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community bulletin board/letters to the editor
july12
2011
Vernonia Open Air Market
Vernonia Open Air Market
is a combination of local farm
products, crafts, food and more held
every Saturday June through October
1st from 9 AM - 1 PM, downtown
Vernonia.
Vernonia Library Summer
Reading Program—Special
Family Events
Fitness Center in St. Helens wants
to help keep kids safe and active
this summer. Enroll today in their
summer recreational camps for kids
ages 8-13. Camp is July 26-Aug 25.
Tues & Thrs from 1-4 PM. Outside
activities, rock climbing, healthy
snacks, sports drills. For more info
503-396-5605.
2011 Summer Canning Class
PM—July Schedule
6:00-7:30
13, Jugglemania; July 21, Chris
Leebrick—Storyteller; July 28,
Knights of Veritas. All programs are
free of charge. For more info contact
the Vernonia Library at 503-429-
1818.
Christian Concert at the
Cota’s
July 16 –at Ray and Shelley
Cota’s 60621 Flack Road, Vernonia.
This will be a potluck featuring
the Hill Road Band playing at 2:00
PM... Awesome music, Swimming
Pool, horseshoes, golf toss, bean
bag boards, playing in the creek,
kids area, fire pit etc. Plan to come
for an hour or spend the whole day,
Camping for anyone interested,
More Bands may be added.
Cowboy Day at Stub Stewart
Experience a taste of cowboy
life at Stub Stewart State Park on
July 16 starting at 10 AM. Come
and play for the day: Cowboy Skills
Challenge, Dancing Horses, Oregon
Mustangs, Cowboy Memorabilia
and more. For more info go to www.
oregonstateparks.org
Summer Recreational Sports
Program
The Vault Climbing Gym &
Have you thought about
learning to can fruits, vegetables,
jams, jellies or fish or game this
summer? Are you an experienced
canner who would like an update on
the latest USDA recommendations?
Then plan to attend one or more
of the canning classes offered by
the Columbia County Extension
Service. Classes will be held at the
First Lutheran Church, 360 Wyeth
St., St. Helens (on the corner of N.
4th St. and Wyeth St.). Each class
will cost $20.00 or $70.00 for all
four. A small number of scholarships
are available. Payment must be made
in advance to hold your spot. Class
size is limited. All classes are held
on Tuesday’s form 10:00 AM to 1:00
PM.
August 2nd, Canning Jams &
Jellies
August 9th, Canning Fruits and
Pie Fillings
August 16th, Pressure Canning
Vegetables & Meats
August 23rd, Canning Tomatoes
and Salsa
For more information and to
register for classes, please call or visit
the OSU Extension Service office at:
505 N. Columbia River Highway, St.
Helens, OR 97051, 503-397-3462
Summer
Woodland
Tour Comes to
Keasey Farm
Columbia County Small Woodlands
Association and Oregon State University
Extension Service are co-sponsoring a
Summer Woodland Tour & Lunch on
Saturday, July 23rd, 2011 at 9:00 AM at
the Keasey Tree Farm near Vernonia. The
educational walking tour will focus on
streamside management and restoration,
tree species selection and performance, and
upland timber management on a property
that has been in family hands for over 100
years. There will be speakers from the
OSU Extension Service, Upper Nehalem
Watershed Council, and Farm Services
Agency.
All woodland owners are welcome
and encouraged to attend. A BBQ lunch
will be provided (donation requested from
non-CCSWA members). Please RSVP to
Bill & Lydia Stennick at 503-556-2014
or bill45lydia54@msn.com by July 15th.
Directions to the site provided upon RSVP.
Readers Lend Their Voices...
To the people of Vernonia
who have taken it upon themselves to
comment on so many recent issues....
Everyone has differences of opinion---
it doesn’t make one person better than
another--just different.
As far as I can tell this
community is full of people who say
they care about the future of Vernonia
and it’s citizens, if this is true then why
so much hatred?
Why, after we have suffered
so much together and accomplished so
much together should we allow petty
differences to destroy us from the inside
out?
“A house divided against it’self
cannot stand.”
Now is not the time to focus
on the differences --now is the time to
focus on the similarities---the main one
being our love for this community.
If we are to move forward, we
must lock arms and move toward this
common goal, lest all our hard work be
in vain, we have already lost so much
ground---let’s not call in the dump
trucks.....
Public perception is not fact,
opinions are not fact, rumors are not
fact, interpretation is subjective--if you
want to know what someone’s intent is-
--ask that person---not your neighbor,
not the bartender, not the grocer, the
baker, or the candlestick maker-the
person.
Be prepared---no one is going
to be able to agree with everyone, all
the time, over everything---if everyone
agrees --no one really cares--and no one
is thinking for themselves, everyone has
to give a little bit---expecting everyone
else to give and only being willing to
take shows a lack of character and
maturity.
What do the banners say in
the middle school? “Be Safe” “Be
Respectful” “Be Kind” --how can we
expect the youth in our community to
follow these admonitions if we aren’t
willing to do the same? What kind
of example are we setting for future
generations? If we show our youth that
focusing on the negative is the way
to process difficulties in life, we are
ensuring that same pattern in theirs.
It’s time to break the cycle of
hate, time to bury all respective hatchets,
HOW TO SEND LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Vernonia’s Voice welcomes and requests your thoughts, opinions and ideas.
Please include your name, address and phone number, limit your letters to
300 words or less. Vernonia’s Voice reserves the right to edit, omit, respond or
ask for a response to letters submitted. We will print letters, space permitting.
Deadline is the 1st and 3rd Monday of each month. Email to: scott@vernoni-
asvoice.com or mail to: Letters, PO Box 55, Vernonia, OR 97064.
Upcoming
Events
Columbia County Fair and Rodeo,
July 13-17—at the Columbia County
Event Complex, 58892 Sausler Road, St.
Helens. 4-H Competitions, Rodeo, Live
Music, Children’s Activities, Carnival
and Midway and much, much more!
Meet the Authors at Grammy’s Used
Books, July 27, 6-7 PM--Ken Scholes,
local author of critically acclaimed series,
“The Psalms of Isaak” will be at Grammy’s
Used Books, 2250 Columbia Blvd, St.
Helens, along with another local author,
Dean Nichols. KOHI broadcasting live.
Stop in and meet the authors.
Vernonia Friendship Jamboree and
Logging Show, August 5-7
Camp Wilkerson Day Camp, August
8-11—All Vernonia school age children
are welcome.
Register now—forms
available at Sentry Market. Volunteer
parents and student councilors needed.
For more info contact Katie Poetter at
503-429-0700 or Robin Dennis at 503-
429-0370
Birkfest, August 12-13—at Riverbend
202, Highway 202, past Birkenfeld. Live
Music with 13+ bands including Jimmie
VanZant, and Peace Frog. Camping,
Vendors, Rat & Rod Revival, Bike
Show and more. Tickets available at the
Birkenfeld Country Store and online at
thebirk.com.
Bear Creek 10K/5K Walk/Run, August
13, 8:00 AM—at Anderson Park Pavilion
in Vernonia. Registration at 8:00, race
starts at 9:00 AM. Sign up at www.
signmeup.com/75917. For more info
contact Race Director Kellie Murray
at 503-429-3021. This is a benefit for
Vernonia Cares Food Bank.
let the proverbial water run under the
bridge--it’s time to put the big girl/boy
pants on and set a better example--it’s
time to learn to work together for the
future of Vernonia.
Esther Nicks
Vernonia
To The Editor,
Citizens of Vernonia, now is the
time to finish the task at hand. It’s not
a pleasant task to have to recall from
office the very people we put our trust
in, but do it we must. The reason is
clear. It is a matter of no confidence.
When this unpleasantness is
finished we can get back to the business
of rebuilding our city. I’m sure you are
all aware of the list: Sewer, Schools,
Health Clinic, Vernonia Cares, Senior
Center, FEMA buyouts, Economic
Development, plus so many other
areas of concern like maintenance
of our parks, the development of the
airport and the Learning Center and the
growing concerns of the cemetery.
In order to complete these
projects we have needed the assistance
of our friends at the county, state and
federal levels. It is imperative we
restore their confidence in our ability
to take care of ourselves by making
wise decisions.
We have so many intelligent,
willing citizens who can fill the vacated
council seats, persons who are aware
of the importance of the projects on the
table and able to hit the ground running.
I have always believed in the
strength and resilience of Vernonians.
We have not only survived disasters; we
have found a way to make things better.
We, Vernonians, always pull our socks
up and get things done. It’s what we do.
Sally Harrison
Vernonia
To whom it may concern,
I called 911 on Tuesday June
28 th at 12:30 for my Aunt. I had
called from my place of work, because
my Aunt had called me because she
was having a difficult time talking
and breathing. I gave them all the
information that was needed, address,
telephone, condition and so forth. The
911 operator proceeded to tell me that
I shouldn’t have called for her, that she
should have called herself. I told her
that she was having difficulty talking
and breathing, the whole time I just
wanted her to get the ambulance to her
and get her help. When I got to the
hospital to see her, my mother told me
that the 911 operator called her after I
had talked with her and told her to call
911 for herself from now on. I really
took offense to this because what if the
person was unconscious and couldn’t
call for themselves. I just thought that
I needed to voice my concern about the
attitude of this individual that works for
911.
Tina Brewington
Vernonia