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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 7, 2014)
14 in other words august7 2014 Creature Comforts: The Dog Days of Summer By Michal Smith During these dog days of summer, it’s very likely that soaring temperatures will take a toll on our animal’s comfort and overall health. Heat exhaustion, dehydration and even heat stroke are conditions we need to be mindful of when taking advantage of the weather to spend outdoors together with our pets. Dogs are notorious for wanting to participate in high energy activities no matter what the temperature as long as they’re with us. Limit activity to the coolest parts of the day (usually morning or evening hours) to avoid heat exhaustion, and always have water and shade available. During activities, carry water with you and if you see your dog panting excessively, it’s time to take a break. Many small activity sessions are better than one long one. A dog should drink approximately 1 ounce of water per pound of body weight per day. IF a dog overheats to the point of a heatstroke he may show signs such as unsteadiness, heavy panting, vomiting, and dry gums. Try to cool the dog by removing him from the heat, apply wet cloths to the coat, and get to the vet! And as always never leave a dog in a parked car during summer months. Other safety and health risks to our pets are sunburn and pavement burn. There are many products on the market designed to protect dogs and horses, or any Old Grads Picnic is August 17th animal that has exposed pink skin, from the harmful rays of the sun. There are sunscreen sprays, creams, and masks. These should be used regularly for best results. If pavement is too hot for you to walk barefoot on, then it’s too hot for your dogs’ pads to walk on without protection as well. A good preventative measure for all of us in the heat is to drink water-it helps keep bodies cool from large to small-human or animal. Creatures pet store carries portable water drinkers for dogs that are handy to take with you on hikes or in the car. We also carry pet and equine sunscreens and masks, as well as dog booties for the feet. And remember, nothing else says “cool me down” like a bath! Call for a grooming appointment or U-Wash for your pet and check out the new products in the store every week! WE’RE OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK: Mon-Fri 10-6; Sat 10-5; Sun 12-4! 503-429-PETS (7387). The Annual Picnic of the Vernonia Society, VHS "Old Grads" and Oregon-American Alumni will be held Sunday, August 17th, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM at Anderson Park. Registration begins at 10. Coffee will be provided by the Vernonia Pioneer Museum. Bring a picnic lunch or purchase a hot dog, chips, pop, and/or cookies from the Vernonia Chapter of P.E.O. Proceeds go towards scholarships for VHS graduating seniors. All former and current Vernonians and their families are invited. WOEC Annual Meeting- August 16th The West Oregon Electric Cooperative Annual Meeting will be held on Saturday, August 16th, at the Cabin in Vernonia (Scout Cabin), 901 Park Drive. This year marks WOEC’s 70th year anniversary. Registration starts at 10:00 AM; meeting begins at 11:00 AM. BBQ lunch will follow the meeting. Districts 3 (Vernonia, Keasey area) and District 7 (Manning, Hagg Lake, Yamhill County area) are up for re-election. Vernonia’s 16th Annual Community Wide Garage Sale The annual Community Wide Garage Sale will be held on Saturday August 23, 2014 from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Any resident or business wishing to be included on the map can sign up by calling Helen Bateman at 503-429-6203. Deadline to sign up is Wednesday, August 20th. The map showing sale locations will be available Friday, August 22nd and the day of the sale at Vernonia Realty, 953 Bridge Street. VHS Student Interns continued from front page around $10 an hour for twenty hours for the six weeks the program is scheduled to run. A recent visit to Stub Stewart Park found Steward out on the trail con- ducting trail maintenance duties. Proj- ect supervisor Miller says Steward and Skanes are learning about general park operations and attend and participate in regular crew meetings, safety meetings and training classes. Miller says both students are gaining experience in the maintenance shops, and are learning to properly store equipment, tools, and ve- hicles after use. Among their other duties, Stew- ard and Skanes will perform custodial duties, cleaning restrooms, disposing of garbage, and tidying campsites. The in- terns will also do minor building main- tenance and repair. A large part of their duties involve trail construction, mainte- nance and restoration. Intern Steward, who completed forestry classes while a student at VHS, says he just returned from working with the Northwest Youth Corp where he per- formed trail building and maintenance and invasive species removal. Steward says he is already enrolled in the For- estry program at Mt. Hood Community College this fall where he will study For- estry Management. Miller says the students who ap- plied for the internships at Stub Stewart Park were put through the exact same interview process that all applicants for seasonal Assistant Ranger positions go through. “This way they received real experience in job interviewing,” said Miller. “We’re trying to give them a real job experience. This is a true job and they’re actually doing work that the regular crew does. We’re going to try START RIGHT. START HERE. SM Summer is Bicycle Supplies • Lawn Chairs here! Camping Supplies • BBQs Batteries • Fishing Supplies Sporting Goods • Coolers Family owned & operated for over 40 years 834 Bridge St., Vernonia (503) 429-6364 to get them into all aspects of the park, including participating in an interpretive program.” Miller says the interns will also be responsible for a trail assessment project in the park. “They will be given a GPS unit and will go out and assess a trail, decide what needs to be done and then do the work,” explained Miller. The student interns are provid- ing extra manpower and allowing all three agencies to get more work done this summer. “It’s difficult with our limited staff to have someone out hik- ing all twenty-three miles of trail here in the park,” explains Miller. “That’s what these interns can do.” Miller says the School District intends to partner with Stub Stewart Park to apply for a grant through Or- egon State Parks to continue and ex- pand the program. Miller says the ap- plication would be a collaborative effort that would include equestrian, mountain biking and disc golf advocates and user groups. “Part of that grant will be for a crew specifically from Vernonia High School to continue this work here,” says Miller. The CTE grant the School Dis- trict received is just for one year but Vernonia School District Superintendent Aaron Miller says he plans to try to find funding to continue the internship pro- gram at the District and at the UNWC as well. New City Administrator continued from front page are concerned about. So I can immedi- ately articulate recommendations to the Council to be implemented to immedi- ately create a solution. Here I will do a little bit of everything and make full use of my skills. And obviously I recognize that there is tremendous potential for this community.” On his resume, Mammone lists the following as skills he possesses: excellent technical writing; public speaking and public relations skills; expertise in developing fiscal policies and budget management; experience in business retention, expansion and at- traction; experience in downtown/main street development and redevelopment, urban renewal, and private and public development; experience in land use, planning and transportation projects and programs; knowledge of civil engi- neering and public works infrastructure practices. He also received a ‘Certifi- cate in Professional Fundraising’ from Boston University in 2012. Mammone echoed Parrow’s sentiments when it came to length of service. “I am also looking for a long term relationship at this point in my ca- reer,” said Mammone. “I understand my position in the hierarchy of this or- ganization. It’s a special relationship between the City Council and the Ad- ministration for working together.” Mammone noted that his con- tract requires him to live within the City of Vernonia within six months of start- ing his job. “I’m looking to be an in- volved citizen, not just within City Hall but also outside City Hall. This is a good place to live and I hope to be here for a long time.”
