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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 11, 2011)
6 area news october11 2011 Oregon Leadership Unites Behind Legislation to Extend County Payments Program Multi-year Renewal Could Mean More than $400 million for Oregon Counties All six members of the Oregon Congressional delegation – U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, U.S. Representatives Earl Blumenauer, Peter DeFazio, Kurt Schrader and Greg Walden – and Governor John Kitzhaber expressed unified support on Wednesday October 5, 2011 for a county payments agreement they called “essential to ensuring a lifeline for Oregon’s rural communities.” For months, Oregon’s Congressional delegation has been working with Senate Energy Committee Chairman Jeff Bingaman on a way to extend the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self Determination Act – commonly known as the county payments law -- and put rural communities back to work in the woods. The Oregon delegation announced that an agreement has been reached and that Chairman Bingaman will be introducing bipartisan legislation to extend the program for an additional five years at a level of funding necessary to support essential county services. The Secure Rural Schools and Community Self Determination Act of 2000, originally authored by Wyden and U.S. Senator Larry Craig (R-Idaho) in 1999, established a six-year payment formula for counties that receive revenue- sharing payments from the United States Forest Service (USFS) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands. Based in part on historic timber receipts, the formula established a stable source of revenue to be used for education, roads and various other county services in rural areas. Over 700 counties in 41 states have received funding under the original county payments law, which was allowed to expire in September 2006. The law was extended in 2008 after a protracted effort by the Oregon delegation to renew the program, but that extension ended on Friday September 30, and Oregon counties are slated to receive their last checks early next year. Without renewed funding, counties will have to consider drastic budget cuts that have in the past included: four- day school weeks, releasing prisoners from county jails and laying off county sheriffs. The governor and members of the Oregon delegation issued the following joint statement on the agreed upon legislation: “In the current budget environment, renewing even essential programs is an uphill battle. But without the financial certainty offered by the county payments program, there is no future for Oregon’s rural counties. “The bipartisan legislation that Chairman Bingaman will introduce next week proposes to give Oregon communities the level of assistance they need to maintain critical county services – like schools, sheriffs and search and rescue efforts – while we work for longer-term solutions on the O&C lands and other federal forests. The process has already begun in the U.S. House of Representatives. “While passage of this legislation is not guaranteed, gaining Chairman Bingaman’s support is an important step in our effort to get the job done. Part of that effort includes educating our colleagues in Congress on the unique challenges facing a state where the federal government owns more than 50 percent of the land -- as well as the historic commitment the federal government made to those communities. “Our unified effort underscores how essential it is for Congress and the administration to honor that commitment and Oregonians can count on us to continue to work together to get the job done.” Columbia County Cultural Two County Officers Honored of a Rainier Police Officer and the two Coalition Awards 2011/12 Grants awarded The Oregon State Marine Board its Life Saving Award at their launched a sheriff’s boat from Rainier. The Columbia County Cultural Coalition has announced the following grant awards for 2011/2012 grant year for community cultural activities throughout the County: Clatskanie Senior Citizens - Victorian Castle Christmas Celebration focus is on the Community, Seniors and K-12 kids. Friends of the Clatskanie Library – Carver Writing Festival, “Poem in Your Pocket” – Writing, Rhythm and Rhyme. Friends of the Vernonia Public Library – Community Reads 2012, Oregon Author books with related activities for youth and Older Adults. Caples House Museum – Life & Times of a Pioneer Doctor Field Trip for Columbia County 5th graders St. Helens Arts and Cultural Commission – Free Art and Craft Workshop – One class per quarter, focusing on children and young adults. Shoestring Community Players – Children’s Theater Camp, March 2012 for K-8th graders Vernonia Pioneer Museum – Covered outdoor display area on museum grounds for logging equipment artifacts, Phase 1, site preparation. R PAY OLL PLUS LLC Full Service Payroll Bookkeeping QuickBooks Assistance Income Tax Preparation (Individual & Small Business) N VER ONIA, OR Edi Sheldon 503-429-1819 LTC#29629-C edisheldon@gmail.com This year’s Cultural Coalition grant projects address the 2011 – 2013 priorities established by the Coalition: • Protect existing cultural assets • Focus on youth to help them experience culture in a variety of ways. • Focus on elders to utilize their memories to record our heritage and to seed the future • Increase access to and participation in cultural events and activities This year’s grant awards provide the project funding totaling $28,862, with $8,750 being provided from the Oregon Cultural Trust in the form of a grant to the Columbia County Cultural Coalition, and $20,112 being provided as match dollars by those organizations awarded the above grants. The CCCC requests grant applications on a yearly basis for worthy community and cultural programs and projects. Those interested in finding out about the CCCC and its activities can find out information about the organization at http://www. columbiacultural.org./ or by contacting Janet Wright at 503-397-1035. annual end-of-season Less than half an conference to Columbia hour after receiving County Sherif Officer the call, the deputy Russ George and and police officer Rainier Police Officer hauled two men from Ron Larson, after the the river in a semi- two teamed up to pull conscious state. two people from the Both men river last May. were suffering “I am very from hypothermia honored to work with and were nearly such dedicated public u n c o n s c i o u s . Ron Larson (Left) and Russ George safety professionals,” Paramedics at the (right) received Life Saving Awards said Sheriff Jeff from the Oregon State Marine Board scene estimated that Dickerson. “Even with only a few minutes the reduced resources we have to provide more in the cold water and the two would public safety services in our county, it have lost consciousness completely. is people like Ron and Russ who make “This is a case of quick action a difference every day for good in our by our deputy who was off-duty when county.” he got the call and a team effort with The two officers rescued two adult our dispatch center, the Rainier Police males from the Columbia River after Department and Columbia River Fire the men’s canoe capsized near Prescott and Rescue,” said Columbia County Beach. Columbia 911 Dispatch received Sheriff Jeff Dickerson at the time of the a call from residents in Prescott who said rescue. “Thanks to an agreement with they heard screams for help coming from Columbia River Fire, we have a boat the river. There were no deputies on stored in the Rainier area that allowed duty at the time of the call, but a marine us to get on the water quickly. It was patrol deputy was called in to attempt the difference between life and death the rescue. The deputy obtained the help tonight,” the sheriff said. Local Properties For Rent 291 A Street 1305 Grove Street 3 bdrm, bevutiful wood floors throu.h- out, livin. room hvs woodstove, lvr.e kitchen, .vs hevt, fenced yvrd, .vrv.e. $850/mo. Avvilvble in evrly November - plevse do not disturb current tenvnts. For more info contact Ted at 503-799-0999 VIP Property Management, Inc. call Kim Lovable service at a reasonable price • Bathing • Haircuts • Nail Clipping • Nail Polishing • Specialty Shampoos
