08
august
vernonia’s
voice community
2008
Alumni News
By Tammy Vanderzanden
Alumni: (definition)- a forum of all past graduates, academic staff, past and present
Council members, and other qualified members.
It’s Picnic Time- It’s time for The Annual Picnic of The Vernonia Society, V.H.S.
Old Grads and Oregon American Alumni! The picnic will be held on August 16th
this year at Anderson Park. Registration begins at 10:00 AM. Bring a picnic lunch
and plan to spend the day reconnecting with long lost friends. Coffee and cups will
be provided; hot dogs and soft drinks will be for sale.
This is an excellent opportunity to contact YOUR classmates and plan to meet at
Anderson Park. Most of the work is already done! The date, time and place have
already been reserved (always the 3rd Sunday in August); the menu has already been
planned; and best of all…it’s free! Donations are gladly accepted to help cover the
cost of coffee, cups, postage, etc. All you need to do is make plans to be there and
have a good time. The classes of 1943 and 1958 plan to have a table for members
of their classes to gather this year. You are welcome to get there early and set up a
table for your group or bring your own table if you can’t be there early.
This Annual Picnic has become known as “The Old Timers Picnic”. Although many
of the attendees may in fact be “Old Timers,” it should be noted that this picnic is
for past employees of the Oregon American Mill, members of The Vernonia Society,
and ALL Alumni of V.H.S. As it was explained to me, “Once you graduate from
High School you become an ‘Old Grad’, and you become a member of the Vernonia
Society if you have ever lived in Vernonia. So, basically, everyone is invited! More
recent V.H.S. Alumni are urged to attend and begin making this an annual tradition
that will be carried on for many years to come. Be sure to register so that you can
receive a reminder post card each year.
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The Classes of 1963 and 1964 will be holding a reunion at the Scout Cabin in Ver-
nonia on Friday, August 1st at 4:00 PM Not only are the graduates of those classes
invited, but anyone that attended high school with them is welcome. If anyone
would like to attend they should contact Rita Ceballos-Violette, 503-590-5108 or
louienrita@verizon.net .
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The Class of 1968 has reserved the Scout Cabin for a reunion dinner on September
13th, and a potluck/picnic has been planned in the Pavilion at Anderson Park on
September 14th. For more information please contact Mary-Ann Shaw at 503-429-
8201 or email Sandy Welch at ron_sandy141@yahoo.com
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If you would like your reunion information to be posted in Vernonia’s Voice please
contact Tammy Vanderzanden – trv5775@yahoo.com or 503-429-8485.
Local Tree Trimmer Assists City
The owner of All Star Tree Servic-
es, Ron Dodge, along with a volun-
teer crew, stepped up and donated
their time, labor and expertise to
assist with the removal of a dead
cedar tree at the Vernonia Memo-
rial Cemetery in July. Dodge was
asked by the City Cemetery Com-
mittee to give a bid for the removal
of the tree but chose instead to make
a donation of his services. Thank
you Ron Dodge and all the other
volunteers who showed up to help
for being good citizens and helping
Vernonia!
Rummage Sale
Annabelle
Jazzercise Rummage
Sale Fundraiser
Antiques, Silver,
Jewelry, Furniture,
Collectibles, Art
August 1, 9am - 5pm
August 2, 9am - 4pm
Vernonia Middle School Cafeteria
249 Bridge Street
Featuring...
Handmade Truffles!
The finest chocolate
from Brazil.
866 Bridge Street, Vernonia, OR • 503-429-0444
The Vernonia Project: Mapping
Technology for the 21st Century
By Scott Laird
Ben Fousek has a vi-
sion. It’s a vision in which,
with the touch of a button on
a keyboard, anyone anywhere
could get information about
Vernonia from a single web-
site. Information about specif-
ic properties, about shopping
and restaurants, about public
access spots on the Nehalem
River, about current weather,
about river levels—informa-
tion about almost anything
you could possibly imagine.
And with the use of Geographic Information System (GIS), that vision could soon
be a reality.
Fousek is the creative force behind an idea he has named “The Vernonia Proj-
ect.” A geography student at the University of Oregon, Fousek works as a Survey
Tech for K.L.S. Surveying in Vernonia. Fousek took classes in GIS while at the U
of O and sees tremendous possibilities and potential uses for this new technology.
“The whole world is using GIS, and I would like to help find uses for it here in
Vernonia,” said Fousek during a recent demonstration for Vernonia’s Voice.
So what exactly is this all about?
Do a Google search for “The Vernonia Project,” and you will quickly arrive at
the web site Fousek has set up to help explain and familiarize community members
with his vision. The Mission Statement reads: “To provide Vernonia with a GIS and
online mapping to help us better understand the geospatial relationships that exist
here and employ that understanding to make Vernonia a better place to live, work
and play. And to create interest in GIS and its potential for positive change right here
in the community of Vernonia.”
The site is loaded with information about GIS, about possible uses, about Ben
Fousek, and about current ideas that are in the works.
Fousek envisions a website where Vernonia community members could create
maps and data bases with information for just about any business, interest or hobby.
The databases would become permanent records of valuable information. “As an
example, let’s say someone wanted to map all the old historic trees in the Vernonia
area,” explained Fousek. “You could have a map identifying locations and a data
base that listed the species, age, property owner, and any other pertinent information
about each location. That is just one basic example of a way someone in the com-
munity might use this technology.”
Maps and information can be overlaid and combined thus creating access to
information, trends in data, relationships between places, and possible uses not
yet imagined.
Fousek can see many valuable and practical uses. He is already looking at how
to provide local weather information. “Real Estate Agents could show a potential
buyer the location of a property, its distance to schools and other services, what kinds
of permits or other projects have been requested and granted, whether the property
is in the flood plain, zoning, and tax rates. It would be very valuable for the city to
create a system that could be used by public works, by utilities, for city planning, for
parks. The possibilities are endless.”
Fousek says that “The Vernonia Project” would be “need driven,” meaning as
someone develops a use, it could be created on the web site. Fousek is willing to
help people get started and work with them to develop their ideas and their system.
He is also wiling to host the website. But hosting the web site is an expense as is
software. “I am hoping to find sponsors or users who can help cover the expense of a
dedicated host site to provide a platform for the project. It can also be very tedious to
enter all the data that goes with a project. I won’t be able to do this all by myself.”
Fousek hopes to aim the project towards local youth. “GIS classes are being
required for more and more college stu-
dents,” said Fousek. “Every field of
study is finding ways to use GIS. My
hope is that some of our high school stu-
dents might choose to use GIS for their
senior project and have a chance to see
the possibilities.”
Fousek thinks GIS and “The Ver-
nonia Project” could be used to pro-
mote Vernonia for business recruitment
and development information. It could
Pet Supplies, Livestock Feed & Pet Grooming
be used as a way to answer questions
through queries that ask for specific
information. It could be used by fire
districts, school districts, for tax lot
information--even to list the best fish-
ing spots on the river. Like Ben Fousek
Mon-Fri 10am-7pm, Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 12pm-6pm said, the possibilities are endless. And,
hopefully, soon a reality.
The Vernonia Project website is
Ag Lic # 050 185586
503-429-PETS (7387)
www.vernoniaproject.org You can reach
lissaedgar@yahoo.com - 736 Bridge Street, Vernonia, OR 97064 Ben at ben.f@vernoniaproject.org.
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