4
letters to the editor/community bulletin board
may5
2016
Readers Lend Their Voices...
To the Editor,
In the May 17 election, Measure
5-251 would create a new tax supported
transportation district. While I believe
that Columbia County is in dire need of
stable funding for transportation, I do
not believe that this measure is worthy
of our votes. I have two primary con-
cerns which led me to that conclusion.
First, the actual mechanisms,
charter, and/or by-laws describing how
the new transportation district would
operate are not available for review
because they do not exist. After seek-
ing more information, I’ve found (after
much research and contact with CC Rid-
er and the county) nothing that exists be-
yond the information in the Voter’s Pam-
phlet, the county and city resolutions
calling for the creation of the district,
and the request for ballot title filed with
the election department. The plan seems
to be to get the measure passed and to
then figure out the details. I find this lack
of transparency and preparation discon-
certing. As it is impossible to know what
would actually be created, I will vote no.
Second, by state law, the board
of directors for this new transportation
district would be elected at large and not
by district. That is, there is no guarantee
that there will always be a representative
on the board from the Vernonia area.
As we do not know what we
are actually voting on and we do know
that we are guaranteed local representa-
tion, I urge voters to join me in voting no
on 5-251. I sincerely urge the county to
come up with a transparent and complete
plan before asking for new tax dollars in
the future.
Brett Costley
Vernonia
To the Editor,
Tony Hyde has proven 20 years
of history properly managing our Coun-
ty. “Keep it simple” …Tony Hyde for
Columbia County Commissioner posi-
tion 3.
Proud Columbia County Resi-
dent...
Mike Pihl
Vernonia
To the Editor,
As many already know our
building 736 Bridge Street is for sale.
We have only a few months to sell it
in order to make our plans happen so
the price is well below what we feel it
is worth. Our life in Vernonia has been
wonderful, we have raised our four kids,
(and a few of their friends, we call our
own), made so many friends and added
to our family many we will always stay
connected with. We have decided to
move to Eastern Idaho. Our plans are to
sell the building first, then list our house
on Lone Pine.
We will take the next few months
to complete all necessary with our house.
The property and home are beautiful and
we feel very blessed to have had the op-
portunity to buy it. But it is “stuff” and
our family is so much more important.
Someone will be very happy with it. We
will continue to operate our business as
usual and complete the weddings we
have scheduled through the summer. We
will be liquidating thrift shop over the
months unless someone comes forward
with an offer to purchase the business. It
is profitable.
As for Vernonia Florist, we have
worked very hard to make this business
known and profitable. We plan to sell it.
We will train with the intension of in-
cluding all equipment, website, reputa-
tion and clients. We will complete the
weddings we have booked personally if
the sale happens before Oct 1. If we do
not have any interested in purchase of
the businesses we will liquidate as nec-
essary. We cannot promise that business
can stay in the building unless you pur-
chase that too... buyers may have other
plans for the space. The building can be
made into 2 seperate retail spaces and
rented out along with the 4 bdrm apart-
ment upstairs that is currently rented.
This is a great investment. Yes
it is in the floodplain, yes it flooded in
2007. We lifted what we had and since
the walls and floors are block and con-
crete we were able to hose out and had
minimal replacement of drywall. All
electrical is lifted above flood area. The
blessing we had during the flood was
dozens of complete strangers came in
the door and cleaned, and had us back
in business in a week. People care. We
have always had help in any concern the
water brought us. We are not moving be-
cause of that. Clean up and move on. It
is nature and a short lived mess. The rest
is blessing.
Let us know if you have any
questions about the businesses or build-
ing, and house. We will be busy planning
but happy to answer. Keep us in your
prayers please that buyers come along to
make this transition as easy as possible.
Thank you Vernonia for sup-
porting our family for 21 years.
Columbia Humane Society
Featured Pet
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and had io bring me in. I'm probably going
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few of my exira pounds. Siop in and meei
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adopiion fee is $145.00.
Web: www.columbiahumane.org
2084 Oregon Street
St. Helens, OR 97051
Phone: 503-397-4353
Email: animalwelfare@columbiahumane.org
Ben, Lisa, Curtis, Stephanie, Austin and
Jesse Edgar
To the Editor,
I feel compelled to write and
voice my support for County Commis-
sioner Candidate Alex Tardif.
Coming up on 30 years old and
having spent a majority of my life in the
area, I continue to grow genuinely con-
cerned about the lack of new leadership.
I would love to see someone bring new,
fresh ideas and be involved in making
important decisions about the future for
my generation, in this county. It’s time
my generation had a voice in local gov-
ernment.
I am so happy to have a candi-
date like Alex Tardif. Born and raised
in Scappoose, he was a very active and
involved student athlete, then went on to
work his way through college.
I’ve heard his ideas, seen his
work ethic and I know he understands
the importance of this elected position. I
firmly believe that Alex Tardif is the best
choice for this role. I will be casting my
vote for Alex and I encourage all young
members of our great community to con-
sider the opportunity they have to do so.
Shaun Stewart
Scappoose
To the Editor,
It has been my privilege to know
and work with Tony Hyde since Febru-
ary 1996. I have seen Tony interacting
with crisis managers, bureaucrats, elect-
ed officials and ordinary citizens. He
has shown himself to be smart and fair-
minded in the handling of day-to-day
County business. Further, Tony’s can-do
attitude has naturally led him to create a
deep engagement with state and federal
officials. This hard work and foresight
has benefited all of the citizens of Co-
lumbia County in the form of increased
state and federal investment in Colum-
bia County. This is even more true for
those of us living in the Nehalem Val-
ley. I cannot overstate the importance of
Tony’s voice in bring County and state
government into alignment to help the
owners of flooded homes and business-
es.
Tony is one of Oregon’s leaders
in pressuring federal land holding agen-
cies to pay a fair share contribution to
local governments, like Columbia Coun-
ty, in compensation for costs associated
with these federal lands. Those of us
concerned about law enforcement and
roads should recognize this movement
Upcoming
Events
Friends of the Banks Public
Library Plant, Book, and Art
Sale - Friday, May 6, 2:00-7:00
pm, Saturday, May 7, 9:00 am-
3:00 pm at Sunset Park, 12765
NW Main St., Banks.
Spring Fair and Plant Sale - May
7, 9:00 am-3:00 pm at the Ver-
nonia Schools. Vendor booths
and 800+ certified organic to-
mato plants. Presented by the
Vernonia Community Garden.
Annual Camp 18 Logger’s
Memorial
Dedications
and
Logging Exhibition - Saturday,
May 7, 10:00 am at Camp 18 in
Elsie, OR. Admission is free.
Second annual Spring Tea Party
- Saturday, May 14, 1:00 pm at
the Cabin in Vernonia, 901 Park
Dr. Hosted by P.E.O.
9th Annual Pancake Breakfast,
Saturday, May 21, 7:00 am-noon
at the Vernonia Fire Station.
Payment by donation only.
Benefits Vernonia Volunteer
Firefighters
and
Vernonia
Ambulance Assoc. Garage Sale
May 21-22 to benefit 4th of July
fireworks.
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.
Upper Nehalem Watershed
Council Annual Meeting -
Saturday, May 21, 4:00 pm at
the Vernonia Grange, 375 North
St. Presentation: Working with
Weyerhaeuser by John Souder,
OSU Assistant Professor.
Jr. Salmon Auction - Thursday,
May 26, 7:00 pm at the Vernonia
Schools Commons. Supports
school arts and Hands-On Art
programs.
as an attempt to fix a serious structural
problem with the finances of rural coun-
ties. This is real leadership.
To be successful a County
Commissioner must be hard-working,
pragmatic, resourceful, knowledgeable,
articulate and fair. Tony has all of these
continued on page 14
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.
Notice of Budget
Committee Meeting
A public meeting of the Budget Committee of the Columbia County 4-H &
Extension Service District, Columbia County, State of Oregon, to discuss the
budget for the fiscal year July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2017, will be held at the
OSU Extension Service office, 505 N. Columbia River Hwy, St. Helens, OR.
The meeting will take place on May 11, 2016 at 12:15 p.m. The purpose of
the meeting is to receive the budget message and to receive comment from
the public on the budget. A copy of the budget document may be inspected or
obtained on or after May 10, 2016 at the OSU Extension Service office, between
the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. This is a public meeting where deliberation
of the Budget Committee will take place. Any person may appear at the meeting
and discuss the proposed programs with the Budget Committee.
