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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (May 3, 2018)
may3 2018 VERNONIA’S volume12 issue9 free reflecting the spirit of our community Worth the Trip: Nehalem River/Coast Loop Following the Nehalem River through the Coast Range offers a more wild and scenic route to the Oregon Coast berry River on the bridge that was dam- aged in the 2007 flood; that bridge has been restored allowing vehicles to com- plete the drive which was previously a dead end. By Scott Laird Recently we took a trip to the Oregon Coast, heading for Manzanita, and decided to take a more scenic route than our regular drive on the Sunset Highway (US 26) to Highway 101. Following the Ne- halem River through the Clatsop and Tillamook State Forests offers a spectacu- lar trip through the rugged Coast Range, a drive that wasn’t available until just a few years ago because of a washed-out bridge. Redis- covering this scenic route and enjoying the views of the Nehalem River in a more wild setting than most of us are used to, and then spend- ing the day exploring the Oregon Coast, is definitely worth the trip. A trip to the Oregon Coast can be a fun adventure anytime of year, but heading there during a spring or winter storm can make it even more intense. We hit heavy rains and gusting winds, along with some beautiful Oregon spring sun- shine. The nasty weather made the trip even more exciting and the sunshine was a welcome surprise. This loop I’m suggesting could certainly be completed in a single long day but would also make an overnight or weekend trip all the more interesting and enjoyable. Follow the Nehalem We chose a route that fol- lowed the canyon of the Nehalem River through the Clatsop and Tillamook State Forests. This route crosses the Salmon- inside 6 hands on art 9 columbia century challenge 10 vhs spring sports Starting in Vernonia, head out Timber Road, (where you’ll get nice views of the more mild upper Nehalem River as it heads towards Vernonia be- fore it makes its big loop back towards the coast) to Highway 26 and then head west. A flashing light with a “Sunken Grade” sign around milepost 22 warns you that just around the bend is the El- derberry Inn, a great place to stop for breakfast if you’ve started out early, or drop in at Baker’s General Store right next door to grab supplies for the rest of the day; their deli has hot and cold sand- wiches, chili, soup, and their on-site bakery makes a large variety of fantastic fresh baked goods daily. Just before Olney and the Sun- set Coffee stand, (if you reach Camp 18 you’ve gone too far) turn left onto Low- er Nehalem Road, following the signs continued on page 7 Columbia County Board of Commissioners Election Four candidates are running for Position 2 By Scott Laird Four candidates are running for Columbia County Board of Com- missioners Position 2 in this Oregon Primary Election on May 15, including incumbent Henry Heimuller. If a single candidate does not receive a majority of the vote (over 50%), the two who receive the most votes will enter into a run-off in November. Vernonia’s Voice had an oppor- tunity to speak with each of the candi- dates and the following is a summary of their views, opinions, and positions on several issues important to Columbia County voters. Paulette Lichatowich – Lichatowich met with a group of Vernonia citizens on Saturday, April 14 at the Blue House Café to talk about her campaign and answer questions. She was elected in 2015 as a Commissioner to the Port of St. Helens where she currently serves, and has served on the Columbia County Planning Commission for 13 years. She volunteers with the Community Meals in St. Helens, is on the Columbia Pacific Food Bank Board of Directors, and is a member of P.E.O. She and her husband co-owned a fisheries consulting busi- ness for 20 years, she worked at OSU in the Department of Agriculture and Re- source Economics, and worked for the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe in Sequim, Washington. Lichwtowich said if elected she feels her experience with the Port of St. Helens would provide a broader per- spective for the Board of Commission- ers and help the County and Port work together more efficiently. She said since she retired she spends time volunteering and thinks her experience advocating and participating is valuable. Lichatowich said she thinks the County needs a Comprehensive Eco- nomic Plan to determine where growth is happening and plan for business and economic growth. She said the County’s Comprehensive Plan, which she said is 40 years old, needs to be reviewed with citizen input. She said the County Plan- ning Commission should take a stron- ger role in setting policy. She said the Citizen Planning Advisory Committees (CPAC) have been allowed to lapse, which is a big problem, and need to be reorganized to participate in local land use planning. Lichatowich says she sees a dif- ferent future for Columbia County, one that is not tied to fossil fuels. “I don’t think fossil fuels are sustainable, be- cause the prices are so erratic,” she said. As a Planning Commissioner she con- sistently voted against the rezoning of agricultural land adjacent to Port West- ward, the deep water port owned by the Port of St. Helens, near Clatskanie. She said she would like to see agricultural lands preserved in this very rural part of Columbia County and is against the County spending any more money de- fending the rezone effort which is cur- rently being challenged in court. She said the Board of Commis- sioner did not fully vet development op- tions at Port Westward, where the Coun- ty has invested over $65 million on in- frastructure and currently only has two tenants, PGE and Northwest Innovation Works, employing only about 83 total workers. “You can see we’re not getting a good value for all the money that has been put into the infrastructure,” said Lichatowich. “Industry is being pro- moted at Port Westward so they can get a payback on what they’ve invested, but maybe they invested too soon. The old ethanol plant is a good example – they built it and it failed. Right now the only part of that facility that is being used are continued on page 3 Johnson and Witt Meet in Vernonia Town Hall State Senator and Representative discuss several local issues, including the Highway 47 closure scheduled for this summer State Senator Betsy Johnson and State Representative Brad Witt met with a very small group of citizens at the Cabin in Vernonia on a sunny Satur- day afternoon, April 21. The beautiful spring weather kept the crowd small, so Johnson and Witt held a very casual and informal discussion with those in attendance and addressed specific con- cerns. Johnson said both she and Representative Witt are continuing to work with ODOT to try and make some adjustments to the planned clo- sure on Highway 47 south of Vernonia, currently scheduled for July 9 through September 6. Johnson said she is espe- cially annoyed that the City of Verno- nia was not notified earlier about the project. “They should have been in- formed first and then be able to notify their citizens,” said Johnson. Witt noted that he was unhappy the local commu- nity had no opportunity to give input or comment on the project. Johnson said she has repeatedly spoken with ODOT representatives in an effort to find a way to adjust the schedule so it will have less of an impact on local busi- ness during the busiest time of year, as well as the Vernonia Jamboree during the first weekend in August. “I haven’t received what I would call a real prom- ising answer,” said Johnson. Johnson did note that she feels like responsibil- ity for this project was “...dumped on the current staff,” at ODOT Region 2 by people who have left the Depart- ment. “They sort of closed the file and said they didn’t have any more respon- sibility,” said Johnson. “But Vernonia shouldn’t have to pay the price for that kind of lack of continuity.” Johnson said she has been assured by ODOT that Columbia County will not pay for any improvements to the detour route on Timber Road prior to the start of the project or any needed repairs follow- ing the detour. Johnson added she has requested that she and Witt be notified of any future meetings involving the bridge replacement project. A member of the audience asked when the pump at Vernonia Lake, which was installed by Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) last fall, was going to be fixed continued on page 6
