letters to the editor/community bulletin board
april19
4
2018
Upcoming
Events
Household
Hazardous
Waste
Collection - Saturday, April 21, 9:00
am - Noon, 377 Bridge St.
Sustainable Forest Practices with
Peter Hayes of Hyla Woods - Thursday,
April 26, 6:00 pm at Vernonia Springs,
54658 Nehalem Hwy. S, Vernonia.
P.E.O. Spring Tea - Saturday, April 28,
1:00 pm at the Cabin in Vernonia.
Tickets are $10/$7 available at R&S
Market or from any P.E.O. member.
“God’s Country and the Woman” -
Saturday, April 28, 7:00 pm at the
Vernonia Grange. 1936 dramatic-
comic theatrical film with logging
footage from Cowlitz County.
Presented by the Vernonia Pioneer
Museum.
Vernonia Community Garden Fair &
Plant Sale - Saturday, May 12, 9:00 am
- 3:00 pm at the Schools Commons.
TOPS Group (Take Off Pounds
Sensibly) meet Fridays at the Mist-
Birkenfeld Fire Dept. 8:30 am weigh
in, 9:00 am meeting. Men and women
invited to join. (503) 429-7505
HOW TO SEND
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Vernonia’s Voice welcomes and re-
quests your thoughts, opinions and
ideas. Please include your name, ad-
dress and phone number, limit your
letters to 300 words or less. Vernonia’s
Voice reserves the right to edit, omit, re-
spond 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.
Vernonia Weather
March 2018
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
43
46
49
46
50
53
54
50
49
60
66
68
48
53
51
49
50
49
55
58
53
48
43
38
51
47
51
52
58
54
62
51.7
LOW
34
29
27
34
27
26
37
36
29
36
28
28
38
29
37
36
32
33
30
29
41
33
31
32
36
36
42
38
35
36
35
33.2
PRECIP
.21
T
0
.05
0
0
.09
.5
.01
.01
0
0
.38
0
.22
.02
0
.04
0
0
.50
.49
.37
.15
.02
.07
.17
T
0
0
0
3.30
Weather data is collected at the U.S.
Weather station at the Vernonia Water Plant
Readers Lend Their Voices...
To the Editor,
The McLeod Family cannot ex-
press enough how much it means to re-
ceive the outpouring of love, cards, and
flowers in honor of Bryan. We hold a
special place in our hearts for the Ver-
nonia Fire Department and Volunteers
and the Metro West personnel. You are
to be commended for the level of com-
passion and care given to Bryan over
the years. Job well done and know that
you are appreciated.
The Family of
Bryan “Cracker” McLeod
To the Editor,
I am writing this letter to the
voters of Columbia County to share my
personal thoughts and feelings about
Henry Heimuller who is running for
Columbia County Commissioner Posi-
tion #2.
I have served with Henry on the
Columbia County RSVP (Retired Se-
nior Volunteer Program) where I have
found him to be sincere, completely
honest, and always willing to support
and improve, if necessary, existing pro-
grams. Henry has brought forth new
ideas to the RSVP that have allowed
them to continue as they worked to sup-
port, not only the seniors in Columbia
County but, all our citizens, regard-
less of their age. I have been most im-
pressed with his propensity to always
be on time and be there when he said he
would. This has always meant a lot to
The Vernonia Library
will be closed
Monday, April 30 –
Saturday, May 5
for new carpet installation
E-mail: library@vernonia-or.gov
Phone: (503) 429-1818
Auction Notice
Storage Too
58645 Nehalem Hwy. S.
Vernonia, Oregon 97064
503-429-7867
CC8 - 5x10 - F. Cecil
Auction will be held
Friday
May 4, 2018
Please call prior
to confirm the auction
Cash or certified check only
AA Meetings
Open Meetings
Mondays & Thursdays
6:30-7:30 pm
Vernonia Christian Church
410 North Street
Women’s Meeting
Tuesdays 6:30-7:30 pm
Vernonia Christian Church
410 North Street
me to know that he is a man of his word
and would do as he promised.
I am a member of the North-
west Antique Airplane Club. A few
years back we were having our annual
Fly-In and I asked Henry if he would be
willing to help us with our fundraising
breakfast. Henry was there early Satur-
day morning with apron on and helping
in the kitchen to serve, cook and gener-
ally keep the lines rolling until all the
work was done. Henry not only helped
us with our fundraising breakfast, he
was a willing ambassador for our Air-
plane Club. Thank You Henry.
I am hoping you will vote for
Henry in this very important election.
Please allow him to continue in his role
of serving, helping, and being that am-
bassador for Columbia County as we
move forward to create jobs and make
Columbia County a great place to live
and raise our families.
Ken Corliss
Scappoose
To the Editor,
We are writing today to voice
our support of Henry Heimuller in the
upcoming Columbia County Commis-
sioner election.
Much of the political conversa-
tions as of late have surrounded the Port
of St. Helens industrial facility near
Clatskanie, and the use of rail to trans-
port materials to that facility. We have
heard from those that support the efforts
to bring industry to our community, and
we have heard from those who travel
from Portland to voice their opposition
to these potential projects. Often, the
opposition expresses emotion, citing
safety as their main concern, but not a
lot of fact.
Henry supports new industry
based on what he understands about
our community and our needs, not emo-
tions. Henry realizes that industry cre-
ates a tax base that allows our county
and cities to provide much needed
services that cannot be maintained by
residential property taxes alone. This
includes fire, law enforcement, public
health, parks, schools, and more. These
are services every community needs to
survive.
While Henry understands the
importance of industry to a thriving
community, he also is critically aware
of the safety aspect of inviting addi-
tional industry into our County. He has
experience working in public health
and safety, he spent nearly 30 years
working as a paramedic and has spent
time on the Rail Safety Commission.
Henry spent many years working with
the Columbia Emergency Planning As-
sociation (CEPA) which coordinated
emergency responders, business and
industry representatives and social ser-
vice agencies to communicate and co-
ordinate during an emergency disaster.
Henry has the facts regarding the im-
pact of increased industry on our com-
munity, both good and bad, and will use
that information to weigh carefully each
potential industry. We feel confident in
Henry as a leader, a business supporter,
and a safety advocate.
Roger Jolma
Rebecca Fisher Jolma
Clatskanie
To the Editor,
I see a lot of letters, beating
jobs and the environment to death, be-
ing written to the editors about the Co-
lumbia County Commissioner’s race.
There is just no way everyone will
agree on those two issues, but there
are many more matters of importance
which a County Commissioner must
give consideration. Meeting the needs
of our veterans is one of them.
Supporting our veterans is an
issue of significant personal concern to
me and many of us here in Columbia
County. Henry Heimuller has been, and
is, a staunch supporter and advocate for
our local veterans in their daily strug-
gle for food, shelter, counseling, and
jobs. He quickly and effectively lends
his hand to assist the Elks Veterans
Bunker, and works closely with Com-
munity Action Team and the Veterans
Service Office to help our vets get the
services they have earned and deserve.
He opens his heart to help these veter-
ans with his normal quiet humility and
sense of community, rarely drawing at-
tention to himself or his actions.
To me, this is what is an essen-
tial element in making our county a bet-
ter place to live and raise our children.
To my knowledge, Ms. Licha-
towich hasn’t demonstrated much, if
any, interest in assisting these men and
women who served to help preserve our
rights and freedoms.
These are among the many
reasons I will be voting for Henry
Heimuller, and ask you, veteran or not,
to do so also.
Don Kielblock
Warren
To the Editor,
We have a chance for positive
change at the county level in the May
election. Paulette Lichatowich, a civic-
minded volunteer from Columbia City,
is running for County Commissioner.
Paulette is a breath of fresh air.
She is very familiar with the needs of
the whole county, including Vernonia.
She knows the ins and outs of county
government from her service on the
County Planning Commission, and she
values our Columbia River and its rich
resources.
She does her homework. I have
frequently been amazed at the knowl-
edge she displays and the facts she turns
up in her competent research on the in-
ner workings of the County and of the
Port of St. Helens, where she serves on
the Board.
She holds to principles of
transparency in government and the
importance of keeping big money out
of politics. She will not be one who ac-
cepts campaign donations from fossil
fuel-related corporations, or railroads,
or high-flying politicians seeking to in-
fluence her decisions.
I urge you to learn more about
Paulette at her Facebook page and at
public events in the County. I think
you’ll agree that Paulette is the person
we need now on the Board of Commis-
sioners.
Darrel Whipple
Rainier