Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 1, 2008)
vernonia’s voice volunteerism october 2008 Firefighters Celebrate and Honor 11 Vernonia Volunteer Firefighters took time off to relax with family and friends at their annual BBQ at Cedar Ridge in September. The Volunteers invite all past and present members, board members, and EMS First Responders to join them for an afternoon get together with fun, food, and family. Looks like a good time! The Firefighters also honored those fallen heroes from the 9/11 tragedy, with a march through down town Vernonia, as they have A few of your Vernonia Volunteer Firefighters... (left to right) Luke Ellis, done every year since 2001. Firefighters march in remembrance of 9/11 Ben Davis, Dean Smith, Chad Doyle, and Dan Owens. Vernonia Lions Club Hands-On Art Center Announces Upcoming Fundraisers Vernonia Celebrating the creative spirit through the arts - Honoring our The Vernonia Lions Club has announced a change to their regular fall fundraiser this year. Instead of the usual roses the club sells in November, the club will have Poinsettias and Christmas Cactuses. “The cost of the roses has just gotten too high,” said club President Terry Schaumburg. “We decided to try something different this year.” The sale, an annual tradition in Vernonia, will begin in early November. In addition, the Lions will be selling hot dogs and hamburgers at the Salmon Festival on October 4th and are planning a Chocolate Auction at the Senior Center in February before Valentine’s Day. The Lions have also been holding a Texas Hold ‘Em Poker Tournament on the second Saturday of each month at the Buckhorn Restaurant. “All the proceeds from our fundraisers stay in the community and benefit local charities and groups,” said Schaumburg. The Lions will also be delivering about forty Christmas baskets to long time Vernonia residents and doing a courtesy check on smoke detectors as they do every year. The Lions are asking for help in updating their list of residents who might enjoy a Christmas basket and visit from the Lions this year. The Lions Club is always looking for new members to join in their work of supporting our community. It is a very active group with many ways to volunteer and participate. For more information, contact Terry Schaumburg at 503-429-6050, George Tice at the Buck- horn, 503-429-3751, or any Lions Club member. Your partner in time. community’s heritage The Vernonia Hands-on Art Center was established in the spring of 1996 to provide the children of Vernonia creative outlets to help them deal with the emotional effects of the dev- astating flood in February of that year. Two Portland artists, Luna Braun and Skyler Weager, led the original program. As they phased out, a local artist and art educator, Michele Kunkel, became the program’s director in December of 1996; several volunteers including Isabelle McDaniel, Michelle Blum, and Cathi Black assisted her. Hands-on Art received its non- profit 501(c)(3) designation in 1998. The program was based at the Vernonia Grange. For the first year of its existence, partici- pation in all Center programs was free of charge to all. Funding was provided by various grants received as part of relief funds targeted for survivors of the flood. Since that time, operations have been sustained through user participation fees, fund raising events and small grants. As the need for the flood recovery program diminished, Hands-on Art, under the leader- ship of Madeleine Gendron, became Vernonia’s art and music organization. Madeleine led the Vernonia Community Orchestra, Band and Choir that gave annual concerts. Fundraising dinners were held with entertainment provided by local musicians and dancers. Hands-on Art also provided opportunities for residents to express their creativity through programs such as “Art in the Park” for children and art workshops for adults. When Madeleine passed the leadership torch to the current board, the organization changed once again to become the umbrella organization for arts and heritage in Vernonia while continuing its mission to provide opportunities to learn and experience the visual and performing arts especially for the children of the community. School budget reductions have adversely affected the arts. Hands-on Art Center is committed to providing expanded art, music and drama opportunities for the youth in our community. Recent Hands-on Art sponsored events include Hip Hop Dance classes for youth in the summer of 2006, variety shows - with both children and adults performing – each November since 2005, Art in the Woods day camp this summer, and a number of other cultural events. Thanks to a grant from the Columbia County Cultural Coalition in 2007, the Vernonia Com- munity Orchestra was reborn. The orchestra, Strings on Fire, performed at a number of events in the past year and put on an excellent spring benefit concert in May as well as par- ticipating in the re-birth of the traditional Vernonia Maypole Dance in Hawkins Park. The newest program of Hands-on Art is the Floating Gallery which is held periodically in a variety of venues from the Cabin in the Woods (Scout Cabin) to the Vernonia Grange and the Open-air Market on First Fridays. The Floating Gallery displays and sells works of local artists with a percentage of the sales given as a donation to Hands-on Art to support its programs. Other groups under Hands-on Art’s 501(c)(3) umbrella are Gateway Projects (Ford Family Foundation Cohort 1), Vernonia Partners (Ford Family Foundation Cohort 2), and the Vernonia Pioneer Museum Association (volunteers responsible for artifact conser- vation and museum hosting at the Pioneer Museum). The current officers of Hands-on Art are Josette Mitchell, President; Erika Paleck, Vice President; and Tobie Finzel, Secretary/ Treasurer. Hands-on Art welcomes volunteers to participate in fundraising, First Fridays or to share crafting skills with children and adults. Hands-on Art’s email address is VernoniaArt@aol.com; the mailing address is P.O. Box 195, Vernonia, OR 97064; and the telephone contact is 503.705.2173. Are you a landowner with river frontage? Would you like to have free and/or inexpensive help, keeping your stream bank healthy? In an emergency, seconds count. So call 9-1-1 right throughout the county and beyond. Dispatchers away, whether there’s a fire, car crash or medical can reach the closest available fire fighters, police or emergency. Remember that saving time can save lives. emergency vehicles in seconds. Calling 9-1-1 helps save valuable time in many ways. If you have a medical emergency, the highly trained dispatchers can have help on the way in minutes while providing support over the phone as well. Once they arrive, paramedics can begin lifesav- ing procedures immediately and continue them all the way to the hospital—something you can’t do if you drive there yourself. For another thing, 9-1-1 is easy to remember. You can make a call any time and reach a skilled pro- fessional. Columbia 9-1-1 is also efficient. As the call center for the whole area, we have invested in technology that expands our reliable coverage Help save valuable time by staying on the line, as long as you are safe to do so. Columbia 9-1-1 is your partner in safety, serving all of our communities since 1991. Remember, when seconds count... call 9-1-1 first. P.O. Box 998 St. Helens, OR 97051 Administrative Office: (503) 397-7255 Non-emergency Dispatch: (503) 397-1521 1-800-696-7795 www.columbia911.com On November 4, voters have the opportunity to keep this essential 9-1-1 service working for all of us. The renewal measure on the ballot would maintain this valuable service at a rate lower than voters first approved in 1998. Please vote and return your ballot in time for it to count. Thank you. For more information, go to www.columbia911.com or call 503-397-7255. Owned and Operated by Don & Kim Wallace There is help available for tree planting, erosion control and invasive species removal. If you currently live on the Nehalem River, or Rock or Bear Creeks, please call the Upper Nehalem Watershed Council at 503.429.2401 and ask for the Landowner Cooperation project coordinator. Now accepting 15 participants for projects forming this fall!