Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 2009)
14 vernonia’s voice community february 2009 Vernonia Flood Stories: Part III- Community Services (continued from page 1) Volunteers built wooden shelves, which were restocked, new computers were donated by Intel and set up by Bill Langmaid, refrigerators and freezers arrived from Standard TV and Appliances, Safeway sent fresh meat and produce, and with the help of many more people, Vernonia Cares was back in business. But maybe even more important was the Emergency Evacuation Plan that was estab- lished in the aftermath of 2007, and was put into practice on January 1, 2009. Bob Stacklie, a former Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue Captain, who was head of Tactical Rescue there for five years, volunteered to establish teams of volun- teers, giving each an assigned area of responsi- bility in case of the need to evacuate the build- ing in the future. “In any emergency situation, the emergency has to be recognized-- that’s the first step,” said Stacklie. “We are now able to monitor the Clear Creek gauge and watch the rate of increase of river flow, and then activate a response when necessary.” On New Years Day, with weather forecasts predicting rains on top of accumulated snows, and with a flood watch in effect, Stacklie activated the Cares volunteers Oregon Department of Corrections inmates help restock shelves at Vernonia Cares in and emptied the building almost completely in December ‘07 around three hours. Stacklie assigned three teams, each with a specific task-- Mike Pihl Logging was re- sponsible for moving the forty-foot trailer where food is stored. Casey and Josette Mitch- ell were responsible for moving computers, records and other office equipment. Stacklie and Bill Langmaid took care of the five freezers and three refrigerators inside the Cares building. “It’s all about division of labor when you have a manpower intensive job,” said Stacklie. Each group had a team of volunteers they could contact to assist with their area of the evacuation, and those group leaders had experience with those areas from last year, so they knew what needed to be done to make the facility secure. “We decided to pull the trigger early and started at around 7:00 PM,” said Stacklie. “We were done by 10:00, so we didn’t have to work through the middle of the night. We found some rough spots which we will correct, so we know it will go even smoother next time.” For Vernonia Cares, having an Action Plan in place and a great group of volunteers, could have made all the difference. It’s a model that could-- and should-- be re-created throughout the community. Providence Medical Clinic-- The Art of Saran Wrapping OK, I can see those wrinkled brows and questioning looks. The Art of Saran Wrapping? What does Saran Wrap have to do with a medical clinic? Well, when flood warnings were issued and with a building that is still sitting in the flood plain that suffered approximately $250,000 in damage in 2007-- a building that con- tains valuable, necessary, and heavy equipment, and provides a vital service-- trying to make the building watertight from the outside seemed like it might be an answer. Vernonia Realty & Insurance Center 953 Bridge St. Vernonia, OR 97064 Office 503-429-6203 Cell 503-780-3466 vernoniarlty@agalis.net Ken & Helen Bateman, Brokers 910 Riverside Drive: Toast your toes by the cozy woodstove in this 2 bedroom, 1 bath bungalo on ½ acre w/riverfrontage. Home was high & dry in Dec. ‘07. Also includes a large carport, covered deck, fruit trees, grapes and majestic fir trees. Asking $162,500 830 Texas: If you’re just starting out or deciding to scale down, you’ll love this cozy 2 bedroom, 1 bath cottage w/easy care vinyl siding plus an oversized detached double car garage w/concrete floor & power door opener, all on 2 large lots. New Price! $167,000 981 Fairway Lane: In a newer neighborhood, but off the beaten path, just minutes from city center you’ll find this 2800 sq.ft., 4+ bedroom, 2 bath, 2 story home on 1/3 acres. Large shade trees & new deck. Included is a work/hobbie shop. $235,000 Adjoining lot $73,500 61462 Stoney Point Rd : Build your rural retreat and make friends with nature on this lush and plush 4 acre parcel with woods, pasture, septic system, well and hugh shop w/bath and potenial living quarters. Bring your plans! $197,000 Additional Properties... This home on over 2 ½ acres has so much it’s hard to put on paper. Here you can golf, fish, swim, boat, hot tub and more. Call for more details. $650,000 REDUCED PRICES... Close in w/a country feel this, 100'x100' building lot is offered at $57,000 with a 100'x 200' site next door for $82,000. You won't cramp your style here! Near the end of a country road you'll find a wooded 1.64 buildable parcel for $75,000. Ideal for a cabin retreat or just to live in full time peace and quiet. Great riverfront building site or nice get-a-way property. Over 2 ½ acres along the Nehalem. Build new or fix up old mobile. $119,000 “Last year, it took us three weeks un- til we were able to re-open,” said Scot Gudger, Senior Director of Operations for Providence Health Services. “From our point of view, this was worth a try.” Last year, the clinic struggled to provide care for local residents-- relocating to the Vernonia Fire Station for emergency services immediately after the flood, working from a medical trailer provided by Northwest Medical Teams for a short period of time, before Providence Health Systems finally made the unusual move to erect a MASH style tent complex in the parking lot of the current clinic. This year, Providence decided to try to stay on location and preserve their facil- Providence Clinic tried a new idea and “wrapped” their building in an attempt to ity. “We just got an idea and ran with it,” was keep flood waters out. how Jim Powell described the project. Powell, a Real Estate Property Operations Manager with Providence, worked up the idea with input from In-Line Commercial Construction in Aloha. “They did the renovation work last year on this building for us,” said Powell about In Line Construction. “And they were great to work with.” Powell and In-Line Construction came up with the idea of wrapping the build- ing with a six foot high swimming pool liner, which was bolted into the ground with metal strips over a strip of foam padding-- the intention being to make it as water tight as pos- sible. A sump pump was installed at the lowest spot inside the building, and a generator installed on the roof to keep it running, in case of any leakage. “Usually a construction company doesn’t think like a response unit,” said Gudger. But In-Line Construction did, arriving in Vernonia with a crew of eight, with only twelve hours lead time to install the “wrapper” around the clinic, leaving only the front door unblocked. That front door was later sealed, completely enclos- ing the building. Fortunately, the high water never reached flood level, and Powell’s idea was not tested in reality. “We have made a real effort to protect ourselves,” said Dr. Phyllis Gilmore, of the Vernonia Provi- dence Clinic. “If nothing else, we showed FEMA that we tried to mitigate against damage.” (continued on next page) WOEC tries blocking doorways to keep water out