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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 16, 2018)
august16 2018 free VERNONIA’S volume12 issue16 reflecting the spirit of our community Spike Table Serves Tasty Food, Senior Center/Food Bank Honors Logging Tradition Project Delayed By Scott Laird Vernonia’s newest restaurant, Spike Table, is now open and serving up their special sausage dogs and chicken wings. The new establishment, owned by Heidi Lindsay, is located at the cor- ner of Bridge Street and Weed Avenue at the south end of Vernonia’s down- town corridor, and is a welcome addi- tion to the town’s culinary scene. Lind- say opened on Jamboree weekend and sold out of almost everything by Sat- urday. She says she plans to be open Fridays through Sundays year round, usually from 11:00 am to 9:00 pm. A cross between a food cart and a restaurant, Spike Tree offers walk up ordering and outdoor seating, with a distinct logging theme. “It’s like a mini Camp 18,” says Lindsay, referencing the iconic restaurant/logging museum on Highway 26 on the way to the Oregon Coast. “This is a logging town and we wanted to honor that.” The menu features five different types of sausage dogs and six flavors of hot wings, all with logging themed inside 9 jackson galaxy visits columbia co 10 where do you read the voice? 12 summer meals 19 in case you missed it names, including The Crummy, The Fire Watch, Fallers, and Widowmakers. The menu also has a vegetarian sausage, The Reprod. Lindsay says there will always be some type of special each weekend when she is open, - it might be what she’s calling a “loader,” like chili and cheese or pulled pork added to your sausage dog - or a half rack of ribs or a half chicken, or a special sauce for the wings. “We want to give people reasons to keep coming back,” says Lindsay. The hut was built by hand by Lindsay’s friend Don Rudick, who also designed and built the unique wood slab benches and picnic tables. A fire pit will keep patrons warm during winter months. Logging signs and memorabilia decorate the location and video of logging operations is playing on a monitor while you wait to order. Lindsay’s daughter Haley has also been involved, helping sand tables, running social media alerts on their Facebook page and on Instagram, and taking orders this summer, before she leaves for college in the fall. “Wings and dogs are something continued on page 10 Vernonia City Administrator Jo- sette Mitchell had disappointing news for the City Council and those waiting for construction of the new Senior Center and Vernonia Cares Food Bank project to begin construction. Mitchell informed the City Council at their August 6 meeting that the City only received two bids for construc- tion of the project, and both were well in excess of the proposed budget. The City is the sponsor of the project, which is planned to be built at what is known as the “Rose Avenue Proj- ect,” joining the new health center build- ing on the site. The City applied for and received a $2 million Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) for the project on behalf of the Senior Center and Vernonia Cares, and had hoped to begin construc- tion this fall, after awarding the construc- tion contract. The construction bids were opened at the end of July. Both the Senior Center and the Vernonia Cares facility were flooded in 2007 and have been trying to relocate since then. The old Senior Center build- ing was located on Bridge Street next to the Bridge Street Mini Mart and was demolished following a FEMA buyout. They lease the Community Learning Center from the City where they have their thrift store, but do not have a meet- ing place for meals and other activities. Vernonia Cares continues to operate from the American Legion building on Adams Avenue and remains vulnerable in high water events. “We are having a conference with CDBG staff to see what our alter- natives are,” Mitchell told the Council during her City Administrators Report. Mitchell said the timeline for the project will now have to be adjusted and sug- gested the City consider restarting the bid process. “Other firms may be interested in bidding with a new timeline.” Vernonia Ballots May Be Crowded This Year By Scott Laird Early indications are pointing to a crowded field for Mayor and City Council for the City of Vernonia in this November’s election races. A two-year term for Mayor, along with four-year terms for two City Council positions will all be on the lo- cal ballot November 6. The Mayor and Council positions are non-partisan with the top two candidates for City Council receiving the most votes awarded the seats. City Recorder Stephanie Borst says paperwork to run needs to be turned in by August 23, and said numerous citi- zens have expressed interest and picked up the candidate packets. Current Mayor Mario Leonetti has said he does not plan to run for re- election, after serving just one two-year term. Current City Councilor Jill Hult, whose seat is up for re-election, recently confirmed that she is considering a run for Mayor. Another current Councilor, Bruce McNair, who is not up for elec- tion, has also hinted he might consider running for Mayor. Two citizens have indicated their intention to run for the Mayor’s seat in different ways: Rick Hobart rode in his horse and carriage in the Vernonia Friendship Jamboree on August 4 with a sign that said “Rick Hobart for Mayor,” while David Sterner has taken to the Facebook Community Bulletin Board to announce his intention to run. Hobart is an active member of the Vernonia Lions Club, who was in- strumental in getting the Dewey Pool continued on page 5 Understanding How WOEC Operates With this year’s Annual Meeting just around the corner, there is a lot of conversation in the community about the local co-op. Here is some information that might help members understand how the local electric utility operates. By Scott Laird West Oregon Electric Cooperative (WOEC) is holding its Annual Meeting on Saturday, August 18 at the Vernonia Schools. All members of the co-op are invited to attend to hear reports on the past year’s activities and what plans management is making for the near future. The results of elections for the Board of Directors will also be announced. The WOEC Annual Meeting offers an opportunity for all members to reflect on what being part of an electric co-op means to them. For some people it’s just a bill they pay each month, sometimes begrudgingly, because as we all know, West Oregon does have high rates, as acknowledged by Board President Robert VanNatta in his Report to the members in the August 2018 issue of the Ruralite Magazine, which is sent to all members monthly. Other members are happy to pay that monthly bill, understanding that costs to provide electricity in this beautiful, rural area are higher, and knowing when they flip the light switch or go to use an appliance the electric power they need will be provided by their co-op. Or, in the case of a power outage, that employees of the co-op will be out there, working hard to restore power as quickly as possible. Some people may ask, “What benefits do I get from being a member of this co-op?” “The cooperative model is operated for all the members in the community,” says WOEC General Manager Bob Perry. Being a member of an electric cooperative means being part of something bigger than ourselves. The history of electric co-ops in the United States goes back to the 1930s when the formation of electric co-ops brought electricity to rural Americans for the first time. In the mid 1930s just 10% continued on page 3