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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (April 19, 2018)
april19 2018 VERNONIA’S volume12 issue8 free reflecting the spirit of our community City Agrees to Rate Increase for Recycling Changes to the recycling market have led to increased costs for Waste Management Customers of Waste Manage- ment in Vernonia and across Columbia County will see a small rate adjustment in the very near future after the Verno- nia City Council and Columbia County Board of Commissioners agreed to a proposal to address increased costs to handle recycled materials. Representatives from Waste Management, the company that the City of Vernonia contracts with to handle gar- bage and recycling, made a presentation to the Vernonia City Council on April 2, 2018. The presentation addressed changes to the recycling programs and rates in Columbia County due to the clo- sure of recycling markets in China. Waste Management asked Ver- nonia to approve a 5.15% increase to costs for garbage pick-up, which in- cludes recycling. The Columbia County Board of Commissioners was also asked to approve a similar rate increase for un- incorporated areas of the County. At their April 16 meeting the Vernonia City Council approved the drafting of a City Ordinance, which is required in order to adjust rates. The rate adjustment will cov- er the increased cost of recycling, and would become effective immediately following the adoption of the Ordi- nance, which should take place at the May 7 City Council meeting. Residen- tial customers in Vernonia would see the following increases: For one 64 gal- lon cart weekly from $43.55 to $45.79/ month; one 35 gallon cart weekly from $26.42 to $27.78/month; one 35 gal- lon cart EOW (every other week) from $18.32 to $19.26/month; one 35 gal- lon cart 1xMO from $11.59 to $12.19/ month. Greg Johnson, Waste Manage- ment’s area manager for Columbia and inside 5 odot highway 47 closure 10 historic logging film 12 vhs sports hall of fame induction Washington counties, addressed the Council on April 2 and said that since January 1, 2018 China is no longer ac- cepting co-mingled recyclable materi- als that have contamination greater than 0.5%. He said domestic processors have attempted to slow down process- ing lines and added labor to clean prod- ucts in an effort to reduce contamina- tion, but none have been able to meet the new standards. Johnson said virtu- ally all processors on the West coast, including Waste Connections, Waste Management’s transfer station operator, have been trying to find new markets for co-mingled recyclables. For current Waste Management residential customers in Vernonia curb- side recycling is included in their rate for garbage collection. According to Johnson, last year recycling processors in the Pacific Northwest were delivering recyclables with contamination rates of 3-5%. Con- tamination mostly comes from recycla- ble food containers that have not been properly cleaned before being disposed. Johnson stated that in October of 2017 it cost $101/ton to process recy- clable materials. As of February, 2018, cost had risen to $141/ton, while the cost to send garbage to a landfill was $89/ ton. Costs are expected to remain high until new stable markets can be found or sorting technology can be improved. With costs rising and markets reduced, Waste Management had to consider either changing what materi- als will be acceptable for recycling, or increasing fees for recycling, or both. All solid waste collected in Co- lumbia County goes through the Coun- ty’s transfer station and is then sent to Coffin Butte Landfill in Corvallis. Recy- clable material collected at curbside and at local transfer stations are processed at Waste Connections’s Material Recovery Facility (MRF) in Vancouver, Washing- ton. Waste Connections has been able to secure markets for their ma- terials, but at an additional cost. In coordination with other MRFs in the region, the Oregon Refuse and Re- cycling Association has developed a revised list of acceptable materials for recycling that eliminate plastic #3 - #7 and aseptic containers (milk cartons and juice boxes, etc.). The DEQ has also established a process that would allow a community that decides the cost to recycle is prohibi- tive, that would exempt them from some or all state recycling mandates and just landfill recyclable materi- als. An annual rate review will hap- pen at the end of the fiscal year, with additional adjustments to rates made at that time based on then-current conditions, to become effective July 1, 2018. Timbers Army Invades Camp 18 Supporters join team mascots to celebrate the start of the soccer season and to bless the victory log By Scott Laird Webber during his remarks. The Portland Timbers play in Major League Soccer (MLS), the top soccer league in the United States. The Timbers Army is known worldwide as one of the most passionate and fanatic Members of the Timbers Army, a group of soccer fans that support the Portland Timbers team, gathered at Camp 18 in El- sie, Oregon on Saturday, April 7 for a unique cer- emony. About 80 mem- bers of the Timbers Army braved high winds and a driving rain to join team talisman “Timber Jim” Serrill and current mascot “Timber Joey” Webber for the 10 th year to bless the team’s “victory log,” signifying the start of the Timber Jim Serrill Timbers’ home season. The victory log is a key com- group of soccer supporters anywhere. ponent in what is considered one of the But the Timbers Army is not just known most unique goal celebrations anywhere for their crazed support inside the sta- in the world of professional soccer. dium; the group is also well known for Following any Timbers’ goal scored at their community work and projects. home, mascot Webber cuts a round slice Timbers Army volunteers have worked of the victory log, which is presented to on projects with the Oregon Food Bank, the player who scored at the conclusion Friends of Trees, American Red Cross, built the all-access Harper’s Playground of the match. This year’s Douglas fir victory in Portland, done CPR Training, and log was harvested near Spirit Mountain worked with Portland Public Schools. and was donated by Hampton Lumber. Since 2010 the Timbers Army has donat- In past years the victory log has come ed over $150,000 to build playgrounds from a variety of locations, includ- and soccer fields in the Portland area and over $80,000 ing near Vernonia for uniforms, soc- and Timber Junc- cer equipment, and tion. Hampton’s soccer library books owners David and to local schools and Jamey Hampton, charities. along with several The Timbers Hampton employ- have sold out ev- ees, were in atten- ery home game at dance at Camp 18 Portland’s Provi- for the blessing cer- dence Park since emony. Hampton they joined MLS in also provided seed- 2010, and have a lings which were 10,000 person wait- planted by the Tim- ing list for season bers Army near the tickets. The Tim- Camp 18 Logger’s This year’s Timbers Victory Log bers won the MLS Memorial building. Cup league championship in 2015. Timbers Army members gath- Serrill says the blessing of the ered for a buffet breakfast at Camp 18 before stepping outside to say the bless- log started as a small service project and ing over the log, reciting an old Irish has since grown into an annual tradition. toast that Timber Jim and his wife Diane The first year some trees were cut down along a utility right-of-way where the read at their wedding ceremony. The log blessing is a way for the adjacent property owner had lost both team’s supporters to reconnect before his legs to diabetes. “In 2008 we went the start of the season and to bring the down to Timber Junction to get a log,” team good luck in upcoming competi- said Serrill over breakfast at Camp 18. tions. Timber Joey Webber addressed “We did a community service project the group at the end of breakfast, as did and cut all that neighbor’s winter fire- wood for him and then we all went out David Hampton. Webber said he and Serrill per- to Camp 18 for breakfast. That’s how sonally traveled to select the tree for the this whole thing started.” Both Serrill and Webber have log. “On our way back from harvesting the log, David stopped and showed us loose connections to Vernonia. Serrill was the original mascot how Hampton is planting wildflowers on their property to help the bees,” said continued on page 11
