november9 2010
V E R N O N I A’ S
reflecting the spirit of our community
volume4 issue21
Banks-Vernonia Trail Celebrates
Opening of New Trailhead
Election 2010--
Vernonians Vote
For Change
After over twenty years, the
Banks-Vernonia Linear Trail finally
reaches from Vernonia all the way to
Banks.
On October 29, 2010,
members of numerous State of
Banks
Mayor
John
Kinsky opened the celebration and
welcomed the visitors to Banks.
“This trailhead actually represents
a connection between what I
think are Washington County and
Columbia County’s two finest
communities-- and that would
be Banks and Vernonia!” said
Kinsky.
The trail officially opened
nineteen years ago. The
new trailhead, located at the
corner of Sellers and Banks
Roads near Highway 47
brings to completion almost
thirty years of work by local
trail advocates and completes
the final half-mile leg of trail
into the city of Banks.
The trail is part of the
Oregon State Parks System
and stretches for twenty-one
miles, running through L.L.
Stub Stewart State Park and
is open to all non-motorized
The first official bike riders head out on
users including horse,
October 29th from the newly opened
bicycle, and walkers/hikers.
trailhead at the start of the Banks—
Vernonia State Trail.
Vernonia Mayor Sally
Oregon departments and agencies, Harrison, along with Mayor Kinsky,
dignitaries from Washington and helped host the ceremony. “I must
Columbia Counties and the cities of tell you, we’ve had the Linear Trail
Vernonia and Banks, trail advocates, Park for a little longer than you
and regular citizens all gathered at have,” joked Harrison, “and on our
a newly-constructed trailhead to cut side of the hill we call it the Vernonia
the ribbon signifying the completion to Banks Linear Trail!”
of the Banks-Vernonia State Trail
“I am here to tell you,
and celebrate the grand opening of though,” continued Harrison, “that
the new facility.
the Linear Trail has been a real boon
to the City of Vernonia
inside
9
fire
explorers
12
toppers
football
19
vernonia
halloween
and I can guarantee that having this
trail come all the way through to this
beautiful trails-end here is going to
be a boon to the City of Banks and
to Washington County.”
Columbia
County
Commissioner,
and
former
Vernonia Mayor, Tony Hyde was
also on hand for the grand opening.
Hyde has been working on the
Banks-Vernonia Trail from the very
beginning and is currently working
to connect the trail to the Crown-
Zellerbach Trail which will run
from Vernonia to Scappoose.
Hyde passed on greetings
from State Senator Betsy Johnson
and then talked about the history of
the development of the Linear Trail
and the future of trail development.
“We’re not done,” said Hyde.
Hyde noted that discussions
have taken place about creating
a connection from Scappoose
continued on page 11
VRFPD Announces
“Sharing and Caring”
Program
The Vernonia Rural Fire
Protection District (VRFPD) has
announced the process for families
to apply to participate in this the
“Sharing and Caring” program.
“Sharing and Caring “
has replaced Toy and Joy--the
annual holiday program organized
by VRFPD to help make sure all
families and children in the Vernonia
community have a great Christmas.
Each year VRFPD receives
donations and helps Santa distribute
gifts to children in the community.
This year there will be an application
process that families must complete
in order to be eligible to participate.
Children must be under the
age of 13 on December 25 of this
year to be eligible to receive gifts.
Applications
will
be
available beginning November 14th
free
Vernonia citizens spoke loudly and clearly
on November 2, 2010, when they voted to replace
three of the five sitting members of their City
Council.
In what was one of the most interesting
and active local elections in recent years, Josette
Mitchell defeated incumbent and three-term Mayor
Sally Harrison, while Willow Burch and Marilyn
Nicks were elected as City Councilors to replace
Cindy Ball and Catherine Helmer. Both Ball
and Helmer had previously been appointed to fill
positions vacated by resignations on the Council.
Mitchell will serve a two-year term and
both Burch and Nicks were elected to four-year
terms.
In other local election news, Henry
Heimuller, a Democrat, was elected as Columbia
County Commissioner for Position 2, defeating
Republican Terry Luttrell and Independent Wayne
Mayo. County voters also approved local ballot
measure 5-206, making County Commissioner
positions nonpartisan in the future. Voters rejected
Measure 5-208 which would have provided funds
for Veterans Services on a County level. Local
voters in St. Helens voted to repeal a tax levy that
supports the Columbia Health District.
District 16 State Senator Betsy Johnson
was re-elected, as were local State Representatives
Brad Witt from District 31 and Debbie Boone from
District 32.
The final results of the local Vernonia
elections were as follows:
Mayor CITY OF VERNONIA
Josette Mitchell
342 48.37
Sally Harrison
150 21.22
Victoria J Peters.
148 20.93
Emil Edward Rode
44 6.22
WRITE-IN
23 3.25
Total
707
Councilor CITY OF VERNONIA
Willow Burch 423 30.52
Marilyn Ann Nicks
305 22.01
Ernest (Ernie) W Smith 216 15.58
Catherine M Helmer 109 7.86
Edward Johnson
106 7.65
Steven Eric Johnson 99 7.14
Cynthia (Cindy) Ball 68 4.91
Burton Tschache
48 3.46
WRITE-IN
12 .87
Total
1,386
at the following
locations: Black
Bear Coffee Shop,
Vernonia Sentry,
Vernonia Hardware,
The Clever Cricket
and at the Vernonia
Rural Fire Station.
applications
can
also be printed
from the VRFPD website--go to
www.vernoniafire.us, and click on
our community, then click on the
application link.
Barrels will also be a those
locations to accept donations of toys.
Applicants must fill out the application
form completely --incomplete forms
will be discarded. The following
documents must be supplied:
photocopy of a birth certificate or
equivalent documentation for each
child and a photocopy of a utility bill.
If applicants do not wish to
leave a photocopies, they must work
with “Sharing and Caring” to set up an
interview, which will be held between
November 14th and December 10th.
The above documents must be
brought to the interview. Interviews
can be scheduled on Friday;’s through
Monday’s.
A day of gift wrapping has
been scheduled on December 18th,
which includes potluck.
