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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (March 5, 2015)
community news The Power of Play: Promoting Health and Creativity “Grow up and stop playing.” Most of us have heard this admon- ishment in some form as we moved from youth to adulthood. But is it good advice? In our age of inactivity and frequent screen time, what are our kids learning from us about how to be healthy adults? Research shows that play and physical activity can have positive effects on children’s health, well-being, and education; they also boost health and creativity in adults. What is the value of play? This is the focus of “The Power of Play: Promoting Health and Creativity,” a free conversation with play activists Jona- than Blasher and Tara Doherty on Tues- day, April 21, 2015 at 6:30 PM at the Ver- nonia Public Library, 701 Weed Ave. This program is hosted by the Friends of the Vernonia Public Library and the Vernonia Library Board and sponsored by Oregon Humanities as part of their statewide Con- versation Project. Please note: this session will include interactive play for all levels of ability. Blasher was born and raised in Eugene. He is executive director of Play- works, a Portland-based national nonprofit that transforms schools by providing play and physical activity at recess and through- out the school day. Jonathan earned his BA from University of California, Santa Cruz, and MBA from the University of Oregon. Doherty is program director at Playworks, where she has had the oppor- tunity to see and participate in the positive transformation of hundreds of school com- munities through recess. She truly enjoys that play is an integral part of her work, and is always excited to share her experi- ence with others. Through the Conversation Proj- ect, Oregon Humanities offers free pro- grams that engage community members in thoughtful, challenging conversations about ideas critical to our daily lives and our state’s future. For more information about this free community discussion, please contact Shannon Romtvedt at (503) 429-1818 or shannonr@vernonia-or.gov. Oregon Humanities (813 SW Al- der St, #702; Portland, OR 97205) con- nects Oregonians to ideas to change lives and transform communities. More infor- mation about Oregon Humanities’ pro- grams and publications, which include the Conversation Project, Think & Drink, Humanity in Perspective, Idea Lab, Public Program Grants, and Oregon Humanities magazine, can be found at oregonhuman- ities.org. Oregon Humanities is an inde- pendent, nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities and a part- ner of the Oregon Cultural Trust. Saturday, March 14 th the Columbia County Small Woodlands Association will hold its 17 th Annual Tree Sale beginning at 8:30 AM at the Lawrence Oil (Pacific Pride) parking lot in St. Helens. Twenty- four different species of deciduous and conifer trees will be available for purchase. Prices begin at $1.50. As always, buyers are advised to come early for the best selection. Columbia County Small Woodlands Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to responsible forest stewardship and clean water. Over the past 16 years the Association has provided well over a million seedlings to members and the public - most of which were planted within Columbia County. The organization also has a number of dinner meetings throughout the year with guest speakers, panels and clinics on forestry issues plus summer tours of local tree farms. The selections for this sale consist of more species which could be described as ornamental. Many have colorful leaves and/or flowers - desirable qualities for homeowners. Most are bareroot seedlings. Species include ‘Elite’ Douglas fir, western red cedar, noble fir, Turkish fir, quaking aspen, giant sequoia, service berry, Pacific madrone, dawn redwood, coastal redwood, western hemlock, Japanese pagoda dogwood, Oakleaf hydrangea, purple smoke tree, red Japanese maple, eastern redbud, witch hazel, purple beech, sweet gum, sweet bay magnolia, tea crab apple, sourwood, golden chain tree, and flowering red currant. For the 2014-15 school year, the Association, along with OFRI (Oregon Forest Resources Institute) are making it possible for all of Columbia County 5 th graders to attend the World Forestry Center in Portland free of charge. This valuable Educational Program will be continued for the 2015-16 school year. For information on the sale or membership applications, please contact Paul Nys at (503) 556-8800 or Rod Nastrom at (503) 397-5997. Springtime is Tree Time march5 2015 7 Terry’s Gym is Offering Special Membership Deal for Wauna CU Members If you are a member of Wau- na Credit Union, Terry’s Gym has a special membership opportunity for you. Through a special partnership with the Credit Union, all Wauna CU members, along with their im- mediate family (spouses, parents and children) and employees of the Credit Union are now eligible for a Terry’s Gym corporate membership rate of just $10/month per person (a monthly savings of $25). “This is a coordinated effort between two prominent, local busi- nesses to help make it more affordable for people in our community to be healthy,” says Terry Fultz, owner of Terry’s Gym. “I want to make gym member- ships more af- fordable to more people and do some- thing that can help our community.” The special offer for Wauna CU members and employees must be for at least six months and includes the added value of an initial personal consultation and training program de- signed by Fultz. Minimum age for a membership is fourteen years of age. The idea of offering corpo- rate membership rates to Wauna CU members started when the Credit Union management was looking for ways to expand their Wellness Pro- gram for employees. The idea grew and was expanded to include all Wau- na CU members, as Fultz and the lo- cal branch manager worked together to develop the program. “This partnership between the Credit Union and Terry’s Gym reinforces three key aspects for our organization,” says Vernonia Branch Manager, Pam Weller. “Wellness for our employees, value-added benefits for our members, plus the importance of supporting local businesses and residents.” Fultz is a competitive body builder who has continued to win regional recognition while compet- ing into his sixties. Fultz has spent time upgrading his gym facility, mak- ing it a more comfortable and fam- ily friendly place for people to spend time, exercise and relax. “I’m trying to make it more friendly. I want to do what I can to support a healthy life style for as many people as I can,” said Fultz. Vernonia Man Indicted On Child Sex Abuse Charges Vernonia resident Gene Baska was indicted on charges related to alleged child sexual abuse on February 26. A Columbia County Grand Jury returned the indictment against Baska, 62, on three counts of sexual abuse in the first degree and a single count of luring a minor. Baska is expected to appear on these charges in March. Baska was arrested on January 7 and was released on bail with an order of no contact with the alleged thirteen year old victim and her family. He remains free on bail following the indictment. The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office says they have identified additional victims since Baska’s arrest and believe more victims might still be out there. Anyone with information concerning this case is requested to call the sheriff’s recorded tip line at (503) 366-4698. Get all your Garden Essentials at the 2nd Annual Vernonia Community Garden Fair & Plant Sale Anonymous Donor May 9th 9am-3pm at the Vernonia School Commons 1,000 Tomato Plants, vegie & flower starts plus many gifts for Mother’s Day Interested in being a vendor? Contact Penny Costley 503-429-0196 in Support of Vernonia’s Voice Please visit us on Facebook at Vernonia’s BIGGEST Class Reunion. We are searching for address/contact information for Friends/Alumni of Vernonia Schools. To be added to our mailing list please email us: Vernoniareunion@hotmail.com, private message us on Facebook or mail to: Vernonia’s Biggest Reunion c/o Ronda Lennen, 1000 Missouri Ave. Vernonia, OR 97064
