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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (July 26, 2011)
july26 2011 V E R N O N I A’ S reflecting the spirit of our community City Releases Statement About Kay Termination On June 27, 2011, the Vernonia City Council unanimously voted to terminate Sgt. Michael kay’s employment as a police officer with the City of Vernonia. The following is an official statement released by the city: “The City Council considered an extensive record consisting of the City’s own investigations and findings, reports and findings from DPSST, and sgt. Kay’s comprehensive written responses to the City’s findings. The City Council recognizes the dedication and years of service Sgt. Kay provided to the community. It was determined, with the advise and recommendation of legal counsel, that violations of the standards of conduct contained in the City’s Police Department Manual and Personnel Policies Handbook had been committed, warranting termination as a Police Officer for the City of Vernonia.” When asked later what the City was doing to fill the vacant spot on the force, Mayor Josette Mitchell responded that the City is currently considering all it’s options in regards to fiscal impacts and will bring forward a plan to hire another officer sometime in the future. Save the Date! AUGUST 5-7 55th ANNUAL VERNONIA FRIENDSHIP JAMBOREE AND LOGGING SHOW free volume5 issue14 Get Ready for Birkfest 2011 A new event is coming to town on August 12-13. Actually it’s coming to the county, about 4 miles past Birken- feld. The event is Birkfest 2011, an over twenty-one music festival being organized by the folks that run The Birkenfeld Country Store, also known as, The Birk. Mike and Wendy Ingraham owners of The Birk have been hosting live music at the Birkenfeld Store events on weekends for over a year. Now they are branching out to a full weekend on their 65 acre property, Riverbend 202, just down the road. Riverbend 202 is the site that has hosted the Run 21 Motorcycle Run for the last few years. The event will include camping, a Rat & Rod Revival Car Show, the Erik Kesterson Memo- rial Motorcycle Show, and at least fourteen live bands. Headliners performing on Saturday are Jimmie VanZant, cousin of former Lynyrd Skynyrd lead singer--the late, great, Ronnie VanZant, and Peace Frog, Tony Fernandez’s Tribute to Jim Morrison and The Doors. Local area acts make up the rest of the music lineup, including favorites at The Birk—Lock, Stock and Bar- rel, Christine Snow Band, Third Member, Saturated Phats, The Megan James Band and T-Bones. Also scheduled to appear: Ramble On—a Led Zeppelin Tribute and Dragon fly, featuring Kimberly Hall—a Stevie Nicks Tribute Band. Advanced tickets are $50 for the entire weekend, including camping and are available on-line at www.thebirk.com. “This is an idea we’ve been talking about for the last two years,” says Mike Ingraham. “We’ve wanted to get the Ratrod, music and camping out here—not a Run 21, but an extension of what we do at the store with the live mu- sic now. People like when we move it out on the deck in the summer and we’ve seen an increase of non-- bikers wanting to come out for Run 21. So we figured it was time to try from Vernonia will be providing food for the weekend. There will also be local artists on site as ven- dors. There will be no beer, wine or alcohol for sale on site—it will be a BYOB event. “If there are other lo- cal businesses that would like to be involved in some way, we would like to talk with them,” says In- graham. “We do need more sup- port. We’re hoping that a lot of local businesses will want to get involved; there are a lot of cre- ative things we can do with ad- vertising. It’s just being brave enough to throw yourself out here for the first year with us.” Headliner Peace Frog, now in their thirteenth year, recreates Wendy and Mike Ingraham with Jimmie the magic and intensity of a Doors VanZant. VanZant will be headlining concert experience, with Tony Birkfest 2011. Fernandez delivering a powerful something like this out here.” performance, living out every move The festival will be fully of Jim Morrison on stage. enclosed and self sufficient—once Jimmie VanZant performs you are on site, you won’t need to pure southern rock in the VanZ- leave for anything. ant family tradition—in addition Ingraham sees Birkfest to the Lynyrd Skynyrd connection, 2011 and some of the other activities other cousin Donnie VanZant is the he promotes as a sort of economic lead singer for .38 Special. Jim- stimulus—a way to introduce peo- mie VanZant has recorded several ple to the area and draw out a dif- albums including “Southern Com- ferent clientele. “We’re not looking fort,” “My Name is Jimmie,” and at the bikers solely with this, we’re the newly released “Cut From the looking at bringing out the hot rod- Same Cloth.” ders and rat rodders, which are an Ingraham wanted to send interesting group,” says Ingraham. out a big thank you to the Verno- “And then of course the music; nia Freewheelers Club, who have we’ll be showcasing at least twelve been volunteering to help prepare of them which are local Portland the Riverbend 202 site for the Run area bands who play week in and 21 and Birkfest 2011 events. “They week out in the area. It’s a chance have made a big commitment and to show case those bands under a have been a big help to Wendy and national sound system and hope- me,” says Ingraham. “Their heart fully help them get another gig or a is in the right place—in their com- chance somewhere else.” munity.” Ingraham is looking to in- Hope to see all of you out at clude as many local businesses as Riverbend 202 for Birkfest 2011! possible. The Blue House Cafe A Timeline of Vernonia Events: June 2010-July 2011 In an effort to help clarify some of the questions and concerns circulating throughout Vernonia, Vernonia’s Voice has attempted to gather relevant and significant in- formation and events concerning city activities surrounding Verno- nia Police Officer Mike Kay, previ- ous Interim City Administrator Pro Tem Bill Haack and the Vernonia City Council. We have organized this information chronologically with the hope that it help clarify the events that have occurred over the last year. Prior to June 2010 Vernonia City Administrator Bob Young and Po- lice Chief Frank Grace initiate an investigation by Craig Stoelik/ LPGI to investigate concerns raised about the relationship between the Vernonia Police Department and the Columbia County Justice Court. Jun. 7, 8, 2010 City Administra- tor Bob Young resigns on June 7 and Bill Haack is appointed In- terim City Administrator Pro Tem on June 8, 2010 with a contract that runs through December 31, 2011—Haack inherits the LPGI in- vestigation that was already started. Haack is under contract with Col- Pac and is being loaned to the City of Vernonia. Jun. 8, 2010—In a letter dated June 3, 2010, but received June 8, 2010, Mike Kay voluntarily steps down from his position as Police Cap- tain to Sergeant, gaining protection from the Police Union. In his letter Kay states this decision is based on several issues and in no way is a re- flection on the current chief or other police staff. continued on page 13
