welcome/opinion
october12
2010
from the editor

In the next week election ballots will begin
to arrive by mail and Vernonian’s have some big
decisions ahead of them. Two positions are open on
the Vernonia City Council and Mayor Sally Harrison
is also running for re-election. In all, three of positions
are up for grabs at City Hall. With a lot of important
businesses on the horizon this is a very important
time for Vernonia and its citizens.

Eight candidates have entered the race for
those two council positions--the top two receiving the
most votes will fill those positions. Four candidates,
including incumbent Harrison, are running for Mayor.

To help better inform the voting public,
Vernonia’s Voice has done two things. Early in
September we sent out questionnaires to all the
candidates asking for responses to five questions
concerning the candidates qualifications and current
Vernonia city government issues. The candidate
responses to those questionnaires are printed in this
issue, in their entirety, in a four page pullout section,
beginning on page 11.

We also hosted a political forum on October
5th at the Vernonia Scout Cabin. Called “Meet the
Candidates,” it offered citizens an opportunity to
see and hear the candidates answer questions about
themselves and the City of Vernonia. A report from
that evening is also contained in this issue beginning
on page 7.

Remember, Election Day is November
2nd. Please take time to read through the enclosed
information and educate yourself about the candidates
you are electing to represent you to conduct city
business.
Scott Laird
Editor and Publisher
An Opinion: A Reason to Stay
By Miles Wikstrom

I can hardly wait until the new school is
completed, the ribbon is cut, and the first students
walk through the door. That will be more than just
a proud moment for Vernonians everywhere. It
will also be an unmistakable statement of survival.
There are simply no examples of towns that have
let their schools close and still managed to be viable
communities in the years that follow.

Yet there is something else we should
consider: where will the graduates go? We’ve all
watched the best and the brightest from past graduating
classes pack up their diplomas-- and their bags-- and
head for the greener pastures of the I-5 corridor. The
reason for that is obvious. If no career opportunities
are present in their own home town, they’ll leave.
After all, many of them are already thinking about
having families of their own and supporting one’s
family requires a job that pays a decent wage and
offers good benefits. Ultimately, watching our best
young talent leave is not good for families and it’s
certainly not good for the community.

The health of a community is directly related
to the health of the industry in that community.
Consider the sad fact that 85% of working adults
in Vernonia drive to jobs in the valley. Where do
the employers in the valley spend their profits? In
the valley. Where do the wage earners spend their
paychecks? Too often, in the valley. Now, let’s flip
that around. How different would Vernonia be if
85% of its workforce had jobs right here? Employers
would spend their profits and employees would spend
their paychecks in the one place where it would be
most beneficial-- in Vernonia.

I had the good fortune to tour the vocational
education centers in two high schools this month.
Canby High School has made national headlines with
its support of the trades and agriculture. Its tech labs
look much more like community college settings
than high school. In fact, the center is open roughly
3
Publisher and Managing Editor
Scott Laird
503-367-0098
scott@vernoniasvoice.com
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Miles Wikstrom
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My second tour was at Tillamook High School,
which has partnered with Tillamook Bay Community
One year subscriptions (24 issues) $35
College, three large Tillamook employers and others
PO Box 55
to form a consortium to develop a vocational ed
Vernonia, OR 97064
center cloned from the Canby model. Labs are being
503-367-0098
built where students will learn about electronics,
pneumatics, hydraulics, computers, and refrigeration,
www.VernoniasVoice.com
both from professional teachers and from journey-
level tradesmen. All those skills are transferable to
a variety of industries:
farming, manufacturing,
construction,
wood
products-- all of which
are currently done here in
Leadership.
town.

At the risk of
Values.
dating myself, I graduated
from high school in the
Accountability.
late 60’s. We had wood
Results.
shop, metal shop,and auto
shop. It breaks my heart
to look at high schools
today that still offer
wood shop, metal shop,
and auto shop-- and, too
often, not even that much.
This is not the world our
parents grew up in and
we need to reboot our
thinking to get in line with
I have known Betsy Johnson for many years and have come to know
the employment needs of
her as a successful businessperson, an active member of our
the 21st century. More
community and as a generous and caring person. It is in her current
importantly, we need to
role as our State Senator, however, that I have come to respect and
give our young people a
admire her even more!
reason to stay instead of
an excuse to leave.
� � � � � � � ���� � � �
As our Senator, Betsy has demonstrated an uncanny ability to not
only pay attention to details but also to understand and communicate
the big picture regarding the difficult issues we are all facing. She
listens carefully to the concerns of everyday citizens as well as those
of local city and county leaders and she works tirelessly to reach
common sense solutions – and she follows through!
In Memory of:
Over the years, I’ve known many political
figures but Betsy stands out. She works
harder, cares more and is always there
when we need a strong and effective
voice in Salem. I am proud to call
Betsy my friend and our State Senator.
All Love
Chip Bubl
St. Helens
p
hi
September 2010
cs
@
ao
l. c o
m
November 2009
StP
ie
G
rre
ra
Re-Elect
✓ Elect
Betsy Our
Johnson
State Senator!
P.O. Box R t Scappoose, Oregon 97056