september25 2012
free
V E R N O N I A’ S
reflecting the spirit of our community
volume6 issue18
Salmon Festival Celebrates Ten Years Planning Commission
“Can you believe it has already been
ten years?”
That is the question that visitors to
the 10th Annual Vernonia Salmon Festival
might be asking themselves this year.
That’s right, this year marks the
tenth year that Vernonians and other visitors
will gather in Hawkins Park on the first Sat-
urday in October to celebrate the return of
the salmon to the upper Ne-
halem River. They will also
celebrate the fall harvest
with other activities like
pumpkin carving and scare-
crow making. It’s a fun day
for the whole family that has
now, in its tenth year, be-
come a Vernonia tradition.
The Vernonia Salm-
on Festival has included
many different activities
over the years. According
to Salmon Festival Chair,
Josette Mitchell, for many
years the “Knee Deep In
Salmon” art auction was a major highlight.
Wine tasting, live music, and various chil-
dren’s activities have also been popular. One
year local thespians wrote and performed an
original melodrama. A salmon bake was also
a popular attraction. A scarecrow contest for
businesses in town was also a fun event. The
salmon art auction has “spawned” a junior
salmon auction, a springtime event that fea-
tures art created by local high school students
which raises money for local and school arts
programs.
This year’s festival will feature
pumpkin carving and scarecrow making, a
kid’s trout pond for fishing, hayrides, food
and other vendors, a local farmers market,
and more.
“There has been so much cool stuff
throughout the years,” says Mitchell.
Ten years ago is a long time and
memories are a little fuzzy about how the
inside
7
taking
a hike
8
gift
to schools
10
subway
opens
Salmon Festival was started. Mitchell says
the idea for a “harvest festival” in Vernonia
originated during a leadership training ses-
sion that community members attended in
Boardman, OR many years ago. Mitchell’s
husband Casey was part of that group that
included Councilman Randy Parrow and
others who brought home the idea of creat-
ing a fall festival in Vernonia. The idea of
including the return of the salmon into the
festival was added later. “The community
was already looking for another festival,”
says current Councilwoman Donna Webb.
“When we started looking at our assets—
what do we have that is unique and would
be a good fit--we came up the idea for the
Salmon Festival.”
Mitchell noted that Shirlee Daugh-
try and former City Recorder Kate Conley
played a big role in the early years by help-
ing start the festival. “Many community
members have helped in so many ways over
the years,” said Mitchell.
The Salmon Festival has always in-
cluded an educational piece. Maggie Peyton,
who is the director of the Upper Nehalem
Watershed Council (UNWC), has been a key
member of the core group that has planned
and staged the festival each year. Her or-
continued on page 12
Approves Zoning Changes
The Vernonia Planning
Commission has approved a ma-
jor rezoning project that will affect
over 130 parcels of property in the
Vernonia city limits.
The Planning Commission
held a public hearing on the zoning
changes on September 20, 2012.
Following the hearing the Com-
mission approved to the proposed
changes. The changes will now be
heard in a public hearing before the
Vernonia City Council. The hear-
ing has been scheduled for October
1.
The rezoning project in-
cludes changes to properties that
have been purchased by the City
of Vernonia through the FEMA
flood buyouts. Also included are
changes to the designation to many
properties previously owned by the
City. Most of the properties owned
by the City would be changed to a
new designation called Institution-
al Public; some are being changed
to Public Recreation.
The project
includes
changes to several parcels in and
around the old mill site. There is
also proposed rezoning to a resi-
dential area that changes the des-
ignation of twenty-six parcels from
General Residential to Downtown,
making them eligible to be devel-
oped commercially. The changes
would impact twenty-two property
owners on Rose and Weed Ave-
nues.
At the Planning Commis-
sion hearing on September 20 four
people testified against the rezon-
ing changes. Two citizens spoke
against changes in designation
from Residential to Light Industri-
al on a property near the mill site
owned by Casey Mitchell.
One
citizen spoke against the changes
on Rose and Weed Avenues. There
was no written testimony received.
The proposed changes to
the Rose and Weed Avenue proper-
ties have been the subject of some
controversy. The City of Verno-
nia had previously invited prop-
erty owners of parcels that were
being considered for rezoning to
attend two informal meeting to
discuss their concerns. Numerous
citizens attended both meeting and
expressed concerns about the pro-
posed changes.
Don Willard is one prop-
erty owner who is not happy about
the process that has led to the Plan-
ning Commission recommendation
for rezoning of his property. “I’m
not expressly against rezoning,”
said Willard following the Planning
Commission’s decision on Septem-
ber 20. “My issue with the City
and the rezoning process is that the
concerns of the affected residents,
I feel, have not been listened to.
When the citizens showed up for
the first two meetings, almost all
the members of the neighborhood
that would be impacted by this
were there, and ninety-nine percent
of them were opposed to it. And I
think that the majority of the peo-
ple thought after the second meet-
ing that the Planning Commission
was starting to get the message that
they didn’t want it. But now it sure
feels like the Planning Commission
was only taking public comments
continued on page 11
Volkswalking: Fun and Exercise for All!
By Scott Laird
social aspect of walking with friends.
Dar Parrow is the Club President of the Cedar
During the last Vernonia Jamboree a new activ- Milers and is the Vice President of the Oregon Trail State
ity was added to the weekend which brought many visi- Volkssport Association. She is also the State Public-
tors to town. The event was “Volkswalking” and was ity Chair. According to Parrow the events in Vernonia
hosted by the Cedar Milers,
were well received. Parrow
a Volkssporting club based
says 152 people completed
in Portland. Over 150 people
231 events during Jambo-
participated in four separate
ree weekend in Vernonia.
walks; three of the walks
“I think we could have had
were on the Banks-Vernonia
more participation but it was
State Linear Trail, the fourth
so hot that weekend,” says
was a historic Vernonia town
Parrow.
walk.
There are hundreds of
So what exactly is
Volkssporting clubs around
Volkswalking (or Volks-
the country and thousands
marching as it is tradition-
around the world. In Or-
ally called), and why should
egon there are eighteen clubs
readers in Vernonia be inter-
including the Cedar Milers
ested?
from Portland who hosted
First of all, a Volk-
the event in Vernonia dur-
swalk is a non-competitive Members of the Cedar Milers Volkssport Club relax at the ing Jamboree. Local clubs
Black Bear in Vernonia after a walk.
walk, that is designed to be a
select trails and courses for
fun activity someone can do with a club, with their fam- volkswalking designed to include areas that feature sce-
ily, with their pet, or all by themselves. Many people nic interest, historical significance or any other area that
participate in these walks for exercise. Others enjoy the would be pleasant or interesting for someone to walk. Lo-
continued on page 12
