4
community bulletin board/letters to the editor
february7
2013
Columbia County
Veterans
Stand Down Auction
Sat, February 9, 2013
7:00 PM
Elks Lodge
350 Belton Rd.
St. Helens, OR
All proceeds go directly to
“Honoring Our Heroes”
Calling All Columbia County Veterans
“Honoring Our Heroes”
Sat, February 23, 2013
9 AM-5 PM
St. Helens Olde School
251 St. Helens St.
St. Helens, OR
All Active Duty National
Guard and recent returnees
are most Welcome!
Come by for: Hot meal,
Clothing, Personal
care items, Health care,
Employers, Legal aid
services, Flu shots, VA
benefits experts and much
more!
For more info on either of
these 2 events contact: Pam
Daniel at 503-366-6591
Readers Lend Their Voices...
To the Editor,
I have had several concerns
about social security for some time, so
when Senator Ron Wyden was here I
got to ask him my questions.
The first question I asked was
why there was a cap on employee social
security taxes withheld. Currently when
you reach $113,000 in wages they no
longer withhold social security taxes.
His answer was that by continuing that
tax, it prohibited employers from hiring
more people.
My second question was why,
when someone started to receive social
security, any children under eighteen
year old would also receive money from
social security. I did not get an answer
for that one. He went on to explain that
if you went on disability your children
could receive money and also children
of a deceased parent were eligible for
social security.
Senator Wyden is a perfect
example of my question; if he were to
start taking his social security, his three
children, six year old twins and new
born daughter, would receive benefits
from social security.
I would really like an answer
to this one, as I can not in any way see
the reasoning for this entitlement. They
chose to have children at an older age
and they chose to retire and draw their
social security.
At a time when they say social
security is going broke, I still ask why
is the government responsible for these
children?
Delores Webb
Vernonia
To the Editor,
The Vernonia Seventh-Day
Adventist Church would like to
say thank you to all the community
members and businesses that helped
make our Christmas auction a success.
All proceeds made will go towards the
repair of our church building built in
the 1930s. It is truly a blessing to be a
part of such an amazing community. We
look forward to serving you for many
years to come. May God Bless you
ALL.
Sincerely,
Members of the Vernonia SDA Church
To the Editor,
While I was at the courthouse
in St. Helens recently I picked up a
copy of your paper. I had no idea what
it was and found it to be a delightful
and informative community newspaper.
How I wish St. Helens and Scappoose
had one just like it. Good work!
Mariel McMullen
Deer Island, OR
HOW TO SEND LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Vernonia’s Voice welcomes and requests your thoughts, opinions and
ideas. Please include your name, address and phone number, limit your
letters to 300 words or less. Vernonia’s Voice reserves the right to edit,
omit, respond or ask for a response to letters submitted. We will print
letters space permitting. Deadline is the 1st and 3rd Monday of each
month. Email: scott@vernoniasvoice.com or mail to: Letters, PO Box
55, Vernonia, OR 97064.
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Director of Vernonia Cares Food Bank, Sandy
Welch received a $500 donation from Toni Barton
of Bridge Street Mini Mart.
Rose Avenue Project Gains
Momentum continued from front page
Electric Cooperative headquarters
that is large enough to house all three
facilities that are considering relocating.
The City and the three
stakeholders need to create a joint site
plan, negotiate a lease agreement for
use of the land, and settle several other
significant details before the project is
ready to move forward. All three groups
have expressed interest in exploring the
possibility of the project and the City
Council and staff also appear willing to
try to work together to make the project
a reality. There may also be room on the
site for at least one additional structure.
At the workshop Council heard
from Jim Tierney of Community Action
Team (CAT). CAT has
been hired
by the Senior Center and Vernonia
Cares as their project manager. CAT
had been working with both groups in
2007 before the flood to build a new
facility. Council also heard from City
Administrator Bill Haack who gave an
update on the project and the needs of
the City in the process.
The Vernonia Health Board
is moving forward quickly with their
plans to construct a new Health Center
building and have hired Scott Edwards
Architecture to create predesign
drawings and to act as their project
manager. The Health Board has been
informed that they will be the final
project to receive FEMA funds as part
of the December 2007 Vernonia disaster
event. The Health Board is expected to
receive a buyout for their old building,
which will then be required to be
demolished, similar to the old school
campus. The Health Board also has
funds being held for them by Providence
Health which were donated following
the flood. The Health Board announced
to the City Council that they would be
starting a Capital Campaign in early
February to raise the additional funds
they would need to construct a new
facility slightly larger than their current
clinic, with the hope of beginning
construction in May of 2013. Total cost
for the project is estimated to be around
$600,000 or $700,000 with $420,000
already in hand. The Health Board says
they will approach private foundations
for the balance of the money.
The Council also heard from
Sandy Welch, Director of Vernonia
Cares and Sykes Mitchell representing
the Senior Center.
Both groups
updated the Council on their current
expectations for the size and design of
their facilities. The possibility exists
that the two groups could construct a
building together to house both their
facilities.
One of the issues that has
slowed down the development of the
Rose Avenue Project is the availability
continued on page 14
Bethany Lutheran Makes
Changes to Quilt Show
Bethany Lutheran Church
is shaking things up a bit for the
2013 Quilt Show. South Columbia
County’s premier quilt show
(normally held in February) will
be held this spring on May 3 and 4,
2013. Come prepared to carry on a
quilt show tradition, enjoy some old
favorites and ring in a new era when
Bethany Lutheran Church unveils a
new name and welcomes first time
featured quilter Wynette Cate.
After 33 years, this long-
standing quilt show is making some
changes but will continue the tradition
of showing old, new, unique, rescued,
and heirloom quilts. Bethany plans
to keep old favorites, such as their
famous homemade cinnamon rolls,
sandwiches, soups, pies, bake/book
sale and quilt raffle. Some new
attractions are daily story times for
kids, gift basket raffle, old and new
consignment items like ‘bag of rags,’
(quilt scraps), handmade quilts and
crafts, plus some new items, like
”Angel Flakes” (homemade laundry
soap).
Proceeds from the quilt
show go toward quilting projects,
community service, and church
operating expenses.
Watch for invitations in the
mail or posters around town. Or, visit
Bethany’s website: www.bethany-
lutheran-church.org.
So save the dates Friday,
May 3 rd & Saturday May 4 th, to join in
the festivities.
For more information: call
503-397-5701 or 503-397-6316.
