16
april
vernonia’s
voice schools
2008
VHS Seniors Are Goin’ to Disneyland!
By Scott Laird
The Vernonia High School Graduating Class of 2008 is going to Disneyland for their
Senior Trip!
going on our trip?’” said Shelley Cota, another parent of a senior and chaperone as
well. “I told her we would do everything we could to make it happen.” At that time
the trip was about $18,000 short in funding.
Cota helped organize some 50/50 raffles in
Scappoose that raised some money. Carr
and Cota also put together a letter cam-
paign to businesses and friends all over
Oregon asking for ideas and help. “These
kids have lost a lot,” said Cota. “I just
thought their senior year should end with
some good memories.”
This was the year, as seniors, that was supposed
to be their chance to swagger down the halls as
big men and women on campus. Instead, after
the Flood of 2007, the year has turned into a di-
saster that includes ruined buildings, time spent
on another campus as guests, and the end of the
year attending classes in modular manufactured
buildings.
But now comes a bright spot for this year’s senior
class. Thirty-three of the fifty-six class members,
along with seven chaperones, are set to head off for
a trip of a lifetime. The group leaves on Wednes-
day May 21 and returns on Sunday May 25; they
will visit Disneyland, Knott’s Berry Farm, and
Medieval Times. The group will spend Thursday
night in Disneyland enjoying “Grad Night” when
the park is closed to the public but open all night
only to graduating high school senior groups.
The class of 2008 is the only Vernonia class to have attended school through both
recent floods in the community. These seniors were in kindergarten in 1996 when
Vernonia experienced a similar disaster. “These kids deserve something fun after all
they’ve been through this year,” said Barb Carr who is not only the administrative
assistant to the superintendent of the school district but also the mother of a graduat-
ing senior, her daughter Mackenzie, and a chaperone for the trip.
Some real help arrived when the Orego-
nian featured a story about the plight of
the Vernonia seniors in their Sunday edi-
tion. That’s when the donations started
pouring in. “We received $8,100 the
Tuesday following the Oregonian story,”
said Barb Carr, “and the checks haven’t
stopped arriving. We received anywhere
from $2,500 at a time from some foun-
dations to five dollar checks from people
who said they just wanted to help in some
way.” The students were just a couple of hundred dollars away from their goal at
press time. “We’ll hold a few more fund raisers this spring and make this happen,”
said Carr.
The senior class has scheduled a bottle drive fund raiser for Sunday April 6,
a garage sale/bottle drive/spaghetti feed for April 26-27, and another bottle
drive for May 11.
The students, many of whom experienced personal loss at home, were bused to
Scappoose for over a month to attend classes, then returned to Vernonia to find a
high school building that was not usable. “They have really missed out on what is
supposed to be a special year for them,” said Carr.
“The kids are so excited to get away,” concluded Cota. “Whenever they tell anyone
they’re from Vernonia, the flood is all they want to hear about. It’s really starting to
wear on them. This is a chance for them to get away and just be regular kids.”
At times the trip which had been planned since the beginning of the year looked
like it might not happen. After the flood of 2007, fund raising for the trip came to a
standstill as families dealt with their more immediate needs. Concerns were raised
almost immediately when the enormity of the devastation to the community became
apparent. “I had a student come up to me with pleading eyes and ask ‘Are we still
VHS Senior’s Poem to be Published
Vernonia High School senior Michael Cal-
houn has been selected to have a poem he
wrote entitled “The Old Cemetery on the
Hill” published in the Anthology of Poetry
by Young Americans. Calhoun, known as
“Sunny” to most of his friends and family,
submitted the poem at the suggestion of his
Honors English instructor, Erica Bell.
“If I Were Mayor, I Would...”
The Oregon Mayors Association (OMA) has begun its annual “If I Were Mayor...”
student contest. This statewide contest involves middle school, high school, home
school, and college students by asking them to design either a poster, write an essay
or prepare a PowerPoint presentation answering the open ended question “What
does a Mayor do?” Statewide winners will each receive a lap top computer. The
State contest deadline is May 31.
Vernonia Mayor Sally Harrison has begun the local contest with winners in each cat-
egory being chosen and then submitted to the statewide contest. Local contestants
will be judged by their local city councils and will receive a cash prize. Statewide
winners will be judged by a panel of mayors and notified in mid- July. They will be
invited with their parents to attend the Oregon Mayors Association Annual Confer-
ence banquet in Pendleton on Saturday, August 2, to be recognized and receive their
prizes.
“I think it is important for students to think about and understand just what it is that
a mayor does,” said Harrison. “Not only does the mayor run city council meetings
and keep track of other city committees, but they are also the face of the city to the
outside world.”
“I want our students to get involved in politics, especially on the local level because
we are not by ourselves here,” continued Harrison. “We are dealing with people and
agencies on a state and even federal level. We are making big decisions about the
future of this city, and I would like the input of our young Vernonians.”
“Even if they can’t vote, their ideas still count,” concluded Harrison. “This contest
is a good place to start getting involved. Things are changing here, and I will value
what these students have to say.”
Middle school aged students will compete in the poster contest, high school students
can compete in either the essay or PowerPoint contest, and college students are eli-
gible to submit in the PowerPoint contest. Submissions will be judged on creativity,
clarity and sincerity of thought, and proper use of grammar and subject relevancy.
Official entry forms must accompany each submission. Rules and entry forms are
available at the Vernonia middle and high school office.
The poem was part of a class assignment
that in part required the students to write a
poem about a Vernonia landmark. Calhoun
chose the Pioneer Cemetery and spent time
there photographing tombstones and get-
ting a feel for the place.
Ms. Bell was impressed by Calhoun’s work
and helped get him the paperwork to sub-
mit his poem for the anthology. “I knew
Michael was a good writer,” said Bell. “I am really excited that he is having it
published.”
The 2008 edition is the nineteenth year that the Anthology of Poetry by Young
Americans has been published. Congratulations Michael!
The Old Cemetery on the Hill
Faded dates of long ago
Engraved on stones
Where moss now grows.
Who are these pioneers of yesterday,
That rest in peace both night and day?
True life stories that are left untold.
Family members loved by all,
Where tears of sadness gently fall.
A beautiful garden, to call one’s own
The old cemetery on the hill.
One should not forget
Our due respect
For those pioneers no longer here.
Once in heaven, we shall rejoice
The old cemetery on the hill.
By Michael Calhoun