vernonia’s
voice from the readers
january
2008
05
Readers Lend Their Voices...
To the Editor:
To the Editor:
I wanted to say thank you to everyone that participated
in this year’s Lighted Christmas Parade on December
1 in Vernonia. Although the weather wasn’t very co-
operative (rain mixed with snow), a large number of
community members turned out anyway, and seemed
to enjoy themselves. The log trucks in the parade were
just great. An added bonus was all the others who
came out and took part. Matt Poetter was the winner of
the best decorated log truck. The parade just gets better
and better each year.
I was honored to have the chance to spend e few days
helping with cleanup in your town. I would like to thank
the people of Vernonia for allowing me to share that time
with them. The spirit, attitudes and community spirit the
citizens displayed in the face of such a devastating chal-
lenge was inspirational and made me want to do more. I
only wish I could have. I want to say a special thank you
to David and Brooke at the Old Mill House for putting
me up and putting up with me. I will not soon forget the
great people I met in your town.
I also wanted to say thank you to everyone who volunteered
and helped organize the parade, especially Helen Hudson
and Janelle Cedergreen, and to Teresa House for her gener-
ous gift of Portland Trailblazer tickets for prizes.
Thanks again,
Dave Thoreson
Salem, OR
I look forward to the Lighted Christmas Parade con-
tinuing, with more and more participants joining in the
fun every year.
Sincerely,
Shirlee Daughtry
I would like to send a thank you out to everyone whose
efforts helped to bring my dog home safely; Doobie,
had been missing for six days in the cold and rainy
weather.
Dear Vernonia Community Residents:
We would like to say thank you for your cooperation,
support, and overwhelming hospitality. Good luck as
you continue to recover from this disaster. We hope that
the service we were able to provide made a difference.
Office of the State Fire Marshal
Red Incident Management Team
Chief Taylor Robertson
Incident Commander
It was amazing the help we received from the Vernonia
community. People, who had much more to worry about
than my missing dog, were taking time out of their day
to help find her. Neighbors and friends searched fro
days, people put food outside and kept their dogs put
up in an effort to coax her in. I admire the people who
had so much empathy for us, when they themselves had
recently lost so much.
County Inmates searched for her as they sorted through
the wreckage of the devastating flood throughout town.
A group from the Rock Creek Kennel spent time help-
ing us look as well.
A group of in-
mates
were
working at a
farm area off
Mist Drive when
we received the
phone call say-
ing that Doobie
was seen. Just
minutes
after
getting the call,
my mom’s boy-
friend Barney
Hayes
called
and told us we
could quit praying now because Doobie was safe in his
arms.
I would like to thank Judy who called and gave us our
hope back, after five days of our dog being lost. There
was a couple from St. Helens who did not know us, but
in the moment we had met, said they had been praying
and put an ad online, we thank you. Thank you to all
our friends and neighbors for all of your help.
Most of all I would like to thank the inmates for making
my Christmas. I wish you all happy holidays. I hope
you know how much you have truly made a difference
not only for me and my family, but for all the families
that you have selflessly helped in the past couple of
weeks. We wish you a merry Christmas, and a happy
new year. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
With Regards,
Kelly Mickey and Family
vernonia
winter
2008
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Email to: news@vernoniasvoice.com or mail to: Letters, PO Box 55, Vernonia 97064.
community learning center
A new year for Vernonia; a new year for our citizens
Hello and happy new year! As we look forward to
a new year with its unique challenges and oppor-
tunities, the VCLC also is seeing and experiencing
how an incomprehensible occurrence can also
bring so much unexpected goodness.
The Vernonia Community Learning Center is host-
ing the Columbia County Flood Relief Team, serv-
ing those with unmet needs resulting from the
recent natural disaster in Columbia County. This
grassroots relief and recovery effort moved into the
VCLC after a few days of ad hoc organization at
Vernonia City Hall. This team of devoted volun-
teers are tirelessly coordinating the community
rebuilding efforts made up of faith based groups,
volunteer and contracted builders and licensed
contractors, donated and bought building materi-
als and most importantly, the victims of the flood.
At this time, the VCLC's winter programs are post-
poned until further notice while the victim's assis-
tance team works to streamline operations and
consolidate into the computer lab. Previously
scheduled winter classes and normal programs
have been postponed while the community recov-
ers. Many VCLC teachers, students and volunteers
were personally affected by the recent flood. We
are all working together to heal each other and
ourselves. Responding to the community's educa-
tional and other needs has been and still is the role
the VCLC will sustain and your ideas for classes and
programs were and are always still the driving force
behind our program development.
939 bridge street
vernonia, 97064
The schedule developing for winter included; Writ-
ing 121 (a PCC credit class), The Basics of Drawing,
Landscape Painting, Typing, Traditional Rug Braid-
ing, Introduction to Email and the Internet, Comput-
ers Made Simple, Group Guitar, Jazzercise, Busi-
ness Counseling, GED and workshops on solar
energy and rainwater catchment systems.
The flood on December 3rd was a terrible tragedy,
not to mention a huge disruption. For the VCLC,
interrupting the finalization of the Winter 2008
calendar. Now, as we all attempt the return to
normalcy in our lives, this community building will
work to serve the community in the most accomo-
dating way it can. Classes would have started the
3rd week of January. As soon as we have spaces
to hold these classes we will post a message in
conspicuous places. Keep a lookout. In the
meantime, please welcome new service partners
at the VCLC! These partners include Columbia
County Rider and Columbia Community Mental
Health. The Department of Human Services Voca-
tional Rehabilitation began seeing Vernonia clients
in the VCLC in November 2006. Come by and say
hello to these new faces. Victims Assistance will be
available Tuesday through Sunday.
Everything still stands, we are still and always seek-
ing talented teachers, with and without licenses.
We are still seeking program ideas and volunteers
to help run them. We are still seeking as many
students as possible to learn, and to take advan-
tage of the education and creativity offered here.
503.429.1030
503.989.7244
vclc@vernonia-or.gov
C
L
it’s the center
to build
your community.