Vernonia's voice., June 18, 2015, Page 6, Image 6

6
city news
june18
2015
On The Shelves
By Shannon Romtvedt
Free Wifi is now available at the Vernonia
Public Library, generously funded by the Friends of
the Library. When connecting to the network, look
for “Library Wifi.” Ask library staff for the password.
Thank you to the Friends for providing this service
to the Vernonia community.
Also new to the library, over 140 new
plants! The plants were donated by the Aloha
Garden Club to the Vernonia Community Garden
for the Spring Plant Sale. Local Master Gardeners
planned out projects for plants leftover from the
sale. Thank you to Linda Perry who volunteered
for the library and spent many hours planning,
researching, and planting (in very hot weather).
Thank you to volunteer planters, CiCi Bell and
Brady Romtvedt, and volunteers for watering,
Janelle Cedergreen and Audeen Wagner. And to
the Aloha Garden Club, Master Gardeners, and the
Vernonia Community Garden for the donation and
coordinating the project.
Summer Reading registration is happening
now at the library! Children, birth - age 14, can
sign-up (or be signed-up) anytime during library
open hours, now - July 31. Registration will also be
at the Summer Meals Program, Friday, June 19, and
the Open Air Market on Saturday, June 27. The
theme for Summer Reading 2015 is “Every Hero Has
a Story.”
What is Summer Reading? It is a fun
opportunity for kids to maintain or improve their
reading skills over the summer. Children who sign-
up receive free Oregon State Fair and Oregon Zoo
tickets (limited number of zoo tickets available),
and other incentives. Every hour of reading equals
one prize drawing entry for weekly drawings.
Children who return time logs between July 27 and
August 15 can choose a free book and are eligible
to enter the grand prize drawing.
Upcoming Summer Reading Events
(all FREE)
Thursday, June 25, 6 - 7 pm: Historic Heroes – The
Weeds of Vernonia with Tobie Finzel
Tuesday, June 30, 10:30 am: Story and Craft Time –
Animal Heroes (designed for children Pre-K – Grade 3)
Wednesday, July 1, 6 -7 pm: Border Collies
International – performing dog team at Hawkins
Park
Tuesday, July 7, 10:30 am: Stages Youth Academy
– kid’s theater group presenting one act plays and
musicals
Ongoing Programs
Writers’ Group
Thursday, June 18, 6:00 pm
Every 3 rd Thursday of the month, 6 - 7:30 pm.
Opportunity for writers with all levels of experience
to get together, write, and get feedback.
Baby and Toddler Time
Mondays, 10:30 - 11:00 am
Book Discussion Group
Last Monday of every month, 5:30 pm
Selection for June 29: Dad is Fat by Jim Gaffigan
New and Recommended Titles
Adults
On the Burning Age: A Fateful Fire and the Men Who
Fought It by Kyle Dickman
The Wright Brothers by David McCullough
Wyden Holds Town Hall
concerned about rising prices that expand
uncovered costs and says Medicare is
currently prohibited from negotiating
lower prices for seniors. “I don’t know
anyone in America that doesn’t try to use
their bargaining power,” said Wyden.
Wyden said he has introduced legislation
in the past which has been rejected that
would allow Medicare to purchase
in bulk and will continue to support
that concept. Wyden said Fast Track is
really about protecting your position
in a negotiation process leading to an
agreement. “You can’t get people to
negotiate, if every time you try to make
a move, everyone else knows about it,
because then they go back and make
a different move,” explained Wyden.
Wyden said Fast Track specifically refers
to the TPA which are the rules for the
agreement and he is supporting access to
the TPP prior to any votes on approval.

There was a large contingent of
audience members from the “Vernonians
Against LNG” group. Diana Peach
represented the group and asked that
Wyden reconsider his previous verbal
support of the economic and job growth
LNG projects would bring to Oregon.
Peach argued against LNG based on
the potential environmental, health and
safety risks the projects bring with them,
the profits that go to corporations instead
of locals who are invested in their
communities, the chance that Eminent
Domain would be used to secure
properties, and the potential loss of jobs
in the fishing industry that could occur.
Peach asked Wyden if he is willing to
respect the decisions of state and county
For fast
cash!
010412
Small and Large Animals
Now Open
Mon, Wed & Saturday
9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Call for Appointments
Or 24 hr. Emergency Number (503) 397-6470
700 Weed Ave. Vernonia, OR
2245 Baseline St., Cornelius
(Across from Fred Meyer)
503-530-8119
State Licensed PB-0388
Did You Know?
The library is partnering with the Summer
Meals Program to serve a free snack to children
every Monday - Friday, 3 pm, now through the
end of August. Children under the age of 18 are
welcome to come by for a snack and play games,
do an activity or coloring sheet, build with legos,
do a craft or puzzle, or READ!
Holiday Closures
Saturday, June 27 (The Library will have a booth
that day at the Open Air Market, 10 am - 2 pm)
Friday, July 3 and Saturday, July 4
Hours & Contact Info
Mon, Wed, Fri 10 am – 5 pm
Tues & Thurs 1 pm – 7pm
Sat 10 am – 4 pm
Closed Sundays
Phone: (503) 429-1818
E-mail: library@vernonia-or.gov
continued from front page
Vernonia
Veterinary Clinic
(503) 429-1612
The Forgotten Room by Lincoln Child
Young Adults
The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender
by Leslye Walton
Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen
Children
Treasury of Greek Mythology by Donna Jo Napoli
The Thickety: The Path Begins by J.A. White
Percy Jackson Graphic Novel Series
Young Children
Sheep Go to Sleep by Nancy Shaw
Peck, Peck, Peck by Lucy Cousins
Lunch by Denise Fleming
Open
everyday
at 9 a.m.
governments if they reject the projects.
Wyden responded that he will respect
local decisions about the project and
would oppose the federal government
overturning any local decisions. He said
that, based on local actions already taken,
the projects look to be dead already.
He offered to work with the group
to craft a letter to the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission (FERC) saying
they should not approve the project
based on environmental questions. He
also pointed out the need for economic
development in rural Oregon but not at
the expense of Oregonian’s quality of
life, water quality and other values the
state has.

Nancy Phillips, also with the
Vernonians Against LNG group, raised
concerns about the danger of pipeline
explosions. Wyden said he has served as
the Chairman of the Energy and Natural
Resources Committee in Congress and is
aware of pipeline safety issues. He said
he wants to see better quality pipelines.
He did say he is more supportive of the
LNG project at Jordan Cove in southern
Oregon, because of the need for jobs in
that region, but said the company that is
proposing the project needs to make the
case that they can do it safely. Wyden
took this opportunity to say that, even
though he is a big supporter of solar,
wind and thermal energy production, we
can’t get all our energy from renewable
sources in the immediate future, so he
has supported the use of natural gas
in our country. He later reiterated his
strong support for development of
renewable energy resources and said
he is making it a priority to increase tax
credits for renewable energy. He also
stated that Columbia County is a great
place to make use of biomass and that he
has introduced legislation that doubles
timber production on ONC lands over
the next fifty years and also protects
streams in the process.

Bob Paleck, a Board member
at West Oregon Electric Cooperative,
started his question by pointing out his
disappointment that Wyden didn’t include
hydroelectric in his list of renewable
resources that he supports. Wyden
agreed with Paleck and thanked him for
the correction and pointed out that a bill
is moving forward supported by both the
hydro industry and environmentalists
that will produce 60,000 megawatts of
additional hydropower in the near future.
Paleck also took time to thank Wyden for
his support for internet neutrality. Paleck
then told Wyden that he needs to “hold
the line” on the Columbia River Treaty,
an international agreement between
Canada and the US for management of
shared resources from the Columbia
River, and not continue to give away
power to Canada while US users pay
high rates. Paleck said Canadians are
getting more than their fair share of the
power and it’s time to put a stop to it.
Wyden agreed with Paleck, saying the
next negotiations are critical and he will
continue to follow it.

Jack Harvey, President of the
Vernonia Senior Center, asked for
help from the federal government in
completing the new Senior Center
construction project. Wyden responded
that he has a background working with the
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