Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (April 26, 2011)
6 community news april26 2011 Is It Cost-Effective to Shop Out of Town? Vernonia First House Votes to Friday Starts Name Portion of US Highway May 6 th 30 After Chief Painter The First Friday season begins on Friday, May 6 th, at the Vernonia Scout Cabin from 5:00 to 8:00 P.M. Vernonia First Friday is an extension of Hands-On Art that brings the community together to celebrate its local talent, have fun and maybe learn something new. The 2011 season starts in May and ends in October. This year, the event will be held at the Scout Cabin every month. The May event will feature the annual May Pole Dance at 6:00 P.M., Make a Mother’s Day Card activity, local crafts and art, a raffle and much more. Non-perishable food donations for Vernonia Cares Food Bank and Bailey’s Pantry will be accepted. For information about First Friday, contact Kathy Larsen at (503) 449-3591 or email firstfridayinvernonia@ gmail.com. Rainier Police Chief Ralph Painter was honored on the floor of the Oregon House as State Representatives Brad Witt and Jeff Barker led passage of HB 3354 which will rename the portion of US Highway 30 between St. Helens and Rainier the Chief Ralph Painter Memorial Highway. “If you were lucky enough to know Ralph Painter you know that he was the guy who came to your house in the middle of the night to help repair your broken water pipe… or the guy who took your kids on a day-long fishing trip with his children, whom he dearly loved. We were fortunate to have Ralph Painter as our Police Chief and I know his family will be very grateful for this honor,” said Witt (D-Clatskanie). “This is a fitting honor that recognizes the incredible role Chief Painter played as our chief and as our friend.” The bill passed the Oregon House unanimously and now moves to the Senate for consideration where State Senator Betsy Johnson is chief sponsor. During tough economic times, we all look for ways to save money, cut costs, and shop for bargains. Many people head out of Vernonia to do weekly shopping trips because we believe we can save money. But with gasoline costs skyrocketing, we all have to ask ourselves, do we really save that much by driving 60, or 70 or maybe even 80 miles round trip? Especially when gas is at almost $4 per gallon? Recently Vernonia’s Voice did a small experiment to figure out just how much it costs to drive from Vernonia to Hillsboro to shop at WinCo on Cornelius Pass Road. From downtown Vernonia, the trip to WinCo is 68 miles round trip. We drove in a Ford R a n g e r Senior Center Activities 5-Area Luncheon: Monday, May 30th at the Vernonia Senior Center Connie’s Fabulous Breakfasts: Fabulous breakfasts are available to the public on Fridays for a cost of only $3.50. The event happens at the Senior Center (446 Bridge Street) from 7:30 to 9:00 AM each Friday. Meal price includes a bev- erage, too. Enter through the side, parking lot door. What a deal! Week Day Lunches: The Verno- nia Senior Center offers nutritious and tasty lunches each weekday for only $4. These are available to the public, not just Senior Citizens. (Mealtime is noon; late arrivals may not be served.) You can reserve your lunch by calling by 11:15 AM, or further in advance if possible, to assist the cooks as they prepare the day’s meals. Maple Bars available locally! Connie King, the cook at the Senior Center, is making maple bars each day. The maple bars are available to the public, too, and only cost $1 each. Availability is subject to quantity on hand. You can assure yourself of a good supply by pre- ordering them directly from Connie by calling the Senior Center (503- 429-3912) any week day, from 7:00 AM-3:00 PM. Please allow one day lead time for larger orders. The Cen- ter’s front door opens at 9:00, but the side parking lot door opens at 7:00. Ah, sweet treats! donated clothes need to be clean and in good condition so they are “sales ready”. We are offering half off during the first week of each month. Buy locally and support your local Senior Center. For after hours drop-offs please contact Pauline 503-429-5810. Thrift Store: Bargain prices can be found in Vernonia’s Senior Center in their Thrift Store. The retail store is open Monday through Friday, from 9:00 AM until 3:00 PM. The Thrift Store provides funds for the Senior Center’s facility and its many activi- ties. Donations can also be dropped off during those same hours, and Membership Dues: Another way to support Vernonia’s Senior Center is to pay the $15 annual member- ship dues. Checks may be mailed or dropped off at the Senior Center. Anyone 50 and older may join. Special Days: On the last Wednes- day of the month Wauna Credit Union will be serving ice cream. On the last Friday of the month we will serve birthday cake and ice cream to celebrate that month’s birthdays. Questions? Call: (503) 429-3912 Anonymous Donor the “I can’t believe it’s mine” home The perfect mortgage from will make you feel right at home. the “make room for more” home U.S. Bank Home Mortgage is committed to providing you with a mortgage loan that is right for you. We take the time and care to guide you through the mortgage process, so you can trust you’re making the right move. Put the strength of one of America’s leading home mortgage lenders to work for you. Because there’s no place like U.S. Bank. in support of Vernonia’s the “you and me at last” home Vernonia Branch 905 Bridge Street 503-429-6271 usbank.com | 888-831-7524 Mortgage loans subject to credit approval. Interest rates and program terms are subject to change without notice. Mortgage loans offered through U.S. Bank National Association. ©2011 U.S. Bancorp. All rights reserved. Member FDIC. Voice pick-up truck which got 22.78 miles per gallon on the trip, meaning we used just under 3 gallons of gas. Gas that day in Vernonia cost $3.94. So, it cost us $11.76 just in gasoline to make the trip. What if you drive a car that gets less miles per gallon, say a full-size pick-up that only gets 12 miles per gallon? That would work out to about $22.32 just for the trip. Of course, we aren’t figuring in the time you spend driving— about one hour each way. Maybe the groceries you buy out of town are less expensive. But are you really saving anything when you drive that far with the current cost of gasoline? $ Support Program for at Risk Teens Early Assessment Support Alliance (EASA), funded by the state of Oregon, will have a provider speaking on May 3rd at 6:00 PM in St. Helens at 105 South 12th in the Fire Station next to Market Fresh IGA for everyone interested. EASA is for a select population of at risk teens and young adults and also includes their families. They can benefit significantly from early intervention, and EASA is available even to those without financial resources. The program is part of a state-wide initiative to try to reduce the consequences of certain conditions by increasing education and providing support at a very difficult time. With this program in place Oregon hopes to see less hospitalizations, trauma and stigma. At this talk you will learn what the program offers, what symptoms and signs qualify, and how to make a referral. For questions about the talk at this location call Teri at 503-556-6693 and leave your number. Free Child Safety Seat Check Up Event Columbia County Safe Kids will be holding a child safety seat check up by appointment only on Thursday, May 12, 2011, in Vernonia. While the clinic is free, please call to schedule an appointment with Natalie at 503.410.3169 to reserve your car seat check up today! The clinic provides an opportunity to have a child safety seat checked by a certified technician, who can correct misuse, help with installation and teach you how to correctly install the seat. Technicians can also check for seat recalls. There is no cost to have a technician check your child safety seats. Please plan to spend 30-60 minutes at the event. Through a grant funded by ACTS Oregon, Columbia County Safe Kids can provide low-cost child safety seats to families in need. Families who receive Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) should contact their worker about payment for a seat. For more information about the clinic or the Columbia County child safety seat program, please contact Natalie at 503.410.3169.
