4
letters to the editor/community bulletin board
september1
2016
Preschool Free
To Local Families
Local Head Start programs are
now recruiting 3 and 4 year olds for the
2016-17 school year.
Head
Start
offers
a
comprehensive preschool experience
free of charge to qualifying families. A
developmentally appropriate classroom
curriculum taught by certified teachers
offers all children the opportunity to be
kindergarten ready.
The program offers parents
opportunities to learn and grow along
with their children; receive guidance to
complete medical, dental and nutritional
assessments; get on the job training in
the early childhood field and learn about
local opportunities for the whole family.
Children
receive
USDA
approved lunch plus breakfast and/or
afternoon snack on each day of class.
(Head Start and USDA are both equal
opportunity providers.)
For more information you may
phone local centers: Vernonia/Mist area
(503) 429-9243, St. Helens/Scappoose
area (503) 397-4114, Clatskanie/Rainier
area (503) 728-2940, Knappa/Astoria/
Warrenton area (503) 861-9681.
Head Start is a Community
Action agency.
MISSING HORSE
“Montana” a 17 year old bay
gelding missing since Monday,
August 29th from L.L. “Stub”
Stewart State Park. Last seen
by a utility worker with a geen
halter and lead rope off of Hoff-
man Road near Genzer Road.
He is approachable and a
gentle, however scared being
alone in the wilderness. His
owner Nancy Hayter-Griffith
can be reached at (503) 807-
1826.
Vernonia School District 47J
2016 GO Bond – SEL 803
Explanatory Statement
Following catastrophic floods in
1996 and 2007, voters approved a 2009
bond measure to move the three impacted
Vernonia School District schools and
District Office to higher ground. The school
opened in 2012, meeting FEMA deadlines
and before another major flood event
occurred (December 2015).
Total cost of moving the District
to higher ground was $42 million, with
approximately $13 million coming from the
2009 bond, $12 million from FEMA, and the
remainder from state and federal grants,
and individual and private foundation
donations. The final $5 million needed to
complete construction was borrowed.
Fundraising efforts and receipt
of grants have paid these loans for seven
years, but these opportunities are no longer
available. Payments on these loans will now
come 100% from the general fund budget,
impacting classroom programs. Further,
certain key capital projects from the original
campus design were never completed due
to lack of funding. The proposed bond will
tackle all of these issues. Importantly, the
District was recently awarded a $2.7 million
matching grant from the State of Oregon;
however that money will only be available if
voters approve this bond.
This bond will refinance
construction debt of approximately $4.1
million. Current loan payments of $408,000/
year (equivalent to 5 full-time teachers,
or 20 days of school) will be eliminated
if voters approve this bond. These loan
payments will continue, and be paid from
general funds, if voters reject this bond.
If this bond is approved Vernonia
voters will have a $47 million dollar school
campus project for the overall price of
$19.8 million in local bonded debt.
The bond and matching grants
are expected to fund:
• Refinancing existing debt, freeing up
resources for general operations to support
classroom learning.
• Constructing, furnishing and equipping
new classrooms (including a dedicated art
room) and welding/metals shop.
• Protecting the community’s investment
in Mist Grade School by replacing roofs,
gutters, siding, flooring and mechanical
systems.
I• mproving technology with additional
equipment and wireless access.
• Installation of playground equipment at
both school campuses.
• Additional investments in school safety
through installation of supplementary
security systems.
• Completing athletic fields and facilities on
the Vernonia Schools campus.
• Installation of irrigation system for natural
resource programs and landscaping.
• Other site improvements, furnishings,
equipping of projects and Bond issuance
costs.
For the 2009 Bond, the District
estimated a tax rate of $1.90 per thousand
of assessed value. Because of low interest
rates, strong growth in assessed values,
and a recent refinancing of the 2009 Bond,
the actual rate paid was lower. The addition
of this bond is estimated to not exceed that
original $1.90 per thousand rate, with an
incremental cost of approximately $48 per
year for property assessed at $200,000.
Actual rates may differ depending on
interest rates incurred and changes in
assessed value.
New property owners moving into
the community would pay for the projects
through new property taxes that could
reduce the share paid by existing property
owners.
Little Misses
and Misters
of Vernonia
Upcoming
Events
The Little Misses and Misters
of Vernonia is a brand new mentoring
program being organized by Vivianna
Bustamante, a senior at Vernonia High
School.
The program is based on
assisting kids who need a positive role
model and kids who have behavioral
issues by providing experience
interacting and having one-on-one time
outside a classroom setting.
The program is currently
seeking additional volunteer mentors
in our community.
For more information contact
Vivianna Bustamante on Facebook, or
by email at: viviannabustamante21@
gmail.com.
Mist-Birkenfeld RFPD Commu-
nity Picnic - Saturday, Septem-
ber 10 at 1:00 pm.
To the Editor,
Wayne Mayo understands that
increasing government debt should al-
ways be a last resort and seldom is ever
done.
Unfortunately, we in Colum-
bia County have increased our debt to
the point that we are the most indebted
county in the State of Oregon. I was
shocked when I recently learned about
our debt situation from a newspaper ar-
ticle. What do we have to show for all
this debt? It’s clear that our county’s
debt is not due to lazy or uncaring coun-
ty workers. It is the responsibility of
our county commissioners to plan and
make sure the county is run efficiently,
and does not take on unnecessary risks
or debt.
We need new leaders with new
ideas and different ways of looking at
things if we want things to get better.
Wayne has owned a small busi-
ness for decades, and he knows what it
takes to balance a budget and not need-
lessly go into debt.
Columbia City’s Show & Shine
- Saturday, September 17, 8:00
am - 2:00 pm at the Columbia
City School. All Vehicles wel-
come. For more information go
to “Columbia City Celebration”
on Facebook.
Salmon Festival - Saturday,
October 1, 10:00 am - 6:00
pm at Hawkins Park. Vendors,
children’s activities, and food.
Readers Lend Their Voices...
Vernonia
Veterinary Clinic
Small and Large Animals
Brian Rosenthal
Scappoose
Open
Mon, Wed & Saturday
9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Call for Appointments
(503) 429-1612
Or 24 hr. Emergency Number (503) 397-6470
700 Weed Ave. Vernonia, OR
LaCabana
will be temporarily
closed due to a family
emergency. Thank you
for your understanding.
Questions? Call
Juan 971-704-4811
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
Hi! My name is Piper and I am a
tan and white Chi mix. I am a
spayed female, weigh about 7 lbs,
and am really cute. I came from
California via ASPCA. I love to play
outside and I really need a fenced
yard. I get along great with other
dogs. Please note I am currently
not at the shelter, I am in a foster
home. If you would like to meet me
please call ahead to arrange for me to be at the shelter.
Web: www.columbiahumane.org
Phone: 503-397-4353
2084 Oregon Street
Email: animalwelfare@columbiahumane.org
St. Helens, OR 97051
