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
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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.
