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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (April 21, 2016)
4 letters to the editor/community bulletin board april21 2016 Readers Lend Their Voices... To the Editor, The Vernonia Lions Club is seeking funds for the repairs to the Hawkins City Park swimming hole. For a few years now, the kiddy pool has shown increasing signs of wear, with the now 15+ year old pool liner torn and lifting off the surface in several spots. New technology is available for a very long term fix, though at a high cost to us. Even so, it is our goal to make this, and other fixes before the June installation of the pool dam. The pool is reportedly one of a kind statewide. It is created each summer, early June into September, by installing a wood structure, damming the downtown stream, Rock Creek. The “pool” backwater creates about a 6 foot deep pool, with adjoining ‘wading’, or ‘kiddy pool,’ that is formed in concrete, at streams edge and under large maple shade trees, with overlooking concrete seating terraces. The kiddy pool is 6” to 24” deep with inlet and outlet for constant fresh water only when the dam is in place. The pool area suffers from needed major maintenance work, with improper stairway access and extensive damage from recent flooding events. The work requires two contractors, plus club member labor; environmentally safe vapor sandblast of the old deteriorated and partially torn up kids pool liner, a spray on material. A second contractor will reline the 24’ x 36’ kiddy pool, with its underwater seating and 6” high steps. Repairs are planned for the drain line, and one of the two sets of access stairs. We will replace the improper and unsafe stairway, and Vernonia Weather March 2016 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 31 Ave/Tot HIGH 52 54 58 54 60 53 52 44 54 53 52 46 49 46 46 54 59 61 64 55 54 54 51 51 54 57 48 56 63 71 73 54.7 LOW 38 38 34 41 43 38 30 43 44 32 32 38 37 36 41 30 27 27 41 43 40 40 38 38 37 40 32 30 29 32 40 36.3 PRECIP .50 .20 .21 .07 .37 .49 .06 .10 1.28 .19 .16 .95 .70 .55 .10 0 0 0 .10 .07 .11 .11 .15 .20 .02 .22 .25 0 0 0 0 7.12 Weather data is collected at the U.S. Weather station at the Vernonia Water Plant repair the other access stairs. The old safety fencing between the kiddy pool and the deeper water was broken off, and destroyed, so we will rebuild that fencing. Cost of contractors and materials for this work is needed. This Hawkins Park Swimming hole is an attraction to our community and enjoyed for free each year by nearly all of the town, thousands of uses each year. City of Vernonia has a life guard on site each summer. The Jamboree summer celebration centers around this park which is located in the center of town. The annual Logging Show is held in the Park grounds. A childrens fishing derby also uses the kiddy pool during the annual Salmon Festival in the fall. The list of needed maintenance items for this project will continue well through the summer. We have a ‘Vernonia Lions Club pool donation account,’ at any US Bank branch. Your consideration to this request will be greatly appreciated by the entire area we serve. Please feel free to share any or all of this information. Rider the commissioners are neglecting their responsibilities as their job requirement demands to the taxpayers. All I can say--- remember how the special hospital district faired for the taxpayers; remember how hard it was to stop the collection of taxes when things went awry, $8 million in wasted taxpayer dollars, why go down that road again. Vote NO on CC Rider this May, don’t raise your taxes--- do not create another ‘special district’ where you the taxpayer will be left holding the bag. Thelma Bonar Warren, OR Upcoming Events Meet Margaret Magruder, Candidate for Columbia County Commissioner Position #1 - Saturday, April 23, 10:00 am at the Black Iron Grill. Trask River Redemption Concert - Saturday, April 23, 7:00 pm at the Vernonia Grange Hall, 375 North St. Admission $5. Meet the Candidates - Monday, April 25, 7:00 pm at the Cabin in Vernonia. A po- litical forum with candidates for Columbia County Commissioner Positions #1 and #3. Hosted by Vernonia’s Voice. Grace Fine Arts Show and Auction - Friday, April 29, 7:00 pm at Grace Family Fellowship, 957 State Avenue. Spring Fair and Plant Sale - May 7, 9:00 am-3:00 pm at the Vernonia Schools. Vendor booths and 800+ certified organic tomato plants. Presented by the Vernonia Community Garden. Vernonia Lions Club P O Box 43 Vernonia, Oregon 97064 Editors note: The Board of Di- rectors for the transportation district will not be appointed by the County Commissioners. They are are all on the ballot and will be elected on May 17. There are seven positions on the board and each of the can- didates is running unopposed. To the Editor, I promised to have a measure on the May ballot to fund CC Rider along with county roads and bridges with a modest increase in the Natural Resource Depletion/Transportation Fee Ordinance without raising your taxes. Unfortunately I came up short on signatures by a mere 200 after the election department declared some of the signatures invalid. I assure you that I will have the needed amount before the November election. Do not be confused ---the county commissioners are putting on a ballot measure to fund CC Rider in May. The commissioner’s measure will raise your taxes 23 cents per thousand, with a 3% increase every year indefinitely, and creating a ‘special district’ with an appointed board by the commissioners. In appointing a board to oversee CC To the Editor, Of, By, and For. These words ring as true today as they did 153 years ago when Abraham Lincoln spoke them at Gettysburg. My interpretation of what Lincoln meant is that “of the people” refers to qualified citizens; “by the people” means elected by the majority of fellow citizens; and “for the people” meaning our elected leaders will do what is in the best interest of the people they represent, and for our country. Complicating what seem like simple principles are the immense amounts of money being spent, career folks who want to maintain their power/ status, and lobbyists with undeserved influence over elected officials. We don’t want to recreate the wheel every two or four years, but surely we can achieve Second annual Spring Tea Party - Saturday, May 14, 1:00 pm at the Cabin in Vernonia, 901 Park Dr. Hosted by P.E.O. Pet Fair - Saturday, May 21, 10:00 am - 3:00 pm at Creatures Pet Shop parking lot, 998 Bridge St. This is a fundraiser for Bailey’s Pantry. More information to follow. 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. Columbia Humane Society Featured Pet Meet Trouble! This 16 year old kitty is looking to find a place to live out his final time. He came to the shelter as an owner surrender who was having health issues and couldn't find anyone to take care of him while he was in the hospital. Trouble is very sweet and quiet and just wants a new friend or two. He does well with other cats as he came to the shelter with his two siblings that are both 13 years old. His adoption fee is free! We just want him to not live out his life in the shelter. Please don't hesitate to call or email if you have any questions. Web: www.columbiahumane.org Phone: 503-397-4353 2084 Oregon Street Email: animalwelfare@columbiahumane.org St. Helens, OR 97051 a better balance; and, benefit from Lincoln’s Of, By, and For principles! How do we do this? More people need to vote and also do their homework before exercising their “right” and obligation to vote in every election. Looking back to the 2012 election cycle, 21.9% of eligible voters in Oregon voted in the May primary election and 64.2% of the voting eligible voted in the November general election (http:// www.electproject.org/). Oregon’s closed primary system does adversely affect primary turnout, but come on folks, 22% is plain pitiful. Other states are not much better, although by golly, my birth state of Minnesota had the highest 2012 turnout at 76.4% in the general election (Minnesota has caucus instead of a primary). Among developed countries in the world, the U.S. ranks 31st (53.6%) in 2012 voter turnout; Belgium is number one at 87.2% in 2014 according to Pew Research (http://www. pewresearch.org/). Let’s start with the May primary and practice good citizenship going forward! Joel Haugen Scappoose continued on page 5 AUCTION NOTICE at Storage, Too 58605 Nehalem Hwy S Vernonia 503-429-7867 E9-5x10 B. Seidel Auction will be held Wednesday April 27 12 noon Cash or certified check only
