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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (April 10, 2012)
free april10 2012 V E R N O N I A’ S reflecting the spirit of our community volume6 issue7 Vernonia Community Theater Profiles: Part 4 - The Directors By Scott Laird The Vernonia Community Theater (VCT) will hold two performances of “Vaudeville’s My Home,” on April 13, and 14 at 7:00 PM at Washington Grade School. Formed in 2010, the VCT involves both youth and adults in their productions and provides a cre- ative outlet for members of Vernonia and the surrounding area to express their artistic talents. In this series of articles over several months Ver- nonia’s Voice has been profiling key members of the VCT. In this final pro- file before curtain time, we meet the directors. For their upcoming produc- tion, Vaudeville’s My Home, the Ver- nonia Community Theater (VCT) will have two directors to run the show. Mary Post and Roger Longh- enry are co-directing the newest VCT production. The story is set in the 1920’s in a small rural town that has lost their school and will hold a vaude- ville show to raise money to rebuild the school. The script has been altered slightly to make the story more famil- iar and create a very local feel. It is filled with clever lines, several songs, lots of laughs, and many memorable characters. Co-directors Post and Long- henry are working with the VCT for the first time and between them bring a wealth of theater experience to the Washington Grade School stage. Mary Post lives at Fishhawk inside 3 scholarship winner 11 making a donation 15 easter egg hunt Post says the directors for Vaudeville’s My Home are treating the production like a melodrama. “We’re incorporating things about Verno- nia into the story and trying to make it funny,” says Post. “It doesn’t take place where it originally did in the script, we’ve changed it to Vernonia, and we think that will make it even more fun for the audience.” Roger Longhenry brings vast theater experience to the VCT. Longhenry has lived in Vernonia for eight years and is originally for the mid-west. He came west in 1979 and worked in Alaska as a commercial fisherman and fighting forest fires. Longhenry says he started in theater in junior high school and high school in the late sixties, and was the The City of Vernonia intends to modify the sewer loan charge on City utility bills, increasing it by as much as $19.00, beginning July 1, 2012. The charge currently appears on the City Utility Bill as “sewer loan” and is for $12.00. At the April 2, 2012 City Council meeting, Council was presented with a recommendation from the Vernonia Public Works Committee, asking Council to increase the portion of the sewer rate dedicated to servicing the outstanding loan from Phase I of the Wastewater Improvement Project. The Public Works Committee did not recommend a specific amount for the increase, but stated in their written recommendation that it be commensurate with fully servicing the payment of principle and interest scheduled in the current loan payment. The loan, DEQ Loan No. 93642, is for $4.3 million. The first payment on the loan was due in 2008, but was not made, and as a result the City has been accumulating about $10,000 per month in interest. On March 3, 2011 the City made an interest payment of $525,517. In August of 2011 the City began making the regular payments (not just interest) according to the required payment schedule. According to Vernonia Mayor Josette Mitchell, the budget last fiscal year held enough money to make those payments. However the budget this fiscal year will require the sewer rate increase in order to make the principal and interest payments that are expected. At the April 2 meeting City continued on page 7 continued on page 5 John Wacker and Mackenzie Brown practice their lines with director Mary Post for the Vernonia Community Theater’s upcoming production of “Vaudville’s My Home,” on April 13 and 14 at Washington Grade School. Lake near Birkenfeld. She moved there from Newberg six years ago. In Newberg, Post and her husband started and ran the Newberg Commu- nity Theater for fifteen years. “When we moved we closed the theater and donated all the costumes,” says Post. “But we still have the sound system!” Post says she had never worked in theater before her New- berg experiences. As a child, she says she was much too shy to ever want to perform on stage. In Newberg, she started as a volunteer working with international students at George Fox University. “They performed small dramas in order to learn and practice their English language skills,” ex- plains Post. “That got me interested and then we formed the community theater.” City Expects to Increase Sewer Rate Sportsman's The Show Will Go On at the Banquet Columbia County Fair Changes Date The date for the Vernonia Sportsman’s Banquet has been changed to May 12, 2012. Originally scheduled for April 14 at the Vernonia Christian Church, the event date needed to be changed due to a scheduling conflict for guest speaker Jase Robertson. “Everything else is the same, except the date,” said event organizer Chad Hewitt. “We still have the same speaker, the same food, and it will be at the Vernonia Christian Church.” If anyone has any questions about the date change or any other questions about the event you can call Chad Hewitt at 503-429-0511. There will be a Columbia County Fair this year. According to Fair Board Chair De- lores Bellingham the Fair Board is actively planning for the Fair for July 18 through the 22 nd . Bellingham says not much will change at the Fair this year, with all the usual activities and events in- cluding the Rodeo, Rodeo Court and Dancin’ in the Dirt Concert, 4-H ac- tivities, Senior Citizen Day, Kids Day, carnival, vendors, live entertain- ment and more. “Everything is just coming together really well,” says Belling- ham. Because of budget cuts the Fair Board no longer has a Fair Man- ager on staff. According to Belling- ham the Fair Board volunteers have divided the duties and are organizing the Fair themselves this year. But Bellingham says not much will change this year and visitors can expect the same Fair experience. Bellingham was also happy to announce that Means Nursery will be providing the Plant Sale Fundraiser for the Fair again this year. Volunteers have been meet- ing on Saturday mornings this spring to help prepare the fair grounds. Work includes painting, grounds keeping and other work. “I’m con- fident that we’re moving forward,” says Bellingham. There is a new website this year specifically designated to the Columbia County Fair and Rodeo: www.ColumbiaCountyFairgrounds. continued on page 6
