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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (June 1, 2017)
welcome/opinion june1 2017 3 from the editor On Saturday, May 20 the sun shined on Vernonia and you could feel the mood in the community lift. The downtown busi- ness district was hopping with pedestrians and activ- ity. There was the Pet Fair at Creatures Pet Shop that sprawled across both sides of the main drag and featured a sidewalk parade up and down Bridge Street. The Open Air Market kicked off their season on Adams Avenue. The warm weather coaxed the usual bicyclists out onto the Banks-Vernonia and CZ Trails, and motorcyclists lined the streets with their bikes. It was even a nice day to say goodbye to an old friend as mourners gathered to pay their respects to long time resident Kermit Fisher. The change in weath- er and mood made it feel like a heavy weight had been lifted off the shoulders of the community, and in effect it had. The passage of the School Bond, and the support shown by the community with their overwhelming yes vote just four days prior to that beautiful Saturday, offered many Vernonians the oppor- tunity to breathe just a little bit easier. School administra- tors, teachers and staff now know that an extremely tight budget will loosen just a bit, and that needed repairs and upgrades will now move for- ward. Business owners and employers could also breathe a deep sigh of relief, know- ing that the school district, the community’s largest em- ployer, will now have at least some of the resources they need to better educate our youngest citizens. The pas- sage of the bond offers the District a renewed lease on life, and that sense of re- newal was palpable on that sunny day. A big thank you to Bond Committee Chairper- son Sharon Bernal, the rest of the Vernonia Schools Bond Committee, and the student and staff volunteers, who worked tirelessly to share the District’s story and need, and helped get out the vote for the school and the community. It was once again a great day to be a Logger and a citizen of Vernonia. Take a stroll or drive through downtown Vernonia and you may notice something has changed this year. The trees that lined Bridge Street, providing shade and scenic beauty, as well as some much needed color, are gone. In their place are stumps, weeds, and empty spots in the sidewalk. The City Council voted to remove all the trees in the downtown corridor last fall and City staff carried out their wishes. While I understand the City Council’s decision making process, I certainly don’t agree with the end result. Now that spring has fully arrived and the days are starting to heat up, those missing trees are really... well... missed. The downtown, with all the pavement and sidewalks, looks and feels stark and barren. Everything local businesses have done to enhance the downtown – painting their buildings, decorating their windows, and landscaping their properties – can’t cover up the missing element those trees that lined the streets provided. If you didn’t notice the trees were there before, you might not know they are missing, or be able to put a finger on what is absent in downtown Vernonia this spring. But those who were familiar with Vernonia’s downtown and remember the trees, sure miss the foliage, shade and beauty; I have heard from numerous citizens about their displeasure at the current downtown streetscape, minus the trees. Contributors Stacey Lynn Aaron Miller Shannon Romtvedt Representative Brad Witt Scott Laird Editor and Publisher Photography Scott Laird An Opinion: Bring Back the Trees By Scott Laird Publisher and Managing Editor Scott Laird 503-367-0098 scott@vernoniasvoice.com The City has been wrestling with what to do with the trees in downtown for several years. The trees had grown larger than was anticipated when they were originally planted and some business owners complained that the trees blocked their signage. The root systems were damaging sidewalks and had the potential to cause harm to water, sewer and gas lines under those sidewalks. They also required significant maintenance each year. All of those concerns led the Council to decide to remove the trees and wait to see the impact of their removal and the response from the community while they considered three options: replace the trees with an appropriate species, replace the trees with some type of container or planter, or leave the downtown corridor barren of streetscape trees. While I understand that the City staff has been extremely busy getting the City ready for summer, and have several large projects on their plate, including the new Senior Center/Food Bank and upgrades at Spencer Park, the downtown tree replacement plan should remain a priority and be addressed. Now is the time for the community to respond. If you don’t like the way our town looks and feels without trees in the downtown corridor, speak up and share it with the City Council and the City staff. They need to hear from their citizens. 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 www.VernoniasVoice.com 291 A Street call Kim VRFPD Warns Against Scam There is a current scam that involves a caller claiming to be with a company called “Safe Communities” that is contacting businesses and residents of Vernonia, soliciting for donations. They claim to represent the “Vernonia Fire Department” when they ask you to donate money through a Paypal account. They will send you an invoice associated with a Paypal account. There will be a red emblem with “Safe Communities” written under it. The email will show coming from: “service@paypal.com. This is a scam! The Vernonia Rural Fire Protection District (VRFPD) will not contact anyone by phone, email, text FULL SPORTS PACKAGE! Happy Hour Mon-Fri 4-7 message, snail mail, or any other form of communication asking for donations. If you receive any form of communication asking for a donation in the name of the Vernonia Fire Department, or the VRFPD or if you believe that you are a victim of this scam or one similar to this, please report this to the Vernonia Police Department. (503) 429-7335 Lovable service at a reasonable price • Bathing • Haircuts • Nail Clipping • Nail Polishing • Specialty Shampoos Cedar Side Inn Karaoke EVENTS Sat, June 3 Moonshine • Specialty hamburgers • 8 Draft beers & mixed drinks • 5 Craft beers on tap • Pool tables & satelite TV Sun - Thurs 11 AM - Midnight • 733 Bridge St, Vernonia Taco Tuesday from opening until 9pm 3 hardshell or 1 softshell $4.25 Ladies’ Night Sat, June 24 every Thursday 6pm-close Texas Hold ‘em • Free Wi-fi • Beer & Kegs to go Every 2nd & Last Friday “BIKER FRIENDLY” Fri - Sat 11 AM - 2:30 AM • 503-429-9999 • Free Pool • Free WiFi • Specialty Pizzas iheck our Facebook page for daily specials and upcoming events 756 Bridge Street, Vernonia 503-429-5841
