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
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16
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Ave/Tot
HIGH
52
54
58
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53
52
44
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46
49
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54
59
61
64
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54
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48
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63
71
73
54.7
LOW
38
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38
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41
30
27
27
41
43
40
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32
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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
