community
Health Center Grand Opening
that the Health Center Board’s goal
is “...building partnerships with new
providers in order to widen the scope of
services so it is not just primary care.”
Guest speakers at the ceremony
included State Senator Betsy Johnson
and Columbia County Commissioner
Tony Hyde.
“This is another great day
for Vernonia!” said Senator Johnson.
“Vernonia is a great place to live and
work and this is one more step in putting
everything back, not just the way it was
but ten times better!”
“We had a crisis, and instead of
just falling flat and becoming victims,
we recognized opportunity,” added
Commissioner Hyde, referencing the
new school, the new West Oregon
Electric headquarters, and the new
Health Center as improvements to
Vernonia since the flood.
Also in attendance at the
ceremony were State Representative
Brad Witt, Vernonia Mayor Josette
Mitchell and former Vernonia School
District Superintendent Ken Cox, who
traveled from his new home in Idaho to
be at the event.
Patient care at the Health
Center is provided by The Public Health
Foundation of Columbia County and
Pacific University. Sherrie Ford, the
new administrator for The Public Health
Foundation, was a guest speaker, as
was Physician Assistant Jim Ferguson
representing Pacific University.
The new Heath Center building
is named in honor of Carolyn Keasey,
long time member and chairperson of
the Vernonia Health Board. Carolyn
Keasey passed away in October of 2013.
Numerous members of the Keasey
family were on hand for the celebration.
Paleck unveiled a portrait of Carolyn
Keasey which she said will have a
prominent place in the new building.
“We are very proud to have Carolyn’s
name connected with the Vernonia
Health Clinic from this day forward,”
said Paleck. “Her upbeat spirit was the
driving force that kept the project alive
to its completion.”
The new facility was fully
funded through fundraising efforts and
grant awards from The Meyer Memorial
Trust, The Ford Family Foundation,
The Collins Foundation, The Oregon
Community Foundation, The Samuel
S. Johnson Foundation and the Carolyn
Keasey Memorial Fund. Funding was
also provided through the FEMA buyout
of the old clinic building. Funding also
came from The Providence-St. Vincent
Foundation, which collected funds
donated to rebuild the clinic immediately
following the flood in December 2007,
and from individual donors.
Marc Seigel from U.S. Senator
Jeff Merkely’s office read a message
VRFPD Replaces Apparatus
november6
2014
3
continued from front page
from the Senator. “Congratulations
on this exciting grand opening of the
new Vernonia Health Center. Access
to affordable and quality health care
is critical to our communities and
this new health center will provide
necessary primary care to Vernonia
residents. Due to an innovative model
with Pacific University and The Public
Health Foundation of Columbia County,
the Vernonia Health Center will fill
an important health care need for the
community,” read Segal.
The Carolyn Keasey Memorial
Building is the first completed phase of
the Rose Avenue Project, a collaboration
between local non profits and the City
of Vernonia which has been developed
as a home for local essential services.
The project will hopefully add the new
Senior Center and Vernonia Cares food
bank in the near future.
The new facility has five rooms
dedicated to patient care, treatment
rooms and office space, as well as a
large conference room. There is space
for additional services to be added.
The building was designed
by Scott Edwards Architecture and
constructed by Five Star Building.
Following the grand opening
ceremony the building was open for
tours and refreshments were served.
Publisher and Managing Editor
Scott Laird
503-367-0098
scott@vernoniasvoice.com
Contributors
Tom Coughlin
Steven Leskin
Stacey Lynn
Aaron Miller
Michal Smith
Grant Williams
Melissa Zavales
Photography
Scott Laird
Want to advertise?
Have an article?
Contact: scott@vernoniasvoice.com
One year subscriptions
(24 issues) $35
Vernonia’s Voice is published
on the 1st and 3rd Thursday
of each month.
Vernonia’s Voice, LLC
PO Box 55
Vernonia, OR 97064
503-367-0098
continued from front page
volunteers. Current volunteers lives are be responsible for training. Smith says
well as for training firefighters.
E451, which is being replaced, getting busier and training requirements that adding a training officer could al-
was a 1974 Ford F900. According to are getting longer, says Smith, and the low VRFPD to develop a resident train-
www.VernoniasVoice.com
Smith, state standards call for a second community can be vulnerable at times. ing program and house students, who
out engine to be no older than twenty Smith gave as an example that while would give the District more able bod-
ies to respond to calls.
years old.
Smith says the that,” said Smith.
Smith noted
Funding an additional staff
District is looking to
several other issues
member
as part of an operations levy
reconfigure their appa-
with E451. Because it
would go a long way to reducing Smith’s
ratus to try to find dif-
has a manual transmis-
ferent ways to use the personnel concerns. That person could
sion, only two members
rigs and equipment they help rebuild the volunteer base, develop
of the District were able
presently have to be a training program and respond to emer-
to drive it. It also only
more efficient and safe- gencies.
seats two firefighters.
Smith says he believes the Dis-
ly protect and respond
The new engine
trict
has
been very frugal with their
to the needs of the com-
from Banks seats up to
VRFPD has replaced E451 (left) with a newer 1994 engine (right).
spending
and resourceful in finding
munity. Unfortunately
five, has an automatic
transmission and is obviously twenty he was away fighting that wild land fire there currently just aren’t enough re- ways to make do with what they have.
“My job and passion for this
years newer, meaning the safety features this summer, VRFPD was called out sources.
District is to help and be of service to the
Smith says the district probably
and other equipment on the rig are more for a motor vehicle accident that ended
community,” says Smith. “And it’s the
up needing an extrication. Only two needs to consider an operating levy.
up to date.
“WT452 [the water pumper/ten- same for our volunteers. We just need
Smith says the purchase of the firefighters who are trained in extrication
newer engine helps alleviate some of his rescue techniques, a volunteer Duty der] is in dire need of being replaced and more resources to be able to do our jobs
concerns about the fleet, but really just Officer and a volunteer who was on we’re going to have to find a way to fund safely, timely, and efficiently.”
emphasizes some of the other needs the light duty, were available to
respond. “We just had one of
District has.
“This is our first course of action those weekends when none of
our volunteers were available
to update our fleet,” said Smith.
WT452 is a water pumper/ to respond,” explained
tender and has multiple issues. A 1982 Smith. Although the injuries
Meet Peaches. She is a very
Ford, which can carry 2000 gallons of to the patient were not life
friendly and fun loving 5 year old
water, WT452 has an engine issue which threatening, the extrication
female DSH that is ready to go
Smith says has already been “bandaid- took an hour and a half and
to her new forever home. She came
ed.” It also has a problem with a pump created a very high level of
to the shelter as an owner surren-
as well as a tank leak and has been out anxiety for Smith, who was
of service several times with transmis- following the call by radio in
der. She is very sweet and loves
sion filter leaks. Smith noted that when Central Oregon, and for the
attention from anyone that is willing
members of the District were called at Duty Officer and volunteer
to give it to her. She has a bright
3:00 AM to help fight a wildfire confla- who were responsible for
disposition and will be sure to bring
gration this past summer, he had to go in assisting the victim.
a smile to anyone who meets her.
Smith has suggested
to the station immediately, fix the trans-
Her adoption fee is $90.00.
"Peaches”
mission filter and get the rig back in ser- one solution to the personnel
issue would be for VRFPD to
vice, before they could leave.
Another issue the department hire an additional paid full-
Email: animalwelfare@columbiahumane.org
2484 Oregon Street
continues to face is dwindling volunteer time staff member. According
Phone: 543-397-4353
St. Helens, OR 97451
personnel. Smith continues to raise a red to Smith, that additional offi-
Web: www.columbiahumane.org
flag warning that he doesn’t have enough cer could respond to calls and
Columbia Humane Society Featured Pet
