4
letters to the editor/community bulletin board
april20
2017
Readers Lend Their Voices...
To the Editor,
In the past, the Vernonia
community has done a spectacular job
of coming together in times of disaster.
We came together during the 1996, 2007,
and 2015 floods, and we came together
to pass the $13 million bond to help pay
for our wonderful new school.
But in November of 2016, the
community wasn’t able to maintain their
usual cohesiveness. Vernonians were
torn on whether or not to pass a $6.8
million bond that would pay off the rest
of the school debt, finish construction
where it’s needed, and help establish
Logger athletics nearby the new school
campus. A finished school would be very
lucrative for potential homeowners and
businesses, and therefore would increase
Vernonia’s appeal. The bond failed by
only 54 votes.
Currently Vernonians are paying
$1.70 per $1,000 of assessed value for
their homes. The new bond will raise the
price $0.20, to approximately $1.90. For
example, a house assessed at $200,000
will pay an additional $3.33 a month
from what they’re already paying. The
increase is so miniscule compared to the
cumulative benefits of having a finished
school.
I believe the bond failed the first
time for a few reasons. I think that it
wasn’t promoted well enough but that has
changed this time around. In preparation
for the upcoming May vote, the School
Bond Committee has put in a lot of effort
to send out letters and have meetings on
Vernonia Weather
March 2017
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
49
46
49
44
43
40
45
44
53
57
55
60
53
57
56
52
51
50
52
53
58
52
52
51
48
48
51
56
55
53
59
51.4
LOW
36
38
33
32
31
31
37
41
41
38
40
46
46
49
34
32
32
30
29
42
42
32
30
36
40
37
39
43
39
31
31
36.7
PRECIP
.10
.03
.72
.20
.57
.40
.38
.33
.58
T
.22
0
.49
.98
.35
T
.73
.11
0
.16
.27
0
.55
.17
.38
.29
.02
.26
.10
T
T
8.39
Weather data is collected at the
U.S. Weather station at the
Vernonia Water Plant
behalf of the public, so that everyone
has the same facts and information.
Additionally, there is more student,
staff and community involvement in
the effort to get the word out than there
was with the first bond. I also personally
believe the bond was not passed because
a majority of the people who voted no
most likely don’t have children who go
to Vernonia Schools. They’re probably
thinking, “Why should I pay extra money
for something that doesn’t apply to me?”
A finished school is a lot more attractive
than a school in debt; a school that can’t
afford the teachers they’ve hired or
the facility they’re running. A finished
school would encourage new people to
move to Vernonia, which would increase
business in town, and maybe even cause
new stores to open up.
As a student, I would like to
see a finished baseball and football
field nearby my school. It would make
transportation and after school games
much easier. I would like my friends who
are in track and field to not have to drive
to Banks to use their equipment and track
because we can’t afford either.
I believe that everyone deserves
the best education that they can possibly
get, and the money to improve my
school is within your reach. It’s up to
the community members, those who
have children, and those who don’t, to
make it possible for my peers and I to
get the education that they once had; an
education that their community members
once helped pay for.
Thank you for your consideration.
Kailia Jackson, 11 th Grade
Vernonia High School
Upper Nehalem
Watershed
Council Meeting
Vernonia
Marathon
Results
Runners
from
all
over the country gathered in
Vernonia on Sunday, April 9 for
another running of the Vernonia
Marathon and Half Marathon.
The race started in
Vernonia at the Cedar Ridge
Conference Center and ended
in Banks, traveling most of the
way on the Banks-Vernonia
State Trail. The Half Marathon
ended at Stub Stewart State
Park.
Nicole DeWitt was
the first Vernonian to complete
the Marathon finishing 29 th
overall in a time of 3:35:59,
which placed her 9 th among all
women runners, and 2 nd in the
Female 25-29 category.
Tim Becken was the
first male from Vernonia to
finish, running the 26 miles in
3:37:12. Becken finished 23 rd
among all men and 3 rd in the
Male 50-54 category.
Jennifer
Draeger
finished in 3:53:25, good for
23 rd among all women. VHS
exchange students Kathy Will,
Theresa Bomke and Lene
Jacobsen also completed the
Marathon, crossing the line
together in 5:08:41.
Kellie Murray was the
first Vernonian to finish the
Half Marathon, finishing 67 th
in 2:00:34. Pauline Sandweg
finished in 2:07:42, good
for 2 nd in the Female 15-19
category. Rebecca Scotto, Tina
Guyett, Kim Franz and Kathy
Dalebroux also completed the
Half Marathon.
Upcoming
Events
Free Household Hazardous Waste
Collection - Saturday, April 22, 8:00
am to noon at 322 Bridge St. (be-
tween Grant and Washington Av-
enues). Sponsored by Columbia
County to provide safe and respon-
sible hazardous waste disposal.
Earth Day Vernonia Library Clean
Up Event - Saturday, April 22. If
interested in volunteering, contact
Shannon Romtvedt at the library or
email shannonr@vernonia-or.gov.
OSU/Columbia
County
Master
Gardener’s™ Spring Garden Fair
- Saturday, April 29 from 9:00 am -
3:00 pm at St. Helens High School
Commons, 2375 Gable Rd., St
Helens. Will sell roughly 5,000
tomatoes of more than 30 varieties,
provide
tomato
and
general
gardening information, and have a
number of educational displays.
Kindergarten Round-up - Thursday,
May 4 at the Vernonia Schools.
Please call for an appointment,
(503) 429-1333.
P.E.O. Spring Tea - Saturday, May
6, 1:00 pm at the Cabin in Vernonia.
Entertainment, light lunch, raffle,
and more!
Vernonia
Community
Garden
Group’s Spring Garden Fair & Plant
Sale - Saturday, May 13, 9:00 am
- 3:00 pm at the Vernonia Schools
Commons. Certified organic tomato
plants, garden art, flowers, vegetable
starts, native plants, and more.
Annual Camp 18 Logger’s Memorial
Dedication & Logging Exhibition -
Sunday, May 13, 10:00 am at the
Camp 18 Logging Museum, MP 18
Hwy 26, Elsie, OR. (503) 434-0148
6:30 pm on Thursday
April 27, 2017
HOW TO SEND LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
at the UNWC office 1201 Texas
Ave. Suite A. Entrance is around
the back of the building
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.
For more
info call
(503) 429-0869
or email
maggie@nehalem.org
Auction Notice
Storage Too
58645 Nehalem Hwy. S.
Vernonia, Oregon 97064
503-429-7867
E-9 - 5 x 10 - T. McTaggart
Auction will be held
Wednesday,
April 26 at Noon
Please call prior
to confirm the auction
Columbia Humane Society
Featured Pet
Meet Big Boy, a 7-year-old St. Bernard mix! He
came into the shelter as a stray. Initially when
this gent came to us he wanted us all to stay
away from him because he was scared. So we
worked hard and gave him the time and space
he needed to figure out that he was safe and
we were here to help him. Soon a dog that
nobody could look in the face decided that he
wanted nothing more than to make eye
contact, give kisses and get affection. At
approximately 93 pounds he is excellent on
leash and loves car rides. Big Boy would love
nothing more than to snuggle and go for short
walks every now and then. His adoption fee is $250. If you have any ques-
tions please don't hesitate to email or call.
Web: www.columbiahumane.org
Phone: 503-397-4353
2084 Oregon Street
Email: animalwelfare@columbiahumane.org
St. Helens, OR 97051