january
vernonia’s
voice what’s happening
04
Become a CASA For Columbia County
2009
CASA of Columbia County will be holding a CASA 101 orientation session on January
15, 2009 at the Columbia Learning Center, 375 S 18thStreet, St. Helens from 6:00 – 7:00 PM
This is an opportunity to learn about why abused and neglected children need CASA’s, what
a CASA is and is not and how to apply and become the voice for a child.
CASA’s are Court Appointed Special Advocates for children. Currently, there are over
200 children in foster care in Columbia County that would benefit by having a CASA on
their side. We need your help. At this time, we are able to advocate for only about 10% of
the children in need.
CASA’s are volunteers from varied backgrounds and are trained ordinary citizens that
investigate, report and speak in court on behalf of a child that has been taken into protective
custody of the State and placed in foster care. CASA 101 is the first step to understanding
and helping a child. To make a reservation to attend this short orientation session, or for
more information, call 503-366-4133 or 503-396-6538.
Jamboree Committee Begins Meeting
The Vernonia Jamboree Committee will hold it’s first meeting and hold officer nominations
for 2009 on January 7, at 7:00 PM at City Hall. If you would like to help organize the Jam-
boree or have an event that you want included, please come to this meeting. Interested com-
munity members are always encouraged and needed to be involved. For more information
Donna Webb 503-429-5201, fax 503-429-9411, cell 503-819-0040.
Get a Life Marching Band to March
In Inaugural Parade
The “Get a Life Marching Band” of Portland, Oregon will join approximately 100 other
units from around the country in the Presidential Inaugural Parade in Washington, DC. on Janu-
ary 20. The Band features members from Washington, Arizona, Ohio, Florida, Nevada, South
Dakota, as well as Oregon—including Shawn and Dan Baker of Vernonia.
The group is scrambling to prepare for the trip since it only recently learned of its selection.
“We applied for the parade back in November but learned in early December that we hadn’t made
the cut,” said Steve Tolopka, the group’s Music Director. “Then the Inaugural Committee called
at the last minute inviting us to replace another group that dropped out of the parade.”
The last-minute opportunity has the band gearing up for something else it rarely does: fund-
raising. Band members normally defray their own travel expenses, but the short notice and sag-
ging economy have the group looking for angels. “It will take nearly eighty thousand dollars to
get to the Inauguration so we’re grateful for any assistance, large or small,” says Executive Direc-
tor Bob Pulido.
Donations can be made at www.getalifemb.org, where the audio and video submissions
from the band’s parade applications are also available for online viewing.
For more information contact: Steve Tolopka 10321 SW Todd Ct. Portland, OR 97225,
503-292-3996
Events Calendar
“The Dangers of Club Drugs” - January 15, 7PM
This is a community informational interactive meeting sponsored by
the Vernonia Prevention Coalition, and presented by the Vernonia Po-
lice Department and Vernonia school students. At theVernonia Middle
School.
Vernonia Senior Center Police Academy - In January
For senior citizens beginning in January; call Karen Miller for signups
503-429-9112 or Chief Kay at the Vernonia Police Department.
January Birthdays Celebration at the Vernonia Senior Center. All are
welcome!
Upcoming Vernonia School Dates to know:
January 8 - No School
January 19 - MLK Day
January 23 - End of 2nd Quarter/1st Semester
February 12 - School Board Meeting
February 13 - No School
February 16 - President’s Day, No School
Visit www.vernoniasvoice.com/events for more info and pictures.
In Vernonia – Did You Know...?
• That the Vernonia Chamber of Commerce is a voluntary organization promoting finan-
cial growth for members by partnering with community organizations resulting in the
economic vitality in the Upper Nehalem Valley.
• That dues for one year are $35, and that general membership meetings are held every
other month on the second Wednesday
• That a weekly email is sent out updating and informing members of local happenings
events, and news that is pertinent to them and their community.
• That the Chamber sponsors the Holiday Bucks program in Vernonia to encourage shop-
pers to visit local businesses. This years winners were:
$25 Winners: Jeana Gump, Shannon Ervin, Bonnie Holce (2)
Amy Etta, Sue Lundy, Mary Lou Busch
$50 Winners: Shari Vanderschelklen and Judy McDonald
The chamber has a community calendar; just go to: www.vernoniachamber.org. If
you would like any events added to this just email the chamber at info@vernoniachamber.org.
Readers lend their voices…
To the wonderful people of Vernonia!
Thank you so much for the tremendous response to the raffle
for the dog basket benefiting the Pet Food Division of Vernonia
Cares. We made $164 at the Christmas Bazaar. The winner of
the basket full of dog goodies was Val Mack. Kathleen Penning-
ton was the winner of the “pamper yourself” basket donated by
Kathy Larsen.
The basket was filled with goodies donated by local people.
Eileen Williams gave a certificate for animal communication and
a phone consultation for training. Mosquito Lodge Lavender a
certificate for beautiful jewelry, Vernonia’s Voice a year’s sub-
scription, The Independent a year’s subscription, and Columbia
County Animal Control a microchip. Also making donations
were Tobie Finzel and Chailey’s Choice.
A special thank you to The First Friday Group for sponsor-
ing the raffle and Tobie for selling tickets.
When you’re filling your bag to donate to Vernonia Cares,
please don’t forget to add a can or two of pet food. They get hun-
gry, too. Thank you again for your tremendous response!
Carol Davis
Vernonia
To the Editor:
I need to say “Thanks” to my helpers that I forgot to men-
tion in a previous Thank You. Mike Tetlow, George Tice’s side
kick, helped with all the moving of things to and fro from my
house and other places. My friends, Brenda and Darrell Rutter,
of Portland were the first people to call me last December during
the flood and offered Sadie and me a place to stay. We stayed with
Brenda and Darrell for almost two weeks. As usual, they were
wonderful host and hostess. My life-long friend, Patricia McEn-
tire Peterson, was also here to help and various occasions. Thank
you, thank you, thank you!!!!
Janelle Thomas-Cedergreen
Vernonia
Dear Citizens of Vernonia:
This year’s Turkey Drive for the Vernonia Cares Christmas
Food Boxes has been very successful. Thank you one and all!!
You have come forward with turkeys and cash donations
to make it all come together. Many of you came forward with a
$30.00 donation to sponsor an entire Christmas food box for a fam-
ily, or a $10.00 donation for a turkey purchase. The dollar savings
in meat products allows Vernonia Cares to stretch their funds in to
the New Year for clients. This time of year is difficult for all fami-
lies as the flexible budget item for everyone is the food category.
Vernonia Sentry and all employees have been instrumental
to the success this year by accepting and storing check stand dona-
tions. In addition, the donation of 100 turkeys by Sentry and their
storage at the store is greatly appreciated! The ability to store that
volume of meat has always been one of the biggest challenges of
this effort. THANK YOU VERNONIA SENTRY!!
This has been the sixth annual Turkey Drive and has been
a tremendous success!! THANK YOU ALL AND TO ALL A
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
The Turkey Herders of Vernonia
To the Editor
I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who entered and
participated in the Lighted Christmas Parade in early December
in Vernonia. The effort that goes into decorating and preparation
is really appreciated. This was the best turn out for participants,
and seemed to be enjoyed by everyone in the community who
came out to watch and enjoy the show! Thanks also to Janelle
Thomas-Cedergreen and Vernonia Pride for their help in organiz-
ing the event, and to Helen Hudson and Synda Allen. Also, spe-
cial thanks to Mike Pihl Logging for entering four trucks! and to
the the Mist-Birkenfeld Fire folks who came all the way down to
be part of the parade. And I can’t forget the Vernonia Fire Crew
who got old engine out and lit up and brought Mr. and Mrs. Claus
through town.
This years winners for best lighted log truck went to Matt
Poetter from Weller and Sons, and to Ray Cota- who’s truck
theme of “Let it Snow” certainly came true.
Thanks to our local businesses who provided prizes: Sentry
Market, Black Bear Coffee, Mariolino’s, and Cafe 47.
Thanks again to everyone who helped make this another
great Vernonia Parade!
Shirlee Daughtry
Vernonia
Thank you, Vernonia, for donating towards the Holiday
Food Boxes. Donations came from all directions--businesses, in-
dividuals, churches! It was amazing! You funded the entire cost
of the food boxes. Thank you! Certainly this brightened over 500
people’s Christmas holiday!
Special thanks to Sentry Market for donating 96 turkeys,
and then storing all of them until recipients came and picked them
up with vouchers. Sentry also allowed recipients to use vouchers
to redeem their fresh potatoes in the same way. Thanks, so much!
It saved us a great deal of work to do it this way.
Some people donated funds, some gave through the check stand
giving at Sentry, and many gave food. Because of your donations,
Vernonia Cares Food Bank was able to give 200 holiday food
boxes without expending any of the food bank’s general funds.
Thanks, also, to the volunteers who worked to put the boxes
together and those who delivered the food boxes to those people
who were stranded due to the weather. I’ve always said that the
day we give out the Holiday Food Boxes is the best day of the
year! Thanks for making that wonderful day possible, Vernonia.
Sandy Welch, Exec Director
Vernonia Cares Food Bank
To The Editor
I’ve lived in my home on Airport Way for over thirty years.
My husband and I consider ourselves Vernonian’s and we would
also like to think of ourselves as good neighbors. We love our
property and our home, which we expect to live in for the rest of
our lives. We live across from the end of the Vernonia Airport and
we’ve never had any problems, but now we find ourselves em-
broiled in the proposal made by Tim and Michelle Bero to rezone
their (Primary Forest) PF-76 property to Airport Industrial and
build an airplane manufacturing business in an industrial park.
The proposed industrial park will sit across from our home and, in
place of the beautiful forested land we currently view, we will see
buildings, a dramatic increase in traffic on our narrow dirt road,
and a parking lot.
When the application for the zone change was first submit-
ted by Mr. Bero we were surprised that we learned about it from
the neighborhood, rather than Mr. Bero himself. The neighbor
closest to our home told us Mr. Bero told her what he planned to
do with his recently purchased property and when our neighbor
asked whether he had to go through a process to be approved, he
told her it didn’t matter because it was a “done deal”. He told her
he wouldn’t tell her what she could do on her property and no one
could tell him what he could do on his. She was stunned silent by
his confidence and wondered what he knew that we didn’t.
The neighbor next to her had researched with the county
extensively before purchasing their retirement property because
they wanted to be sure the surrounding property could not be built
on. The planning department at Columbia County told them Pri-
mary Forest was the single most difficult zoning to change. Now
the planning department is recommending approval. The prior
owner of the Bero property was not allowed to sub-divide his
property. What suddenly changed?
Next to those neighbors is an animal rescue that operates a
dog boarding business out of the home. Their property extends
to the other side of the road and an easement agreement exists
between that property and Bero’s, set forth in the early fifties for
private and residential use. Those neighbors have never been ap-
proached by anyone regarding the use of their easement for com-
mercial business.
Our neighbors have all rallied together. We are concerned
about numerous things, including the reduction in value of our
properties that would be sitting across from an industrial park.
We are concerned about traffic increasing by their own estima-
tion to some where between 40 and 200 vehicles per down our
tiny road. We are concerned about run-off from a property that
already sits at a higher elevation than ours. We are concerned for
the wildlife and the existing wetlands on the property that will be