6
community
november1
2018
Vernonia Indoor Play
New facility offers parents and
kids a place to play this winter
Vernonia families with pre-
school children will have a new place
to meet, play, learn, and burn off energy
this winter.
Vernonia Indoor Play is offering
space at the Grace Family Fellowship
Church, in the small chapel next door,
for families with children to meet and
play in a warm and cozy space that is out
of the winter weather.
“It’s a way for parents to come
and let their kids run around and get
some exercise and not be out in the
weather,” says Rachel Organ, who along
with Tiffany McTaggart, are organizing
this service for the community. Both Or-
gan and McTaggert are parents of young
children.
“We’re going to give this a trial
run, because people have said it’s some-
thing they’ve wanted, so we’ll see if they
show up,” explains McTaggart. “We
know that our toddlers go crazy in the
winter when they can’t be outside.”
Vernonia Indoor Play will kick
things off with a free Open House on
Monday, November 5 from 9:00 am to
12:00 pm. There will be donuts for all,
with coffee for the adults and juice for
the kids.
Vernonia Indoor Play is not a
day-care facility and parents are ex-
pected to drop-in and stay to supervise
their children. It will be a volunteer run
not-for-profit. Cost to bring children
to the facility will be just $3 per fam-
ily, per day, and passes for regulars are
also available for purchase – five visits
for just $10. During their initial trial run
the facility will be open on Mondays and
Wednesdays from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm.
Depending on interest and vol-
unteers, the schedule may expand to in-
clude more days or afternoon sessions.
Sessions may also include days when
school is not open.
“We’re trying to make this as ac-
cessible and affordable for the commu-
nity,” says McTaggart. She and Organ
agreed that if the admission cost is
an issue for anyone they are open to
the idea of trading set-up or clean-
up time in exchange for the cost.
The space is being donated
by Grace Family Fellowship, the
group will just need to pay for any
increase in utilities they create. Mc-
Taggart says the group held a cou-
ple fundraisers to earn start up costs
and said they have also received a
very generous $800 donation from
the Vernonia Lions Club to pay for
their utilities for the first year. The
group has set up two registries at
Amazon and Target where people
can help by purchasing some need-
ed supplies, toys, and other items.
“We will be promoting physical and
creative play,” says Organ.
McTaggart says she is work-
ing with the Vernonia Sprouts, a par-
ent group at the Vernonia’s Schools, to
provide “volunteer days” where parents
can drop off preschool children and then
go volunteer at the school. She said she
is also working with Columbia County
social services to make the Indoor Play
facility a place where parents can have
supervised visits with their children not
living with them.
For more information you can email
vernoniaplay@gmail.com.
VRFPD Welcomes Class of Volunteer Recruits continued from front page
different technical rescue techniques.
Steinweg says there are several advantages
to having such a large class of recruits and running a
joint academy program with Mist-Birkenfeld. He says
this group of recruits will learn to work together as a
team as they go through their training, including work-
ing with members of a neighboring department, which
happens frequently in rural areas, where nearby depart-
ments almost always show up to assist each other dur-
ing structure fires. He said another advantage is that
Vernonia’s Officers will get a good chance to learn the
strengths of each individual recruit as they go through
the training. “Our officers will know what they can ex-
pect from these volunteers and know their skill level,”
explains Steinweg. “We’ll know we can ask this volun-
teers to go up on a roof, and know this other one isn’t as
comfortable on a ladder.”
Steinweg added that some hands-on training
will take place at the Mist-Birkenfeld station where they
have a variety of training props, including a burn cell, a
ventilation roof, and a forceable entry door; equipment
that Vernonia does not have. “Sitting in the classroom
is good for learning, but getting the chance to do hands-
on learning is really important,” says Steinweg. “Hav-
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905
Bridge
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905 Bridge Street
(503)
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429-6271
950 Bridge Street
Vernonia, O8 97064
503.429.5050 or 866.524.5050
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ing Mist-Birkenfeld on-board is really great for us.”
Steinweg said he also plans to use several
guest instructors to help with certain aspects of techni-
cal training during the eight weekends of the academy.
Both Captain Steinweg and Chief Smith
praised Volunteer Coordinator Trish Smith for helping
put together such a large group of volunteer recruits.
“Trish was a major influence and the one that went out
and found these people in the community, got them
through the interview process and through their paper-
work, and got them to sign up,” says Steinweg.
Chief Smith agrees. “Trish has done a lot of
work to get people to come in. She has done a lot of
organizing and a lot of public relations work to get
people in the door, and we’re really seeing the results
of her hard work.”
Chief Smith was appreciative of the sacrifice
and effort on the part of the volunteer recruits. “It’s a
lot of time to invest,” says Smith. “It’s eight weekends
they’re giving up. These people are rearranging their
lives so they can get this basic training to be able to
run calls and help their community. It’s a big commit-
ment.”
Back to Business!
Thank you for your Patience
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po box 321
vernonia, or 97064
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