Current Events

Local voters approve police station bond, other measures

Elise Brown
November 9, 2011

This year’s Election Day had West Linn voters saying “yes” to police stations, sheriffs, and countywide urban renewal votes. On Nov. 8, voters approved all four measures on the ballot: 3-377, 3-378, 3-386 and 3-388.

Measure 3-377 is an $8.5 million bond for the construction of a new police station. It will be on Eighth Avenue and meet the seismic standards that the current police station does not. According to The Oregonian, it will cost approximately $45 per year for a home valued at $285,000.

Measure 3-378, a levy renewal for the Clackamas County sheriff’s department, was approved, with 76% of voters saying “yes.” The measure does not raise taxes, but it does redirect property taxes toward paying the salaries of patrol deputies and the enforcement of drug laws. According to The Oregonian, it will cost approximately $50 per year for a home valued at $200,000.

Measures 3-386 and 3-388, measures for countywide and local urban renewal, respectively, both passed. Since only one plan out of the two can be implemented at one time, the one with the most votes will be the one that is used. So, Measure 3-386 will be the one put into place. This means that a countywide vote will need to be taken every time an urban renewal district is created or changed.

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About the Contributor

Elise Brown, Co Editor-in-Chief

Elise Brown, senior, has always felt comfortable standing up and giving her opinion in front of everyone and for the most part, she enjoys it very much. That is one of the many reasons why she heads the debate team, and also why in June she earned a place in the National Speech and Debate Competition in Indianapolis.

Out of the 250 people entered in the competition, she finished 151st in the country. Before she earned her rightful place in Nationals, however, she needed to prove herself in Districts and State.

Her 10 minute long speech about socialism and its benefits took first and second in Districts and State, respectively.

“In the National competition the judges didn’t appreciate politics or controversy as much as they did in Districts and State,” Brown said. This was confirmed from one of the judges she conversed with in order to find out what she could do better.

Brown’s interest in current events started in the eighth grade. She then did the Amplifier, the high school newspaper to help communicate her ideas about the world with her fellow peers, she also did the debate team to better understand the problems throughout the world and learn how to solve them somewhat.

“Debate involves knowing what is going on in the world,” Brown said.

This year for upcoming competitions, she has a speech in the works that she feels will top her last one. This year’s speech is about interdependence inspired by the “you didn’t build that debate,” caused when President Barack Obama told business people that they did not create their businesses on their own.

Brown’s passion for debate has influenced what college she will go to, what she will study in college, and what she wants to do in her life. Brown’s goal is to graduate high school and then travel to Massachusetts and attend Wellesley College, a very well known and prestigious college, where Brown hopes to study political science.

To achieve this goal she has taken part in a number of rigorous courses and activities such as Speech and Debate, AP Government, AP Economics, Honors Law, AP English and journalism. Once Brown achieves her education goals, her next goal is to become a political commentator.

“I want to change people’s minds,” Brown said. Brown has chosen the path to become a political commentator because she believes political power lies with the media.

Brown has worked very hard throughout high school and continues to work hard through her senior year. She has taken many challenging courses to achieve her goal of going to Wellesley, and will need to continue down the very rigorous path to success to accomplish her goals.