Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 20, 2014)
community City and Ridge Riders Lease working relationship with City for a long time would like to find a way to resolve the dispute without going to court. The Ridge Riders have a long history in the community and of using the arena for their events. According to Gardner, they have operated over the years by verbal agreement, several hand written agreements and official leases. One thing is clear - the City has no plans to change the use of the area in question. According to Vernonia Mayor Josette Mitchell, in the summer of 2013 the City of Vernonia engaged MacKay Sposito Consultants, to develop the Vernonia Master Parks plan; the plan identifies and evaluates park and recreational properties owned by the City of Vernonia. The plan further establishes goals and opportunities associated with each property. “The 2014 Columbia Humane Society Featured Pet Please meet Lucy AKA Buttercup. She is a 7 year old sweet cuddly girl that is looking for a home of her own. We feel she would do best in a home without female dogs, but does wonderfully with male dogs. She is quick to bond to her people. She does well with kids and loves her toys. Please call the shelter if you are interested in meeting her as she is not currently at the shelter so we can make those arrangments. Email: animalwelfare@columbiahumane.org Phone: 543-397-4353 2484 Oregon Street St. Helens, OR 97451 Web: www.columbiahumane.org Happy Hour Mon-Fri 4-7 Lady’s Night Wed 5-12 Events Sat, Nov. 22nd Third Member Sat, Dec. 6th Stepchild Sat, Dec. 13th Texas Hold Em • Pool Tourny Most Friday nights • Free Wi-fi • Beer & Kegs to go “STILL BIKER FRIENDLY” Sun - Thurs 11 AM - Midnight • 733 Bridge St, Vernonia Fri - Sat 11 AM - 2:30 AM • 503-429-9999 Cedar Side Inn Karaoke Every 2nd & Last Friday Taco Tuesday from opening until 9pm 3 hardshell or 1 softshell $4.25 Ladies’ Night every Thursday 6 pm-close • Free Pool • Free WiFi • Specialty Pizzas iheck our Facebook page for daily specials and upcoming events 756 Bridge Street, Vernonia 503-429-5841 3 continued from front page 2014 final summary report clearly identifies in the Anderson Park site plan, the existing and future use of the Equestrian area, arena, and linear trail access as an established amenity within Anderson Park,” said Mitchell when asked about the future of the Anderson Park Horse Arena. “As this plan lays out the vision of the community into the future it is clear the overall goal looking forward is not to uproot and diminish equestrian activities within Anderson Park.” City Records indicate that the International Paper Company conveyed the property to the City of Vernonia in 1953. According to the book, “Vernonia, a Pocket in the Woods,” in 1960 the City built the Anderson Park campground. The same year the Vernonia Ridge Riders Saddle Club, as they were called then, built the arena and structures for • Specialty hamburgers • Draft beer & mixed drinks • Pool tables & satelite TV november20 equestrian events. Following the April 7, 2014 judgement which ruled the current lease invalid, the Ridge Riders were told by the City they could not use the arena until the legal dispute had been satisfied. This past summer the Vernonia Jamboree Committee secured the use of the arena for Jamboree Weekend and allowed the Ridge Riders to hold their annual Play Day. Ridge Riders President Gardner agrees that there are some items in the current lease which should be adjusted and hopes the two parties can come back to the table and negotiate some type of agreement. Early in 2014, Mayor Mitchell, who was also serving as Interim City Administrator, began meeting with Gardner. According to Mitchell, following the judgement in April that ruled the lease invalid, she and Gardner were close to negotiating an agreement based on a recommendation from the Parks Committee that would allow the Ridge Riders to schedule and use the arena twelve times each year for events of their choosing, free of charge, in exchange for maintaining the area. The Ridge Riders ended up challenging that court decision, which was followed by Judge Grove’s ruling in favor of the Ridge Riders’ motion on October 24, 2014, and potentially setting the stage for a trial sometime in 2015. When asked Mayor Mitchell declined to comment on the possibility of further negotiations between the City and the Ridge Riders. Publisher and Managing Editor Scott Laird 503-367-0098 scott@vernoniasvoice.com Contributors Chip Bubl Tobie Finzel Karen Kain Grant Williams Photography Karen Kain 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 www.VernoniasVoice.com Friends of the Library Book Sale Fri, December 5th, 10:00-5:00 & Sat, December 6th, 10:00-4:00 at the Vernonia Library, 701 Weed Ave.
