an opinion
january22
2013
An Opinion: Where’s the Spirit?
By Scott Laird
Something special is happening
on the hardwood in the Vernonia School
gymnasium again this year. Last year
the community was fortunate to wit-
ness a spectacular season from a spe-
cial group of players from the Vernonia
Loggers boys varsity team. This year it
looks like it’s the Lady Loggers’ turn.
Girls head coach Steve White-
man returned this year after one season
in retirement. And what a difference a
year makes!
Whiteman has assembled a spe-
cial group of players who find them-
selves atop the standings in the North-
west League just past the half way mark
of the season. The Lady Loggers had an
8-1 league record at the end of the week.
The team avenged their only league loss
after defeating Portland Christian 52-
47. Earlier in the week they beat sec-
ond place Riverdale 44-40. Whiteman
has his team playing exciting, fast paced
basketball. The Lady Loggers look to be
a lock to make the league playoffs with a
shot at becoming the first girls team ever
to make it into the State Tournament in
Pendleton. This is a great team!
The boys team is also having a
good season and find themselves right in
the middle of the pack and in the hunt for
a spot in the league playoffs with a 5-4
record.
You would think the folks in
Vernonia would be pretty excited about
these two teams, wouldn’t you?
Here in Vernonia there isn’t a lot
to do on winter evenings when it’s cold
and rainy and the roads get slick at night.
High school basketball is a great and
affordable form of entertainment and a
great way for the community to come
together and show their support for our
youth.
Unfortunately the high level of
intensity that we witnessed last season is
missing from the crowd at Logger home
games this season.
Don’t get me
wrong, folks definitely are turning out to
watch the teams. It’s just that they aren’t
all that enthused.
Maybe it’s the size of the new
gymnasium that swallows up the sound
of the crowd? Maybe the crowd doesn’t
feel comfortable enough in their new
digs to scream at the top of their lungs?
Maybe the team supporters don’t feel
like they have something worth yell ing
about? Maybe the Vernonia girls are
making it look too easy?
Whatever it is, the Vernonia
crowd seems too quiet.
Against Gaston, the Lady Log-
gers cruised to an easy victory; the out-
come was never really in doubt. In the
boys game, the crowd came alive when
the boys came from behind in the fourth
quarter and almost tied the game, but
that was about it.
At a recent home game, the
Lady Loggers returned to the court from
the half time intermission to silence
from the crowd. The opposing team’s
fans stood and cheered their girls back
onto the court, even though their team
was behind by a considerable margin.
I am not the only one to notice
this lack of noise in the Vernonia gym. I
have heard several people comment on
the dearth of enthusiasm. My guess is
that the players notice it as well.
Excitement at high school sport-
ing events is contagious. The crowd
catches it from each other and then the
players catch it too. Soon the whole
place can be rocking and that’s what cre-
ates a home court advantage. The Lady
Loggers certainly deserve our apprecia-
tion for their high level of play this year
and the boys need our support as they
head into a stretch of games that will
make or break their season. There are
upcoming home games for both squads
on February 1 st against Faith Bible, Feb-
ruary 2 nd against Riverdale and Febru-
ary 8 th against Nestucca. And then come
the league playoffs.
Our Logger student athletes
work hard, both in practice and on the
court during competitions. They strive
too perform to the best of their abilities.
They are giving us a good performance,
and we should do the same. I think we,
as their fans, owe it to our players to
make a better effort.
Let’s Go Loggers!
Publisher and Managing Editor
Scott Laird
503-367-0098
scott@vernoniasvoice.com
Contributors
Mark Brown
Chip Bubl
Dr. Ken Cox
Dr. Carol McIntyre
Sonia Spackman
Photography
Tracy Easlon
Scott Laird
Randy Larson
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Vernonia’s Voice, LLC
PO Box 55
Vernonia, OR 97064
503-367-0098
“Low Maintenance Plants” is Focus of Presentation
Kym Pokorny is a garden
writer and editor of great talent for
the Oregonian. She will be giving a
public talk on Thursday, January 24th,
2013 at 6:30 PM in the Loo-Wit room
of St. Helens High School. The talk is
being sponsored by the OSU Extension
office and the Columbia County Master
Gardeners Association. It is free and
open to the public.
Pokorny’s talk will focus on
low maintenance plants, describing
ornamental plants that can survive with
little attention and low summer watering
in this region’s sometimes challenging
soils. Pokorny is an outstanding speaker
and an enthusiastic gardener.
Pokorny grew up on her
father’s wholesale nursery in Northern
California. She studied journalism and
environmental science in college and
graduated with a degree in journalism.
She’s been a journalist for 23 years, the
last 10 as garden writer for The Oregonian
in Portland, Oregon. She has served as a
regional director for the Garden Writers
It’s Time to Start Planning
the 2013 Vernonia Festivals!
Association and as chairman of the GWA
Foundation Board. She’s won a Quill &
Trowel Award, two Garden Globes and
the Herald Award from the American
Nursery & Landscape Association. She
lives happily with her dog, Sadie, in
Portland where her garden threatens to
engulf her 1922 house.
For more information about the
program contact the Columbia County
Extension office, located at 505 N.
Columbia River Highway in St. Helens
or call 503-397-3462.
Vernonia’s Voice
is changing publication dates!
www.VernoniasVoice.com
VERNONIA
E
C
I
SERV PAIR
E
R
&
Warranty on all parts and labor
Starting in February we will publish
twice each month on the
1st and 3rd Thursday.
Our next issues will be February 7 & 21.
Committee Meetings for Jamboree, 4 th of July
and Salmon Festival begin on Thursday January 31,
2013 at 6:00 PM at the VCLC. We want and need you!
Anyone interested in helping make these events happen
is welcome!
from opening until 9 PM
3 hardshell or 1 softshell $4.25
every second Saturday
5-9 PM
756 Bridge Street, Vernonia
503-429-5841
503/429/7972
EVENTS
Prime Rib
iheck our Facebook page for daily specials and upcoming events
58605 NEHALEM HWY. S.
Next to Storage, Too
“STILL BIKER FRIENDLY”
Taco Tuesday
every Friday
9 PM-close
Now offering
2 and 4 wheel
alignments
Happy Hour Mon-Fri 4-7
Lady’s Night Wed 5-12
Cedar Side Inn
Karaoke
3
• Specialty hamburgers
• Draft beer & mixed drinks
• Pool tables & satelite TV
• Special live music events
• Free Wi-fi
Sun - Thurs 11 AM - Midnight •
733 Bridge St, Vernonia
Jan. 26
Probable Cause
Feb. 2
Play It Again Karaoke
Feb. 9
Stepchild
Now Beer & Kegs to go
Fri - Sat 11 AM - 2:30 AM
• 503-429-9999
