Vernonia's voice., October 23, 2012, Page 7, Image 7

community
october23
2012
7
Community Conversations - A Report From the First Events
The first series of Community
Conversations, which focused on Com-
munity Livability has ended, and if noth-
ing else, they were entertaining. Com-
munity Conversations is being hosted by
Vernonia Connects. About 15 people
attended the first meeting, and 20 were
at the next, ready and eager to lend their
opinion on topics affecting community
livability. With topics ranging from util-
ity rates to emergency preparedness,
there was something for everyone. The
good news is that nothing was solved, so
there is still ample opportunity to discuss
the various topics, but there were several
suggestions made which do point at pos-
sible solutions, particularly in Safety and
Security.
Most of the people present felt
that there wasn’t need for additional po-
lice presence, citing their expectation
to take care of their own needs as part
of the cost of living in a remote area of
Oregon. Areas of concern included lack
of overhead lighting and the presence of
groups of people hanging out, as well as
dangers of living in the woods, such as
hunters and the additional traffic they
bring, wild animals, and break-ins while
on vacation.
Seeking solutions, some people
suggested self-defense courses. One
of the young people in the crowd men-
tioned she always had her cell phone
handy, and traveled with a friend. Anoth-
er person said Vernonia was safe, telling
a story about an out of town relative get-
ting pulled over by a neighbor because
he was giving his niece a ride to school,
and wasn’t known to the neighbor. Some
resources were discussed, including
the non-emergency number, increased
lighting around the lake, and initiating
Neighborhood Watches, and changing
people’s expectations on service and re-
sponse time.
The discussion about Utility
Rates was not surprisingly focused on
the cost of electricity and how it was ex-
pensive compared to other areas of the
country. While realizing that no one is
forced to live in the WOEC service area,
this real estate market does make it very
difficult to move to a location with lower
rates, and several people felt trapped.
Some of the issues raised included hook-
up fees, no sense of ownership in the co-
op, and regressive policies.
Some solutions that were dis-
cussed included changing the people
on the board of Directors, having the
co-op bought by an outside utility, bury-
ing lines, and attracting new consum-
ers. Methods of reducing electricity use
were also discussed, including utilizing
the free WOEC energy audits and Com-
munity Action Team’s low income loans
for weatherization. According to Marc
Farmer, GM of West Oregon, the aver-
age monthly cost of the electricity deliv-
ery infrastructure is $81.66 over the past
seven years.
There was also concern over the
wastewater treatment facility, especially
that there was no ongoing maintenance
program. A secondary concern was that
water service shut-offs are increasing,
rates are slated to increase in 2016, and
without a growth in the economy and
rate payer population the cost to provide
service will become too burdensome for
city water users. It was clear that utility
rates, and the growth of utility rates out
of proportion to ability to pay, were a big
concern.
Emergency Preparedness was
another hot topic discussed, and not sur-
prisingly people thought that we were
fairly well prepared for future flood
events. Many had upgraded their ability
to shelter at home, or had made arrange-
ments with neighbors. There were con-
cerns raised about elderly neighbors, as
well as special medical needs, and some
people decided to have their own neigh-
borhood meetings to arrange for sharing
of resources to ensure the safety of those
people. Information was shared about
a structured program called “Map Your
Neighborhood” which helps strengthen
connections between neighbors for plan-
ning purposes. Some people mentioned
Registration for
Vernonia Cares Holiday Boxes
starting up a Welcome Wagon for new
arrivals to the community, so that they
understand the responsibilities of living
in this remote area.
A big concern to everyone was
the possibility of forest fire or earth-
quake. Given the geography and geolo-
gy of this area, it is very likely that roads
would be impassable, and if the scope of
the disaster was large enough we’d be cut
off for a long time. The construction of
the new school, with its giant generator
and huge fuel reservoir, can be viewed as
an excellent safety net in case such a di-
saster does occur. There was discussion
of Emergency Preparedness Kits, and a
list of components needed for long term
use.
Adult Drug and Alcohol Abuse
were also discussed, but it was noted
that there isn’t much hard data on sub-
stance abuse among adults. Since drug
use is hidden, rather than open, signs of
use are usually the only way to recog-
nize it. Child abuse, accidents, domestic
violence, financial issues and criminal
activity were all mentioned as problems
associated with drug abuse. The group
decided that alcohol abuse was more
prevalent than drug abuse, mentioning
the availability, social acceptability, and
low cost. All present seemed to recog-
nize the negative effects of substance
abuse on the community and economy,
and cited several resources for users. The
Vernonia Prevention Coalition was men-
tioned several times as a focal point for
these resources; also mentioned was the
existence of AA and NA meetings in
Vernonia.
A necessary part of community
livability is Community Pride. Many
will remember the long service of the
Vernonia Pride group, and the manifes-
tation of their effort is one of the ways
that we think of pride. Others mentioned
our many parks, our focus on neighbor-
helping-neighbor, and individuals act-
ing as ambassadors of the community,
spreading word of the benefits of living
in our town. We discussed some signs
that community pride wasn’t universal,
such as vandalism, but recognized that
it wasn’t a big problem. Also discussed
was the need to teach the next generation
about community service, and the value
it brings to society.
It was clear that people have deep
concerns about some aspects of com-
munity livability, but at the same time
were eager to find solutions. The Com-
munity Conversations were designed to
bring people together to discuss commu-
nity problems so that they could begin
to seek solutions. It appears that this is
happening. The next conversations will
happen in the Vernonia Schools Library
on Oct 22 nd at 7:00 PM and Oct 27 th at
2:00 PM. The discussion will focus on
Youth and Education, particularly activi-
ties and civic responsibility, quality edu-
cation, and drug and alcohol prevention.
It’s worth your time to become involved.
Vote for Democrat
Tammy
Maygra
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o
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it
Vernonia Cares Food Bank will begin registration November 1 for the
Christmas Holiday Food Boxes. Recipients must register to receive this free food
box. Applications may be filled out on Tuesday or Thursday from 10:00 to 2:00 at
the food bank which is located within the American Legion Building, 627 Adams
Avenue. Questions may be directed to Sandy by calling 503-429-1414. Sandy
also wishes to remind Vernonia residents that there is no Thanksgiving box; only
Christmas ones. There is a limited supply of these Christmas Holiday Food Boxes,
so early registration in encouraged.
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There will be no back room deals.
My opponent has held office for 16 years.
That is way too long for anyone to hold office.
www.TammyMaygra.com
Paid for by the Committee to Elect Tammy Maygra