickers in Oregon. Those “shoppers” try to get drugs by going to multiple providers. The current proposal would create a database for three classes of drugs, including such items as Valium and Percocet. The proposal would allow pharmacists and doctors to see a patient's history to detect possible problems.
   — And finally, we’re chirping about a proposed bill that would crack down on weed-spreading bird seed. The bill would give the Agriculture Department the authority to test and set content standards for wild birdseed mixes. Studies show invasive weeds are sneaking into Oregon masked as innocuous birdseed, and that’s not good for grass seed and other farmers.

A few thoughts with a weekend ahead
   — The city of Newberg likely will be spending some local taxpayer money in the next few years repairing some streets. That’s a good thing. Among those the city is looking to include are Villa, Springbrook and, one near and dear to us, School Street. We can't speak for Villa and Springbrook, but as far as School Street goes, its fate was sealed when the Oregon Department of Transportation rebuilt Highway 99W through town. School Street was a staging area for heavy equipment. We know this because we shook right along with our other neighbors when those rollers and excavators were rumbling on and off the 99W construction zone.
   We bow to the juggernaut that is ODOT and know it probably made some huge concessions for tiny little Newberg. Next time, however, perhaps it should leave things in the same condition as they were when it arrived.
   — The Oregon House bill endorsed by state Reps. Donna Nelson and Kim Thatcher to declare English as Oregon’s official language is a symbolic, public relations move on their part. Portraying the bill as part of a bigger picture, specifically “Oregon's efforts to address illegal immigration,” is puzzling to us. We’re uncertain how House Bill 2459 addresses illegal immigration. But, perhaps we just don’t see the bigger picture as clearly as Nelson and Thatcher.

Annual sessions can only be a good thing
   The Oregon House voted Wednesday to return in February 2008 for a monthlong session.
   What a great idea.
   People have long said that doing the state’s business in six or eight months every two years was nearly impossible. It’s also foolish, given the unstable economic climate Oregon has experienced in the past decade.
   The idea of annual sessions — with the bulk of the work done from January through June in one year, followed by a monthlong session the following year — only makes sense since legislators will have access to better budget information on which to base their funding decisions.
   Annual sessions are not a new idea, nor one unfamiliar to other states. In fact, Oregon is one of only six states that doesn’t have annual sessions.
   But two key things must happen for it to be successful in Oregon: bipartisan bickering must be quelled and the primary session must be completed in June or thereabouts. If legislators insist on arguing bills and budgets into August it gives them little time to tend to things back home if they must return the following February.
   We’re hoping full approval by the legislature is forthcoming.
   We also hope the legislature will take this as a sign it’s time to get down to work and stop the nonsense.

We love the white stuff as much as the next guy, but ...
   There’s a lot of snow out there and some people are very excited, which is understandable.
   But we’re hoping people will temper that excitement with a healthy dose of caution: with snow comes slick roads, slippery sidewalks and non-too-competent drivers.
   Weather predictions for today and Thursday are for less snow, but not sufficient warming to remove the four-plus inches of the white stuff that descended from the heavens Tuesday morning. That means this snow will likely stay around for a spell.
   While that’s great for the kids home from school (not so much their parents), it’s equally bad for those unfortunate drivers that must travel the roads and highways to get to work, doctor appointments, etc.
   Those of you lucky souls who can stay home and play with the kids rather than venture onto the thoroughfares, should do just that. Those of you who must travel should be exceedingly cautious: leave lots of room between you and the car in front, stop and turn slowly, and pack your vehicle with some winter supplies.
   Let’s be careful out there.

Go ahead, speed up the small school idea
   There’s a prudent move afoot that will change the process of converting Newberg High School to five smaller schools by September 2007.
   Basically, a teacher-led group wants to speed up the process of implementing the small school plan the district embraced a few years ago. The process began, in part, this past fall with the freshmen and sophomores classes. If the leadership group has its way, the entire high school will be five smaller schools beginning this fall. That will make the class of 2008 the first small school graduating class vs. the class of 2009, as was the original plan.
   Sounds good to us, especially if the research on the small school idea is correct and the education system starts producing brighter, college-ready and work force-ready students.
   It’s also encouraging because a group of teachers has got off the fence and is determined to move the plan forward.
   The Oregon Small Schools Initiative is a $25 million, multi-year, statewide program to increase student achievement and graduation rates in Oregon high schools. Small schools are in place in Woodburn, Medford, Eugene and other cities.
   The models are unique. Woodburn’s, for example, has four small schools, each with an emphasis area (Academy of International Studies; Wellness, Business and Sports School; Academy of Arts, Science and Technology; and Arts and Communications Academy).
   Newberg will have five similar small schools. Information about Newberg High’s conversion proposal came out in a January 2007 newsletter. That newsletter has a feedback form which parents can send in to the teacher leaders.
   In addition, the teacher leaders have been collecting feedback from students, especially those from the class of 2008, and their parents. There’s also an informational meeting from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at the high school.
   After the information gathering process is complete, the proposal will go before the school board in February for consideration later this month.
   The small school idea is one with merit we think could prepare students better for the world beyond high school. It’s time it was put in place and allowed to stand on its own.

Politics as usual in the legislature
   It’s Jan. 10, two days since Oregon legislators took up their spots in the capitol building, and the politicking has already begun.
   Yesterday, House Republicans announced they would seek to adopt a new rule banning all gifts from lobbyists. The move was in response to a proposed rule by House Democrats which would permit gifts of up to $10 and “recognition gifts” with a resale of up to $25.
   The Democrats’ motion resulted from a revelation in September 2006 that nearly a dozen legislators, all Republicans except for one Democrat, were treated to a fabulous trip to Hawaii by a lobbyist for the state’s beer and wine industry. The trip was worth thousands of dollars and was a clear violation of the intent, if not the letter, of state law.
   In the strange world of Oregon politics, we find it odd that it would be the Republican caucus pushing for a House rule banning gifts from lobbyists, when they themselves were the benefactor of such largess in the past.
   We’d like to think this means the Republicans are bent on cleaning up their act. We’d like to think the Democrats will take the high road and join in a bipartisan message that graft will no longer be tolerated.
    We may be too optimistic.
    On Monday afternoon House Democrats, emboldened by their return to the majority in both chambers of the legislature after the November general election, voted down the Republicans’ motion.
   Although it’s possible the Democrats will come up with a compromise, we suspect this rule change will simply get lost in the legislature’s other business over the next six months.
   Oh well, politics as usual.

Little of the education windfall will go to where it’s needed
   Word came this week that fully two-thirds of the $750 million in additional money Gov. Ted Kulongoski wants to funnel into the state’s flagging school system will instead go into the pockets of teachers and administrators, as well as rising costs for supplies and services and increased enrollment.
   The state can do little about the costs of basketballs and fish sticks, but it should resist widespread increases in the salaries, health care benefits and pensions of Oregon’s teachers and administrators. Plainly said, their salaries and benefits would make most anyone envious. In fact, they are the fourth highest in the nation.
   A report in The Oregonian said Kulongoski’s recommended 14 percent increase in school spending to $6.06 billion is designed to reduce class sizes (among the nation’s highest) and add reading tutors and teaching mentors, among other features.
    That would be a step in the right direction for a school system that has suffered mightily over the past two decades.
   The teacher’s unions, Oregon PTA and others are expected to lobby the legislature for an additional $240 million for school improvements. That’s money on top of the $5.5-plus billon in existing funding, and the $750 million in Kulongoski’s new plan.
   When does it stop?
   We don’t begrudge anyone trying to make a living, and for many years teachers and other civil servants were given lofty benefit packages (PERS, for example) to make up for low salaries. But the days of teachers barely making ends meet on their meager salaries are long past. Now, they’re receiving good salaries and stellar benefit packages and the schools are suffering as a result.
   It’s time, as some state business leaders have suggested, for the legislature to review compensation for all public jobs in the state. If salary and benefits are in line with the competition in other states, so be it. But if public servants in Oregon are making more than their fair share at the expense of infrastructure and programs, it’s time to freeze pay and benefits at current levels and funnel the excess to areas that will benefit everyone.

Doggone it, take care of pets
   We hope all pet owners are following the continuing story of the three pit bulls who last year killed a pet wallaroo in a Newberg neighborhood. The story provides a lesson about responsible pet ownership.
   No.1, if you’re going to have pets, you’d better be ready to properly care for them. And No. 2, make sure you realize that caring for those pets — especially breeds of dogs that periodically make news for vicious acts — is a seven-day-a-week, 24-hour-a-day deal.
   Unfortunately that didn’t occur Oct. 18 for Ginger, Sasha and Cyrus, the three dogs who escaped a vehicle, broke through a nearby fence and killed the wallaroo. A few months earlier, the dogs ran loose and were the subject of four dog-at-large and/or menacing complaints.
   The dogs’ background would indicate that when they’re in a pack things sometimes go bad. That should have been a hint to the owners not to keep them together. (And that’s what’s happening today, as the city is trying to find homes for the pups. The mother has already been placed in another home.)
   Pet ownership is akin to parenting. When things go bad with kids, it’s often the parents who are to blame.

Trend encouraging, but concerns remain about drunk driving
   There’s a positive trend occurring in Oregon, one we hope continues over the New Year’s holiday this weekend.
   According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, traffic fatalities related to alcohol have decreased each of the past three years in this state: from 207 in 2003, to 199 in 2004 and 177 in 2005 (out of 488 traffic deaths). Oregon was one of 23 states and Puerto Rico to show a decrease in the fatality rate for crashes where the driver had an illegal alcohol level of at least .08.
   Despite this, holidays are some of the most dangerous times of the year on the road -- largely due to drunk driving. The traffic safety administration estimates about three in every 10 Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related crash at some time in their lives.
   The blood alcohol concentration level of .08 is the illegal level in all 50 states and is the point at which the fatal crash risk increases significantly. At that point, according to the NHTSA, all of the critical driving skills are affected: braking, steering, lane changing, judgment and response time. The risk of a driver dying in a crash at .08 blood alcohol content is at least 11 times that of drivers without alcohol in their system, according to NHTSA statistics.
   Whenever you plan on consuming alcohol:
   — Designate a sober driver before going out, and give that person your keys;
   — If you’re impaired, call a taxi, use mass transit or call a sober friend or family member to get you home safely;
   — Promptly report drunk drivers you see on the roadways to law enforcement.
While eliminating drunk driving accidents entirely may be too optimistic, we can take steps to diminish their numbers. That is if we take the right steps.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus
   (Editor’s note: This familiar column was first printed on the editorial page of the New York Sun in 1897)
   I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, “If you see it in The Sun, it’s so.” Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?
   Virginia O’Hanlon
   Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except what they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men’s or children’s, are little. In this great universe of ours, man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.
   Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.
   He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The external light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.
   Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies. You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if you did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that’s no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.
   You tear apart the baby’s rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived could tear apart. Only faith, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.
   No Santa Claus? Thank God he lives and lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay 10 times 10,000 years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.
   Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

We have a report; now, about that bypass?
   The folks at ODOT, OTIG and the Macquarie Group stressed one thing in particular when meeting Wednesday with our reporters and editorial staff: the Tuesday presentation given to the Oregon Transportation Commission on funding for the Newberg-Dundee bypass is a report, not a recommendation.
   The report contains a variety of tolling scenarios to pay for the $373 million, 11-mile thoroughfare designed to alleviate congestion on Highway 99W through Newberg and Dundee. The report explores the possibility of levying tolls on motorists on the bypass alone, on the bypass and 99W, on through traffic, local traffic and myriad combinations of the above.
   What ODOT officials want to happen now is for local residents and elected officials to come together to determine what funding mechanism they can live with.
   We think residents and officials, if they work together in the spirit of cooperation, can produce a plan that will get the job done.
   No one wants to pay more than their fair share to drive their vehicle. And, yes, ODOT is an obese agency that could use some time on the treadmill. But the area’s best chance of getting a bypass is continuing with the route ODOT has designed and through the use of some type of tolling system. Barring that, it simply won’t happen.
   Dear readers, make your wishes known at any of the many meetings ODOT will slate to discuss this issue. It’s only through consensus that a project of this magnitude will be built.

Feel the heartbeat
    There’s a stronger pulse beating at Chehalem Cultural Center, much to the credit of a group of hearty volunteers and the teamwork of a handful of local organizations. The center (the former Central School near the public library) is breathing life again and on its way to becoming the community magnet some envisioned more than a decade ago.
   The Chehalem Park & Recreation District took control of the brick building from the school district in the late 1990s. CPRD improved the building enough to open the west wing, where the Chehalem Valley Chamber of Commerce is located. That small presence helped take away that empty building feeling and piqued people’s interest.
   Grant money combined with volunteer manpower enabled CPRD to continue to gradually make other improvements. Seismic upgrades were done, a new roof and windows were installed. The main entrance, facing south down the civic corridor, was restored. Newberg Rotary clubs built Centennial Park next to the center; the playground, with its proximity to the library, attracted more families.
   At times the evolution of the former Central School has seemed painfully slow. But the right combination of people and organizations have kept it progressing. More money and resources will have to be spent on the center.
   The naysayers who argue that would be wasting money probably weren’t in the neighborhood the past 90 days. If they were, they would have witnessed Halloween and Christmas events that drew more than 1,000 people.
   Those people, whose only memory of Central School is one of an empty, run-down building, might be surprised if they venture downtown and gaze at the grand structure. If they look real close they’ll see plenty of potential. If they listen at the right time of the day they’ll hear children’s laughter. And, if they walk up and touch the building, they’ll feel a pulse.

Ragsdale took the high road
   We’re heartened by Monday’s news that Dundee Mayor Diane Ragsdale will leave the job of appointing a city administrator search committee to Mayor-elect Don Sundeen.
   It was a classy decision by Ragsdale, who lost a bid for a second term as mayor to Sundeen in the November general election.
   Ragsdale could have taken it upon herself to choose the committee to find a replacement for Eve Dolan, who will retire in January but remain with the city on contract through March.
   If Ragsdale were to choose the committee, however, would be to immediately undercut Sundeen’s new-found authority and set a negative tone for the whole process.
   City administrator is an important position in any town. It is made doubly so in a small town like Dundee because the administrator wears many hats and is responsible for many of the city’s day-to-day duties.
   Dolan has comported herself well in the position. The city, and Ragsdale, are wise to methodically choose her replacement. Her decision to let Sundeen do the heavy lifting, we hope, will make for a good search and a qualified replacement.

Some good, bad of a week gone by
   — Usually we’re a little more cautious about messing with Mother Nature (especially as winter is just beginning), but she gets a reluctant thumbs down after her soggy performance in November. What a month: rain, rain and more rain; wind storms; topped off by a smattering of snow and ice.  It has us already longing for those dog days of summer.
   — It was nice to see Santa and Mrs. Claus back in town Thursday evening. The tree lighting ceremony at the Newberg Public Library brought warmth to downtown. There will be more festive atmosphere in the coming weeks centered around the Chehalem Cultural Center. Food, a craft fair and miniature steam engine rides are some of things that should get folks into the holiday spirit beginning Dec. 9.
   — Thumbs down to the Kulongoski bashers, who criticized the Oregon governor for traveling to Iraq to visit some of the state’s National Guard and military troops. He is one of four governors assessing the situation in Iraq. Kulongoski was criticized for questioning the lack of progress there and for following the Democrats’ anti-war position. But this is Kulongoski’s second trip to Iraq to check on our men and women in uniform. The party line argument pales when considering one of the governor’s travel partners, Gov. George Pataki, a New York Republican, concurred that the war is not going well and that it’s time to bring home our troops.

F.I.S.H. can use your help
   In the respite between Thanksgiving and the hustle and bustle of the Christmas holiday we urge readers to consider investing in the local food bank. Friends In Service to Humanity (F.I.S.H) is in the midst of its busy season and could use our donations of time and money.
   State statistics indicate that one-third of the people receiving emergency food boxes are children (age 17 and younger). Those same statistics indicate that many of those children come from households with two working parents. Those parents are doing their best to make ends meet, but need a little boost at this time of year.
   A couple of other factors are working against local food banks. For example, regional food banks in the Oregon Food Bank network are receiving less food from the federal government – about one- quarter less from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s commodities program.
   The USDA justifies its contribution decrease in part by saying there are less people going hungry in the United States. That may be true nationally, but until recently, Oregon was ranked first as having the most “hungry households.”
   There are signs we’re trending away from that distinction, but that won’t continue without due diligence by all of us.
   To contact F.I.S.H. to make a donation, call 503-538-4444.

These programs are No. 1
   The result of Saturday’s boys and girls state water polo championships for Newberg High School may have seemed ho hum. But there’s definitely a method behind the maddening success of Coach Jim McMaster’s program. The talent pool displayed last weekend at Osborn Aquatic Center in Corvallis was a result of year-round training, West Coast trips seeking out the best competition, and a coach respected at the international level.
   Payoff for the hours of pool time put in by the boys and girls in the Newberg program — especially state MVPs Keary Schlactus and Adrienne Cheney — was a state crown.
   Since 1983 McMaster-coached teams have won 22 state titles — 14 girls and eight boys. That includes a streak for the girls of eight successive years from 1992 to 1999. Along the way, numerous players have gone on to college and enjoyed scholarships because of their water polo talents.
   In McMaster, Newberg has a dedicated, straight-forward, no-nonsense coach, whose program speaks for itself.
   Congratulations to the boys and girls water polo programs and their state titles.

Veterans Day holiday deserves luster
  We can and should do better for Veterans Day.
   In many ways the holiday has taken a backseat to other holidays in this country.    With constant political wrangling lambasting us from all angles, it’s easy to forget to celebrate the many generations of our military heroes. Patriotism often is soiled by partisanism in these supposed United States.
   Veterans Day parades are few and far between nowadays in America. However, we can use the holiday to educate others about what men and women in the military have done for us and our nation.
   We can listen to veterans and their stories; we can thank them.
   We can tell our children about veterans and try to relate the importance of their service. We can explain that Veterans Day was established by an Act of Congress on May 24, 1954. Later that year, President Eisenhower called on citizens to “observe the day by remembering the sacrifices of all those who fought so gallantly, and through rededication to the task of promoting an enduring peace.”
   November 11, is the anniversary of the Armistice which was signed in 1918, ending World War I.
   We can help our children understand some of the values which make this nation great. Those same values guide many of our veterans.

Nov. 7 recommendations
   The Newberg Graphic urges people to vote Nov. 7 and recommends the following candidates and votes on ballot measures in the general election:
   – Bob Andrews for Newberg mayor – Andrews has the wherewithal and working knowledge of the system to follow up on problems and help realize a community’s dreams.
   – Diane Ragsdale for Dundee mayor – Dundee citizens in the next few years will face some tough decisions. Diane Ragsdale is our mayoral choice to help guide the city council in making those decisions.
   – Bob Larson for Newberg City Council – Larson is a proven commodity, who has shown he can perform well on the council.
   – Yes on county Measure 36-109, meth levy – Experience tells us we shouldn’t rely on Washington, D.C., to provide money to fund local projects. Measure 36-109 provides resources so we can take care of our own.
   Yes on Measure 24-226 for St. Paul schools  – We urge voters in the St. Paul School District to continue to show pride in their schools and approve the much needed levy to upgrade facilities.
   – No on state Measure 42 – What the measure could end up doing is drive up insurance rates of Oregonians with good credit, including insurance rates for small businesses. That’s not fair to hardworking people, who are diligent in paying their bills on time.
   – Yes on state Measure 44 – Making prescription drugs available to participants at the lowest possible cost through negotiated price discounts is a good idea.
   – No on state Measure 45 – Voters already have the power to limit legislators’ terms when they’re up for election, every two or four years. If a legislator is doing a good job, voters will keep her or him in office. If not, they’ll vote ’em out.
   – No on state Measure 48 – If enacted, Measure 48 would do more than scale back government. It would devastate some of the services we’ve grown accustomed to.
   – Charles Lee for House District 25 – Lee is determined to reach across party lines in an effort to effectively govern. We need more people in government who can put aside differences and get down to the business of legislating.
   – Larry George for Senate District 13 – George knows how to make end runs to get things done; he won’t be afraid to go toe-to-toe and duke it out if necessary.

Ragsdale must finish what she has started
   Diane Ragsdale has been mayor of Dundee during some tumultuous times: a police chief run amok and the disbanding of the department to contract with Newberg; oftentimes contentious meetings, and councilors, at the city council; too little water; too much sewage; way too much traffic; and a revenue fight over a gas tax.
   It’s enough to try the patience of any public servant.
   Yet, Ragsdale typically handles the chaos with aplomb and dignity. That’s why she received the endorsement of our community editorial board to remain mayor of Dundee.
   The race between Ragsdale and Don Sundeen is proving to be a tight one. Both candidates have their strengths and weaknesses. But distilled to its simplest form, the difference between the two centers around their vision for Dundee, specifically its downtown.
   Ragsdale has taken the lead from years of planning and is using the city’s vision statement as a blueprint to get things done. That vision, and accompanying refinement plan, includes a major facelift of the downtown that could turn Dundee into a destination for tourists and those accessing the wine industry.
   Sundeen also favors a diversity of commercial interests and small-scale development, catering to the existing residential community while playing up the winery aspect of the town.
   Ragsdale has a collaborative style that in the long run will serve the city well. However, the editorial board agreed that she needs to take a firmer hand with the shenanigans of outspoken councilors and members of the public. Nothing will be accomplished if councilors and citizens are determined to disrupt council meetings.
   We’re also troubled by the politicking that seems to be unfolding in Dundee. There appears to be a contingent within the community that is attempting to paint Ragsdale as ineffective just as the campaign season is in full swing. That’s dirty pool, plain and simple, and has no place in this election.
   Ragsdale has made great inroads on behalf of the Newberg-Dundee bypass effort. She has put in the work on that and other issues in the community and it would be a shame to dislodge her from the mayor’s chair just as she is hitting her stride.
   Dundee citizens in the next few years will face some tough decisions, including the hiring of a city manager. Diane Ragsdale is our mayoral choice to help guide the city council in making those decisions.

Measuring some of the measures
   The Newberg Graphic’s editorial board recently came to a consensus (albeit not a unanimous one) on four of the 10 ballot measures in the Nov. 7 general election. Following are the board’s recommendations:
  
   No on Measure 42, which prohibits insurance companies from using credit score or “credit worthiness” in calculating rates or premiums.
   Measure 42 bans the use of credit information on establishing insurance rates or premiums. Some insurers charge extra to people with poor credit scores, citing research that shows those clients are more likely to file claims. The measure would stop insurance companies from considering that credit information in determining rates and premiums.
   What the measure could end up doing is drive up rates of Oregonians with good credit, including insurance rates for small businesses. That’s not fair to hardworking people, who are diligent in paying their bills on time and who have good credit.
   Vote no on Measure 42.
  
   Yes on Measure 44, which allows any Oregon resident without prescription drug coverage to participate in Oregon’s prescription drug program.
   Measure 44 “modifies” the eligibility requirements for Oregon residents to participate in the Oregon Prescription Drug Program. The program intends to make prescription drugs available to participants at the lowest possible cost through negotiated price discounts. The measure expands the Oregon Prescription Drug Program by removing eligibility requirements so that all Oregonians without prescription drug coverage, regardless of age or income may participate.
   Participants receive a card to use at participating pharmacies to purchase prescription drugs at the discounted price. There is no state subsidy involved; participants still must pay for their own prescriptions. But through pooling, the state is able to negotiate discounts on many common drugs — in some cases, as much as 60 percent. That’s bad for pharmaceutical companies, but good for us consumers.
   Vote yes on Measure 44.
  
   No on Measure 45, which amends the state constitution, limiting terms of state legislators — six years as representative, eight years as senator, 14 years total in the legislature.
   As Yogi Berra once said, it’s déjà vu all over again. We were sold on the term limit idea in the early 1990s and we were wrong. We learned that limiting legislators’ time in office also limited the collective knowledge of the legislature and strengthened the power of lobbying groups, special interests and government employees.
   Term limits are unnecessary in Oregon. Voters already have the power to limit legislators’ terms when they’re up for election, every two or four years. If a legislator is doing a good job, voters will keep her or him in office. If not, they’ll vote ’em out.
   Vote no on Measure 45.
  
   No on Measure 48, which amends the state constitution by limiting biennial percentage increase in state spending to a percentage increase in state population, plus inflation.
   Measure 48 has been labeled as another example of deep-pocketed, out-of-state, special interests using Oregon to test the national policy waters. The Bend Bulletin newspaper reported that groups led by New York developer Howard Rich spent more than $1.5 million in Oregon to help qualify ballot measures, including Measure 48. That’s a lot of money to most of us, but not too much for folks like Rich. We’re not interested in being rubes of Rich.
   Some like the measure because it sends a message to state government that it needs to scale back. However, if enacted, Measure 48 would do more that scale back government. It would devastate some of the services we’ve grown accustomed to.
Vote no on Measure 48.

Lee’s work ethic gets him board’s nod
    It’s likely the race between incumbent Kim Thatcher (R-Keizer) and challenger Charles Lee (D-Keizer) will remain close until it is decided Nov. 7 by the voters.
   They are both good candidates, with a lot to offer the residents of House District 25, which includes Newberg.
   Their qualities and similarities had The Newberg Graphic community editorial board nearly split, as well. But Lee got the nod by one vote after board members sat down with the pair Wednesday morning.
   Lee is a polished and organized individual with a moderate message we think will play well in generally conservative House District 25. He is unusual in that he is a pro-life Democrat with a desire to see the state become more fiscally conservative.
   That being said, Thatcher has adjusted well to the steep learning curve freshman legislators face when they take office in Salem. She is much better versed on the issues and the machination of state government than she was when she took office in 2004.
   We like that Lee has been very involved in the Keizer community, including stints on a local anti-meth task force and on the city council. Parliamentary procedure and law making learned on the local level is excellent training for what Lee will face when he takes office in Salem.
   We’re somewhat concerned, however, that Lee may not understand the voluminous time commitment required of state legislators, particularly concerning his plans for outreach in local communities. Thatcher found that out as she juggled legislative duties and running a family business. Lee, the president of Blanchet Catholic School in Salem, said he has the support of his bosses to devote his energy full-time to his office.
   Still, Lee’s desire to be a problem solver, to make government accessible to the people it represents, is refreshing and, we think, will serve well the citizens of House District 25.
   We’re also encouraged that Lee is determined to reach across party lines in an effort to effectively govern. There are too few people in Oregon government who can put aside their differences and get down to the business of legislating. Vote for Lee in the Nov. 7 general election.

St. Paul schools need your vote
   There’s a saying, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” In St. Paul some will argue that saying actually goes, “The more things stay the same, the more things stay the same.”
   That’s easier said when talking about values and pride — both important to St. Paul’s residents — than it is when the talking about buildings and facilities. The bottom line for St. Paul’s aging public school buildings is they aren't staying the same. They need work and that’s what prompted Measure 24-226, a $4.1 million bond to pay for some necessary upgrades and expansion. Although the price tag may seem daunting to some, we think the money would be well spent, especially considering the alternative will be continued repairs and high maintenance costs.
   St. Paul High School was built in the early 1950s and the grade school in the 1960s. Voters passed a bond in 1996 to add two classrooms to the elementary school, do some parking lot paving and roof repair. Fifty years of use — including shared use by students at the nearby parochial school — have taken an obvious toll on the school facilities.
   Among other things, the bond voters will decide on next month would:
   • Pay for three additional rooms at the high school, including a new science laboratory classroom;
   • Expand the music room at the elementary school;
   • Add a new covered play area for the elementary school students;
   • Renovate, upgrade and repartition existing classrooms;
   • Upgrade safety and security systems, plumbing systems, ventilation and heating systems, and electrical systems at the elementary and high school; replace single pane windows; and remove asbestos at the high school.
   These aren’t Taj Mahal-like visions of grandeur. This is necessary work that if not done will be more expensive in the future.
   Pride is a prominent buzzword in St. Paul.  We urge voters in the St. Paul School District to continue to show pride in their schools and approve the much needed levy to upgrade facilities.

Larson gets our vote for District 6 spot
   Bob Larson is a good candidate and would make a fine city councilor. Ernie Amundson is a good candidate and would make a fine city councilor.
   So how does one choose which one will represent District 6 on the Newberg City Council?
   Both have considerable experience in city government, having served on committees ranging from finance and budget, to the Citizens Rate Review Committee. Both have backgrounds in business, and so could be expected to take a no-nonsense approach to carrying on the city’s duties. Both have a passion to serve the community and see the council, as Amundson put it, “as a passage way between the city government and the citizens.”
   So how does a voter choose?
   Larson has served on the council before, in fact, he’d be there still if he wasn’t forced to resign because he moved out of the district. He has more time to devote to the job, has plentiful energy and enthusiasm for city government and, as a former banker, always comes prepared for council.
   Amundson is younger and hasn’t become part of the governmental establishment in Newberg quite yet, a fact that appealed to some editorial board members looking for fresh faces. Amundson, if elected, will join two new faces on the council in Jeff Palmer, who is running unopposed, and Bart Rierson, appointed recently to the spot vacated by the resignation of Mike McBride.
   Amundson has more history in Newberg than Larson, which can be helpful when longstanding issues come before the council.
   In the end the editorial board sided with Larson, reasoning that he is a proven commodity who has shown he can perform well on the council. Larson will represent the council’s senior component, a voice of experience and someone who has worked well in the past with those who will continue to serve on the council, namely Rierson, Robert Soppe, Roger Currier and Mike Boyes. Larson also seems to have a good rapport with Bob Andrews, who undoubtedly will transform from a council member to mayor in the general election.
   Bob Larson is a good man and will make a fine councilor. Ernie Amundson, we suspect, will find his way onto the council in the not-too-distant future, either as a candidate or an appointee. Either way, Newberg will be well represented.

Meth must be stopped: Levy is a good start
   Has you or your neighbor had something stolen from your house or car lately? Do you know of any identity theft victims? Have you heard of anyone writing bad checks or stealing from a business in the past year? If you answered yes to any of those questions there’s a good chance methamphetamine use is linked to the crime.
   Eighty percent of all felony drug crimes in Yamhill County are now related to meth. County statistics show a 100 percent increase in meth-related crimes (such as identity theft, burglary, child abuse and neglect) in the past five years.
   Yamhill County’s multi-agency drug task force and a group of citizens have come up with a plan to battle meth-related crimes. But they'll need your help in next month’s general election. Measure 36-109 is a four-year local option levy that will provide about $1.7 million to help deal with the scourge of meth. The Newberg Graphic’s editorial board has studied the levy and concluded it represents tax dollars well spent.
   The levy is for about 30.5 cents per $1,000 of assessed value of your property. For example, a taxpayer owning a home valued at $150,000 would pay $45.75 in property taxes in the first year of the levy.
   And what will voters get for their money?
   — Five law enforcement officers, including one slated for Newberg, to focus on meth-related crimes, such as identity theft, forgery, burglary and child abuse.
   — A crime analyst to coordinate all tips, arrest reports, and other information from around the county to assist the focused patrol.
   — A prosecutor, an investigator, and a paralegal in the district attorney’s office to assist in the prosecution of drug offenders and to aggressively pursue criminal forfeitures so that victims of drug related crime can be compensated for their losses.
   — One chemical dependency treatment specialist to work with 20 adult offenders per year through drug court.
   — One full-time and one part-time parole and probation officer to increase court-ordered supervision of meth criminals after their release from jail or prison.
   — Retention of juvenile court programs to reduce repeat criminal activity.
   — Strengthening of partnerships with local community coalitions by providing more programs designed and proven to help county youth resist illegal drug use.
   Meth impacts us in many ways. Oregon had the dubious distinction of being the focus of a PBS Frontline/Oregonian documentary on meth earlier this year. As the show pointed out, meth’s impact on a community and families can be devastating. Meth brings increased cases of child endangerment, abuse and neglect. “Parents under the influence of meth may also sexually or physically abuse their children. And, with parents cooking meth at home, the children are exposed to toxic, combustible chemicals.
   “For a community, meth brings a crime wave. Property crimes, car theft and identification theft soar because addicts need money for their habit. Local jails have to house newly-arrested meth users and health care facilities must treat patients whom overdose or are injured in lab explosions. Altogether, meth affects the whole range of a community’s social and health services.”
   The four-year levy, coupled with a three-year $1.5 million federal grant, will also help combat meth-related crime. County officials anticipate that during the next four years, population growth in our county will be sufficient to cover the costs of the personnel associated with the levy. They say because of this, the new public safety, prevention, and treatment positions will continue to be funded without the need for a future levy.
   Congress is starting to take notice, now that the meth wave has hit the East Coast. But experience tells us we shouldn’t rely on Washington, D.C., to provide money to fund local projects. Measure 36-109 provides resources so we can take care of our own. We urge a yes vote on the levy.

Andrews has the experience, passion to serve Newberg
   Bob Andrews would be a better Newberg mayor than Ed Leffler and here are three reasons why:
   As a city councilor, including more than a year as its president, Andrews has a good sense of what’s going on in the community, as well as a broad scope of what’s going on inside city hall. A mayor needs to know the workings of government and how to get things done, working both within and outside the system. Andrews is more qualified than Leffler to get things done.
  Andrews realizes there could be better communication between the city council, city government and the citizenry. He says he is committed to improving those relations.
   Andrews’ community involvement is well above average, having worked on a variety of citizen committees. His involvement shows he has a passion for Newberg and the issues confronting this growing community.
   Both candidates said there needs to be more openness in city government, including the city council. Leffler cited a couple of situations where citizens issues brought before the council were never resolved. We agree with Leffler that that should never occur.
   Leffler and Andrews differ on an important question: How safe is Newberg?
   Leffler said according to statistics he pulled off the Internet, Newberg ranks high in crime compared to nearby cities and others its size. Leffler said he has never talked to Police Chief Bob Tardiff about the accuracy of the statistics. We called the chief and he said those 2004 statistics are incorrect, due to faulty reporting by the company contracted to compile them. (It should be noted that Tardiff is listed in the voters’ pamphlet among the community leaders endorsing Andrews’ candidacy. Nevertheless, we have no reason to doubt the chief, who said he would be glad to share crime statistics with Leffler or anyone else who is interested.)
   Leffler said Newberg police should get out of their cars and walk the neighborhoods two hours a day so they can interact with citizens. He cited studies from cities where this occurs; respect for the police goes up and crime goes down, Leffler said.
   Andrews said community policing involves more than walking a beat. He said the Newberg Police Department is understaffed for a city this size and that having officers away from their vehicles would be an ineffective way of policing. He did say he thinks cops on bicycles might work in some neighborhoods or at certain events. Andrews said Newberg is safe, but vulnerable to problems seen in the Portland-metro area. Part of that, he said, is because the city’s police department has fewer officers vs. towns of comparable size.
   A less striking disagreement between the two candidates is how they view the role of mayor. Leffler said the role of mayor is to prevent and solve problems; to think ahead; to walk the town and talk to people. Andrews said the mayor and city council should serve in the interest of the city; they should be liaisons between city government and residents. He said the mayor is the person who follows up on issues that come before the council. He said he’d like to see city council meetings less agenda driven and more community friendly. He didn’t cite specifics on how that could be accomplished, but did say if elected he would start a dialogue with the council to try and get that done.
   Two years ago, when Leffler ran against Bob Stewart for mayor, we suggested he get involved in a few civic organizations or government committees. Ed says that’s not his style. He said he has attended two council meetings in the past two years.
   Style or not, we still think Leffler could benefit from sitting on a few city committees, where he could learn more about the workings of city government. We’re not asking Ed to become “one of them” and ruin his reputation as a government outsider. We think folks like Ed could help get some things done because of their passion for the community. But there’s a big difference between those who commiserate with people about their problems versus those who do so and then actively seek a solution.
   Leffler is an idea man who provides a good ear to some people who feel they have no voice in government — whether because of personal experience or misinformation. Andrews is that and more. He has the wherewithal and working knowledge of the system to follow up on those problems, or in a more positive vein, to help realize a community’s dreams. Because of this, Andrews is a better choice for Newberg mayor.

Aim the gloves above the belt
   As we approach the meat of the election season, a few reminders are in order regarding political letters to the editor.
   First, we enjoy receiving letters to the editor. They enhance our Viewpoint page and allow people of opposing views to express themselves.
   At the same time, some authors take letterwriting to the extreme, especially during general election season. Following are a few guidelines to keep in mind as you’re penning your prose the next few weeks.
   – Limit submissions to one letter per person per candidate or measure.
   – Keep those letters on point. Two-hundred-fifty words is a good target length.
   – Sign your letters and accompany them with a telephone number or address for verification.
   – Remember, local subjects take precedent over national ones.
   – Stick to the facts. Unfounded allegations and name-calling are means for disqualification. We’ll do our best to weed those out early in the process.
   – Don’t send in form letters provided by candidates. That cheapens the candidates and letterwriters alike. And don’t simply rehash campaign literature bullet points.
   – Finally, no cheap shots or late hits.

Larry George has our Senate vote
   Larry George’s enthusiasm for politics and knowledge of Oregon government helped him earn The Newberg Graphic’s endorsement for Senate District 13.
   Sitting down with George (a Newberg Republican) and Rick Ross (a Democrat from Sherwood), our community editorial board felt George would do a better job serving in Salem.
   Ross has an impressive background in federal and state government; he is involved in many things, from the Boy Scouts to formation of the Tualatin National Wildlife Refuge. But Ross didn’t display the thorough understanding George did on how the Oregon Legislature and state government work. He also wasn’t as astute on Newberg-area issues.
   George, who volunteers with the Newberg High FFA program, is the former director of Oregonians In Action. The OIA has been a lightning rod for criticism in recent years for its stance on land use issues. George’s OIA connections have placed him squarely in the hornet’s nest of state politics more than once. He has emerged as an erudite speaker with definitive ideas on how to improve state government. We don’t agree with all of those fixes, but we can’t discount George’s candidness and his willingness to defend his views.
   Unlike some of the current legislators in the area, George hinted that he won’t simply do the bidding of the Republican caucus. Hopefully that will be the case, because both caucuses have at times prevented some substantive things from getting done.
   We agree with George that the legislature should be a guard dog of state government. We similarly agree that the legislature should tackle major budget items — like K-12 education — during the first months of the session instead of during the mad dash toward adjournment in late summer. We also agree that the state budgeting process could be streamlined at a savings to taxpayers.
   The confident George appears to be his own man. His years as a lobbyist and working at the capitol have armed him with a great deal of practical political knowledge and contacts on both sides of the isle. He knows how to make end runs to get things done, yet, he won’t be afraid to go toe-to-toe and duke it out if necessary.
   We are hopeful that George will put aside partisan politics and well represent the people of District 13. We are confident he has the skills; we are hopeful he has the political wherewithal.

Who does Hugo think he is?
   Thumbs down to flapping Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez for his remarks this week about President Bush.
   Chavez reportedly called the president an alcoholic and a sick man, mocking him during a talk in front of about 200 people at a church in New York’s Harlem district. On Wednesday, Chavez called Bush the devil before the U.N. General Assembly.
   Chavez spewed his rhetoric fully aware that his nation's economy is hugely dependent on petroleum exports — half of which go to America. Before people anoint Chavez as the second coming of Simon Bolivar, the liberating South American general of the early 1800s, they should know that about half of Chavez's nation of 25 million people live in poverty and its unemployment rate is almost three times that of the United States.
   We’re not opposed to a little criticism of our president. (In fact, we’ve doled out some of it ourselves the past few years.) But we don’t have to stand for it when it comes from someone who doesn’t walk his talk.
   About the only thing Hugo’s remarks seemed to do was give some people a good chuckle, and unite some of this country’s political opposites. For that, perhaps, we should thank old Hurricane Hugo.

Thrift store needs a helping hand
   The Newberg Thrift Store provides a necessary niche is this community, rivaling any other organization in philanthropic giving. In that regard, we hope store organizers find a much-needed larger home so they can continue providing those less fortunate with low-cost clothing and household items.
   For almost 50 years the thrift store's army of volunteers has turned donations into saleable goods. The money raised by the sale of those goods stays in Newberg and has gone to projects at the local hospital, Newberg Fire Department, Newberg Public Library and Newberg School District. Each month, Newberg F.I.S.H. (Friends In Service to Humanity) receives a $500 check from the store.
   As Newberg grows, so do the donations. The 2,000-square-foot store is packed to the ceiling. Volunteers are seeking a building that will accommodate the thrift store for the next 20 years. A 6,000-square-foot space would enable Newberg Thrift Store to continue its service for decades to come.
   So, if you or your organization has land, a spare building or money to get these folks where they need to be, call them. It will, in the end, benefit us all.

Hard lessons of 9-11
   Thanks to a few people in town we have been reminded once again of the fragile nature of life. The reminder came in the form of a memorial service Monday at the main fire station, as well as many Sept. 11 specials on network TV and cable the past few days. They allow us to relive the events surrounding the attacks on our country, keeping them fresh in our minds.
   Some signify the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon as the beginning of America’s war against terrorism. But America had been hit by terrorist attacks before on the USS Cole, at our African embassies and in Beirut. What was different this time was how we, the people, and our government reacted to the attack. Some of the best reaction came from those most affected by the attacks – fire and police personnel. They’ve vigorously ramped up emergency preparedness policies and procedures.
   A “war” was begun, albeit a war against a very nebulous enemy, one without uniforms or a country of origin. It’s unlikely this war will ever end. It will take on different meaning as governments — including our own — transition. It will easily attract new recruits as long as extremism breeds in other countries, and as long as our country dabbles in the affairs of others.
   We are not safer today than we were five years ago. But we are aware that we’re not any safer. In fact, we’re more aware in a lot of ways, including that we need to be mindful of the consequences of our actions in other parts of the world.
   Does the fact that we're not safer have anything to do with the Bush Administration? Probably not. The people who use of violence as part of their religious beliefs are going to do so whether a Bush or a Clinton or a Lincoln lives in the White House.
   Have people taken advantage of 9-11? By all means. The terrorists spout “we told you so,” and “wait until next time.” Pet projects are being funded at home. Contracts are being signed that do nothing to make us safer, but do line the pockets of wealthy constituents. That type of thing occurred before 9-11 and it will continue to occur.
   One lesson of 9-11 is that America has joined most of the rest of the world in being vulnerable to manmade catastrophe. Knowing that, maybe we will look at other countries more as a brother than a landlord.

Arm yourself with knowledge
   Perhaps Newberg area voters should take a cue from the thousands of youngsters heading back to classrooms this week and engage in a little schooling themselves.  There are plenty of things to ponder this fall election season — from a statewide governor’s race, to Oregon House and Senate races, to open seats on the Newberg and Dundee city councils.
   Voter pamphlets won’t be out for a month or so, but there will be other chances — in the form of community forums and news stories — to learn about candidates and issues.
   Newberg voters will decide one contested city council seat as well as who will be the next mayor. Dundee voters will see four council candidates vying for three seats. Dundee voters also will decide among two mayoral candidates. In addition, Yamhill County is offering a law enforcement levy targeting methamphetamine use, enforcement and prevention.
   Thursday is the last day for local measure filings and city candidate certification for the Nov. 7 election. That gives voters two months to study candidates and issues.
   Less than half of Yamhill County’s registered voters cast ballots in the May 16 primary election and the Nov. 8, 2005 general election. The county only did slightly better percentage-wise the last time it voted on a governor’s race – in 2002.
   We’re hoping for a majority turnout of voters this fall, and better yet, we’re hoping those voters will be well informed about the candidates and issues.

Tunes on Tuesday is long overdue entertainment
   Five Guys Named Moe, a band that actually has 12 members and three women, topped of an impressive musical series of dates in August called Tunes on Tuesday.
   Held adjacent to Rotary Centennial Park, the concert series proved popular with townsfolk, with more than 200 people attending this week’s installment despite threatening skies.
   Andrea Hamilton kicked off the series Aug. 1, then local band Roughly Hewn took the stage the following week. Rob Rife and The Pass the Salt Band’s unique take on Scottish blues was a favorite Aug. 15 and indie-rock crooner Jaycob VanAuken graced the stage last week.
   All in all the concert series was a welcome addition to the town’s limited opportunities for entertainment. Newberg needs more chances for its residents to get together, share a laugh, enjoy some food and be entertained in a nice venue in the neighborhood.
   Since the demise of two popular concert series in the 1990s, Newberg has had few opportunities to enjoy a summer evening of music. We hope that Tunes on Tuesday, an event planned by the Chehalem Valley Chamber of Commerce and bolstered by generous sponsors, will continue next season.

McKern House deserves a reprieve
   Some look at the McKern House sitting near the intersection of Springbrook and Wilsonville roads and see a useless, weathered shack Those people shake their heads at Friends of Historic Newberg, dismissing its efforts to save the former home of the pioneering Luke McKern family.
   But the Friends, and others like them, realize the value of places like the McKern House. Part of the uniqueness of Newberg is its history; it’s ties to former President Herbert Hoover, for example. In this the community can enhance that history, it can remain unique; it can be more than just another Portland suburb.
   The value of global history is obvious. For one, it allows us to appreciate other cultures and common problems in a fast shrinking world. The value of local history is similar.
Gerda Lerner’s book, “Why History Matters,” explains that we all are practicing historians. We go through life presenting ourselves to others through our life stories. We identify different events, giving them added significance. Those stories change as we mature.
   In identifying the McKern House as significant, we’re inviting people to take notice. We’re perhaps prompting them to remember where they came from and some of the values that helped shape their lives.
   The McKern House isn’t a 30-second sound bite; it’s not an interactive video. But it can be a teaching tool and a visible reminder of who we once were.

Week’s worth of winners: college, sports
   THUMBS UP to George Fox University – and other Oregon private colleges – for high rankings in U.S. News & World Report’s latest listing of America's Best Colleges. George Fox continues to expand academically and exponentially, attracting students at record numbers. The century partnership between the college and the community at large is cemented in various ways, including shared use of facilities. That partnership can benefit all involved as Newberg and George Fox forge ahead into the next decade.
   THUMBS UP to Eugene and the University of Oregon’s Hayward Field for its selection to host the four-day 2010 NCAA Track and Field Championships. It’s a ways off, and a couple of hours away from us in Chehalem Valley, but the fact that Oregon can attract national events (including the 2008 Olympic track and field trials) is a tribute to the state.
   In a similar vein, THUMBS UP to the Murrayhill Little Leaguers and chase of a world title. First Oregon State in the College World Series, and now Murrayhill in the Little League tournament. They’ve taken Oregon baseball to the national stage.

Let’s have fewer studies, more state troopers
   What does it take to recognize a bad idea?
   For example, there’s a state study going on to see whether county sheriff’s offices could take over the patrol division of the Oregon State Police and reduce OSP’s budget. The study was commissioned in 2005 by the Oregon Legislature, which wanted a report on “the potential benefits, costs, and impacts of transferring all or a portion of the activities of the Patrol Division to county sheriffs.”
   On the other hand, Gov. Ted Kulongoski wants to increase the size of the state police. His general election opponent, Republican Ron Saxton, wants to do the same. Furthermore, a dozen legislators are scheduled to meet in Salem this week to discuss increasing the number of troopers.
   The Associated Press reported that OSP patrol division has 333 troopers — less than half the number the division had in 1979 when Oregon had a million fewer people.
   We shouldn’t be spending taxpayer money to study how to reduce a necessary arm of state government. The budget note out of the Joint Ways and Means Committee calling for the study more than a year ago might have been well intended back then. But the more popular sentiment today is to find ways to add more state police to patrol our highways and fight crime.

Shame on those who desecrate the flag
   The person or persons who desecrated an American flag and then dumped it behind a local business should be ashamed.
   The flag went missing soon after it was erected by Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) in late July during the Old Fashioned Festival. It was found by those same volunteers Monday as they erected flags in recognition of the 61st anniversary of Japan’s surrender at the end of World War II.
   When found, the flag had slits cut across the field of stars and stripes.
   It’s shameful and we suspect youthful indiscretion was probably behind it.
   The sacrifices made on behalf of that flag, by veterans and others, are what the American flag represents. To lay waste to that symbol is to thumb one’s nose at all the country has been through in its journey toward democracy, freedom of faith and political choice.
   We’d advise those responsible for this act of desecration to step forward and own up to their crime. The punishment? They can lend their young backs to helping the aging VFW volunteers in erecting flags 13 times a year in recognition of this country’s various holidays.
   Maybe then, after working side-by-side with veterans who have fought for the flag, they will understand the freedom it represents.

Some good and bad of a week gone by
   Thumbs up to the civic-minded people who are considering signing on as volunteer firefighters.
   Newberg could use a few more good men and women to augment its paid fire department staff. Staffing the city's two fire stations at present are about 60 volunteers and 20 full-time fire personnel. Chief Al Blodgett said Newberg could use another half-dozen or more volunteers.
   Requirements include: people must be physically fit; are not convicted felons; have a penchant for community service; have support from family; and can train on weekends and some evenings for the next few months. A strong volunteer staff plays a part in helping keep insurance rates low, but more importantly, it means we live in a safer city. (To become a volunteer, call the Newberg Fire Department at 503-537-0123.)
   Thumbs up to the recently maligned Old Fashioned Festival committee, which took a modicum of heat for an inappropriate entry into this year’s festival parade. A single blemish at one of the celebration’s many venues shouldn’t be the standard with which we judge the 2006 festival. The committee no doubt will bounce back from its mistake and be better because of it.

Move quickly on meth problem or it will get worse
   There’s a move afoot in Yamhill County designed to squeeze a few more tax dollars from our pocketbooks. But before red flags go up, conservative talk show hosts are contacted, and voodoo dolls are pierced, know this: In the long run, this short-term move likely will end up saving us money.
   In the next two weeks, county commissioners will draft a levy designed to combat the area’s increasing methamphetamine-related crimes. The levy, designed to battle meth on different fronts, will be presented to voters this fall. It will give law enforcement, as well as prevention and treatment programs, a needed shot in the arm.
   The idea of a law enforcement levy targeting meth has been floating about the county for a few years. Though not finalized, the recent levy will ask for about half the amount of money as its predecessor and is expected to bring in $6 million to $8 million for law enforcement. Funds from the levy would be allocated on a percentage basis, with 15 percent of the revenue going to Health and Human Services, 7 percent to community corrections, 42 percent to the sheriff’s office, 13 percent to juvenile justice, and 17 percent to the district attorney’s office.
   If the levy does reach you, the voters, support it. Any money that goes toward fighting this scourge upon our society will be money well spent.

The Old Fashioned Festival continues its run of quality entertainment
   The weather cooperated, as the heat wave subsided. Oh, and of course, it didn’t rain. From the kids parade to the final closing hymn sing, the 2006 Old Fashioned Festival proved once again that no town is too big (or too small) to put on a quality event.
   Thousands of people ventured about town this past weekend to various venues – most centered around Memorial Park and Renne fields. There was the carnival to bring smiles to the adventurous. The fireworks finale brought oohs and ahhs to many. An improved variety of music was a bonus treat, as was the first-ever Scout expo.
   Perhaps the only bone of contention of what otherwise was a seamless festival was an entrant in the main parade. (One Newberg resident penned his comments about the float below on this page.) The Potter’s House Christian Fellowship Church dubbed its float, “Music Makes Us Remember.” And while it may be true that some people along the parade route will remember a rap song or two emanating from the float’s sound system, it’s more likely they’ll remember the armed men in camouflage fatigues or the fake blood covering the man playing Jesus nailed to a cross.
   The float was over the top for a family-oriented parade and will no doubt give the parade committee a chance to review its entrant requirements and/or procedures.
   But one float out of more than 100 shouldn’t be used to judge the entire parade. Nor should one controversial float be the standard used to judge the overall festival. Once again, the Old Fashioned Festival provided a nice summer respite, where folks could gather and enjoy what this community has to offer.

The waiting is over — The festival is here
   Like the fire department’s pancake breakfast and the Turkey Carnival, although on a much larger scale, the Old Fashioned Festival is a time for Newberg townsfolk to get together and share a laugh, a smile and perhaps invoke a memory of a bygone era before electronic gizmos became the standard for cool stuff.
   The festival — complete with parades, midway, carnival, car show and all the other accutrements that make it great — begins Thursday evening with the kids parade and coronation of the 2006 festival queen.
   Over four days the festival will give Newberg residents and visitors alike the opportunity to pry themselves from their cocoon-like homes and mix with their neighbors.
   It will also be a chance to see something different, like a man crafting glass art in the midway or a carnival ride lighting up the night sky before the fireworks show begins.
   Come on, Newberg, it’s time to let down your hair, hitch up your pants and head to the Old Fashioned Festival for another year. We think co-chairmen Allan Hopp and Don Parrish have put together a gem of a festival that Newberg can be proud of and enjoy.

Minor party candidates don’t weaken race
   Local candidate Mary Starrett – who was featured in Saturday’s Newberg Graphic – won’t win the 2006 governor’s race. But the former TV reporter will have an impact on who does.
   Some will say that would be unfortunate – when a minor party candidate “steals” votes from Republicans and Democrats. We disagree. We think candidates like Starrett of the Constitution Party, and Ben Westlund (Independent) add variety to the governor’s race. They offer voters a choice. They also force big party candidates like Democratic incumbent Ted Kulongoski and Republican challenger Ron Saxton to examine their platforms.
   As a result, the best case scenario would be for those candidates to reaffirm their stances; to stand on their principles. Other times, those candidates do the opposite and adopt positions simply to get votes.
   That would be a travesty and we hope it doesn’t happen this fall.
   Minor party candidates should strengthen a race by getting major party candidates to see things from a different viewpoint, even if it only reaffirms their beliefs.

Take advantage of life’s lemons one step at a time
   Thanks to Laurie Johnson for her reminder of how good things often emanate from the bad along the topsy-turvy road that sometimes is life.
   The former Newberg resident (Laurie Lebow from the Newberg High class of 1978) bounced back from a tragic twist of fate by starting a foundation that helps others in similar situations.
   Johnson’s inspirational story, told in today’s newspaper, starts with her surviving a plane crash that killed her husband and their young son. During the two-year rehabilitation of a badly broken leg suffered in the crash, she dreamed up the idea to start a company called LemonAid Crutches. The company makes colorful, comfortable crutches.
   Later, Johnson organized Step With Hope, a foundation that assists grieving accident survivors. Johnson puts half the profits from LemonAid Crutches into the nonprofit foundation.
   Social responsibility comes in many forms. Johnson has battled back from a devastating setback in her life. In doing so, she realized she was in a good position to help others deal with similar situations.

Red light photo system: Boon or boondoggle?
   Grumblings have surfaced of late about the city of Newberg’s red light photo system, installed a few weeks ago at the intersection of Springbrook Road and Highway 99W.
   Callers to this paper have claimed the only reason the city installed the system was to boost revenues.
   We disagree. The revenue garnered from this system in the form of tickets primarily goes to the state and the company responsible for installing the system.
   The benefits, however, are innumerable and include convincing drivers to pay more attention when approaching intersections, hesitating to run yellow lights and slowing down to something approaching the posted speed on 99W.
   Those are all good things that will result from this system.
   We doubt there will be a rash of tickets resulting from this system, but if there is then word will get around and perhaps it will put a damper on speeders and those trying to “beat the light.”
   Springbrook/99W has proved to be a dangerous intersection, as are the other intersections slated to receive the red light system. Anything that can be done to lessen that danger is a good thing.

Yamhill County connection does us proud in Omaha
   Ten years ago if someone would have asked “what significance will Omaha, Nebraska play in your life?” to any of the four Yamhill County players on Oregon State University’s baseball team, it probably would have produced a dumbfounded shrug. Fast forward to today and Omaha never looked so good to those players, as well as Newberg native Pat Casey, the Beavers’ head coach.
   This past week, Casey and his OSU team have become household names inside baseball circles (and beyond). OSU’s stellar run in this year’s College World Series has captured the attention of this state. Casey and his staff have the Beavers two wins away from a national championship, as OSU plays North Carolina in a best-of-three series starting tonight (Saturday).
   Four Beaver players — Dallas Buck and Derek Engelke of Newberg, and Daniel Turpen and Joe Patterson of McMinnville — honed their diamond skills on the fields of Yamhill County. Casey started his baseball career in Newberg as a player and went on to coach at George Fox before he took over at OSU in 1995. That Yamhill County connection should be a source of pride for baseball fans and non-baseball fans alike.

County elections staff does it right in recount
   The efficiency and professionalism of the Yamhill County Elections staff deserves mention in this space for the way it handled Thursday’s recount of Position 1 on the Board of Commissioners.
   County Clerk Jan Coleman decided to conduct a recount of the May ballots in the race involving incumbent Kathy George and challenger Cassie Sollars after receiving advice from the state’s Attorney General’s office. Among other things, the AG’s office advised that in nonpartisan races – such as the one for commissioner – write-in ballots should be examined to determine if they are valid.
   Original results taken in May had George receiving 49.57 percent of the vote and Sollars 36.23 percent. (Candidates Larry Collver and John Stuart had 6 and 7 percent, respectively.)
   After Thursday’s recount, in which all ballots were examined, George held 50.03 percent of the vote and Sollars 36.58. The five votes George gained put her past the 50 percent plus one vote requirement to prevent a November runoff with the next-best finisher (Sollars).
   The employees and volunteers who oversaw the recount effort were meticulous and disciplined in doing a tough and important job. Coleman should also be congratulated on recognizing the county’s error in the initial tally and correcting that error with a recount.

There’s nothing wrong with embracing English
   In days gone by, when an aunt, uncle or grandparent, would chide someone by saying, “speak English”, they usually meant “stop using slang”. Nowadays, “speak English” takes on new meaning.
   The U.S. Senate voted recently to adopt English as our national language. Among other things, the bill says no one has a right to federal communications or services in a language other than English except for those already guaranteed by law. It doesn’t prevent people from speaking other languages in America — that would be silly to do so. And, there won’t be any government clones in trench coats scouring the coffeehouses listening for people breaking the speaking law. Adopting English as the national language won’t stymie other cultures.
   Hopefully, what it will do is encourage non-English speaking people who immigrate to America — as well as others already here — to embrace America’s language. When they do so, they also will be embracing and accepting a part of our way of life; a way of life they obviously were seeking when they came here in the first place.
   Endorsing one language is a way to bridge some of the communication barriers that can lead to distrust and contempt.

Senior project drives home the point about the dangers of drunk driving
   The poignancy of Allyson Raine’s senior project at Newberg High School can be found in a couple of photos and a short story on the front page of this newspaper. If you missed it, it’s worth a look.
   Raine worked with Newberg Fire Marshal Chris Mayfield to organize a mock car crash this past week to drive home the dangers of drunk driving. The scene was played out on the high school football field and included fire department emergency personnel as well as a transport by a Life Flight helicopter. The timeliness of the mock crash coincides with the end of the school year — and accompanying celebrations — for hundreds of local high school and college students.
   According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 196 of Oregon’s 446 traffic fatalities in 2004 (44 percent) were alcohol related. That’s higher than the national average of 39 percent; that’s also more fatalities in Oregon than all but eight other states.
   And it’s not just those behind the wheel who become victims of drunk driving. Of the children infant to 14 years old who were killed in alcohol-related crashes during 2003 in the United States, 47 percent (209) were passengers in vehicles with drivers who had been drinking.
What’s more, about three in every 10 Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related crash at some time in their lives, according to the traffic safety administration.
   We implore parents to keep fresh in their minds the point that there are no winners when students combine drinking and driving. Hopefully, those same parents will make sure the lesson is in the front of their children’s minds, as well.

Marriage of golf course, historic home and barn has potential
   One can almost picture Luke McKern gripping his mashie niblick and staring down at the golf ball. His baggy knickers are constricting just below the knees. His tweed jacket — the one that somehow survived the arduous trip a few years earlier out the Oregon Trail — is flapping in the breeze drifting off nearby Parrett Mountain. He cocks his head to the left as he zeros in on the green 140 yards away.
   It’s a late spring evening and McKern’s chores are done for the day. His horses are watching him intently from the barnyard a few feet away. Behind him, in the two-story home he built out of sturdy timber, his wife is busy preparing supper.
   Once he saw the land (at what is now the intersection of Springbrook and Wilsonville roads) — the endless acres of timber, the beautiful nearby Willamette River — McKern knew Newberg was the place he would call home.
   Of course Newberg wasn’t yet Newberg. And, for that matter, golf wasn’t yet golf — at least in this country. But nevertheless, one can always imagine.
   Much in the same way, the Friends of Historic Newberg have imagined a unique partnership between the McKern home and barn and the Chehalem Glen Golf Course. The group has proposed to the Chehalem Park & Recreation District board that it save the home and barn by moving them to the soon-to-be-built second nine of the course.
   Any such decision by the CPRD board is — at best — a month away. But there are some possible benefits of placing the historic home on, or near, the course.
   Using the home as a golf museum seems a bit of a stretch. But perhaps a museum of another sort, or a community hall would fit nicely into the area that will be developed around the course.
   Parks Superintendent Don Clements has a knack of putting deals together. Given the board’s directive (and we hope he does get that directive), Clements will figure a way to cement the marriage of an aging yet historically significant homestead and a modern golf course.

Springbrook has a chance to be historically modern
   The colorful plans unveiled Tuesday at the Springbrook Properties open house represent what could be another exciting chapter in Newberg’s history.
   Possible plans for the 400-plus acres owned by the Austin family in northeast Newberg include residential, commercial and industrial options in a village-like setting. There will be ample park space, including a possible amphitheater.
   There likely will be some changes made to the Austins’ plans as they are ushered through the pre-construction process over the next two years. But it’s a good bet that Ken and Joan Austin won’t let one aspect of the development get lost in the government shuffle. And that would be incorporating the historical significance of the area into the development.
   One scenario calls for the renovation of an historic school building and church so they can be used for public events. There are other historical touches — like split-rail fencing — that were shown in the artist renderings on display at the open house held in the high school commons.
   Some will find it easy to poke holes in the development of Newberg’s largest continuous tract of land. They will say it will basically mean more houses, more people and more traffic. Those people are correct, but that will happen eventually anyway.
   In a city that’s already built, how often does the chance come along to add a community within a community? What’s more, the Austin family are proven stewards of this town. They have the resources, as well as the community roots, to make sure the development is done correctly.

A few good and bad things in this world of ours
   The good: The six-year grassroots campaign to build a new animal shelter in Newberg topped the $200,000 fund-raising mark recently. The spirited effort, championed by the tireless Darlyn Adams, continues toward a goal of $500,000. A bake sale here, a garage sale there, and the next thing we know, there will be enough money and support to get the shelter built.
   The good: There are some “smart” cookies at Newberg High School, among them seniors Kaleb Eilert and Matt Erickson. Kaleb and Matt had a winner of an idea for a senior project – produce a program that would entertain as well as support a good cause. As a result of their March “Night of Comedy”, the two will present a $1,000 check to the SMART program next month.
   The bad: Shame on the oil company executives, including the one who was on national TV Tuesday morning, who say if “we” lower the price of gasoline, there will be a run at the pump and they’ll quickly run out. Do they think we’re stupid? The large oil companies have always latched onto the slightest excuse to raise gas prices — an uprising in the Middle East, flooding in the South — and they’ll continue to do so as long as we consumers allow it to happen.

Ongoing volunteerism reflected in good deeds
   Three things occurring somewhat simultaneously Saturday morning again spoke well of this community's collective ability to inspire volunteerism.
   In the lush confines of George Fox University, volunteers were toasted with prayer and honor at the annual Mayors’ Prayer Breakfast. The focus of this year's breakfast at Klages Dining Hall was the power of volunteerism. Speakers told stories of themselves and others like them who are fueled by performing good deeds for others.
   At the same time, throughout Newberg and Dundee, postal service employees and others were collecting donated items for the food bank. All told, the national Stamp Out Hunger drive locally netted 16,042 pounds of food for F.I.S.H. Residents donated nonperishable food items, which postal service employees and volunteers picked up and delivered to F.I.S.H.
   Habitat for Humanity’s open house Saturday also served as testimony to the many volunteers who have worked to construct 11 homes at four sites over the past decade. Hundreds of volunteers have had a part in erecting those homes, a feat of which all of Newberg can be proud.
   The heartbeat of a community pulsates largely through those who are willing to step forward and donate time, services and/or money. The health of a community is directly related to the heart of its residents. Newberg is a place with a lot of heart.

George Fox University gets its ‘Act’ together
   One goal of George Fox University’s Act Six program, which will bring students from urban Portland to Newberg, is to engage the college campus and those students’ communities at home. We hope the program also will engage the greater Newberg community to want to learn more about other cultures.
   In fall 2007, 10 inner-city students will begin classes at GFU on full-ride scholarships. The program will offer students from diverse cultural backgrounds a chance to receive a college degree. It’s based on a program started six years ago in Tacoma, Wash. Among other things, the Act Six Initiative was created in response to the fact that people of color are underrepresented in higher education.
   The college experience should include indoctrinating students into the “real world.” George Fox was founded by the Quaker faith, known for a commitment to social justice. The college has a study abroad program that provides the majority of its students a chance to experience other cultures. But on campus, the GFU student body is 98 percent Caucasian. Bringing students of color to the campus should help soften some of the stereotypes about GFU’s largely white student body. Hopefully that will also permeate into the greater Newberg community.
   What’s more, in future years we’d like to see the Act Six program expanded to include people from different cultural and economic backgrounds in Newberg. Done correctly, the program could rival the college’s Serve Day as a bridge between the campus and the rest of Newberg.

Open the primaries; leave lawn signs alone
   – Thumbs up to the folks behind the push to open Oregon's primaries. Proponents say the idea would allow voters to select their candidates of choice, regardless of political party. The party system has soured some good public servants in recent years. Party bickering is the norm today, especially in state government, and often immobilizes good ideas. Open primaries force candidates to run on their qualifications and ideas, with less emphasis on party line politics.
   – Thumbs down to thieves who steal political signs. Lawn sign pilfering is not unique to this area, but it seems we have our fair share come election time. It's too bad some people prefer to influence elections by ripping out opponents' lawn signs rather than debating the issues.
   – And finally, thumbs down to those who continually play the race card when discussing immigration reform. The fact is that most illegal immigrants in this country are from Mexico or its neighboring countries. Immigration reform, in whatever final form it takes, won’t be discriminatory toward Latinos. It will, hopefully, be an equitable solution to an unfair situation that requires some to jump through government hoops while giving others seemingly a free pass to citizenship.

Democrats have a gem in Charles Lee
   Charles Lee is our overwhelming choice on the Democratic ticket to represent this community in the state legislature.
   Lee, the president of Blanchet Catholic School in Salem, faces fellow Keizer resident Susan Keen in the party's May 16 primary.  They're vying to represent District 25, which includes Keizer, St. Paul and Newberg, in the Oregon House of Representatives.
   Lee was the unanimous pick by The Newberg Graphic editorial board. A two-term Keizer City Council member, Lee is polished, knowledgeable of the legislative process and has the acumen to represent this area’s diverse interests in Salem.
   One of the first comments made by an editorial board member about Lee was that he reminded him of former Rep. Vic Backlund. Lee likes that comparison, minus the link to Backlund's fatal vote on a tax increase plan. That vote doomed Backlund in his failed re-election bid vs. Kim Thatcher in May 2004.
   Like Backlund, Lee has a penchant for consensus building across party lines. Like Backlund, Lee is a long-time educator.
   Lee isn't the stereotypical Democrat. He is pro life, which one might expect from someone heading a Catholic high school. He also voted for Measure 37.
   Lee’s private sector experience would serve him – and us – well as he is challenged to find ways to solve the state’s financing issues.
   Keen is an unemployed student, who has an interest in law enforcement. She prefaced her editorial board remarks with the statement that she “needs a job.” While there is somewhat of a refreshing aura about Keen's no-nonsense approach to government, we have reservations about how effective she would be in the chew ‘em up, spit ‘em out world of politics. In the board’s brief conversation with Keen, she displayed some traits that showed she would bring tenacity to the legislature.
   But Lee would offer that and more – much more. We support him in his bid to represent the Democrats in the general election this fall.

Keep George as county commissioner
   By a slim margin, Kathy George has earned the endorsement of The Newberg Graphic community editorial board over Cassie Sollars in the race for Yamhill County Commissioner Position 1.
   John Stuart’s lack of political experience hindered him in the board’s decision. The fourth candidate in the race, Larry Collver, didn’t appear for an interview with the editorial board and wasn’t considered for the position.
   The board gave George high marks for her fiscal responsibility, innovative ideas to saving taxpayer money, her ability to work well with fellow commissioners Leslie Lewis and Mary Stern, and for understanding the commission’s purpose and function in county government, an understanding a newcomer might not fully grasp.
   On the other hand, we were impressed with Sollars’ knowledge of the issues facing the county, her preparedness, her insistence on building consensus on issues, and her determination to seek out creative ideas to addressing county government’s challenges.
   Sollars has served the county in a number of ways and we hope she will continue to do so even if she doesn’t win a post on the commission. She is a valuable asset and truly has a heart for Yamhill County.
   We’d recommend that Stuart begin volunteering for boards and other civic organizations in order to amass the experience he would need to tackle the post of county commissioner.
   If we had our druthers we would add a fourth position to the Yamhill County Board of Commissioners and elect Sollars to that seat. Her voice and professionalism would be an excellent addition to the board.

Immigration reform will come, if very slowly
   Kicking out the millions of illegal immigrants from this country is not a realistic solution to our porous border problem here in the United States.
   It's akin to having a cup full of holes. We need the cup, but we also need to plug some of the holes.
   It will take a while, but Congress will come to a compromise on immigration reform; it likely will be a mix of allowing some illegal immigrants to become legal and deporting others.
   But Congress should move forward cautiously as the loss of hundreds of thousands of illegal workers could have a devastating effect on American business; on the other hand it would mean relief to already-strapped state and federal human services budgets
   But, more importantly, continued focus needs to be shined on our border with Mexico, as well as what that country and others in Central America are doing that causes their citizens to exit en masse to the United States.
   If Mexico and other countries south of the border extended the opportunities to their people that the United States does, they would not be risking life and limb to enter this country illegally.
And finally, a memo to those protesting immigration reform:
   Your cause to gain citizenship might be joined by more people if you would stop waving flags from other countries during your marches and rallies. If your goal is American citizenship, proudly displaying the stars and stripes of the United States flag is a far better approach.

Stern proves her mettle, keep her in office
   The community editorial board of The Newberg Graphic encourages readers to vote to keep Mary Stern a member of the Yamhill County Board of Commissioners for one simple reason: passion for democracy.
   Stern is running against Charles Mitchell II, former mayor of Yamhill and a strong candidate in his own right. But Mitchell doesn’t quite have the experience to take over a spot as one of three de facto CEOs of Yamhill County government.
   Stern has that experience. Better yet, she’s shown an ability to reach across ideological chasms to strike common ground and has emerged intact from the bloody battleground of Measure 37.
   We are impressed with her grasp of the intricacies of county government, arcane land use law and her genuine love of the democratic process. We’re all for her drive to seek public input on budget issues and Measure 37 claims. We’re thrilled, given past problems with commissioners keeping to the west end of Yamhill County, that Stern is often visible in Newberg.
   With time, and a little more experience and some homework on county budgeting, Mitchell could very well become a fine candidate for commissioner. But Stern is a known commodity and an effective leader.
   Let’s not mess with that winning combination.

Meaty issues allow students to affect change
  We don’t want to encourage high students to skip school so they can stand on the street corner and stage a protest. But we do see value in those students sinking their teeth into important issues that will effect them for the rest of their lives.
   We’re not sold on the fact that all of the two dozen or so students who were holding signs and shouting slogans Monday afternoon in downtown Newberg did so out of spite vs. pending immigration reform. Some weren’t even familiar with the issues.
   On the other hand, others in the crowd were well versed on the impact that proposed national immigration laws will have on themselves and their families. The national immigration battle is an important one — one that will impact everyone in America, whether they’re here legally or not.
   At the local level, Newberg School District’s drug and alcohol task force is tackling the issue of search and seizure of students and their property. The school district is actively seeking input about what changes the task force should make.
   Immigration reform and student privacy are two great issues for kids — and others — to weigh in on. The end result of this legislation and local policy will be felt far into the future.

Wally Russell is a good pick for Citizen of the Year
   How deserving is a community award winner?
   One way to tell is to look at all the categories of available awards and see how many that person would be qualified to win. That said, Wally Russell could be honored in a number of ways Thursday night. But the long-time Newberg resident will take home just one plaque, handed out to the 2005 Citizen of the Year.
   The Chehalem Valley Chamber of Commerce will honor Russell and other outstanding citizens at its annual banquet at Newberg High School. Russell is a retired business owner, an active Rotarian and volunteer, whose donations of time and resources have impacted a number of local organizations.
   Some may know Russell from his days as a Realtor. Some may recall him as the person who, rain or shine, day or night, would come to repair their furnace. Others may remember Russell as the man who used to pedal around town on his bicycle.
   There are many worthwhile causes that Russell has been involved in over the years, including the Mayors’ Prayer Breakfast. He is a caring person, a family man, who looks out for his community and is truly deserving of the Citizen of the Year award.
   Congratulations Wally!

Slapping sense into pro baseball doesn’t work
   Don't you love it when Major League Baseball's top brass talk about the "integrity of the game." Give us a break. Baseball only worries about its integrity when its pocketbook is threatened.
   The latest scandal facing America's pastime centers around allegations of steriod use by one of the game's poster children, Barry Bonds. Baseball is so concerned it appointed one of its own — lawyer and former Senate majority leader George Mitchell to conduct a thorough and fair investigation. Mitchell is a director of the Boston Red Sox. Oh, he's also chairman of Walt Disney Co., which owns ESPN, which contracts with baseball to show its games, which ... well, you get the point.
   Major League Baseball isn't looking for answers. It only wants to be able to say, "We're doing something about it." But nothing will get done. Baseball players have had steroid problems long before Bonds starting jacking home runs 450 feet and beyond. Baseball's brass is 10 to 15 years too late.
   Here's what's going to happen: Mitchell will begin his "investigation," and we'll be treated to occasional press tidbits about how it's progressing. Barry Bonds will surpass Babe Ruth's home run record in a month or so and everyone will forget about the investigation. (There will be cries for asterisks to be placed next to Bonds' name.) The investigation will pick up again "in earnest." Mitchell will run into "steep" opposition from the player's union, grounding the investigation to a halt ... and so on and so forth.
   All is not lost for those who love the sport of baseball. There is an alternative to the major league soap opera. It's found a few blocks away from where we live — on our neighborhood ballfields. It's found in the spring at the high school and George Fox University. It's found in the summer on Little League diamonds in Newberg and similar towns throughout the country. It's there that baseball fans will be able to enjoy the game in its purest form.

Whether or not you want a bypass, follow the process
   Thumbs down to all those people who have been staying away from the public forums on the proposed bypass. While it’s true that the process to build a bypass can be overwhelming at times, the fact remains that until someone decides to change it, the seemingly endless series of meetings and hearings is the process we must follow. People who want input into the matter need to attend a hearing. The next one is April 10 at Mountain View Middle School in Newberg.
   Thumbs up to French Prairie Gardens near St. Paul and St. Paul Parochial School, each who are hosting fund-raising Easter egg hunts April 15. The school’s fund-raiser is 10 a.m. that Saturday, with proceeds going to the Make A Wish Foundation. French Prairie’s hunt is at 11 a.m., with proceeds to help Todd and Susan Bos adopt a child from India. Todd Bos is a long-time teacher and track coach at St. Paul High School.
   If you’re looking for something to do on the 15th, pack up the kids and head to the country. The sugar high will eventually pass and by evening things should be relatively peaceful again. Besides, it’s for two very good causes.
   Thumbs up to Paul and Lynn Trachte for adopting a abandoned child from Liberia. The Newberg couple is backing up their Christian faith with more than words, they’re taking action to make the world a better place.

Start/end times could be a quagmire for district
   Newberg School District hasn’t heard the end of consternation from parents, teachers and coaches over its consideration of changing the times students begin and end classes.
   It’s a big, big change. Mess around with people’s schedules, especially those of parents commuting to jobs outside the city, and you’re bound to face some backlash.
   We understand, and agree with, the school district’s goal of having better-rested students in their seats in morning classes. We’re not convinced it’s the middle and high school students the district should be worrying about the most. A task force’s proposal would delay the first class of high school from its current 7:40 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and the first middle school class from 7:45 a.m. to 8:35 a.m., while requiring elementary school students to begin school at 7:50 a.m. rather than 8:30 a.m.
   Shouldn’t middle and high school students be better able than elementary school students to adjust their sleep schedules to get enough rest?
   The district needs more information and the public more opportunity to weigh in on this issue before a decision is made. We know the district will proceed cautiously lest they become embroiled in a quagmire.

GFU’s plan to add color to its campus is a good one
   These are exciting times at George Fox University, where passers-by will see colorful banners around town and new buildings under construction on campus. But there are other – not so visible – things going on that will have a greater impact on the university. They include the planned diversification of the Newberg campus with the recruitment of non-Caucasian students.
   We see that as a win-win.
   Some students, who otherwise might not be able to attend a university — let alone a private one — will get a chance to earn a college degree. The students who will attend GFU will be exposed to greater cross-section of society, which mirrors the real world.
   GFU has signed on with Act Six, a project that works within inner cities to recruit and prepare students to attend college in the Northwest.
   Act Six was begun by the Northwest Leadership Foundation about four years ago as a partnership between schools in Tacoma and Whitworth College in Spokane, Wash. Coordinators were concerned with retention rates among college students of color and their inability to pay for an education.
   Act Six partners recruit students and train them during their senior year of high school to support each other, succeed academically, and grow as service-minded leaders.
   The college’s blueprint for diversity includes plans for faculty sensitivity training, more culturally diverse staff members, and, where appropriate, curriculum with a racial or multicultural diversity focus. A faculty exchange program with colleges and universities that serve predominantly minority populations will also be sought.
   This effort by the university will serve to further break down the color barrier in this county. It is an effort that deserves our praise.

Here’s a quick solution to the OSAA’s snafu
   We have a solution to the Oregon School Activities Association’s quagmire regarding the proposed six-classification system for high school sports.
   Every four years the OSAA determines what leagues it should place its member schools in — primarily based on changes in enrollment. For the past 15 months the OSAA studied the matter and came up with a six-classification system to replace the four-tiered system now in place. Not surprisingly, not all the schools were happy with the OSAA’s proposal; lawyers were retained and higher opinions were sought.
   The matter will soon go before the state Board of Education and then likely to a hearings process.
   Two proposed leagues have caused the most consternation – or at least have spawned the most organized effort in opposition. Some folks in Salem-Keizer didn’t like the fact that they’d be playing in a league with Redmond, which is a mountain range away. Eugene schools didn’t like being split into two leagues, including one that included Medford-area schools (two hours away).
   Rather than continue this costly debate, here’s our solution:
   First, let the Eugene schools play up (as they’ve requested to do) in their own seven-team 6A league.
Second, send Marshfield to District 5-5A to play in a league with Crater, Eagle Point, Ashland, Klamath Union and Mazama.
   Third, let Roseburg, South Medford, North Medford and Grants Pass play in their own four-team 6A league.
And finally, allow Redmond to play down in 5A in a league with its traditional rivals from the Bend area. That would leave the Salem-Keizer schools in a league of their own.
Seems simple and we expect it has been discussed before. We encourage the OSAA to make these changes, implement the six-classification system and allow the Board of Education and state schools superintendent to deal with more important things.

Anti-bypass folks’ road show needs a little upgrading
   A few Newberg-Dundee bypass naysayers are at it again, spreading slanted information through a flier and a one-page Web site.
   A part of their recent campaign is to try and rekindle interest in a route south of the Willamette River in northern Marion County. They also continue to try and discredit some of the key partners in the bypass project, including the easiest target — the Oregon Department of Transportation.
   Their rehashed arguments are a bit stale, but coupled with buzz words like “taxes” and “wetlands” and “tolls” they appear to be gaining a few new followers.
   There’s irony in some of their diatribe, such as wanting to explore a “regional bypass.” (That’s the proposed route heading west from the Interstate 5 exit at Donald via McKay Road.)
   They decry government for wasting money, yet they seemingly want to discard years of research and start the expensive planning process from scratch. That’s not too cost effective in our estimation and flies in the face of their platform.
   The regional route may have had some merit 20 years ago, but the Marion County Board of Commissioners nixed the idea in the 1990s. A new set of commissioners reaffirmed last week that it wanted no part of a highway following the route of McKay Road and continuing west to Highway 18.
   At best, regional bypass supporters – and the anti-bypass folks in general – will keep the local, state and federal partners on their toes as they continue the road building process. We can find no fault when they’re playing that role of a watchdog.
   But it’s counterproductive when they throw out distortions and offer as a solution an alternative route that arguably would be just as expensive and take longer to complete.

Join the charter amendment discussion
   The Newberg City Council will continue its discussion Monday on possible changes to the city charter.
   Most of the changes simply align the charter with a model created by the League of Oregon Cities several years ago. They amount to clarifications and streamlining, which is good. Anything government can do to streamline its practices, it’s something we’re behind.
   But two of the changes — increasing the mayor’s term from two to four years and making him or her a voting member of the council — are more substantial.
   We believe that both charter amendments are good ideas, especially making the mayor a voting member of the council.
   As it stands, the mayor can only vote when there is a deadlock among the six-member council, although the mayor is responsible for running the meetings, receives all the same material and hears the same testimony.
It is a waste for the mayor to not be able to then vote on the issue at hand.
   As to the length of his or her term? It matters little unless the mayor gets in trouble, in which case voters can either wait until his or her term is up to vote the mayor out of office, or mount a recall effort.
   Either way, the system works.

Can our state be saved from being loved too much?
   Although filings for political positions began several months ago, announcements last week that state Rep. Donna Nelson and County Commissioner Kathy George would seek re-election seem to drive the point home.
   With the filing deadline for county and state offices a few weeks away, we’re sure there will be others who seek public office and a chance to serve.
   That’s a good thing. We need more people who simply want to serve their constituents — not special interest groups, lobbyists or a small component of their constituency — but everyone.
   We also need candidates with vision, the kind that made Oregon what it is today.
    This state is at a crossroads. Attacks on the quality of life Oregon once enjoyed are constant and considerable.  Statistics show an influx of immigrants from other states, mostly from California, at an alarming rate. With that influx comes need: more water, more land, more services.
   Everybody wants a piece of Oregon and no one can blame them — it’s a wonderful place to live. But Oregon is being loved to death and without sensible guidance from level-headed legislators, this state is doomed to become just like any other.
   And that would be a crime.

True meaning of M-37 ruling remains to be seen
   The extremes on either side of a heated issue usually are what get the most play in the media and at the local coffee shops. But in the end, the crux of most issues falls somewhere in the middle. The outcome of Measure 37 likely will be no different, though we’ve not heard the last of the extremes.
   The Oregon Supreme Court’s decision announced Tuesday said Measure 37 is constitutional. The measure essentially says governments must pay landowners for property value losses caused by regulation or they must lift those regulations.
   But like some have pointed out, plenty of questions remain about the land use law. The legislature will again be at the forefront of the Measure 37 debate. That can be a scary thought, judging by our lawmakers’ partisan bickering in recent sessions. On the other hand,.the ruling that Measure 37 is constitutional removes a big hurdle for the legislature. Members know what they will face, and can start preparing to do so.
   Expect to hear much more about Measure 37 in the coming months, as Oregon journeys toward another statewide general election. And keep in mind that the reality of Measure 37’s impact will be somewhere in the middle of the many extremes getting play in print, on the airwaves and the Internet.

We’re glad to be a part of the solution
   Anytime students get involved in their schools and learn more about one another, it’s a good thing. We’re all for it and often within the pages of this newspaper we document students’ efforts and the accolades they’ve received as a result.
   Students at Newberg High School have taken umbrage to a January story in our newspaper (see page A1 for the full story) that questioned whether there was a drug culture at the school.
   They have responded with the “Let’s Prove Them Wrong” campaign.
   If aiming their wrath at us causes them to do something about the problem, then we’re all for it; we have broad shoulders and can take the criticism if it is a means to a solution.
   However, the story was well sourced and meticulously researched, documenting students, parents, administrators and law enforcement personnel that all said drugs were an issue at the school.
   The story didn’t say, as some have suggested, that the majority of students are under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
   Drugs are a serious issue at schools across the nation. Newberg is no different. Wishing it weren’t that way will not make the problem go away. Education and enforcement will make a difference in fighting drug use in our schools.
   Students and administrators’ at Newberg High School need to spend their time addressing the issue. If during that process they find it necessary to bash us, then at least it’s the beginning of a discourse on drugs at the high school.
   That’s a good thing.

Hey, it’s not Metro we like, but a metro approach
   Newberg’s amenities are obviously known by families, judging by the growth spurt we’re experiencing in the housing market. It’s easy to see that Newberg is a nice community, with good schools and recreation opportunities, and within a comfortable distance to the Portland-metro area.
   But promoting Newberg to potential businesses and industries — the economic development cog that’s key to our survival as a community — is a tougher sell. The words "Newberg, Oregon" probably mean about as much as "Taylor, Texas" to potential investors in Shanghai. But ask those investors about Portland and Nike, or Austin and country music, and that probably will produce at least a nod.
   Cities the size of ours often have a better chance to be economically vibrant by riding the coattails of larger neighbors. One way to do so is to embrace a regional strategy like the one incorporated earlier this year into Newberg’s comprehensive plan (see story on page 1A).
   The first change made to the economic portion of the plan in almost 30 years says that Newberg needs to embrace regional strategies with its close neighbors like Dundee, Yamhill and Dayton, as well as those farther away such as Portland. There is strength in numbers.
    The regional approach doesn’t mean we go all out to attract new business and industry and forget about our existing ones. It emphasizes expanding what business is already here and then seeking newcomers.
   It’s a long-term process, one that will be heavy on theory for a while before there is money to spend. (In fact, one reason to join a regional economic force is to attract federal dollars.)
   Rest assured, if we spin our wheels for the next five years, we’ll be that much farther behind the competition.

Habitat needs land to continue to build dreams
   The lessons we can learn from the local affiliate of Habitat for Humanity are numerous. The Christian volunteer organization builds homes for low-income families, who participate in the construction of their’s and other people’s homes as part of their payment. By this fall, Habitat for Humanity’s local affiliate will have constructed 11 new houses in Newberg since its inception in 1995.
   The local organization has volunteers eager to begin another project. There’s one problem: it has no place to build. There’s a lack of available land in the area.
   The spike in the real estate market has driven up prices to the point where they are prohibitive to Habitat’s mission. Habitat would prefer to build homes for people who already have established roots in the community. It would like to build those homes in the local area.
   Habitat isn’t looking for a handout of donated land. It’s hoping for a landowner who is willing to become a partner, taking advantage of the nonprofit status to the benefit of both parties.
    Constructing affordable housing benefits everyone. People want to sink roots in this community and Habitat can help them. We need to help Habitat to continue its mission.

Some good and bad in a week of news
   * Thumbs up: To the City of Newberg for honoring Al Blodgett as its employee of the year (see story on page 1A of this issue). Al serves as division chief for Newberg Fire Department, where he started as a volunteer in 1960.
   Whether it’s a large undertaking like the Old Fashioned Festival or a small neighborhood fund-raiser, if something needs to get done for the good of the community, local organizations know they can count on Al. He’s a high-energy Newberg advocate, very much deserving of the George Layman Award.
Good job Al!
   * Thumbs down: To those in positions of power – state lawmakers, for example – who fail to support programs they themselves have identified as crucial to the survival of our communities. Recent studies show there’s an improving success rate for treatment programs for methamphetamine users. Despite this encouraging news – which is supplemented with case study after case study showing the damage meth can do to families – cuts are made in treatment programs.
   * Thumbs up: To the Newberg High School wrestling team, which Thursday defeated rival Canby for the Pac-9 dual meet championship. The Tigers continue to be the toast of the conference under eighth-year head coach Neil Russo. Newberg seeks the district crown next weekend at Tualatin.

How many ‘typos’ did she find?
   No matter how hard we try, we can’t seem to get over the feat accomplished by 21-year-old Crystal Farnsworth. The George Fox University writing and literature major’s story can be found on page 1A of this newspaper. In a nutshell, Farnsworth responded to a contest by reading 555 books last year.
555!
   That’s insane; and also highly admirable.
   Those 555 books included more than 181,000 pages. Do some quick math and you’ll learn that’s almost 500 pages a day. Reading non-stop, that would be 20 pages an hour.
   Eat, sleep, read. Eat, sleep, read ...
   Most people struggle to read a couple of books a year. Some of us with kids can pound through a couple dozen children’s books each month. Heck, we may even throw in something more indepth like a “Cat In The Hat” offering every now and then.
   Farnsworth’s selection was much more advanced. Some of the books she “had” to read for her college coursework, but most of them were of her choosing. Fiction, nonfiction; she sampled both. And then, 365 days later, she closed the cover on No. 555.
   Newberg schools have made it a priority to improve the reading skills of students. Farnsworth would be a perfect posterwoman for that campaign.

Ridding our schools of illicit drugs
   Rumors of rampant drug, tobacco and alcohol use at Newberg High School have persisted for decades. Talk to current students and graduates of the school and, oftentimes, they will paint a picture of teens abusing all kinds of substances.
   Reporter Schellene Clendenin’s examination of the drug culture at NHS, published on the front page of today’s paper, reveals that school district officials are well aware of the issue and have taken the initial steps in addressing it.
   But as Brian Casey, deputy chief of the Newberg-Dundee Police Department, so aptly put it, the school district is in the business of education, not drug enforcement. Teen drug use is a societal problem and, as such, needs to be attacked on many fronts.
   The offensive must begin, we believe, at home with students’ parents. As reported in Clendenin’s story, oftentimes teens are getting drugs, tobacco and alcohol from their parents, either directly or indirectly. That’s a sobering thought and a phenomenon that cannot continue if society is to get a handle on this problem.
   We wish the school district well in its attempt to snuff out drug use in the schools. We admonish parents to talk to their children about drugs and their devastating effects.

Provide some help along the road of life
   Look back and you'll likely remember a few people who have helped you along the road of life. Perhaps it was as simple as a word of encouragement. Or, maybe it was more involved — a teacher or coach, a tutor or co-worker. Today has been set aside to honor those folks; we’re also hoping it will prompt others to become mentors.
   There are about 100,000 young people in the state — including hundreds in this area — who could benefit from mentoring of some sort, according to Oregon Mentors. It’s a nonprofit, business-led organization “committed to the dramatic expansion of quality programs that provide mentors for young people in Oregon.” Oregon Mentors has dubbed today, “Thank You Mentor Day,” in recognition of those who find time to help our youth become adults.
   Newberg schools have the SMART reader program, where volunteers help teach kids to read. Next month the district launches a new program, Newberg Partnership For Student Success, which pairs students with writing coaches. The program evolved after research showed local students needed help with their writing skills. One aspect of the writing program is to have business people share with students how they use writing on the job. Terry Molander is heading the district’s student success program; she can be reached at 503-554-4433.
   Humanitarian physician Albert Schweitzer once said: “The only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve.”
   Now is as good a time as any to start.

Regional bypass not an alternative — move on
   An Oregon Department of Transportation meeting Monday night in Dundee saw the re-emergence of people calling for a regional route for the Newberg-Dundee bypass.
   What part of ‘it isn’t going to happen’ don’t they understand.
   The regional bypass concept — a thoroughfare that would leave I-5 near Donald and travel west on McKay Road, across the Willamette River and join up with Highway 99W near Dayton — was once one of the alternatives ODOT was studying. But it was eliminated early in the process – and by early we mean in the late 1990s – because of a number of factors. Those included the Marion County Board of Commissioners’ insistence that they would not sign off on a bypass route that traversed prime farm land (a bypass that would provide very little benefit to Marion County residents).
   ODOT, local officials and a lot of Newberg and Dundee citizens put enormous amounts of time into narrowing down the possible bypass alternatives to the route we now have — an 11-mile stretch that leaves 99W at the base of Rex Hill, circles south of the two towns and joins 99W at its junction with Highway 18.
   The route has been approved by many levels of state and federal government. To insist that it be discarded for a pie-in-the-sky route that will never happen is not only foolish, it will serve to delay this important project even longer.
   Let it go.

Time to shut down circus, fill the court seat
   The senators who brought up nominee Samuel Alito’s ties to a college club more than three decades ago, are more examples of what has gone wrong with the U.S. Supreme Court confirmation hearing process – otherwise known today as a three-ring circus.
   A hot topic of discussion for a short time Wednesday was a 1985 job application on which Alito listed membership in the early 1970s in a group called Concerned Alumni of Princeton. Among other things, the group apparently opposed increased enrollments of women and minorities at the Ivy League school.
   The 55-year-old Alito has spent the past 15 years of a distinguished legal career as an appellate judge in New Jersey. No doubt, like many others his age, he has refined his views over the years — 35 or so of them in this case.
   It’s way past time to filter out at least some of the politics that are strangling the confirmation process. No matter what party the president, the process seems to have taken on a life of its own — it’s more of a re-election platform for senators than a nomination hearing for appointment to the country’s highest court.
   The sideline antics seem to almost dilute any nominee’s qualifications and that’s not the way it should be.

Some good things from the week gone by
   The past week has been an eventful one for a number of reasons, all seemingly positive.
   — Thumbs up that the mayoral picture in Newberg is clearing up. Council President Bob Andrews announced recently that he would seek election as mayor, a spot currently held by Bob Stewart. Stewart has thrown his support for mayor behind Andrews.
   The only negative aspect to the news is that former councilor Bob Larson, who said in the past he might run for Andrews’ spot should he run for mayor, has chosen not to, citing personal reasons. Larson was an effective councilor during his tenure and would make an excellent replacement for Andrews.
   — Thumbs up to the various agencies responsible for a $1.6 million grant to construct a 15-unit apartment complex in Newberg for developmentally disabled folks. Yamhill County has long been short on affordable housing for the developmentally disabled and news that Newberg will help decrease that shortage.
   We encourage the community and its representatives in local government to get behind this project as it unfurls over the next two years.

There may be room to cut in the DHS budget
   From our standpoints we can sympathize with the state’s largest agency, the Department of Human Services. It was revealed recently that DHS is facing a budget shortfall of hundreds of millions of dollars.
   Budgeting for such a large organization is tough. There are so many tentacles on DHS’ organizational structure, that some of its own administrators probably don’t know all of them. Couple that with the fact that DHS uses both state and federal funding to run its operation. That usually means adhering to two sets of rules and regulations; those set by the state legislature and those established in Washington, D.C.
   That said, our sympathy goes only so far. Some may remember the well publicized story weeks ago from nearby Woodburn, where state agencies – including DHS – were working the weekend to make sure some prospective U.S. citizens were aware of benefits available to them (as citizens).
   No doubt there’s more to this story than is being told — definitely more than you’ll hear on the conservative talk shows. Still, it strikes us as odd that an agency — that says it may be as much as $172 million in the red — is legislated in such a way that encourages it to outreach to folks who may not even be citizens.
   There’s talk of a special legislative session to discuss the DHS budget. If it occurs, perhaps lawmakers can spend a few minutes looking at some of the laws — as well as the agency’s administrative rules — that make it hard for the public to be sympathetic with its plight.

Where there are toys, often there is joy, as well
   Good ideas usually have plenty of staying power and that’s definitely the case with the Newberg Fire Department’s Toy-n-Joy program. Dozens of busy volunteers at the fire station once again pulled off another coup this year by adding joy to hundreds of Newberg-area households on Christmas eve.
   We shudder to think what it would be like at Christmastime without the fire department’s long-lasting program. For more than 75 years it has provided toys — and joy — for area children. Hundreds of hours are spent gathering and preparing thousands of gifts for hundreds of kids. The department conducts fund-raising efforts throughout the year — including the annual pancake breakfast and Turkey Carnival, as well as by providing security at the Old Fashioned Festival — to support the program. The community chips in with volunteer hours and donations of everything from toys and food to the vans lent to the effort by Newberg car dealerships.
   The fire department helped more than 600 children last year; this year, volunteers delivered via pickups, vans and fire trucks on 50 toy routes of about five homes per route.
   This is a worthwhile effort and one that should continue. Support the department’s many activities and you’ll be supporting Toy-n-Joy.

Teach your children the true meaning of Christmas
   The end of September draws near. Hurricane season is still upon us, air conditioners are still on 24/7, and the department stores are beginning to prepare for Christmas.
   Soon advertisements will be targeting all ages and social classes, enticing them to spend, eat, drink and tell stories about a fat man with a long white beard that magically visits every family in the world bringing them presents (if they’re good, of course.)
   Places of work and social groups throw parties with all varieties of food, celebrating a season of good cheer and brotherly love. As the day of Christmas draws near, store shelves begin to look increasingly disheveled and bare. Christmas tree lots are strewn with scraps of evergreen trees and the only trees left are lopsided and have big bare spots.
   A couple of days before Christmas, retailers mark down much of their inventory 50 percent. Christmas day arrives. The roads are lonely and quiet, most stores are closed, and families and loved ones gather. Presents are exchanged (children often buried in an obscene manner with the quantity of gifts), music is played, meals are eaten, and then eaten again, and then eaten again, and then, well, you know.
   The day after Christmas the stores consolidate all the remaining Christmas merchandise and mark it down 50 to 75 percent, and then look to prepare for New Year’s and Valentine’s Day.
   Perhaps a retail expert may correct me on one or two finer points of my observation, but this is largely how I see it.
   The celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ on Dec. 25 is now only about 1,600 years old. Before we began to use this day to celebrate his birth, there were other celebrations of a pagan nature that concerned the winter solstice.
   The church recognized that it was very difficult to change a culture and stop people from having a party, so it Christianized this day so people would stop worshiping the sun and start glorifying the Son.
   Today, it seems that we are regressing. If we questioned people about the “reason for the season” they would intellectually know the answer (I hope), but pragmatically speaking, the main focus would be formed by the above observation.
   Instead of telling their children to behave properly because this is what is pleasing to God, they tell their children Santa will give them coal in their stocking if they misbehave. Instead of parents giving their children a gift or two and telling them it is because they love them, they bury their children with material goods, telling them that Santa brought them because they were good children (even if they weren’t).
   It is amazing to me that if a child were to go to their parents and ask if Moses really parted the Red Sea, or if  Jesus walked on water, or was born of a virgin, or rose from the dead, or that Holy Communion was the body and blood of Christ, or any of the miracles of the saints, there is a chance that mommy or daddy might say, “well sweetheart, these are stories that were told a long time ago to help us be better people.”
   But if the child asked mommy and daddy, “Is Santa Claus real?” They would say, “Of course he’s real!”
   Slowly but steadily Jesus Christ is disappearing from the celebration of Christmas, and he is also disappearing from the lives and hearts of our children.
   What to do. Quite simply, bring Jesus into everyday life everyday. Read the gospel — to yourselves and to your children. Follow the teachings of the church, not the ways of the world, when preparing for Christmas. Pray, fast and repent. Teach your children to do this too.
   Do something for people who are less fortunate. If your funds are limited, do something small. If you have been blessed with abundance, do something great. Hide your generosity from people, but let your children see it so that you can teach them.
   If your children are still too young to understand Santa, never teach them that the myth is true. I’m not saying be a militant myth destroyer, but silently focus on the reality of the season: our Lord’s birth and love for us, and our love for God, our children and others.
   If your child has already bought into the Santa myth, don’t dash their hopes in a brutal way. Slowly over time make a constant effort to shift to focus to Christ. In time they will come to you and ask the question, and then pastorally explain to them God’s gift to us, our gift to him, and St. Nicholas’ gift to others.
   Downplay Santa Claus in a silent way, but proclaim the reality of God and his saints. When your child comes to understand that Santa is a story, instruct them not to take it upon themselves to “enlighten” other children. That should be left to their parents.
   I know that some of you (including my own parents) must be thinking that I am the Grinch trying to steal Christmas. Trust me, I’m not. Our shelf is filled with Santa Claus, Frosty and Rudolf movies. We always buy a real big tree and load it with ornaments. I get out the 30 foot-ladder and string lights on the house (and not just the front.) We have a snow village with 15 to 20 light-up houses that we set up and, of course, plenty of books.
   Oh yes, and the reason I know about the price reduction of the Christmas items is because I’m the one in the stores the day after Christmas looking for a bargain for next year’s display. It is fun. We have a great time. But as much fun as we have, we always keep our Lord first and foremost before us.
   Father Michael Diavatis is a Greek Orthodox priest

Judy Christensen: A life dedicated to service
   Newberg owes a debt of gratitude to the tireless dedication and the compassion of longtime F.I.S.H. Executive Director Judy Christensen, who has announced her retirement.
   Christensen has labored the past 22 years making sure no person in Newberg — especially children — fell through the cracks. The long-time volunteer, and later director of Friends In Service to Humanity (F.I.S.H.), helps less-than-fortunate families keep food on their tables.
   Her job is part sales, part organizer and part humanitarian. It’s not an easy task. She often has to walk a fine line: knowing when to cajole, when to pressure and when to placate.
   F.I.S.H. has grown, under Christensen’s leadership, to become a major component in feeding the hungry in Newberg. Without F.I.S.H. and other area agencies, the needy would oftentimes go hungry, not only during the holidays, but during the rest of the year.
   Christensen and F.I.S.H. have come a long way since the days she used to make food deliveries on her bicycle.
   We’re saddened by Christensen’s decision to retire, but we wish her well and offer her a heartfelt thanks for dedicating much of her life to such a noble cause.

Mayor’s image is important to Newberg
   We’ll identify one of our dogs in this fight right off the bat: We endorsed Newberg Mayor Bob Stewart back in 2002. We thought then – and still do today – that he was the right man for the job as Newberg’s political figurehead. We also knew that Stewart’s baggage included the fact that he has never been too concerned about his image. For example, high-top tennis shoes and shorts at city council meetings.
   However, reporter Gunnar Olson’s page one story following up on a rumor that Stewart received preferential treatment when he purchased a home in an upscale Newberg neighborhood is a good example of when Stewart does need to consider his image. If for only the fact that his image reflects on Newberg’s image.
   Stewart says there was no conflict of interest when an “old friend” did him a favor to help him purchase a residential lot near the Chehalem Glenn Golf Course. While some people camped out in line for five days to secure their lots, Stewart’s name was put near the top of the list by his friend, the land’s initial developer Mike Gougler.
Stewart arguably didn’t violate any state laws regarding conflict of interest for public officials.
   But he should have known better that some people were going to draw the conclusion that he did receive preferential treatment. And, as mayor of the city of Newberg, that should have been of great concern to him.

Open Bible admits its mistake, moves forward
   We are heartened that Open Bible Christian School announced this week it will change its hiring policies following the arrests of two of its coaches on charges ranging from sexual abuse, rape and furnishing alcohol to minors.
   We’re also encouraged that school officials recognized they had not thoroughly checked the references and criminal records of Todd Woods and Charlie Lasiter, the now-freed coaches arrested in November.
   More complete checks into the pair’s background would likely have warned administrators of questionable behavior in Wood’s and Lasiter’s past.
   The hardship Open Bible is currently enduring should become a cautionary tale for other schools, both public and private, large and small. No one — whether he or she is a teacher, administrator or staff member — should be beyond suspicion when it comes to the safety of children.
   Criminal background and reference checks are relatively simple and low-cost measures that can weed out most of the bad apples applying for school positions.
   There’s no reason to avoid doing the checks; there’s every reason to protect the children.

Oregon has a right to quack, but change is slow
   Duck and Beaver fans alike know the stigma attached to Oregonians – the wilderness dwellers that we are. That said, few were surprised when the once-beaten University of Oregon football team was overlooked Sunday for college football’s version of baseball’s pennant race and World Series: the Bowl Championship Series. Unfortunately, the fifth-ranked Ducks were left out of the eight-team BCS; they were denied a chance to play in one of four BCS games and, as such, denied a huge payday.
   Oregon players and coaches will have to be content with a trip to San Diego to play in a “lesser bowl”, the Holiday. They’ll also need to remember that until things change, until stigmas are removed, they’ll be playing against a stacked deck in regard to the BCS.
   On the other hand, just down the road, Linfield College had its title run come to an end Saturday, when it lost to University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in the quarterfinals of the Division III college football playoffs. There’s no grumbling in McMinnville, as the Wildcats lost fair and square to the better team that day.
   The big difference between the seasons of Oregon and Linfield was that the Wildcats’ championship run was ended by an opponent and not some faceless committee.

Another bypass meeting?! Now you’ve been told
   It’s put up or shut time again in regard to the Newberg-Dundee bypass. Another public meeting Dec. 6 offers the community a chance to give input on the design of the multi-million dollar project to reduce congestion in Newberg, Dundee and the surrounding areas. Lest you think you’ve heard all this before ... well ... you have. And, you likely will again many times over the next several years.
   There are times we’d like the Oregon Department of Transportation to simply make final decisions on the bypass and forge ahead. Oh, sure, there would be red flags raised; some people would cry foul, but that’s going to happen anyway. Despite what seems a never-ending public process, years from now when the earth movers and bulldozers actually start rolling, there still will be those who claim “we didn’t know!”
   The 11-mile bypass that will extend from Rex Hill south of Newberg and Dundee to McDougal’s Corner will severely alter the area landscape. Tuesday is yet another time — there will be more meetings early next year — to add your 2 cents about the project. We’re advising people to step up and make their wishes known.

Give thanks, then roll up your sleeves
   Those of us who were fortunate enough to offer thanks Thursday among family and friends should realize how lucky we are. We also should know there are others who, for one reason or another, spent Thanksgiving alone or without all of their family members present.
   Included in that group are the families of more than 2,000 servicemen and servicewomen who have been killed in Iraq and dozens more in Afghanistan. There are thousands more members of the military who continue to serve in often dangerous places throughout the world.
   There also are people closer to home who are alone, suffering from mental illness and mental and physical neglect. Still others, whether by choice or otherwise, are homeless and living on Oregon’s streets.
   In this country of plenty there’s simply no excuse for anyone to go hungry, be alone during the holidays or suffer from mental or physical illness without aid.
   As the Thanksgiving weekend continues, and we head toward another new year, lets be thankful for what we have. And, as much as we're able, lets give others reasons to thank us.

Case underscores importance of background checks
   Open Bible Christian School has learned the hard way about the importance of conducting background checks on prospective employees.
   Two of the Newberg school’s basketball coaches were arrested last week on multiple charges, including sexual abuse. If the charges are true, the coaches not only have broken the law, but they’ve taken advantage of the coach-player trust. It’s a sad situation either way.
   It’s also sad to know that, had the school done its homework, the situation might have been avoided. School officials claim they did reference checks on the coaches, but that’s hard for us to believe. In fact, we hope they didn’t. Because if the school did do checks, including talking to past employers such as we did, and then hired the coaches anyway, it would be a gross dereliction of duty.
   A call to former supervisors of the coaches would have raised red flags at Open Bible. It’s common for high school athletic directors to talk among themselves when they’re hiring coaches. Some public schools such as St. Paul do background checks every year on every employee. It’s common for schools to conduct background checks on volunteers, as well.
   The school’s insurance carrier easily could have found out the coaches’ motor vehicle records. Many coaches at smaller schools transport athletes to and from events, making it imperative they have good driving records.
   We hope the victims receive the help they need. We also hope this case prompts Open Bible to improve its hiring procedures.

Hail champs! Including those behind scenes
   The Newberg High School water polo program left the competition in its wake this past weekend, when the Tiger girls and boys teams won state championships. It is the fifth time in 17 years that Newberg has won both the boys and girls state titles in the same season. The Tigers also swept both championships in 1999, 1994, 1992 and 1989.
   The victories by the Newberg girls (the school’s 13th crown) and boys (seventh title) are testaments to Coach Jim McMaster and his staff.
   In the bigger picture, the success of the sport in Oregon is largely due to the Oregon High School Water Polo Committee. The volunteer board, which includes McMaster as president and Newberg’s Lisa Joyce as executive director, oversees 35 high school teams.
   Water polo is not affiliated with the Oregon School Activities Association, which governs other high school sports. The water polo folks basically take care of themselves: running end-of-season championships; providing money for coaching development and helping develop new teams throughout the state.
   The association has a good working relationship with the OSAA, using the larger organization’s expertise in policy making, for example. But, for the most part, high school water polo remains a “club” sport, as about half the 35 programs don’t receive any direct school funding.
   Newberg’s water polo success is rooted in this community’s penchant for supporting its youth programs. The water polo evolution statewide has a similar foundation, including people with a passion for what they do.
   Congratulations to the Tiger teams, as well as those who oversee the sport.

This suggestion is as safe a bet as you’ll get
   WARNING: The following editorial suggests something that may be addictive. We ask that you read on with caution.

   We’ll be straightforward on this one; we want you to do a little gambling this weekend. But don’t go waving this endorsement in front of your spouse just yet. Put that privileged parking pass to Spirit Mountain or Chinook Winds back on the shelf. We’re asking that you stay in town to gamble.
   At the downtown fire station Friday and Saturday you can “roll the dice” in a number of ways until your heart is content. Bring the children, too. It’s no-guilt, unadulterated gambling.
   What’s more, the odds of winning are much better than anything Oregon Lottery can offer. Can the state guarantee you 1-in-30 odds of winning? Or better yet, can the state guarantee a winner? The fire department folks who run the annual Turkey Carnival can.
What’s more, unlike the state, they don’t skim any of the profits. They plug the proceeds into their Toy-n-Joy program, which provides local children with Christmas gifts.
   So put on your lucky shirt and head downtown this weekend for some fun and games for a good cause.

Some good and bad of a week gone by
   * Thumbs up to those people who spend a little extra time and effort to rake up their fallen leaves, rather than simply blow them out into the street. Blown leaves often end up clogging storm drains or cause neighborhood safety issues for drivers and pedestrians. Get some exercise and rake those leaves into your yard debris bins.
   * Thumbs up to Sen. Gordon Smith for two votes Thursday, including one that would prohibit the export of any oil extracted from the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge. We like Smith's argument that any oil drilled out of ANWR should be used to increase our domestic supply, rather than go overseas. Earlier in the day, Smith and others unsuccessfully tried to block drilling in the refuge, but the amendment failed, 51-48. We agree with Smith that there should be more emphasis placed on promoting alternative and renewable fuels, and improving energy efficiency and conservation.
   * Thumbs up to Marion County Circuit Judge Joseph Guimond, who Friday upheld the gay marriage ban that was adopted by Oregon voters in 2004. Guimond rejected arguments that Measure 36 contained too many changes that should have been voted on as separate amendments and that it was improperly submitted to voters.
   The constitutional ban on gay marriage was overwhelmingly approved by Oregon voters. The amendment reads that only a marriage between one man and one woman shall be valid or legally recognized as a marriage.

There has to be a better way to create law
   We briefly mentioned in a Saturday editorial what a quagmire Measure 37 had become since a judge in Marion County ruled it unconstitutional. The ruling has thrown a monkey wrench into the process, increasing people's frustrations with "government."
   We're hoping that with all the bright minds in this state, someone will come up with a better system to supplement Oregon's current initiative process.
   Perhaps we’re looking at things too simplistically, but we feel the system should require a judge (or judges) to review each measure and rule on its constitutionality before its goes to a vote of the people. The ruling should be deemed final and can't later be overturned by another judge, swaying to one political pressure or another.
   Some say to do so will only swing the political pressure from one component of the process to another. They say it won't prevent politics from seeping into the courts. In other words, the pressure on the courts will come before the measure goes before voters.
   If that does occur, at least the state hasn't spent money on an election; voters haven't spoken; expectations haven't been raised; and in the case of Measure 37 the issue won’t remain unresolved for years.

Good and bad of Rosa, Big Macs and the like
   * A posthumous thumbs up to the diminutive Rosa Parks, who stood tall by remaining seated. Fifty years ago in Montgomery, Ala., Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus and was arrested. Her “disorderly conduct” led to civil rights protests, forcing courts to acknowledge that all citizens have equal protection under the law. Parks died earlier this week at the age of 92.
   * Thumbs up to McDonald’s for deciding to add nutritional information to its fast-food wrappers.
   * Thumbs down to McDonald’s for not adding the nutritional information to its menu – instead of the wrappers.
   * An advance thumbs up to the person who can come up with a system that allows our courts to definitively rule on the constitutionality of laws before they take effect. Perhaps then when the “son of Measure 37” goes before voters it will have already passed muster with judges – especially those who occasionally sway in the political wind. Such a system would save us all a little time and money.
   * And speaking of money, thumbs up to the “second team in second city.” The Chicago White Sox have an average payroll for major league teams, and few big-name players. But what Manager Ozzie Guillen’s team does have is a World Series trophy, thanks to hard work and a team concept.

Some good and bad of a week gone by
   — Thumbs up to Mike and Carol Boyes for their work the past 25 years on the Old Fashioned Festival. The Boyes announced recently that they are stepping down as leaders of the festival committee.
   We have worked with them over the years as a sponsor of the festival and more recently as the publisher of the official OFF program. Their commitment to the festival is remarkable and their attention to detail has benefited this long-standing community event. They will be missed.
   — Thumbs up to the Oregon Transportation Commission for approving ODOT’s request to enter into negotiations with an Australian company to begin the ground work for construction of the Newberg-Dundee bypass. The process, although incremental, is moving forward, which is encouraging.
   — And finally, an open invitation and thumbs up to the recent winner or winners of the Powerball Lottery. Just want to let you know that the Newberg area is a great place to spend your newfound riches. We are a college town with a number of homes for sale. We also have buildable lots. There are great views. A new hospital is under construction; as is our community center. We’re within short driving distance to Portland and the beach.
Sounds like a good place to invest your riches.

Are we better off than Toledo?
   Ohio was center stage this past weekend when some people – among a crowd of 600 – wreaked havoc on a North Toledo neighborhood. The Toledo Blade newspaper described what occurred:
   “City officials and law enforcement are left to ponder the frightening events of the weekend — 114 arrests, all but 34 of whom were adults, a dozen police officers injured, one seriously, property destroyed and citizens terrorized — all of which propelled Toledo onto the national stage for the worst of reasons.
   “Police are still sorting through who was involved in the riot that followed a planned National Socialist Movement rally, which was canceled before it even started.
   “With the Nazis gone, some in the North Toledo crowd, which included gang members in the red colors of the Bloods, took out their fury on police, area businesses, houses, cars and news media vehicles and personnel.”
   A few say the riot was incited by the presence of the neo-Nazis. Others said, because the Nazis had already left the area before the riot broke out, it underscored the fact that Toledo’s gang problem is out of control.
   Either premise points to a breakdown in racial harmony. Or more scary is the thought that there was little harmony in the first place.
   What happened in Toledo seems far removed from us in Newberg. It’s hard to believe something like that could happen here.
   Haven’t we come a long way on racial progress? Yes, we have, but we also must remember that we have a long way to go and we shouldn’t become complacent just because things “seem” to be OK.

Cameras, enforcement fine – but drivers still must drive responsibly
   The city of Newberg recently signed a contract with a California-based company to begin installing cameras at intersections to document drivers running red lights.
   While the plan provides obvious advantages as far as safety, we have an even better idea for motorists: stop at red lights!
   It’s disturbing that measures must be taken to cite drivers who violate basic traffic laws. Running a red light is not an infraction without victims, such as parking your car improperly or driving without current tags. Run a red light and there’s a very good chance someone’s going to get hurt.
   And for what? So a businessman can get to an appointment on time or a mother can pick up her kids at school? The secret is leave earlier, not put someone else’s life in danger.
   There’s another aspect to this phenomenon: Enforcement. Police could sit at intersections on First and Hancock streets and write tickets for traffic violations until their hands cramped. But that practice proved very unpopular in the mid-1990s and it’s unlikely drivers will look any more favorably on it now.
   So it’s up to drivers to act responsibly, to follow the most basic tenet of a motorist, something young children understand: stop at a red light.
   Can you do it?

Beware of come-ons as a result of Medicare changes
   Hard to believe, but sometimes the federal government does things that are confusing. And, not surprisingly, people are lining up to take advantage of that confusion.
   The sweeping changes made to the Medicare program covering prescription drugs are leaving many seniors scratching their heads. (Medicare is the federal health insurance program for people age 65 and older and some people with disabilities.) While trying to figure out how the biggest changes in the 40-year history of Medicare affect them, they’re faced with pitches from plan sponsors seeking their patronage.
   FYI, here are a few things plan sponsors can and can’t do: they can make pitches on the phone, and in person, but not unsolicited at your door; they can’t ask you to enroll before Nov. 15; they can’t seek personal information during marketing activities.
   The federal government has enlisted states to help eligible people – including a half-million Oregonians – enroll in plans. Locally, there will be another question-and-answer workshop on the prescription-drug program changes at 10 a.m. Thursday at Chehalem Senior Center (503-537-9404 for more information).
   Attending such a workshop may clear up some of the confusion about the Medicare program.

Some good, bad of a week gone by
   — Thumbs up to the Oregon School Activities Association subcommittee responsible for realigning the state’s high school sports leagues. The OSAA’s executive board will vote later this month on a drastic shuffling of leagues, including the addition of two more enrollment classifications. Although six classes seems a bit too many for a state our size, we do like the fact that Newberg could be placed in a pared down version of the Pac-9 Conference. The teams — Newberg, Canby, Forest Grove, McMinnville, Tualatin and Tigard — are in close proximity, reducing travel time and time lost in the classroom. As the proposal stands, the Pac-6 (or whatever it’s eventually called) would be a competitive sports league.
   — Thumbs down to the US Supreme Court for hearing arguments about Oregon’s assisted suicide law. Seems to us like just another case of Big Brother telling Little Brother what to do. Or, put another way: Another case of the feds eschewing their autonomy mantra when it serves them.
   — Thumbs down to the predictable scam artists who are feeding off the kindness of others in the aftermath of the weather-related disasters in the South. How tragic it is that people would actually seek out and prey on those most vulnerable.

This night promises to be full of answers
  So much to know ... so many questions to ask ... so little time.
   Sound familiar?
   If so, there’s an upcoming event that might help.
Community Night is a one-stop opportunity to learn more about local and county government, the bypass, our parks and schools. The Oct. 18 event brings together various agencies, whose representatives will be available to answer questions from members of the public.
   Groups represented include: the cities of Newberg and Dundee; Newberg public schools; Yamhill County Commissioners; the Chehalem Park and Recreation District; Chehalem Valley Chamber of Commerce; Oregon Department of Transportation; and the Yamhill Basin Council.
    Tables will be set up with displays and information. Classrooms will house mini-workshops on subjects like methamphetamine use, the bypass and a new project begun by the school district called “Partnership for Student Success.”
   Community Night is set up like a civic flea market. It’s an informal way — you won’t have to stand before a microphone in front of a council or board — to get the information you want.

Kids not always first, but they’re moving up
   Children First this past week released its annual report card on how well Oregon is taking care of its kids. Not surprisingly, the report says Oregon can do a better job. That’s what we would expect from an advocacy group that, among other things, tries to shape public policy.
   That’s not to say the findings of Children First should be discounted. On the contrary, the in-depth research is some of the best found in the state on children’s issues. That said, there are a few areas Yamhill County must concentrate on improving.
   Tobacco, marijuana and alcohol use was higher here than in the rest of the state. The Oregon Department of Human Services recently released Yamhill County data showing 10.3 percent of eighth grade students admitted to smoking cigarettes in the past 30 days (of the survey) compared with nearly 10 percent statewide. Marijuana use in the county is higher than in the state with 22 percent of all eighth grade students admitting to its use within the past 30 days, as opposed to 17 percent in the state. Fifty-one percent of county eighth-grade students have tried alcohol, compared to 45 percent in the state.
   The report also says that the availability of child care has worsened in the state. In Yamhill County, 11 percent of household income goes to pay for child care, which is higher than the state average. (The report card is found on line at www.childrenfirstfororegon.com or call 503-236-9754.)
   As always, Children First offers some ideas on how the state can improve its overall grade of C-. Those include a more equitable tax system between individuals and corporations; a better funded health plan; and improvements to the child welfare system. The bottom line with the ideas is that they will take money. Oregonians aren’t embracing any new taxes, so the best Children First can hope for is a shifting of priorities in the statehouse. We’d be in favor of that, as long as Oregon’s children benefit.

Dundee’s identity struggle must stay civil
   Folks in Dundee are on the cusp of change – and will be for years to come. Some probably feel impaled by its daunting prospects. Others, no doubt, are eager to embrace a vision for the future.
   The latest chapter of headbutting of Old Dundee and New Dundee is over the Downtown Refinement Plan. An oversimplified view of this matchup shows people on one side wanting to stop any action for the sake of stopping it. On the other side are those who seemingly disregard the Dundee of today in envisioning their Dundee of tomorrow. Straddling the fence are others who, among other things, fear that outsiders will decide the city’s future if the citizens don’t chart their own course.
   Veterans of these battles know the end result will be most amiable to the straddlers. That’s simply how these things work and is what will occur in Dundee.
   What also will occur will be more scraps such as those at Monday’s meeting, where a few in-your-face conversations personified the passion and importance of the issues Dundee faces. City leaders, paid and volunteer, will earn their keep as they respond to one flare up after another. That’s how it should be – government by and for the people.
   A few things shouldn’t happen:
  – People shouldn’t use the “nobody told us” excuse. If you live in Dundee and you don’t realize your city is facing some important issues, you have no one to blame but yourself.
   – People shouldn’t let Mayor Diane Ragsdale be guilty by association. Just because her husband, Mike, is involved in development, doesn’t mean she sees everything through the lens of a developer. She is a realist.
   – People shouldn’t be reckless with their words and actions. Dundee is at a fork in its proverbial road; things can bet better – or worse. Insults and accusations won’t put Dundee on the right path. Reasoning and compromising will.

Get people back on their feet, then blame
   Once again we take a cursory look at the good and bad of a week gone by:
   Thumbs down to the self-serving, back-seat experts who have already figured out who is responsible for the destruction of Hurricane Katrina. The energy consumed battling along party lines — and constant back-and-forth lobbing of rhetoric bombs — would be better spent helping the disaster’s victims.
   Anybody can sit back and dole out criticism. The better people are the ones pitching in to lend a hand. Once that’s done — once folks have food to eat and a place to sleep — there will be plenty of time to distribute blame.
   Thumbs up to those willing to work to save the historic house and barn of pioneer Luke McKern. Take a cursory glance at the buildings and they don’t appear worth saving. The barn is in OK shape, but the house is in need of major repairs. The historical significance of the buildings shouldn’t be discounted, as the McKerns were among the earliest of Newberg’s non-Native American residents.
   Thumbs up to the local Veterans of Foreign Wars, who were at it again this week gracing our downtown with the American flag. It feels good to drive down First Street flanked by dozens of flags flapping in the breeze.

‘You can’t plan for it,’ isn’t true for Newberg
   Looking from afar on the disaster in the South, we’re glad Newberg Fire Chief Michael Sherman is an emergency management junkie. Because of due diligence by the chief and others like him, Newberg appears prepared to handle a natural disaster.
   Of course, as the chief points out, even the best-laid plans aren’t fool proof — especially if they’ve never been battle tested. In fact, the wish of all emergency planners is that they never have to prove their worth.
Hurricanes aren’t a threat to this area, but we are in an earthquake zone and have a major river flowing nearby.
   About two years ago, Newberg used a Federal Emergency Management Agency grant to rewrite the plan Sherman crafted for the city in 2000. Before he was hired here, Sherman wrote the emergency plan for the city of LaGrande.
   In the 18 months since Newberg’s plan was completed, the city has revised it once and held multi-agency preparedness drills. The plan updates and drills will continue indefinitely.
   The plan directs who does what in the case of an emergency — from the county’s full-time emergency manager down the chain of command to volunteer firefighters.
   We hope Newberg never has to use its emergency action plan, but it’s comforting to know such a plan is in place if we did.

Don’t be frozen by Katrina’s destruction
   Disasters stymie some people into inaction. They look from afar at widespread destruction of events such as Hurricane Katrina and shrug themselves out of lending a hand. On the other hand, others realize that even the smallest gestures of offering aid can go a long way in the recovery process.
   There are many local examples of those gestures, some chronicled on the pages of today’s newspaper. People are traveling to the South to pitch in on site. Other folks are contributing long distance –— such as the four Mountain View Middle School girls who are selling lemonade on Saturday. Churches are funneling the material, financial and spiritual resources of their faithful toward the victims. There’s a lot going on already, and we hope the local folks who are doing their part — large and small — to help, will inspire others to do the same.
   We do need to be cautious of where we direct our donations, as the scam artists are out en force as usual. But don’t let the enormity of the hurricane’s aftermath inhibit you from pitching in. Every donation of time, money, manpower or prayer will provide relief.

It’s your library to use (now) on Mondays
   Newberg Public Library staffers know a bit about numbers shuffling, as they annually wrestle for a piece of Newberg’s general fund budget. The folks at the library recently did some other numbers shuffling, which hopefully will benefit this community for years to come. By expanding its hours of operation to include Mondays (see story on page A1 of this issue), the library is set up to better serve its patrons. All that’s left now is for us to take advantage of the extra day.
   The city council’s recent approval of two more hours of operation allowed the library to juggling existing hours. By taking some hours from other days, the library staff has worked out a schedule that allows it to open its doors on Mondays for the first time in 23 years.
   Author Mark Twain once said, “Creed and opinion change with time, and their symbols perish; but literature and its temples are sacred to all creeds and inviolate.” We need to take advantage of the extended hours of operation at Newberg’s “literary temple” to help ensure it stays open on Mondays.

Want to help hurricane victims? Here are two ways
   Locals wanting to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina will get their chance thanks to two high-profile organizations — one local, the other international.
   Providence Newberg Hospital and the American Red Cross are two trusted avenues through which people can funnel donations of money and/or time.
   Providence Health System is collecting funds, which will go to Catholic Charities USA for its on-site relief work at the disaster scene. Checks should be made payable to Providence Health Foundation. They may be dropped off at the front desk of the Providence Newberg Hospital, 501 N. Villa Road.
   The American Red Cross is offering training for volunteers who want to help on-site with the relief efforts.
   A schedule of classes can be found online at www.redcross-oregontrail.org or by calling 503-284-1234.
   “We have established four blocks of training for volunteers that provide a quick overview of disaster relief,” said Rhonda Coleman, spokesperson for the Red Cross chapter in Portland. “The goal is to get people trained quickly so they can help with disaster relief.”

There’s a lot on the minds of kids these days
   About this time we usually issue our annual back-to-school warning for drivers and parents of young children about the dangers of walking to and from school. We’re not going to do that this year. Instead, we’ll let you read the following news story from Canada last week:
   “Tragedy ended the dawn of a young boy’s life Tuesday afternoon and dimmed the light in an entire Brampton neighborhood.
   ... A traffic accident has ruined the music for a family and residents in a Roehampton Crescent neighbourhood. A 9-year-old boy from the community was struck and killed while trying to cross Steeles Avenue on a scooter Tuesday afternoon.
   ... By all accounts, the blonde, blue-eyed 9-year-old had a joyful and playful nature that made encounters with him a pleasure for adults as well as younger residents in the neighbourhood.
   ... The boy was riding a push-scooter on the sidewalk headed east along Steeles Avenue.
    ... Suddenly, the boy darted from the sidewalk and into traffic as he tried to cross from the south side of Steeles Avenue to the north side, officers believe. An eastbound Honda Civic hit him as he attempted to cross the four-lane road according to police reports.
   The 26-year-old Brampton man behind the wheel did not have time to react, investigators have determined.”
Local kids return to school next week. Be aware!

Family Friends: three-way enrichment
   Family Friends is a volunteer organization that matches adult volunteers and children with disabilities, giving parents of those children some free time.
   The benefits of the program for the parent and child are obvious. The parent catches her or his breath; the child gets to interact with another adult. Another, equally important, benefit is the self-fulfillment of volunteering. Program participant Gwen Monagon knows that feeling firsthand.
   She volunteers through Family Friends, spending time once a week with a 6-year-old girl with special needs.  They paint, and play at the park and bustle around Monagon’s farm in Dayton. It’s a special time for child and volunteer alike.
    Monagon and other adult volunteers know the rewards of volunteering to help others. Those age 55 or older, who think they like to join in on the fun, can test-drive the program through a training session. For information call Family Friends at 503-537-1546 or email program coordinator Kathy Watson at kathleen.watson2@providence.org.

Air base fight might have been closer to home
   It’s with great interest that we report Newberg Mayor Bob Stewart and Dundee Mayor Diane Ragsdale recently signed on to protest a proposal to take fighter planes away fom Portland’s military air base.
   After all, had it not been for some political wrangling, the military base might have been situated a few miles south of here.
   Back in the late 1950s there was a movement afoot to build a joint Air Force/Navy base on the French Prairie, south of St. Paul. Military officials held meetings in downtown Newberg to discuss the proposal. But after a few years of research, including earmarking 5,000 acres of land, the folks back in Washington decided to expand the facility at Portland International Airport.
    It was estimated between 75 and 100 homes would have had to be relocated for the $50 million project to get off the ground in Marion County. In the end, Congress saved about $35 million and gave the go-ahead to improve the base at the airport.
   Fast forward nearly 50 years later. In a letter to the Base Realignment and Closure Commission, Stewart and Ragsdale joined 31 mayors from neighboring cities expressing concern about reducing the squadron at the Portland base.
   It’s interesting to consider some of the differences there would be if our mayors today were going to bat to save “our” planes.

Careless drivers will get stung
   There have been plenty of busy bees and ornery yellow jackets buzzing around outdoors in the recent dog days of summer. But there’s another way of getting stung this month in downtown Newberg if you aren’t careful.
Newberg Police Department’s pedestrian crosswalk stings have caught more than a few leadfoot drivers by surprise this summer, and more are planned.
   The initial “ouch” of a pointy bee stinger poking into your arm or leg might cause you to wince. But the hurt of a $175 ticket for not yielding to a pedestrian in a crosswalk probably will have a longer-lasting effect, at least on your wallet.
  As you’re cruising around or through town, ease up a bit on the gas pedal. Be alert to folks trying to cross our streets, especially in the downtown core.
   A couple-hundred-dollar ticket is one unfortunate result of a driver’s carelessness. A much more severe consequence would be having a person bounce off your front bumper and land in a hospital bed — or worse.

Rich history worth preserving
   If not for the Hoover-Minthorn House Museum, President Herbert Hoover’s fleeting relationship with Newberg might be lost forever.
   That would be a sad fate for the memory of our nation’s 31st president, who spent almost four “formative” years here in the late 1880s. It also would be sad for a community like ours, teeming with history despite rapid and constant change.
   We were fortunate to have former Sen. Mark Hatfield commemorate the museum’s 50th anniversary Wednesday. Fifty years ago, a 33-year-old Hatfield stood alongside Hoover as the ex-president dedicated the museum.
   Hatfield mastered Wednesday’s ceremony, which probably would have made the notoriously private Hoover uneasy. But Hoover would have found comfort in the fact that the sun was out and, without much effort, he could have partaken in two of his favorite pastimes: prayer and fishing. And, if his chores were done, he might have had time for a quick dip in the creek.
   Those sort of historical tidbits remain alive here, thanks to the diligence of curator Lorraine Hall and the others at the museum. They deserve our praise for events like Wednesday’s anniversary, as well as for keeping Hoover’s memory alive.

It was long, but was it worth it?
   We’re glad they've said sine die at the Capitol, where the second-longest regular legislative session in history came  to a close Friday (see graph below).
   However, we're chagrined that once again, the final days, hours and perhaps minutes included a flurry of deals and layers of deals. Those last-gasp wranglings by lawmakers resulted in hurried votes and new laws often not afforded the same discourse as others. As Rep. Donna Nelson said, that’s no way to run a 46 billion dollar business.
   On the other hand, there was plenty of discussion on the schools budget – the biggest of the session at $5.24 billion. There also was plenty of politicking, including some in the dead of night during the final hours of the session. As we’ve said before, that budget should be one of the first lawmakers sign off on.
   Among the rash of bills, there are plenty that we like. For example, the campaign finance bill will require more frequent and, hopefully, more accurate reporting of campaign activities of candidates and political committees.
   We’ll try to digest more of the new laws in the coming weeks. Until then, we’ll simply revel in that fact that they’re done.

Festival week has something for you
   Wow! The Newberg Old Fashioned Festival turns 25 this week and Newberg's granddaddy of events continues to rumble along, churning up family fun in its wake.
   Twenty-five years of tinkering, refining and massaging has left this community with a diverse festival that should pique most anyone's interest.
   Starting Thursday, where else can you attend in a four-day span: a dog costume contest, a middle school dance, a pancake breakfast, a softball tournament, an art exhibition, a soap box derby, a road run, a car show, a fireworks display, two parades (kids parade Thursday and main parade Saturday), numerous and diverse musical acts, clowns, dancers, museum exhibits (including one about a U.S. president), a kids junior firefighter challenge, a queen coronation, a carnival, food booths, vendors and more?
   The center of the fun is once again Memorial Park and the Old Renne School area. There you will see what thousands of volunteer hours and sponsorship money can produce.
   The Old Fashioned Festival has it all. See for yourself by attending this week's Silver Celebration.

Bypass backers toss a gem at usually stubborn LUBA
   Newberg-Dundee bypass supporters Thursday won a huge victory, something ODOT project manager Alan Fox said is akin to pitching a perfect game in baseball.
   That’s great news for bypass advocates, who have rarely seen anything they’ve done over the past 20-plus years receive a rubber stamp.
   The gem came before the Land Use Board of Appeals in Salem. LUBA affirmed the actions of Newberg, Dundee, Dayton and Yamhill County government entities in approving two goal exceptions needed for the bypass. Issues that go before LUBA typically are remanded back to the source for further work. But, surprisingly, that didn’t happen Thursday.
   What’s more, the issue before LUBA wasn’t simply a land-use action on a single parcel of land. As Fox explains, this was multiple land use actions by multiple jurisdictions on an 11-mile long project.
   The core team that prepared the goal exception documents deserves credit for its work. It includes: Mike Brandt, county planning director; planners Ken Friday and Martin Chroust-Masin; county attorneys John Gray and Rick Sanai; Fox and the entire project management team; and lead attorneys Bonnie Heitsch and Mark Greenfield.
In addition to other things, the lead attorneys and Fox spearheaded the goal exception documents and amendments to the land use comprehensive plans. These are all necessary to site the bypass route in all future planning documents.
   LUBA’s approval prevented another possible 6- to 8-month delay in the project.
   County Commissioner Leslie Lewis hinted Friday that the bypass is now in the “home stretch.” Taken in the context of the fact that the process has gone on for decades Lewis’ statement could prove to be correct. There’s plenty of work to be done before anything resembling a bypass is built, but Thursday’s victory before LUBA is a positive, time-saving step.

Bypass backers toss a gem at usually stubborn LUBA
   Newberg-Dundee bypass supporters Thursday won a huge victory, something ODOT project manager Alan Fox said is akin to pitching a perfect game in baseball.
   That’s great news for bypass advocates, who have rarely seen anything they’ve done over the past 20-plus years receive a rubber stamp.
   The gem came before the Land Use Board of Appeals in Salem. LUBA affirmed the actions of Newberg, Dundee, Dayton and Yamhill County government entities in approving two goal exceptions needed for the bypass. Issues that go before LUBA typically are remanded back to the source for further work. But, surprisingly, that didn’t happen Thursday.
   What’s more, the issue before LUBA wasn’t simply a land-use action on a single parcel of land. As Fox explains, this was multiple land use actions by multiple jurisdictions on an 11-mile long project.
   The core team that prepared the goal exception documents deserves credit for its work. It includes: Mike Brandt, county planning director; planners Ken Friday and Martin Chroust-Masin; county attorneys John Gray and Rick Sanai; Fox and the entire project management team; and lead attorneys Bonnie Heitsch and Mark Greenfield.
   In addition to other things, the lead attorneys and Fox spearheaded the goal exception documents and amendments to the land use comprehensive plans. These are all necessary to site the bypass route in all future planning documents.
   LUBA’s approval prevented another possible 6- to 8-month delay in the project.
   County Commissioner Leslie Lewis hinted Friday that the bypass is now in the “home stretch.” Taken in the context of the fact that the process has gone on for decades Lewis’ statement could prove to be correct. There’s plenty of work to be done before anything resembling a bypass is built, but Thursday’s victory before LUBA is a positive, time-saving step.

Shops, offices will fit corridor nicely
   The Newberg Downtown Revitalization Committee is on target in its numbering of its options of how to develop a key piece of property in the city's core.
   The NDRC displayed four options at a Tuesday midday block party at the First Street property across from city hall. The festive block party, with live music and Jem 100 burgers, was designed to solicit public opinion on how the property is developed. The NDRC also used the event to acquaint the public with the concept of the Civic Corridor, including the continued development of the cultural and arts center at the old Central School.
   The first and second options were most appealing because of their mixture of retail and office spaces. Option one was for a three-story building; option two for a two-story structure. Both could pump more life into the civic corridor and into the downtown area in general.
   The third option showcases a mini-amphitheater, while the fourth option calls for the lot to be turned into a park. It's fun to romanticize about the amphitheater, but a cultural center a few blocks north seems more appropriate a spot for that sort of thing. The cultural center also has ample space for more park-like options, plus it already includes Centennial Park, developed last year by Newberg Rotary clubs.
   The NDRC is on track with options one and two. Nicely done shops and offices would enhance our community's civic corridor.

Turn summer slumps into opportunities for kids
   This week’s warm weather signals that summer is indeed here. That and, perhaps, the occasional whining from the kids that they have “nothing to do.”
   If that’s the case in your household, don’t despair. There are a number of inexpensive summer activities for kids and families to enjoy: Get the kids out of the house and away from the video games by trying some of the following:
   Public Libraries – Summer reading programs and other events are always available in Newberg. Call 503-538-7323.
   Bookstores – Attend book signings and appropriate music performances. Meeting children’s authors can be exciting for both young and old readers.
   Visit The River – For some children, a short drive to Roger’s Landing, where they can toss a few rocks into the drink, can be an enjoyable evening respite.
   Chehalem Aquatic Center – Swimming lessons and/or classes are inexpensive and fun for children of all ages. Call 503-538-7454.
   Local Playgrounds and Parks – Almost every Newberg neighborhood is equipped with a playground or park. Have a picnic lunch under the shade or plan a family barbecue.
   Drive-In Theater – The 99 West drive-in is a unique way to watch a movie. Call 503-538-2738.
Craft Programs – Attend an arts and craft program through the Chehalem Park and Recreation District. Call 503-538-7454.
   Year-Long Memberships and Day Passes – Invest in memberships at museums, zoos, aquariums or theme parks for discounted prices.
   Minor League Sports – Consider attending minor league sporting events such as a Salem-Keizer Volcanoes baseball game.
   Farmers’ Markets and Swap Meets – Shop with your family at farmers’ markets and swap meets on the weekend. Children can learn how to bargain and use their money wisely.
   Fairs and Festivals – The Yamhill County Fair is next week in McMinnville, and in two weeks the Old Fashioned Festival will make its annual run in Newberg.
   The dog days of summer are here, but they don’t have to include whining.