welcome
from the editor
In the last issue I took time to
thank several people for their commit-
ment to our community during the last
several months. I was extremely remiss
in leaving out two individuals in that col-
umn and wanted to take this opportunity
to recognize them as well.
Vernonia police officers Mike
Conner and Shawn Carnahan have
shown extreme dedication to this com-
munity over the last half year, working
shorthanded through a very difficult
period for the Vernonia Police Depart-
ment. Both Conner and Carnahan were
caught in the middle, when a fellow Ver-
nonia officer came under investigation
by both the State of Oregon and the City
of Vernonia. That officer was placed on
paid administrative leave by the city on
March 21, 2011, which left Conner and
Carnahan as the only active duty offi-
cers in Vernonia. With only two officers
available, Conner and Carnahan were re-
quired to work extra shifts and be on call
constantly. This continued through the
termination of the officer on June 27 th
and beyond—finally ending with the hir-
ing of Brent Thompson on September 6,
2011.
That means Conner and Carna-
han worked for over five months, either
serving on duty or on call every single
day. Talk about going above and beyond
the call of duty!
I think that sometimes, in fact I
know for sure, that as a community we
take for granted our public safety of-
ficers. We assume they will always be
there watching out for the citizens and
be available to step in and help when we
need them. We expect them to be there
and forget to notice and remember them.
I was guilty of this two weeks ago when
I left them off my list of people who
needed to be recognized and thanked.
I’m not sure if there is an appro-
country life, and sustainability.
FARMING & AGRICULTURE: Photos
depicting gardening, growing, raising
animals, and farm life.
The submission deadline is
November 30, 2011.
This contest is free and open to
everyone who lives or works within 20
miles of Vernonia. Photos must have
been taken within the last two years.
Only color images will be considered
for this contest. Up to ten photos may
be submitted per person.
Winners will be announced
on the front page of the December 13,
2011 issue of the Vernonia Voice. The
Scott Laird
Editor and Publisher
Sun - Thurs 11 AM - Midnight •
733 Bridge St, Vernonia
Fri - Sat 11 AM - 2:30 AM
• 503-429-9999
THE BIRK
7-10 PM Saturdays
Sat, 10/1
Sat, 10/8
Sat, 10/15
Sat, 10/22
Sat, 10/29
Live Music
at the
Birkenfeld
Country
Store
“Kenny Lee & The Sundowners”
Blues & Southern Rock
“Step Child”
Classic Rock
“The Third Member” Rockin’ Country
“Mother Trucker” Classic Rock
Halloween Rocktober w/ Bruce Smith
Monday 10am-6pm Cafe Closed
Tue-Wed 10am-6pm, Cafe 10am-5pm
Thr-Fri 10am-7pm, Cafe 10am-6pm
Sat 10am-11pm, Cafe 10am-10pm
Sunday 10am-2pm, Cafe 10am-2pm (or call)
11139 Highway 202
(503) 755-2722
Contributors
Chip Bubl
Dr. Carol McIntyre
DeAnna Pearl
Sonia Spackman
Photography
Scott Laird
One year subscriptions
(24 issues) $35
Vernonia’s Voice is published
on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday
of each month.
Vernonia’s Voice, LLC
PO Box 55
Vernonia, OR 97064
503-367-0098
www.VernoniasVoice.com
Recycling your old paint is simple and
something that everyone can do.
More importantly, protecting our
environment is something
we should all want to do.
That’s why the PaintCare
program was created
to make it easy for
everyone to recycle
and properly dispose
of every can of
unused paint.
LIVE MUSIC
Gift certificates available
Publisher and Managing Editor
Scott Laird
503-367-0098
scott@vernoniasvoice.com
There are better locations to
dispose of paint than a landfill.
“STILL BIKER FRIENDLY”
• Specialty hamburgers
• Draft beer & mixed drinks
• Pool tables & satelite TV
• Special live music events
• Free Wi-fi
3
Want to advertise?
Have an article?
Contact: scott@vernoniasvoice.com
winning photographs will be converted
into greeting cards and other print
formats for sale at the Grange Country
Boutique, to be held mid-December.
100% proceeds from the photographs
will be dedicated to community based
events and improvements via the
Vernonia Grange.
For complete rules and
submission
guidelines
email
bbensensteele@gmail.com .
Happy Hour Mon-Fri 4-7
Lady’s Night Wed 5-12
Oct. 8
Birthday Bash w/
Third Member
Oct. 15
Spin Cycle
Oct. 28
Country Backroads
2011
priate or significant enough way to say
how much I appreciate what these two
officers have sacrificed over the last five
months. By basically putting much of
their personal life on hold, and making
themselves available, they have shown
the utmost in dedication.
The hiring of Thompson will
provide some relief for the agency, al-
though he heads off to the Police Acad-
emy for four months of training in mid-
October. Conner, now serving as Interim
Chief of Police is starting the process to
hire a fourth officer.
We all owe officers Conner and
Carnahan a debt of gratitude for their
unwavering commitment to continue
serving this community through a very
adverse time.
Vernonia Grange Sponsors Photo Contest
The Vernonia Grange has
announced that they are sponsoring a
Community Photography Contest.
Submissions will be judged in
the following categories:
COMMUNITY & FAMILY:
Photos depicting community members,
family, and loved ones. Images
featuring recreation are acceptable and
encouraged.
NATURE & WILDLIFE: Photos
depicting the natural world and its
wonders.
SIMPLE LIVING & SUSTAINABILITY:
Photos depicting activities and ways
of life unique to Vernonia, rural living,
september27
Vernonia
Hardware and Supply
1026 Bridge St.
Vernonia, OR
Mon-Thurs 9-6,
Fri-Sat 9-7 Sun 12-5
Here’s how the
program works:
A portion of the
purchase price of
all new paint sales is
being used to cover
recycling and disposal
costs for leftover,
unwanted paint. So, if
you have any paint you
want to recycle, simply drop
it off at any collection site for
no additional charge. You’re done.
We’ll take it from there.
To learn more, visit us at
www.paintcare.org
buy right. reuse. recycle.
Vernonia’s Voice is published twice each month
on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday.
Look for our next issue on October 11th.
