4
community bulletin board/letters to the editor
july26
2011
2011 Summer Canning Class Schedule required. $10/15/20/25 to enter (1, 2, 3, 4 or
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
Vernonia Has Talent!
Here’s your chance to be on the stage or
come see the show, “Talent Show Fundraiser.”
Friday, August 5th at 7 pm in the Washington
Grade School gym. Admission is $5 for adults,
$3 for youth; proceeds benefit the Vernonia
Schools Foundation and Vernonia Community
Theater (a program of Hands-on Art). Do you
have a talent so share? Do you sing, dance,
perform comedy or drama? Pre-screening is
more people. Contact Lee Anne Krause on
Facebook, by email to leeannkrause@gmail.
com or by telephone to 503.816.9810.
Volleyball Skills Clinic
For girls entering sixth through ninth
grades in the fall, the VHS coaching staff,
along with selected returning players, will
help athletes develop and improve overall
performance, self-esteem, confidence, and
knowledge of the game. Improve serving,
passing, serve reception, setting, blocking,
attacking, and all around play. Mon.-Wed.
August 15-17, 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM in the
VHS Gym. $30.00 per player. Pre-Registration
required by Aug 1st to receive a Free Camp
T-Shirt. For more information please call Head
Coach Teresa Williams at 503-799-3424 or
email fitnessbytw@netzero,com.
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 on Madison
Avenue south of Bridge Street.
“Old Grads” Picnic
The annual picnic of the Vernonia
Society, VHS “Old Grads” and Oregon
American alumni will be held Sunday, August
21st, at Anderson Park in Vernonia. Bring
your own picnic lunch or buy a hot dog and
soft drink on site. Coffee will be provided.
Registration begins at 10 am. All former and
current Vernonians are welcome.
Readers Lend Their Voices...
To the Editor
Since my words have been
twisted and taken out of context, I
wasn’t sure there would be any value
in writing this. Some people tell me, all
they hear is what has been written in the
paper but they want to hear from me.
I’ve spoken to everyone who
wanted to talk to me and I will continue
to talk to people. I have spoken about
City Council being kept in the dark on
issues detrimental to Vernonia through
denial of executive sessions. About
great sums of money being handled
irresponsibly. And attempts at keeping
people from educating themselves
outside the inner offices of the Pro
Tem City Administrator. My agenda
is nothing more than getting people
involved in the decisions made about
our community and not turning it over
to just one guy. It comes from years
of sitting in meetings and watching
those decisions being made without the
input of the people, or their input being
disregarded entirely when they were the
ones being affected.
I may have made a motion to
discontinue a contract but the actions
of some special interest people through
hype and hysteria have divided and
torn this town apart. They have
damaged our businesses, friendships
and our community’s image with their
irresponsible behavior.
I have been physically
threatened, my employees harassed,
and my business has been picketed and
boycotted. I am not a different person. I
am still the same person that deeply cares
about Vernonia. I believe Vernonia can
overcome this. The choices we make
today can begin the healing process to
make a better Vernonia for the future.
I believe this with all my heart and I
am willing to commit to it. I ask you to
please vote NO on the recall.
Willow Burch
Vernonia
To the Editor
Recalls are a double edged-
sword and I do not believe it is
the answer. Is the sacrifice of two
councilors who have invested and given
tremendously to this community worth
the trade-off of an individual who is
not vested in this community, will not
suffer consequences of decisions, and
will only be around a few years? Three
new councilors may come with a new
set of issues, then what? Is the current
behavior the new precedent for how
we treat one another when we differ in
opinions? I have been threatened, had an
attempted break-in to my business, been
boycotted, and a multitude of untrue,
hateful things said about me and to me.
Are those the rewards for volunteering
one’s time to the community? “We don’t
want you”, “Too late”, “You’ve ruined
Vernonia” are a few of the comments
I have heard. Is “hate” the new color
being worn now? Mercy, grace, and
forgiveness are only afforded to a select
Upcoming Events
Vernonia First Friday, August 5, 5-8 PM at the Scout Cabin
Vernonia Friendship Jamboree & 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.
VRFD Golf Benefit, August 13—at the Vernonia Golf Club. 4
Player teams, 9 holes, BBQ lunch, lots of prizes and competitions.
For more info call Randy Carlton at 503-791-8309.
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.
Vernonia Night Out, August 24, 4:30 PM—at Anderson Park. Come
join friends and neighbors in support of local public safety agencies.
St. Mary’s Annual Quilt and Craft Fair, September 15-18—
Admission still only $1!, Lunch served daily at 11AM. At St. Mary’s
Church, 960 Missouri Ave. Follow the signs.
Vernonia’s Community Garage Sale, September 17, 9 AM-5 PM—
Approximately 40 locations to shop! All residents and businesses
who wish to be included on maps—contact Helen Bateman at 503-
429- 6203. Maps available Thursday before the sale.
few? Volunteers have to be perfect
and agree with you or they are out? I
have read a lot of comments about my
personal agenda. Funny that the ones
speaking to it have never asked me. My
only agenda has been to make educated
decisions that would be best for ALL
Vernonians. Not an easy thing to do.
There will be those who twist, take out
of context, contradict and deny what
you say. I have experience and evidence
for what I have said. So I will continue
to take the time for those that come to
me and ask. Our common ground is our
love and concern for our community.
That’s a great starting place for moving
forward. Please Vote No on the recall.
Marilyn Nicks
Vernonia
To the Editor
My husband and I moved to
Vernonia after a two year search and
we love the sense of belonging here,
the kindness with which we’ve been
welcomed and the way the people in
Vernonia care about the community.
I’ve never lived in a town where there
are so many people giving of their time
and energy in so many ways: supporting
the arts, the children, the community
organizations, the small businesses
and the less glamorous, but immensely
important, matters of the city. My
father worked in town government and
so I know from experience, that serving
a community in that capacity is a tough
job and frequently becomes personal,
versus simply public.
Being new to Vernonia,
I don’t know Marilyn or
HOW TO SEND LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Willow or Kevin; I couldn’t
Vernonia’s Voice welcomes and requests your thoughts, opinions and ideas. point them out on the street
Please include your name, address and phone number, limit your letters to 300 if I had to. I don’t know
words or less. Vernonia’s Voice reserves the right to edit, omit, respond or ask for the histories of the issues
a response to letters submitted. We will print letters, space permitting. Deadline that have led to the recalls
is the 1st and 3rd Monday of each month. Email: scott@vernoniasvoice.com or other than what I’ve read
in the papers and so I lack
mail to: Letters, PO Box 55, Vernonia, OR 97064.
knowledge of the nuances
that others are perhaps well aware of.
There are certainly strong feelings about
the actions these three people took as
city councilors and thank goodness we
have a political system that gives us
some recourse. We don’t need to tar
and feather them or run them out of
town on the rails!
We have the opportunity to
exercise our political will with respect
and integrity, with care and sensitivity
to each member of our community
including Kevin, Willow and Marilyn.
Few of us are good at everything we
do and it seems clear that the citizens
of Vernonia disapprove of the job done
by these councilors. That’s our right
and our responsibility to address. At
the same time, we can be generous to
them as members of our community
and they can continue to belong to us
as business owners, parents, volunteers,
friends, and neighbors, a wide variety
of valuable roles that I’m sure they fill.
That too is our right and responsibility.
Diana Peach
Vernonia
To the Editor:
In recent months, we have
heard the cry that law enforcement
doesn’t care about the rural areas of
Columbia County. We complain a lot
about non-response to our calls for help
to C-COM or 911. But who or what is to
carry the blame for this?
Imagine for a moment that you
are a property owner in rural Columbia
County with a complaint about loud
music and noise because of a party at
neighboring property.
Or imagine that you are
the officer on call and proceed to
investigate the complaint to find that
there is validity to it. There is a RAVE
party going on with several hundred
people in attendance. You and possibly
one available deputy are expected to
continued on page 8
