Vernonia's voice., September 17, 2015, Image 1

september17 2015
VERNONIA’S
volume9  issue18
www.vernoniasvoice.com
free
reflecting the spirit of our community
Council Hires Mitchell The Rusty Nail Opens Downtown
for City Administrator

The City of Vernonia
has hired Josette Mitchell to
be the new City Administrator.

Mitchell was offered
the City Administrator’s
position
following
the
September 8, 2015 City
Council meeting.

“We’re pleased to
have Josette Mitchell as our
new City Administrator,”
said Mayor Randy Parrow.
“We look forward to having
someone in this position who
is familiar with our community
and has a solid working
knowledge of the City’s
current goals and projects.”

Mitchell was elected
as Mayor three times in
2010, 2012, and 2014 before
stepping down to take the
position of City Recorder/
Assistant to the City
Administrator this past March.
Mitchell has previously served
as Interim City Administrator
on two separate occasions.
She replaces former City
Administrator Gian Paolo
Mammone who was relieved
of his duties on August 12.

There had been some
speculation that Mitchell
would again be named Interim
City Administrator following
Mammone’s dismissal. But
instead the City Council chose
to offer her the full position
and forego any further search
or interview any additional
candidates.

“Josette has shown
her commitment to the City
of Vernonia over the last
several years,” said Mayor
Parrow. “She has earned
this opportunity and we look
forward to working with her
and helping her succeed in
moving the City forward.”

Terms of Mitchell’s
contract were not made public.

A new store, The Rusty
Nail, has opened in Vernonia at
the corner of Bridge Street and
Jefferson Avenue.

Owners Bob and
Darlene Zakrzewski have filled
the space at 805 Bridge with
an eclectic mix of recycled and
repurposed furniture, gifts and
décor items.

The
Zakrzewski’s
quickly filled four showrooms
when they took over the space
in early September and were
nearly finished remodeling a
storeroom in the back to hold
everything they have to offer.

The Rusty Nail will
celebrate with a Grand Opening
celebration on September 26-27
with a raffle for $100, $50 and
$25 in-store gift certificates,
refreshments and other gifts
for visitors, along with 10% off
everything in stock.

“We really hope everyone will stop by to
meet us and take a look around,” says Darlene.
“This is going to be a fun store with lots of things
for everybody.”

A quick walk through the store affirms this,
with treasures packed into every nook and corner.
You’ll find everything from rustic handcrafted
furniture, to refurbished dressers, desks, and other
household items, to a mix of gifts like humorous
signs, ceramic chickens and roosters, and much
more.
FERC Public Comment
Meeting on Oregon LNG
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22
6:00 - 9:00 pm
Vernonia Schools Commons
inside
3
new county
commissioner
candidates
11
vhs fall sports
14
healthier
school meals
19
city removes trees

The Zakrzewski’s are from Astoria and
were looking to move closer to the Portland metro
area. They have been considering a move to
Vernonia for several years.

“This is a quiet and peaceful little town,”
said Bob.

“We think this will be good for Vernonia
as well as good for us,” adds Darlene. “We really
hope to add to the community.”

Darlene says they will maintain their
workshop in Astoria while looking for a home
here in Vernonia. The Rusty Nail will be open
seven days a week and Darlene says they have
already hired someone local, Larae Sanchez, to
help in the shop.

Bob was the former owner of Columbia
Pacific Marine Works, a boat repair business, and
has lived his entire life in Seaside and Astoria.
Since retirement, he has created an exclusive
“Bob Collection” of handcrafted furniture made
from recycled lumber. He also refurbishes home
items. His collection has been available at MOSS
Furniture in Seaside.

“We buy junk, essentially, and repair it,”
explains Darlene.

Bob and Darlene have also been
wholesaling gifts and décor items to several stores
in Oregon for many years. Opening their own
Council Holds Workshop
to Discuss Livestock in City Limits

The Vernonia City Council
held a workshop on September 14,
2015 to continue discussions about how
to regulate the raising of livestock and
poultry within city limits.

The Council initially discussed
the issue at their July 6, 2015 City
Council meeting. The issue was
placed on the Council agenda for that
meeting after the City received several
complaints about livestock issues. City
staff told Council that the current city
ordinance regulating livestock was
very vague and did not offer enough
guidance for dealing with complaints.

Approximately 50 citizens
attended that July meeting, many of
them expressing concerns that the City
would place strict restrictions and hinder
their ability to raise animals for food, as
hobbies and as 4-H projects. A common
complaint from the audience was that
the City was considering crafting an
ordiance using examples from larger
cities, that were not representative of the
lifestyle in Vernonia. The workshop
was scheduled to allow City staff time
to gather additional information to craft
a more encompassing ordinance.

At the September 14 meeting
Council was presented with a packet of
information for reference that included
the City of Rainier Livestock Code,
The City of Hillsboro Livestock Code
and Animal Regulations and permitting
information from the City of Portland.
Approximately 15 citizens were in
attendance and participated in an open
continued on page 10
conversation with the Council. The
meeting appeared to be an attempt by
the Council to hear from citizens about
their ideas and work with them to craft
an ordinance that would meet the needs
of the community, including those that
wish to raise livestock as well as protect
neighbors from concerns about animal
welfare, sanitation, noise, and safety.

Mayor Randy Parrow asked for
input from the citizens in attendance.
Garrett Damitz asked the Council to
consider the differing sizes of properties
if limiting the number of animals.
Brett Costley provided extensive
information on raising chickens and
the recommended space requirements.
Jamie Smith-Lillethum told the
continued on page 5