Correspondence Charge Against Devlin False Once Again

SENATE DISTRICT 19

Charge against Devlin false Once again, supporters of Bob Tiernan have resorted to made-up “facts” to attack Rep. Richard Devlin.

A recent mailing from Citizens for a Sound Economy claims that Devlin “voted to increase PERS benefits,” citing four bills. Two do not even mention PERS. One clarifies PERS statutes and does not increase benefits. The fourth allows state forestry employees who fight forest and range fires to retire as firefighters. It did not raise benefits for firefighters.

The mailing claims that Devlin “voted to increase PERS benefits to elected legislators like himself,” citing two bills, but again, neither mentions PERS. As best one can determine, there were no such votes while Devlin served in the House.

The mailing claims that Devlin “led the fight to kill PERS reform,” citing two bills. One failed 20-40. The other did not make it out of the Rules Committee.

So this “hit piece” is a case of sloppy research, sloppy thinking and innuendo. In light of this, I hope neighbors will ignore the Citizens for a Sound Economy. STANLEY ASCHENBRENNER Lake Oswego

DISTRICT BOND MEASURE

Measure 3-75 helps schools As a parent, taxpayer, businessperson and volunteer chairman of the West Linn-Wilsonville School Board, I urge you to vote yes for Capital Bond Measure 3-75.

The citizens of these two fine communities have demonstrated a level of support for our schools second to none in this state. You cannot be at a school in this district without bumping into parents and other community members. Whether it’s helping teachers, reading to students, coaching after school or working with the district’s community partnership programs, the citizens of West Linn and Wilsonville are always there for our kids.

I am asking you to be there again. We need your help to make our schools safer, to add classroom space, to upgrade technology, to make investments in energy efficiency and to create equity in music and the arts.

Measure 3-75 does not address the operational budget shortfall coming from the state budget, but it does put the decision to invest in the district’s assets in your hands. Measure 3-75 allows you to demonstrate that our kids come first. And all operational savings we gain from our infrastructure upgrades do help alleviate the budget shortfalls we experience from the state budget.

Please join me and thousands of others and vote yes on Measure 3-75. PAT HANLIN West Linn

Keep schools in top shape The number one investment we can make to our community is in our schools.

Whe we relocated from out of state eight years ago, we could have moved to any of the surrounding communities. Our decision to purchase a home in Wilsonville was primarily based on the outstanding West Linn-Wilsonville schools.

It’s time to invest in our most important community resource by voting yes on Measure 3-75.

Measure 3-75 will pay for facilities to alleviate crowding. All of our schools will be modified and repaired to provide for safety and security, energy conservation and technology updates. It will allow us to acquire land for primary and middle schools.

Please help maintain our excellent educational system by voting yes on Measure 3-75. LORIE YAVORSKY Wilsonville

WEST LINN ELECTIONS

Be wary of campaign talk Developer Herb Koss and others have made campaign assertions against the West Linn City Council and a political action committee called the Rosemont Alliance that are invalid and need to be countered.

It’s being claimed that Mayor David Dodds and some present councilors — the accusers don’t say which ones — have (1) delayed or stopped construction of ball fields, (2) delayed construction of the senior center and (3) terminated most of the city department heads, with some characterizing those as firings and others saying six department heads were fired, let go or left.

The facts are as follows:

This council has not delayed or stopped construction of any ball fields. On newly acquired park lands that are suitable for what was described in the 1998 voter-approved parks bond as multipurpose playing fields, adequate funds remain to develop them, and the council has invited citizens to determine the nature of their development through volunteer park development committees.

This council also gave citizens three opportunities to acquire at least 30 acres for additional sports fields outside the city for the very low cost of a $2.5 million, 20-year bond, but voters didn’t pass it.

The senior center’s construction has not been delayed one iota by this council. It’s staying within budget and on schedule to meet its originally projected completion around early November or before.

This council did not terminate any department heads. It doesn’t have any power to do so. The only staff persons whom any council can hire or fire are the city manager and the city attorney. They are not “department heads.” BOB THOMAS West Linn Mayor no help to senior center I am certain that the current mayor of West Linn is going to take credit for the new West Linn Senior Center. The truth is, the center is being completed in spite of the mayor. Under his guidance, the project was delayed for one year and cost the taxpayers well over $500,000.

The development/building community was prepared to donate labor, materials, engineering and project management services to the worthwhile and needed project.

Mayor David Dodds wanted nothing to do with the people who had previously worked on the project or who were connected to the development or building industries.

I was involved in the planning of the new center and the renovation of the temporary center. I was also willing to donate my time to manage the building of the new center.

Once the new council was elected, I was not invited to any meetings. Dodds apparently preferred to hire a project manager, increasing costs by thousands of dollars. The interest and momentum that were cultivated from the development and building industry were also ignored.

Yes, the senior center is now almost complete. I hope the mayor takes the full credit for the delay and costs — he deserves that. BRIAN KEICHER West Linn Zagone good choice for mayor Thirty years ago I was West Linn’s state legislator. Nearly 40 years ago I was on West Linn’s planning commission. I practiced law in West Linn for nearly 20 years and have been an activist for a lot longer than that.

Today’s issues aren’t all that different than they were back when I ran for office. When it all comes down to it, we all want someone we trust to do a good job for us in office.

Frankly, I don’t feel that way about the mayor and the current bunch of councilors. They have exposed our citizens to potentially several million dollars’ worth of needless litigation costs with their poorly conceived policies. I think we made a mistake voting them into office.

I would like your help in rectifying that mistake by electing a new mayor, Terri Zagone. Zagone is a former teacher, businesswoman and a highly regarded children’s book author. Zagone is a well-rounded, well-grounded woman who has the abilities and ideas we need at City Hall.

A lot of years ago I asked West Linn to support me in an election; now I am asking West Linn to support Terri Zagone in this election. ALLEN PYNN West Linn Photo doesn’t represent view This past weekend a campaign brochure was sent to the homes of West Linn city voters. This brochure included a picture of several people from the sports community, including my children and myself.

I do not want anyone who received this political piece to believe that I promote its negative message or method of communicating. I do not support, endorse or have any affiliation with this group.

I do believe that we need to provide more high-quality athletic fields and facilities for our youth. I have worked hard to find a positive approach to solving some of our field-shortage problems, such as working with the West Linn-Wilsonville School District and the city of West Linn to build an athletic field for lacrosse and other activities.

I will continue to work with the governing bodies to help provide opportunities for all of our citizens. But I will work with them as I always have, in a respectful and cooperative manner.

Do not believe everything that you see and read. Get out there and meet as many of the candidates as you can. And evaluate for yourself who has the skills that can best solve the problems that our community faces. ALISON C. HENDERSON West Linn Developers backing city slate During the last general election, “pro-growth” interests dumped thousands of dollars into a political action committee, West Linn Citizens for Responsible Government. The objective was to elect a development-friendly mayor and city council.

The development community has a longstanding record of involvement in local elections. It believes it has the same rights to participate in our elections as do you and I. While I do not necessarily agree, its presence is a political fact of life.

The candidates the development community appears to support this election are easy to identify. One has only to travel to any of the big undeveloped pieces of land where property owners have been pushing for development, and you will find their signs sprouting like weeds: Brian Newman for Metro; Terri Zagone for mayor; Grant Oakes, Bill Hewitt, John Steele, Mike Babbitt and Sam Sabo (for City Council).

This election, like the last, is all about growth. If you are concerned about the fragile health of West Linn and wish to see the city’s resources used to make our community better and not bigger, I urge you to vote David Dodds for mayor; Mike Kapigian, David Tripp, Bob Adams and Norm King for City Council; and Bill Atherton for Metro. DAVID ADAMS West Linn

LAKE OSWEGO ELECTIONS

Gay Graham shows promise I am a 2002 graduate of the Lake Oswego Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Lake Oswego program. While I am deeply committed to my community, my interest in matters political is minimal, and I confess that I anticipated the Nov. 15, 2001, “Understanding Your Government” leadership session with about as much enthusiasm as most people have for cleaning their garages.

Gay Graham changed my mind, however. As the opening speaker for that day’s events, she immediately captivated my attention with her passion and verve.

Graham related her inspirational story of how her desire to create positive change within her community led her into public service, and shared valuable insights into effective leadership and teamwork. She also impressed me with her ability to listen.

In the year since, I’ve observed that Graham has become one of the City Council’s most visible, inquisitive and effective members. She is dedicated to maintaining and improving our exemplary quality of life in Lake Oswego.

Please join me in voting to re-elect Gay Graham. MICHAEL EURY Lake Oswego Graham good for Lake Oswego Lake Oswego is fortunate that Gay Graham is running for another term on the City Council.

Her years of experience in politics are being put to good use helping govern our city. She is the kind of person who is not subject to prejudgment, but listens to all sides, gets facts, weighs them and then intelligently discusses the problems or angles, often coming up with ideas which are creative, yet practicable. She does not assume that she is right and those who disagree are wrong.

Always, Graham is respectful of the different talents and insights that diverse people can bring to the table. She can and does work with all, mediating, inspiring and instructing as only a true leader can.

After decisions are made, Graham is the one who can ably organize and get things done in a timely and productive manner. Her energy is amazing. Do vote for Gay Graham. ANN C. MEYER Lake Oswego Second term for Graham Gay Graham is intelligent, informed, ethical, energetic, knowledgeable, responsible, resourceful, dedicated, a listener, team player and a consensus builder.

All these attributes are apparent to those of us who have known her for years and to those who have watched her work on the Lake Oswego City Council the past two years.

I will vote for Gay Graham to return her for a second term. We, the citizens of Lake Oswego, will benefit from her dedicated efforts. SANDRA L. GERLING Lake Oswego Democrats’ signs defaced During political campaigns, the southwest corner of Kruse Way and Carman Drive has traditionally been a “neutral corner” where candidates from all political parties erect signs.

Recently, I was shocked to discover that several signs at this corner for Democratic candidates, including Greg Macpherson, had been vandalized. Several Macpherson signs had been sliced into pieces. Also, several Democratic lawn signs on nearby Quarry Road had been slashed.

In the many years I’ve lived in Lake Oswego, I’ve never seen such an openly vicious act committed against a candidate. No matter who wins, we have to live together and try to work out our differences so we can solve pressing problems. Vandalism of the sort described above can only deepen the polarization and partisanship that is degrading our political system.

I believe that most Lake Oswego Republicans would deplore the behavior exhibited by the individual who vandalized the Macpherson signs. I call upon Jim Zupanic to reprimand those of his supporters who performed this deplorable act.