july18 2013
VERNONIA’S
volume7 issue14
www.vernoniasvoice.com
reflecting the spirit of our community
“Hands On Development”
Provides Structure for
Developmentally Disabled
“Hands On Development” is a new
program that is running during the month of
July in Vernonia. The program is designed
to assist developmentally disabled children
during their summer break from school.
“Our mission is to provide summer
camp activities for kids who need structure
and routine in the summer,” says Eric Urban,
one of two teachers that are helping with
Vernonia Baseball Plays
at State Tournament
On Development provides just the types of
activities that are needed, including social
skills, story time, arts and crafts, and play
time. The program meets on Mondays and
Wednesdays from 12:00 to 3:00 PM after the
Summer Meals Program at the Grace Family
Fellowship Church. Children must attend
with an adult to take part in the program.
“We’re really pleased that we’ve been
able to dovetail
our
program
onto the Summer
Meals Program,”
says
Urban.
“That has been a
fantastic resource
for us, with lunch,
and they are also
providing
an
afternoon snack
for us as well.
And the church
has just been great
in letting us use
their space and
their yard for play
Eric Urban teaches sign language during Hands On Development.
time; they have
the program this year. Urban is the Special really made it possible for this to happen.”
Education teacher for the Vernonia School
Jeana Gump, the mother of a
District. The other teacher helping with the developmentally disabled child, was the
Hands On Development program is Diane originator of the idea for a summer camp type
Martin, an in-home autism consultant with program. “Every summer with Savannah was
NW Autism & Ability Services in Clatskanie, getting harder and harder,” explains Gump,
who has worked in the past as an elementary about her motivation for starting the program.
Life Skills Instructor for the Clatskanie School “By the end of last summer I was thinking that
District.
we were going to have to move away from
“A lot of kids with disabilities rely on Vernonia and find a place that had a year round
routine and highly structured activities and school for her. As soon the school year ended
when they don’t have that, certain behaviors she would lose her structure and just fall apart.
can come out,” said Urban during a recent But we didn’t want to leave Vernonia; we love
visit to the program.
it here.”
The day camp atmosphere at Hands
continued on page 11
inside
7
8
12
17
23
eagle
scout project
the good ol’ days
scuttlebutt
diggin’ in the dirt
great
american bash
free
The Vernonia Senior
National Boys baseball team
competed in the Junior Base-
ball Organization (J.B.O.)
state tournament on July 11th-
14 th in Corvallis at Williams
Field.
The boys won their
opening game of the tourna-
ment, defeating McKay 13-5.
The boys lost their next game,
going down to Colton 5-4 in
the bottom of the seventh in-
ning, in what Vernonia head
coach Joe Walters said was
the team’s best game of the
year. The Vernonia boys were
knocked out from the double
elimination tournament the
following day after a 10-5 loss Bailey Morrison had a great season pitch-
to Barlow. Vernonia finished ing for the Vernonia Senior National team.
the tournament in tenth place;
ers this year, eleven, from small
the entire J.B.O. Program has a to- town Vernonia, to compete in the
tal of eighty teams competing in organized league. (Walters actu-
Oregon.
ally had to get a waiver from the
The Vernonia boys, led by league because he is supposed to
head coach Walters and assistant have twelve players) It’s a mix of
coach Eli Everett, qualified for the players who have several years of
trip to state after previously win- experience playing baseball (Jake
ning the Washington County tour- Butcher, Hayden Cieloha, Bailey
nament. The boys finished their Morrison, Brett Elliot are team
regular season with a 12-2 record leaders), to two players (Nick
and then swept their three games at Bennett and Noah Ryland) who
the county tournament to earn their had never played the game of base-
spot at state.
ball before this year. One player,
Walters has built a team Tristen Bevill is Walters nephew
of talented young players. Five of from Reedville and comes out to
his players will be freshman at Ver- Vernonia to play. Orion Hopkins is
nonia High School next year and a sixth grader who was brought up
Walters hopes his players will help a level to fill out Walters’s roster.
bring success to the high school
J.B.O. provides an oppor-
program in the coming years.
tunity for Oregon youth from ages
Walters says he was just 9-16 to participate in an organized
able to piece together enough play-
continued on page 11
Get Ready for Echoing Evergreen Day Camp!
It’s time once again
for Vernonia to get ready for
Echoing Evergreen Day Camp.
Camp will be held on
August 5 th through the 9 th at
Vernonia’s Airport Park. Camp
starts at 9:30 AM and ends at
3:00 PM each day of the week.
Volunteers and teens will set
up camp on Sunday evening,
August 4 th at 7:00 PM and
will stay to enjoy smores and a
campfire.
Echoing
Evergreen
Day Camp is organized by
the Vernonia Boosters and
provides a day camp experience
for all local children. It is run
completely by volunteer adults
and students. Middle school
and high school students volunteer
as camp councilors and help with
activities throughout the week.
Camp registration forms are
available at Vernonia Sentry Market
and Black Bear Coffee Shop.
Anyone interested in being
a volunteer at camp please contact
Katie Poetter at 503-799-8946.
Echoing Evergreens Camp
is looking for donations of craft
supplies to help with camp this year
including: small Kleenex boxes,
water bottles, small plastic or
cardboard containers, egg cartons,
and any other craft supples you would
like to donate. Any contribution is
greatly appreciated since this is an all
volunteer camp.
