free
december2009
february 9  2010
V E R N O N I A’ S
reflecting the spirit of our community
free
volume4    issue 3
Proposed Vernonia Sign
Vernonia Pioneer Museum
Ordinance Creates Controversy Preserves Historic Treasures

At the
January 19th
Vernonia City
Council Meet-
ing, a hear-
ing was held
to hear public
testimony on
a proposed
updated Sign
Code Ordi-
nance
that
was
being
recommended
by the Verno-
nia Planning
Commission.
Numerous business owners showed up
for the hearing and presented a number
of objections to the proposed code.

Objections raised included: the
proposed code was too long and confus-
ing; objections to the continued refusal
to allow interior-lighted signs; concerns
about restrictions and fees on temporary
signs and concerns about the Design
Theme that names “1900’s Historic Mill
town,” as the basis for sign designs in all
zoning districts.

Council chose to leave the hear-
ing open and make no decision on the
Planning Commission’s recommenda-
tion.

At the following City Council
meeting on February 1st, Mayor Sally
Harrison reopened the Public Hearing
and took additional testimony. Citizen
Marilyn Nicks made the only comments
and spoke on behalf of a group of busi-
inside
9
vernonia
a review
11
girl scouts
12
life skills
ness owners, making three recommend-
ed changes to the proposed Ordinance.
Those changes came from a meeting of
interested business owners who met on
January 27th.

Nicks presented results from a
survey she did among business owners,
from which she received fifty results.
She stated that the results of the poll con-
firmed concerns that the Sign Code Or-
dinance contained regulations that local
businesses did not want.

Nicks noted three items that her
group asked be changed in the proposed
code based on the results of the survey
and other discussions:

1) The Design Theme of “1900’s His-
toric Mill Town” be removed from the
code. (43 respondents to the survey were
against a Design Theme, seven were for
it.)

2) The ban on interior-lighted
signs be removed from the code. (43 re-
spondents were for interior-lighted signs,
7 were against.)

3) The $10 fee to approve tem-
porary signs be removed and that busi-
continued on page 6

The recent publication and re-
lease of the new historic book, Vernonia,
by Arcadia Publishing , in collaboration
with the Vernonia Pioneer Museum As-
sociation is exciting news for the whole
community. It is especially exciting for
the volunteers of the Museum Associa-
the role it plays in preserving the unique
story of Vernonia.

But the new book isn’t the only
exciting news at the Pioneer Museum
these days. The recent settlement of a
lawsuit between the Columbia County
Historical Society and Columbia Coun-
ty over who owns the rights to
artifacts held in the Museum
means that many new items
will be available for display.
The city of Vernonia owns the
building and leases it to Co-
lumbia County, but volunteer
curators have been unable to
move display items while the
lawsuit has drug on for around
ten years and ownership was
in dispute. Columbia County
now has ownership and use of
all the artifacts held there.

Of course, more items
tion whose love of history has encour- might not make it out for display for
aged them to dedicate countless hours awhile yet, as volunteers are still recov-
to helping preserve the unique story of ering from the massive effort it took to
Vernonia.
gather and catalogue photos and write

The Vernonia Pioneer Museum, and verify facts for the text of the Ver-
located in the old office of the Oregon- nonia book.
American Mill is a treasure trove of
logging, mill and community artifacts, The Vernonia Book Project
photographs, personal histories and oth-
The Vernonia book was offi-
er obscure and arcane relics. It houses cially released on February 1st, and The
rocks, tools, clothing, furniture, and just Museum Association held a book sign-
about anything else that is a piece of ing on February 6th to launch sales in
Vernonia, or sometimes just plain his- Vernonia.
tory.

Museum volunteer and Board

The release of the Vernonia Secretary Barbara Larsen was the book
book this past week is one more piece to
continued on page 9
the legacy of the Pioneer Museum and
Oregon Solutions Sees Progress On Vernonia School
The Oregon Solutions Steer-
ing Committee for the Vernonia
Schools Project met in Vernonia on
January 26 for an updated progress
report on the project. The forum pro-
vided the “big picture” on the over-
all direction of the capital campaign
to raise $24 million and the school
construction plans. It also provided
an opportunity to bring all of the
multi-sector parties that are involved
in the project together. The meeting
provided updates on financing and
fundraising and also introduced the
concept of what is being called the
“Oregon Natural Resources Center,”
a recent addition to the design and
plan for the project.

Oregon Solutions Co-Con-
vener Tony Hyde opened the meet-
ing by expressing just how much
activity is happening on the project.
“We have been in a full court press,
and we will be in a full court press
until we get this project completed,”
stated Hyde.

Oregon Solutions Project
Manager, Alissa Keny-Guyer, who
is directing Phase Two of the Verno-
nia Schools Project, noted the impor-
tance of the collaboration between
the school and the rest of of the com-
munity and reiterated the goals of the
project. “The big picture is impor-
tant because this collaboration is not
just about the bricks and mortar of
the school,” said Keny-Guyer. “This
project requires a collaboration of
different partners, private and pub-
lic, on different levels-- local, state,
federal. It’s very important that we
can present to the outside world and
to potential funders that this is going
to be a really vibrant school. It’s go-
ing to be the kind of school that links
kids with opportunities for econom-
ic development.”

“There is a perception in
the community that nothing is hap-
pening,” said Hyde. “That is simply
not true. We have a lot of things that
are very close and people that we are
working with that we hope are going
to be donors.”

“We are meeting two to four
times each week on different com-
mittee levels, every week,” contin-
ued Hyde. “This is the most intense
project I have ever worked on in my
life.”

After the meeting, Hyde
made this analogy: “You don’t just
show up for the Indianapolis 500 and
start racing. There’s a lot of prepa-
ration and behind-the-scenes work
before the race that goes on that no-
body sees. That’s where this project
is now, the preparation stage.”
Building Design and Concepts

Superintendent Cox dis-
cussed the current design of the
building, noting that the architects
have been asked again to make ad-
justments to find ways to stay within
the $37 million proposed budget.
“The revisions have mostly led to
improvements on the school, “said
Cox. “The new design is very simi-
lar to the rendering we already have.”

continued on page 13