august2008
V E R N O N I A’ S
reflecting the spirit of our community
volume 2 issue 03
vernonia
visitors
guide
Page 13
A Day in the Woods
What happens when an environmentalist
spends a day with a bunch of loggers?
By Scott Laird
I moved to Vernonia five years ago from Portland. I am originally from Pennsyl-
vania and grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia. When I moved here I didn’t
really know that much about logging. In fact, before moving to Vernonia I had
never been out to cut firewood or even run a chain saw. I have been a member
of a large national environmental organization since 1987, and I’ve even been
called a tree hugger - whatever that really means.
Last year when I started writing about our community for Vernonia’s Voice, my
neighbor Bruce McNair, a logger for over thirty years, gently suggested that if
I was going to have an inclusive newspaper about Vernonia, I needed to learn
more about the logging industry. It was an idea that made sense. He even of-
fered to take me out with him for a day with his logging outfit to show me what
it was all about.
continued on page 14
Police Investigate
Death of Vernonia Man
An investigation into the death of a Vernonia man found deceased in a
vehicle has been determined to be from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Investigators assigned to the Columbia County Major Crime Team, with
the assistance of the State Medical Examiner’s Office, have been conduct-
ing the investigation in cooperation with the Columbia County District
Attorney’s Office.
On Friday July 18, 2008, at approximately 11:33 PM, a report was re-
ceived of a man with a gun in the Vernonia area. Two Vernonia police of-
ficers, Officer Michael Conner and Sergeant Mike Kay, saw the reported
vehicle and pulled in behind it at 11:37 PM on Washington Avenue near B
Street. As the officers were getting ready to contact the vehicle, a twenty-
year old female got out the driver’s side and told officers there was a man
in the car with a gunshot wound.
continued on page 6
inside
9
17
20
preserving
heritage
By Scott Laird
Dean Schaumburg is a fighter, that much
is obvious. And it appears that he is going to
get as much out of his body that he can, each
and every day. It’s a body that doesn’t work the
same way it used to, a body that has been dam-
aged and changed. A body that is a stranger to
him. But he is working hard to get used to it.
Dean Schaumburg, 29, of Vernonia was
severely injured in a logging accident one year
ago on August 16 when a tree fell on him in the
woods. He suffered a punctured lung, crushed
vertebrae, multiple internal injuries, a crushed
ankle, and four or five broken ribs. “They told
us they didn’t expect him to survive the ambu-
lance ride; then the Life Fight people told us
they didn’t expect him to survive the helicopter
flight. And then the Operating Room physician said they didn’t think he was going to sur-
vive when they received him at OHSU,” said Kendra Schaumburg, 24, Dean’s wife. Dean
and Kendra had been married just a year when Dean was injured. continued on page 10
Columbia County Fair
Pirates of the County!
This years Columbia County Fair was full of fun and surprises.
From great hand made crafts to 4-H kids wining ribbons there was
something for everyone. For more photos of this years County
Fair see page 12.
Swine Showmanship competition
Reserve Champion Maria Pelster
and Grand Champion Lane Sul-
livan, both from Vernonia, show off
their ribbons (left).
meet our
firefighters
in memory
of...
The Recovery of Dean Schaumburg
The B.O.O.M. Pirates
provided entertainment at
this years “Pirates of the
County” Fair (right).
Ax Men to Appear
in Vernonia
Crews from the History Channel’s hit televi-
sion series “Ax Men”, including members of
Mike Pihl, Browning, Gustafson, and Stump
Branch Logging, will be appearing in Ver-
nonia during the Vernonia Friendship Jam-
boree. The Ax Men will be available before
and after the Jamboree Parade on Saturday
August 2, at 998 Bridge Street, and at the
Logging Show on Sunday August 3.
The crews will be riding in the Jamboree
Parade as Grand Marshals, starting at 11:00
AM. They will be available for photos, au-
tographs and general logging conversation,
and have tee shirts available for sale during
the weekend.
