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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 1, 2016)
welcome from the editor The end of summer is upon us and that means a variety of things for many different people. All across the country families are planning those fi- nal camping adventures and trips to the beach. They are finishing up back-to- school shopping and breaking out those hoodies, sweaters, and long pants in an- ticipation of the cooler weather. While the end of summer is al- ways a bit sad, especially here in north- west Oregon where it often feels like the summer just arrived, the fall brings its own anticipation and excitement. Here in Vernonia our high school sports teams have already participated in their first competitions and youth sports teams are gathering on the local community fields to practice and play. Professional and college football seasons are kicking off and the rivalries are heating up, and all the hunters are getting ready for their seasons to start. Soups and chili will soon re- place burgers and potato salad, and pumpkin spice enthusiasts are starting to anticipate the arrival of... well, pump- kin spice everything. Fall means the kids are head- ing back to classes again, with all the excitement that brings. This year the Vernonia School District started some- thing new with a two week Kindercamp for all incoming kindergarten students. This gave these young pupils a chance to get comfortable with their new sur- roundings and routines before all the bigger kids arrive. It sounds like this concept was a big success as photos on Facebook showed budding scholars ex- cited from their experience in their new school. One of things that is most ex- citing for me about a new school year is the arrival of an entirely new group of exchange students. The Vernonia School District, and the entire commu- nity, has made it quite a tradition over the years to open our homes, school, and our hearts to a large influx of high school students from all across the globe. Host families embrace these kids from Eu- rope, Asia, South America, the Middle East and Africa in what I feel is a truly unique experience for our local students and our citizenry. This year 10 students from all around the world will make Vernonia their home for the school year and join our kids in class, on sports teams, in the stands, and at parties. They will join our families around the dinner table, at church, and in other social activities, and will become brothers and sisters, and sons and daughters to many of us, with many lasting friendships being forged. They will share with all of us, through this cultural exchange of ideas and lifestyles, their unique perspective and a different world view, that citizens and students in a small rural community are rarely exposed to. Through these foreign students we have a chance to eat new foods, learn about different reli- gious practices, experience unusual cus- toms, and, in the end, find out that those living in other countries really aren’t all that different from us. These students Vernonia’s Voice is published on the 1st and 3rd Thursday. Look for our next issue on September 15th. september1 2016 are an added bonus to the Vernonia school experience, one our students and our community are extremely lucky to participate in. Many families in Vernonia will be welcoming their fourth or fifth ex- change student; some have signed up for this adventure even more times. For many families hosting an exchange stu- dent in Vernonia has become a way of life. Welcoming a stranger to live with your family for nine months is no simple task, especially a teenager from a foreign country who speaks a foreign language. This requires a special com- mitment, a certain bravery, and especial- ly an open heart. I would like to extend a huge thank you to all the host fami- lies, past and present, who have taken this leap of faith and helped reward our community with the special bond we develop with these exchange students. You might think that a student traveling from the cosmopolitan cities of Europe might find tiny, backwoods Ver- nonia boring or uninteresting. In fact, for some of these exchange students, it is. But time and time again I hear from these students at the end of their Ver- nonia experience, and even years later, that this was the best year of their young lives. Many of them stay in contact with their host families, and the friends they have made here. Many come back to visit years later and often consider Ver- nonia their second home. Some of their parents develop relationships with the host parents here in Vernonia and also come to visit, often for the graduation ceremony at the end of the school year. Many of our local students have had an opportunity to visit exchange students in their home countries, an opportunity they would never have had if they didn’t have a foreign friend to visit. Chase To- lonen and McKenzie Titus both spent time in Europe this past summer with former exchange students. Exchange students also often meet up with each other once they return to their home countries. Each year, at the beginning of their time here, I meet with the new exchange students in small groups and introduce them to the community in the pages of the Voice. I then get to watch, from a distance, as they grow, learn, and mature during their time here. I also tend to follow them on social media as they go on with the rest of their lives and grow into adults. I find the whole process both encouraging and fascinat- ing. What a fantastic opportunity for our students and our citizens! I find it extremely heartwarm- ing that our little school and our com- munity, tucked away in the northwest corner of Oregon, through this excep- tional exchange program, and through the simple yet daring act of inviting strangers into our lives, can have such a positive and lasting impact on the lives of our young people here, and other families all across the globe. 3 Publisher and Managing Editor Scott Laird 503-367-0098 scott@vernoniasvoice.com Contributors Karen Kain Stacey Lynn Dr. Carol McIntyre Aaron Miller Karen Miller Leanne Murray Photography Karen Kain Scott Laird Want to advertise? Have an article? Contact: scott@vernoniasvoice.com One year subscriptions (24 issues) $35 Vernonia’s Voice is published on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month. Vernonia’s Voice, LLC PO Box 55 Vernonia, OR 97064 503-367-0098 Scott Laird Editor and Publisher www.VernoniasVoice.com FULL SPORTS PACKAGE! Happy Hour Mon-Fri 4-7 EVENTS Sat, Sept. 3 Texas Hold ‘Em Fri, Sept. 16 • Specialty hamburgers • 8 Draft beers & mixed drinks • 5 Craft beers on tap • Pool tables & satelite TV Dr. Stahl Sat, Sept. 24 Triple Edge Band • Free Wi-fi “BIKER FRIENDLY” • Beer & Kegs to go Sun - Thurs 11 AM - Midnight • 733 Bridge St, Vernonia Fri - Sat 11 AM - 2:30 AM • 503-429-9999 Cedar Side Inn Karaoke Every 2nd & Last Friday Taco Tuesday from opening until 9pm 3 hardshell or 1 softshell $4.25 Ladies’ Night every Thursday 6pm-close • Free Pool • Free WiFi • Specialty Pizzas iheck our Facebook page for daily specials and upcoming events 756 Bridge Street, Vernonia 503-429-5841
