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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 2008)
08 vernonia’s voice volunteerism january 2008 First Responders - The First Heroes By Scott Laird Vernonia Fire Chief Paul Epler has reason to be proud of his volunteers. “They did an outstanding job,” praised Epler, as he looked back on the first day of the disaster. The quickly rising waters caught the community as a whole by surprise, and swift moving currents made rescues especially difficult. “It got to the point where we could only get to those people who were close to the center of town,” said Smith. “It was frustrating because we just don’t have the means here. We are a small rural department with- out the financial resources and the equipment to deal with a disaster like this. A lot of people that needed help were just out of reach.” Vernonia Fire and Rescue, Vernonia Emergency Medical Services, Vernonia Police Department and CERT personnel all responded in numbers to the All Call that went out just before 8:30 a.m. on Decem- ber 3. Over eighteen inches of rain in the previous forty-eight hours had given notice that the community might be in trouble. Vernonia Police Sergeant Mike Kay noted the isolated situation that the community found itself in, and the great work that community volunteers were able to provide. “With the roads into town closed, we liter- ally became an island. We had no outside help for the first twenty-four hours. The Air National Guard couldn’t fly because of weather conditions. Outside agencies couldn’t reach us because the roads were closed. There were a number of citizens who really stepped up and helped. Ray Cota and Norm Brown are just two of many that deserve praise for their ef- forts.” “I took an early look at Rock Creek and knew it was going to get bad,” said Epler. As the water continued to rise, Epler told all those re- sponding who might be affected by flooding to head back home and take care of their personal property first, then to come back if they could. Many were unable to return as they became stranded by high water. Epler had high praise for all his crew members and noted the work of Lieutenant Dean Smith, Dan Ow- ens, Luke Ellis, Kristina McCord, and Wayne Vaughn as outstanding. “I had to send about half my people home to deal with their own issues. They all wanted to be here to help their community. Everyone did a great job under very difficult circumstances.” “Because so many of our volunteers were personally effected by the flooding, we spent the initial rescue period shorthanded, with five to eight people working at any one time.” explained Lieutenant Smith. Donations Pour In - Even From Montana By Scott Laird Help with the relief efforts for flood victims has been pouring into the community of Vernonia from everywhere. The many Portland-area businesses that assisted the efforts are just too numerous to name; individuals and groups in outlying areas brought clothing, food, toys, furniture, equipment and supplies by the truck load. The outpouring of generosity has been overwhelming. One especially heartwarming story was of a truck and trailer load of donations that came all the way from Twin Bridges, Montana. Former Vernonia resident Janie Wasmann currently resides in Twin Bridges as does Janie’s 86-year-old fa- ther, Bill McMillin. Mr. McMillin took it upon himself to begin gath- ering donations to send to Vernonia. He hand packed boxes of clothing, Christmas decorations, and toys that he collected, as well as supervised the loading of the trailer and pickup that also included furniture for flood victims. Funds were raised to pay for expenses to bring the donations to Oregon. Patty and Don Welborn were asked to drive the shipment of relief items and agreed. Patty and Don drove fifteen straight hours and arrived in Vernonia on December 20th, just in time to help spread some needed Christmas cheer. HOUSE FOR SALE BY OWNER 710 E. BRIDGE STREET, VERNONIA 100’ x 100’ Dividable Lot 4 Bedroom 2100 SQ. Feet $252,000 Call Terry for a No Hassel Showing 971-409-4779 According to Sergeant Kay, Vernonia Rescue personnel were credited with sixty-three known rescues that first day. The Air National Guard helped with twenty rescues when they arrived on the morning of December 4th. Long Term Volunteers Needed The Victims Assistance group that will be continuing to meet the needs of the communities affected by flooding is seeking volunteers to fill key posi- tions. It is expected that flood victims will continue to need services for at least twelve to eighteen months from the time of the flood. Rose Peets, the acting Volunteer Coordinator, stepped into her position while on winter break from college classes. She will be returning to school in mid January and hopes to find a replacement for her position. “Ideally we are looking for people who are familiar with the area, specifi- cally locals,” explained Rose. “Someone who is retired or who is a stay at home person would be great. Teams are good, either husband and wives or groups of friends.” “Every one of our zones of operation has positions that need to be filled, said Rose. “We need additional people at Lincoln Grade school to fill in at the Distribution Center. We are going to need someone with construction experience to work distributing building materials. We need a Volunteer Coordinator. And we are going to have an ongoing need for people to make phone calls, checking in with victims, and helping out with office type work.” “There were a lot of people who jumped in right away, and they are getting tired. We need to start finding replacements and folks to fill in, so our lead people can take a break,” concluded Rose. If you are interested in helping with the recovery effort and would like to volunteer call 503-791-9629. Preschool- Kindergarten ROUNDUP & All-School Open House January 24th, 2008 Roundup starts at 6pm Open house 6:30-8pm Banks Christian Academy 22785 NW Fisher Road Buxton, OR 97109 503-324-4500 Jessica Davis Dance Class Winter Recital rescheduled for January 18th at 7pm at the Vernonia Community Church Gymnasium Regular classes resume January 7th Monday and Wednesday 3:30 - 6:30 pm 429~0850
