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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (June 19, 2014)
in other words/community “Who Ya’ Gonna Call? Amateur Radio Hams!” Public Demo of Emergency Communications June 28-29 Despite the Internet, cell phones, email and modern communications, every year whole regions find themselves in the dark. Tornadoes, fires, storms, ice and even the occasional cutting of fiber optic cables leave people without the means to communicate. In these cases, the one consistent service that has never failed has been Amateur Radio. These radio operators, often called “hams” provide backup communications for everything from the American Red Cross to FEMA and even for the International Space Station. Your town’s “hams” will join with thousands of other Amateur Radio operators showing their emergency capabilities during the weekend of June 28-29. In the Vernonia area, the Vernonia Emergency Radio Association will be joining the Oregon Tualatin Valley Amateur Radio Club as they demonstrate Amateur Radio at Stub Stewart State Park during this weekend event. They invite the public to come and see ham radio’s new capabilities and learn how to get their own FCC radio license before the next disaster strikes. This annual event, called “Field Day” is the climax of the week long “Amateur Radio Week” sponsored by the ARRL, the national association for Amateur Radio. Using only emergency power supplies, ham operators will construct emergency stations in parks, shopping malls, schools and backyards around the country. Their slogan, “When All Else Fails, Ham Radio Works” is more than just words to the hams as they prove they can send messages in many forms without the use of phone systems, internet or any other infrastructure that can be compromised in a crisis. More than 35,000 amateur radio operators across the country participated in last year’s event. On the weekend of June 28-29, the public will have a chance to meet and talk with ham radio operators from Vernonia and surrounding cities and see for themselves what the Amateur Radio Service is about as hams across the USA will be holding public demonstrations of emergency communications abilities. “The fastest way to turn a crisis into a total disaster is to lose communications,” said Allen Pitts of the ARRL. “From the earthquake and tsunami in Japan to tornadoes in Missouri, ham radio provided the most reliable communication networks in the first critical hours of the events. Because ham radios are not dependent on the Internet, cell towers or other infrastructure, they work when nothing else is available. We need nothing between us but air.” Amateur Radio is growing in the US. There are now over 700,000 Amateur Radio licensees in the US, and more than 2.5 million around the world. Through the ARRL’s Amateur Radio Emergency Services program, ham volunteers provide both emergency communications for thousands of state and local emergency response agencies and non-emergency community services too, all for free. To learn more about Amateur Radio, go to www.emergency-radio. org. The public is most cordially invited to come, meet and talk with the hams. See what modern Amateur Radio can do. They can even help you get on the air! june19 2014 17 Things to Ponder: Character Flaws By Grant Williams Character flaws, we all have them. Some are obvious and others more subtle to ourselves and others who know us. The older I get the more convinced I am that the Bible is the inspired Word of God. In Romans 7 the apostle Paul writes about the flaws we are all born with. In verses 15-19 he says, “ 15 I do not understand what I do; for I don’t do what I would like to do, but instead I do what I hate. 16 since what I do is what I don’t want to do, this shows that I agree that the Law is right. 17 So I am not really the one who does this thing; rather it is the sin that lives in me. 18 I know that good does not live in me—that is, in my human nature. For even though the desire to do good is in me, I am not able to do it. 19 I don’t do the good I want to do; instead, I do the evil that I do not want to do” (GNT). Do these verses describe your life expe- rience? Have you stopped to exam your charac- ter flaws? Gossiping, lying, mean temper, addic- tions, bad habits, pride, or a lifestyle of divorce and remarriage. The Bible says we are all guilty and fall short of God’s perfection. I John 1:10 says, “If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His word has no place in our lives,” Why would God allow us to spend our whole life struggling with problems? God is not continued on page 19 Bridge Street Bits FROM VERNONIA RETIRED SENIOR VOLUNTEER PROGRAM (RSVP) COORDINATOR JOE BIGGS: “At the Vernonia Senior Center we have a volunteer program which keeps the Thrift Store and the dining room going. I took over the volunteer program in March this year. Each month we have a volunteer of the month from the Senior Center and one RSVP in St. Helens. We are very fortunate that the merchants in town donate a $10 gift certificate to be awarded to the monthly volunteer selected. RSVP in St. Helens acknowledges the volunteer that they select. Month of May SANDY WELCH is the Volunteer of the Month at the Senior Center. RANDAL HARVEY was selected by the RSVP in St. Helens.” statewide program which provides free, unbiased consultations to individuals or groups to help them find health care and prescription drug coverage. SHIBA trains individuals, retired or not, who seek an opportunity to help people understand their Medicare benefits. Want to learn more about becoming a SHIBA volunteer in your community? Call the state SHIBA office at 1-800-722-4134 or Washington and Columbia County at 503-846-3094. ENJOY HELPING OTHERS? Senior Health Insurance Benefits Assistance (SHIBA) is a LOOKING FOR A VOLUNTEER PLACE TO SERVE? The Vernonia Senior Center is looking for a IF YOU have not had any assistance prior to October 1, 2013 and would like to get an application for this October 2014 please call Community Action Team at 503-397-3511. Meals on Wheels driver to assist the faithful two we have . Please call us or come in! IF YOU HAVE ANY SENIOR QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS call Karen Miller at 503-366-6581. SENIOR SIGN OFF: Why not learn to enjoy the little things? There are so many of them. LUNCH MENU 6/20 Lasagne 6/23 Taco Salad 6/24 Country Gravy & Biscuits 6/25 Ribs & Scalloped Potatoes 6/26 Fishwich, Tots & Coleslaw 6/27 Oven Fried Chicken 6/30 Chicken Divan Vernonia Senior Center • 446 Bridge Street • 503-429-3912 Church Directory (in alphabetical order) Assembly of God Sunday School: 9:45 AM Morning Worship: 11:00 AM Sunday Evening Prayer: 6:00 PM Wayne Marr, Pastor 662 Jefferson Avenue 503-429-0373 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Sunday Schedule: Sacrament Meeting: 10:00 AM Sunday School & Primary: 11:20 AM Relief Society, Priesthood and Young Women: 12:10 PM Marc Farmer, Branch President 1350 E. Knott Street 503-429-7151 Covenant Church Vernonia Sunday School: 9:45 AM Worship Service: 11:00 AM Wednesday Prayer Meeting: 7:00 PM John D, Murray, Pastor 359 “A” Street 503-860-3860 Grace Family Fellowship Sunday School: 9:00 AM Worship Service: 10:30 AM Thursday Prayer: 6:00 PM Greg “Mac” McCallum, Pastor 957 State Avenue 503-429-6790 Nehalem Valley Bible Church Sunday School: 9:45 AM Worship Service: 10:45 AM Wed. Ladies Bible Study: 10:00 AM Wednesday Service: 7:00 PM Sat. Men’s Prayer Meeting: 6:30 AM Gary Taylor, Pastor Grant & North Streets 503-429-5378 Open Door Gathering Place Service: Sunday 6:00 PM Grant Williams, Pastor 375 North Street Pioneer Baptist Fellowship Sunday School: 9:30 AM Worship Service: 11:00 AM www.pbfalive.com John Cahill, Pastor 939 Bridge Street 503-429-1161 St. Mary’s Catholic Church Wednesday Religious Education: 3:15-4:30 PM Sunday Mass: 12:00 PM Rev. Luan Tran, Administrator 960 Missouri Avenue 503-429-8841 Vernonia Christian Church Sunday School: 9:45 AM Worship Service in Youth & Family Center: 11:00 AM www.VernoniaChristianChurch.org Sam Hough, Pastor 410 North Street 503-429-6522 Vernonia Foursquare Church Sunday Worship Service: 10:30 AM Children’s Sunday School Carl Pense, Pastor 850 Madison Avenue 503-429-1103 Vernonia Seventh-day Adventist Church Sabbath (Saturday) Services Sabbath School: 9:30 AM Worship Service: 11:00 AM www.VernoniaSDAC.org Larry Gibson, Pastor 2nd Ave. and Nehalem St. 503-429-8301
