Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 7, 2016)
4 letters to the editor/community bulletin board january7 2016 Readers Lend Their Voices... To the Editor, The Vernonia Rural Fire Protection District is starting The Smoke Alarm Installation Program. This program is designed to allow trained personnel to enter your home or apartment and assess your smoke alarm needs. Oregon law requires landlords to provide working smoke alarms for their rental units. It is the renter’s responsibility to test these alarms and replace the batteries as needed. Smoke alarms are only rated to last for a period of 10 years. Any alarms older than 10 years, or alarms that cannot be correctly dated, must be replaced. Oregon law also requires landlords to provide a CO detector when there is a CO source in the dwelling, and in all homes built in 2011 or thereafter whether there is a CO source or not. This program is designed to help homeowners and tenants by determining where the smoke alarms should be installed throughout the home, provide new batteries where needed, and will provide some new smoke alarms on a case by case basis. The Oregon Office of State Fire Marshal is providing 100 new smoke alarms to assist with this project, but they will go fast. Due to the limited number of available new smoke alarms, the program will be done on a first come, first served basis. PUBLIC NOTICE COLUMBIA COUNTY, OREGON NOTICE OF SELECT FARE REDUCTION CC RIDER TRANSIT LINES 4, 5 AND 7 TO: ALL INTERESTED PERSONS Columbia County Rider (CC Rider) announces the opportunity for the general public to comment on the proposed reduction of fares for certain segments of Line 4 – Clatskanie, Line 5 – Kelso and Line 7 – Lower Columbia Connector. The proposed fare reduction for Line 4 is for the segment of the route between Columbia City and the St Helens Transit Center. The proposed fare reduction is from the current $5.00 per boarding to $2.00 per boarding. For Line 5, the proposed fare reduction is for trips from Rainier to all destinations in the Longview/Kelso urban area served by CC Rider. The proposed reduction is from $6.00 to $2.00 per boarding. For Line 7, the proposed fare reduction applies only to weekend service between Columbia City and St Helens and Scappoose. The proposed fare reduction is from $5.00 to $2.00 per boarding. The public is invited to comment at the Board of County Commissioners Public Hearing scheduled for: January 13, 2016 10:00 AM Commission Hearing Room Columbia County Courthouse 230 Strand Street St Helens, OR 97051 For more information, please contact: Michael Ray Columbia County Transit Division 230 Strand Street St Helens, Oregon 97051 503-366-8505; or by visiting the Columbia County Rider web site: www.columbiacountyrider.com If you are a renter, and you do not have working smoke alarms in your rental unit, contact your landlord or property manager right away. We can install the smoke alarms at the time of our inspection, provided the alarms have been obtained prior to the scheduled inspection. Statistics provided by the Oregon Office of State Fire Marshal show that between 2004 and 2013 there were 348 fire related fatalities and 2,572 fire related injuries. In the cases where there were fatalities, only 54% had smoke alarms installed in the structures. Of the 54%, only 35% of those alarms were working smoking alarms. In the cases where fire related injuries were reported, 69% had smoke alarms installed, but only 63% of those were working smoke alarms. Of the smoke alarms that failed, 86% were due to dead or missing batteries, 5% were due to improper maintenance, 5% were improper installation, and 4% were listed as “other”. Statistics show that working smoke alarms, properly installed and maintained, save lives and reduce fire related injuries. The Smoke Alarm Installation and Inspection Program will be starting in the next 3 to 4 weeks. If you are a renter in need of working smoke alarms, please use this time period to contact your landlord or property manager to obtain working smoke alarms, and inquire about CO detectors for your home or apartment prior to applying for the Smoke Alarm Installation and Inspection Program. If you live in the Vernonia Rural Fire Protection District, please stop by the fire station located at 555 E. Bridge St. and pick up an application form requesting an inspection and installation of smoke alarms for your home. Watch for future postings on our Facebook page for other locations where you will be able to pick up an application. After you complete your application, you can drop it off at the fire station, or fax it to (503) 429- 2900, or mail it to:Vernonia Rural Fire Protection District, Attention Smoke Alarm Installation Program 555 E. Bridge St. Vernonia, OR 97064 The Vernonia City Council reaffirmed their commitment to the California Avenue Industrial Site Project at their January 4, 2016 meeting. City Planning staff member Ben Fousek presented the Council with a background report and proposal to renew their plans to assist partners in developing an industrial site on private property adjacent to the old OA Mill Site. The project is designed, and was initially explored, with the intention of moving the business facility of Photo Solutions and preserving 12 family wage jobs that the business provides for local Vernonia workers. Photo Solutions was badly flooded in 2007 and is the final FEMA Upcoming Events Vernonia Ballet presents Frozen - Friday, January 22, 7:00 pm at the Vernonia Schools Commons. Sincerely, Robert Schattschneider P.I.O. VRFPD (971) 225-8332 (cell) (503) 429-8252 (office) pio.vrfpd@outlook.com HOW TO SEND LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Vernonia’s Voice welcomes and requests your thoughts, opinions and ideas. Please include your name, address and phone number, limit your letters to 300 words or less. Vernonia’s Voice reserves the right to edit, omit, respond or ask for a response to letters submitted. We will print letters space permitting. Deadline is the 1st and 3rd Monday of each month. Email: scott@ vernoniasvoice.com or mail to: Letters, PO Box 55, Vernonia, OR 97064. City Revives California Avenue Project Vernonia Weather November 2015 DATE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 HIGH 58 54 54 48 50 59 51 49 51 45 52 49 54 54 45 47 56 47 46 45 48 44 45 41 43 47 48 48 45 36 LOW 44 34 32 41 46 41 44 36 35 33 32 32 48 40 31 45 34 41 30 25 24 25 35 24 21 18 16 16 16 30 PRECIP .40 .07 T T T T .20 .16 T .32 .01 .33 1.04 .55 .25 1.28 1.20 .53 T 0 0 0 .50 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Ave/Tot 48.6 32.3 6.84 Weather data is collected at the U.S. Weather station at the Vernonia Water Plant The Mist-Birkenfeld RFPD Board of Directors will meet Tuesday, January 19, 2016 at 7:00 pm at the Main Station, 12525 HWY 202, Mist, OR. Agenda items include but are not limited to usual order of business, citizen input, Fire Chief’s report, financial reports and any other business needing to be discussed. William DeJager -Board President acquisition project under the City’s partnership with Columbia County. Two likely sites near the end of California Avenue have been surveyed and identified as above the Base Flood Elevation, on property owned by Casey Mitchell. An absence of recent leadership at the City to drive the project caused it to languish. A recent review of the project by City staff has revealed new opportunities to use existing City System Development Charge (SDC) funds as a match for other private and public investment to expand city systems capacity and revive and expand the California Avenue Project. Fousek told the Council that the goals of the revised project are: • Save current jobs by keeping Photo Solutions in Vernonia • Establish an anchor high-tech business in a Vernonia business park with room for expansion • Fix long term sewer problems on Spencer Hill • Develop an access route to the City recreational site at the newly developed wetlands at the Mill Site • Create a viable by-pass for emergencies on Highway 47 at OA Hill continued on page 6 Friends of the Vernonia Public Library Family: Minimum: Membership Dues: $10.00 Individual: $5.00 $1.00 plus 2 hours minimum of work in the library Make checks payable to: Friends of the Vernonia Public Library Mailing Address: 701 Weed Avenue, Vernonia, OR 97064 Name Address City Phone Date State Zip Amount Enclosed $ I am interested in helping with the following committees (optional): Please Circle •Membership •Endowments •Book Sales •Publicity & Public Relations •Fund Raising •Library Services •Finance-Budget-Legal Matters
