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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (May 2, 2019)
in other words may2 2019 17 The Hobo Corner: Destination Vernonia By Jack Kauppila Hey Everyone - It’s Jack here, from the Hobo Bakery in Vernonia, my new hometown. One of my biggest, throw-my-hat-over-the-wall, think big – be big, unimaginable future, type of dreams has been for the Hobo Bakery to become a “Destination Spot” for Vernonia – a reason, in and of itself, for people to come to our sweet little town. I’m not saying people don’t have a reason to come here! That’s not what I’m saying! But, really, you have to be coming here to get here, right? You don’t just accidentally end up in V-town! Or do you? Listen: Our first trip to Vernonia lives like a legend in the hearts of the K-fami- ly. We were on an EPIC family va- cation that was meant to start at a little campground on a creek in the mountains on the way to Tillamook. This was the first leg of a journey that only a father could plan: • Three days camping on the creek • Three days at the beach • A race back to Beaverton to get the custom t-shirts I had made for the grand finale, then • On to Eugene for a hipster concert by my son’s favorite band Rainbow Pony Farts (not their real name – stop by and ask Shane about it sometime). So, we loaded up the family truckster (one of Rich’s Volvos Only - any other survivors of Rich’s out there?) With camping gear, beach supplies, tons of food, and every pair of shoes my sweet sweet Mary had, and headed to the hills. Now, the plan was to grab some firewood on the way to the campground, but none of the little side-of-the-road campfire wood bundlers had any bun- dles! We got to the campground, cleared out the back of the Volvo and loaded our tired bottoms back in the truckster and headed out on the road less travelled. Oh, we didn’t want to be on the road less travelled! Robert Frost left out the stanza where the road is closed to the left and you’re forced to glug glug wheeze your busted old Volvo through the coast range and end up back on high- way 26 at the Timber road crossing! Yet we soldiered on with our ad- venture, still looking for firewood, with no clear idea how to get back to the place where we planned to burn it. We came upon a sign that turned us off onto a long green driveway leading up to a farmhouse. An old fella wearing a cowboy hat and a slightly confused look came out to greet us. In family legend he is known as ‘Vernonia Bob’ although his name could have been anything, we were so dopey by this point. I explained our situation, and he explained that the sign was more for people stocking up on firewood for the long cold winter, not weekenders on the way to the beach. Yet he led us over to the woodpile and let us pack the Volvo full. I gave him a twenty and shook his hand, feeling awkward and silly the whole time. And then we accidentally ended up in Vernonia! We were probably several quarts down on oil. We must have needed gas. I bet we were thirsty. Whatever the reason, we went left out of V-Bob’s driveway and drove fifteen minutes and ended up at the R&S grocery for soda and mosquito repellent. I told you we were dopey! And then on to the mini-mart for gas! I had lived in Beaverton for 15 years. How many trips to the beach had I made in those years, each time smiling at that ‘Down Here’ sign? And that was our first trip to Vernonia! And it was a total accident! And we didn’t come back for ten more years! The rest of the vacation was equally auspicious. The beach was beau- tiful and freezing freezing cold. I mur- dered the Volvo racing back to get the t-shirts in time for the concert, and had to get towed back to our house. We got to the concert jammed into sweet sweet Mary’s little sports car, so we were lucky(?) the concert was standing room only… BUT! We met Vernonia Bob! AND we have Rainbow Pony Farts t- shirts to commemorate the occasion! So how has our little bakery done as a destination spot? Well lemme tell ya! • A long-lost cousin, from a branch of the family I never knew, found out about the bakery and came to Vernonia to see me for the first time in 50 years! It’s not a real win, since he was coming to see me, and we had just closed… thwarted again! • A gorgeous young couple who had found us (accidentally) when their plane got re-routed to the Vernonia airport, flew back specifically to come to the bakery this winter! • Unsuspecting doggie boarders at In- digo Ranch have had their trips home redirected by dear Laura to come visit the bakery. • We have been people’s excuse to bike the Banks-Vernonia trail to get to the treats at the end, as well as beach goers swinging by for sweets to make a sweet trip even sweeter. • And many members of the Beaverton yoga community have made the trek out here to get goodies, forcing them to double up on their yoga practice - so it’s a win win win type of thing... The most important and reward- ing feeling we’ve gotten, though, is the feeling of being a destination spot for our friends and neighbors right here in our new hometown! You’ve helped us make it through our first year (holy mon- keys it’s been a year!) and we’ll start cel- ebrating our anniversary Memorial Day weekend – so plan on making us a des- tination spot for your holiday weekend and we will reward you for making us feel so welcome! That’s all I have from the Hobo Corner this month. Thank you all for your time and patience. Peace and Happy Happy Toast- ing! A Dream for Dibblee Point Park Suicide Prevention The Columbia County chapter of Oregon Equestrian Trails (CC-OET) has a dream for eques- trian amenities at the Columbia County Park at Dib- blee Point at Rainier, Oregon. Dibblee Point Park, a new jewel in the Columbia County Park system, is located along the Columbia River at Rainier giv- ing public access to the river and the cottonwood riparian environment of the spit that makes up Dib- blee Point. CC-OET invites everyone, and especially all user groups, to have a peek at A Dream For Dib- blee Point Park at an open house on May 11, 2019 at the host site parking lot. From 10:00 am to 3:00 pm free coffee, tea, and donuts will be served and OET members will share their enthusiasm for the project to enhance recreational opportunities in Co- lumbia County. Visitors will have the day use fee waived with a special pass. The County’s yearly day use pass to all Columbia County Parks will be on sale for $40. Dibblee Point Park is formed by joining the County owned land along Dike Road west of Rainier with land leased from the Department of State Land to form a recreational area which is uti- lized by fishermen for access to the Columbia Riv- er by boat and beach fishing. The sandy beaches along the river are also a great place for sunbath- ing and swimming in the summer. Acres of natural landscaping have trails and roads for dog walking and hiking, as well as horseback riding. In years past the area has been abused by off- road vehicles and illegal dumping. With the County taking con- trol and establishing and enforcing rules, and limit- ing the hours of park access, the abuse has been cut back. The County also established a day use fee of $5 or a yearly pass to all County Parks can be purchased. An on-site caretaker will enhance the County’s efforts to control illegal behavior while maintaining public access to the Columbia River and Dibblee Lagoon. continued from page 5 The members of CC-OET have developed the beginning of a plan for a rest stop for equestrian travelers on Highway 30, for equestrian camping and day use. There are few places on the Highway 30 route from the metropolitan area to the coast where horses can be unloaded in a facility designed for them. A rest stop could help increase equestrian tourism along Highway 30 benefiting businesses in Rainier and other Columbia County cities. The members of OET will undertake fundraising to develop the equestrian amenities which will be located on Columbia County land near the host site close to the park entrance. Over the next few years you will see corrals, picnic tables, and fire rings for overnight stays, day use parking, and a round pen for exercising traveling horses. A vault toilet and water for the horses and campers are in the plan for the near term development. Trails will be marked and training stations established to enhance the rider’s experience of the natural areas of the park. Someday a picnic shelter and showers will be available to the campers and travelers. The Columbia County chapter is a part of the statewide non-profit Oregon Equestrian Trails. In 2020 this organization will celebrate 50 years establishing trails and horse camps around the state to benefit all users and to educate about trail and back-country use. Twelve chapters around the state work with federal, state and county land managers to fulfil the mission in all the counties in Oregon. The Columbia County chapter meets once a month on the second Wednesday at the Moose Lodge at 57317 Old Portland Rd, Warren (near Bennett Rd.) at 7:00 pm. Everyone who is interested in the OET mission is welcome. CC-OET has already had a successful fundraiser at their “Christmas in November” Silent Auction which was supported by donations from local businesses: Elaine’s Tack and Feed, Dahlgren’s Do it Best Center, Billie Cooks Fishing Expeditions, and Western World Feed. cessible in the community to spread awareness around the realities of suicide and help communities learn the basic skills necessary to help individuals who may be struggling. It is a common misconception that only professionals can intervene and assist those in crisis. The truth, however, is that suicide prevention and mental health promotion tools are inherent to most of us. In most cases, we just need to give ourselves permission to use them. To ask the question of how those around us are doing and genuinely care about their response. “Suicide prevention is really something that anyone can do, and that is what we are focusing on with this train- ing team. That is what I love about these models. They are designed with the everyday person in mind and are meant to be used in any situation,” says Perkins-Clark. “Anyone that wants to help really can. All it takes is a question.” A popular theory used in most modern suicide prevention training models is the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide developed by Thomas Joiner. He suggests there are three components that all victims of suicide have in com- mon: a reduced sense of belonging, a perception of being a burden, and acquired means or true desire to die. The theory states that while the desire to die by suicide is necessary for the process it is by no means sufficient on its own. Joiner emphasizes that there is no single cause for suicide, and it is very important for communities to recognize this. Even the three components of the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide can be further broken down into recognizable risk factors, which is what pieces of training like QPR and ASIST aim to do. By spreading awareness of these training opportunities and the availability of trainers, we are working to create a healthier Columbia County that is aware of mental health issues and mindful of the stigma that surrounds them. To learn more about how you can get involved with the Suicide Prevention Task Force, or sign-up for an upcom- ing training, contact Weston Perkins-Clark at (503) 397- 4651 ext.2006 or email him at: wperkins-clark@columbia- health.org.