august20 2015
VERNONIA’S
volume9 issue16
www.vernoniasvoice.com
reflecting the spirit of our community
Congresswoman Bonamici Visits
Vernonia’s Summer Meal Program
The Vernonia Summer Meal
Program served lunch to more than just
the local kids this summer.
On Tuesday, August 4, the meal
site hosted U.S. Representative Suzanne
Bonamici. The Congresswoman was
visiting Columbia County during the
Congressional recess.
Rep. Bonamici met with volun-
teers and organizers of the program, then
donned an apron and helped serve meals
during her visit. She also met with lo-
cal and regional leaders for a round table
discussion about childhood hunger.
The discussion included Ver-
nonia Summer Meal Program Outreach
Coordinator DeAnna Pearl, Vernonia
School Superintendent Aaron Miller,
Oregon Food Bank Public Policy Advo-
cate Jeff Kleen, Partners for a Hunger-
Free Oregon Public Affairs Director
Matt Newell-Ching and Partners for a
Hunger-Free Oregon Executive Director
Patti Whitney-Wise.
Bonamici listened intently and
asked questions during the roundtable.
The discussion centered on ways Bon-
amici could support programs to address
not just childhood hunger, but all hunger,
through the legislative process and in-
cluded ideas about grant funding, com-
munity partnerships, after school and
extended learning programs, and food
programs for the elderly.
“People don’t struggle by choice, its circum-
stances.” said Bonamici during the discussion. “We
need to not let them fall through the cracks.”
Thanks to federal funding, the support of the
Vernonia School District, and local leadership, Verno-
nia has continued to sponsor their highly successful
summer meal program.
Vernonia’s effort is part of the national Sum-
mer Food Service Program. It works like this: com-
munities with high percentages of students that are el-
igible for free and reduced price meals at schools can
offer meals to kids during the summer, when meals
aren’t available at schools.
Summer meal programs thrive when local
volunteers rally to ensure kids have access to nutri-
tious meals, and that’s exactly what’s happening in
Vernonia. Through the commitment of volunteers and
inside
3
oregon lng project
9
spencer park
grand opening
12
scottish visitors
meet mike pihl
19
jamboree photos
free
Linear Trail Closure
Starts August 24th
Beginning August 24, 2015 the portion of the
Linear Trail, known as Webb Way, that runs along the
Nehalem River will be closed between the Lake and the
Transfer Station. Trail traffic will be re-routed to Bridge
St.
The closure is a necessary part of the Waste
Water Treatment Plant project. The trail will be closed
for installation of the pipe gallery that will carry effluent
from the lagoons.
While it is not certain how long the closure will
last, it is expected to continue until mid to late October.
The City apologizes for any inconvenience and we
appreciate everyone’s cooperation.
If you have any questions regarding the closure
please contact City Hall.
Council Fires City
Administrator
The Vernonia City Council voted unanimously
late on Tuesday, August 11, 2015 to terminate without
cause the contract of City Administrator Gian Paolo
Mammone.
The vote followed an Executive Session
scheduled by the Council to perform an annual job
performance review for Mammone. Mammone was
hired as the City Administrator in August 2014. Terms of
the contract separation were not available.
Council did not discuss any plans to name a
replacement at their August 17 City Council meeting.
an experienced team of coordinators, the Vernonia
Summer Meal Program is able to provide children
and their families a place to enjoy a healthy meal and
to participate in fun, supervised enrichment activities.
“Without that buy-in, without those volun-
teers, we wouldn’t be successful,” says Pearl, “Sure,
we could feed kids. Sure, we can serve a meal -- but
what we serve here is their hearts and spirits.”
Even after five successful summers, Pearl
continually seeks to improve the program for the sake
of the children they serve. “We had kids come the
day after school was out, wanting food -- we weren’t
open,” Pearl observes. “They came in on a Saturday.
They come before our doors are open. That’s what
hunger looks like in our community.”
Earlier this summer, the Vernonia Summer
Meal Program was able to make a much-needed im-
provement to increase their meal production. Partners
for a Hunger-Free Oregon named Vernonia’s Sum-
mer Meal Program as a recipient of the 2015 Sum-
mer Meals Support Fund, and awarded the program
a $3,500 grant. The money went toward purchasing
new stoves, which give their kitchen an upgrade and
empower their volunteer cook staff to serve more
meals.
Vernonia’s Summer Meal Program goes
above and beyond simply feeding kids who need a
meal when school is not in session. “This is a great
public-private partnership that is a part of what makes
Vernonia such a strong community,” says Newell-Ch-
ing.
This summer, they even plan to give back
by recognizing one of their youth volunteers as the
Volunteer of the Summer. Vernonia’s Summer Meal
Program coordinators recently created the award af-
ter a local eight-year-old girl donated the proceeds
from her lemonade stand to honor the memory of her
dear friend and former volunteer, Lorelai Fields. The
award will go to the youth volunteer who exemplifies
the dedication and spiritedness of Lorelai, who passed
away two years ago in a car accident.
continued on page 10
Council Eases Water
Restrictions for
Food Gardens
The Vernonia City Council voted to ease water
curtailment restrictions by removing language that
included vegetable and fruit gardens from an established
Ordinance.
Council adopted Ordinance 907 at their August
17 meeting, which amends Section 4 of Ordinance 796,
and prohibits the nonessential use of water. Ordinance
796, signed in 2003, sets in place water curtailment
provisions and declares a water shortage emergency of
drought water levels in Rock Creek. The newly adopted
language removes wording that placed restrictions on
“gardens, vegetables” and adds the language “Direct
hand watering of food producing plants (herbs, fruit, and
vegetables) shall be permitted,” during Third Level of
Concern in a water shortage situation.
Vernonia Water Curtailment Measures include
four Levels of Concern based on flow levels of Rock
Creek where the City water system intake is located, and
establishes progressively more strict water use reduction
steps.
The City is currently in the Third Level of
Concern based on flows in Rock Creek decreasing to 10
cubic feet per second (cfs).
Ordinance 907 retains the original ordinance
language that restricts watering of shrubbery, trees lawns,
grass, ground covers, plants, vines, flowers or other
vegetation.
Any citizen who does not comply with water
restrictions can have their service disconnected by the
City after one warning and be subject to fees to reconnect
the service.
At their August 17 meeting, Council additionally
entertained a request from the Vernonia School District
Superintendent Aaron Miller, asking that the School
District be exempt from water conservation measures so
they can water the football field. Miller told the Council,
in both writing and in person that the primary concern
continued on page 7
