4
letters to the editor/community bulletin board
august1
2019
Readers Lend Their Voices...
Upcoming
Events
Vernonia Friendship Jamboree &
Logging Show – Friday, August 2 -
Sunday, August 4
Bear Creek Run – Saturday, August
17, Anderson Park, registration
starts at 7:45 am, races start at 9:00.
5K/10K walk and run. Benefits
Vernonia Cares Food Bank. For more
info go to: https://runsignup.com/
Race/OR/Vernonia/BearCreek
West Oregon Electric Co-op Annual
Meeting – Saturday, August 17,
11:00 am at the Vernonia Schools
Commons
Old Timer’s Picnic - Sunday, August
18, registration starts at 10:00 am at
Anderson Park
Community Wide Garage Sale –
Saturday, August 24
Summer Meals Program – now
through August 30, Mon-Fri, 11:30
am - 1:00 pm, FREE lunch for kids
0-18 at Grace Family Fellowship, 957
State Avenue
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) 429-7503
Vernonia City
Council Meetings
and Closures
City Council Meetings
are scheduled for 7:00 pm:
Monday, August 5, 2019
Monday, August 19, 2019
City Closures are scheduled for:
Noon - Friday, August 2, 2019
Jamboree Weekend
Dates and times subject to change
To the Editor,
I read the article last month that
was in response to concerns over several
posts on Facebook regarding the activi-
ties of a local militia. I am delighted to
see a group of citizens wanting to sup-
port this community through volunteer
efforts. We know all too well when di-
saster strikes it takes all of us to step up
to the plate. Most all of this community’s
forward momentum is at the hands of
volunteers, including our mayor, council
and first responders, and the load is easi-
est when shared. Nice to see that there
are folks wanting to plan ahead!
That being said, our emergency
preparedness plan operates on a NIMS
platform that is recognized by our city,
neighboring cities, county, state, and
federal agencies. This allows our com-
munity to make account for need and
escalate access to aide from neighboring
agencies as the situation dictates. Within
the NIMS platform there are opportuni-
ties for civilians to be called to partici-
pate. After the last flood our fire depart-
ment applied for and received a grant that
provided training for CERT (Civilian
Emergency Response Teams or Com-
munity Emergency Response Teams
depending on what part of the country
you are in). This was months of training
and exercises to certify the participants
in NIMS protocol, Record keeping, First
aid, Triage, Utilities shut off, Search and
Rescue, and a special section for HAM
radio operation. All of the three cohorts
passed background checks and were reg-
istered for call out. We have been called
out for two Search and Rescue locally
The Vernonia
Transfer Station
is scheduled
to be open on the
2 nd and 4 th Saturday
January - October
August 10 & 24
Dates and times are subject
to change due to weather
HOW TO SEND LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Vernonia’s Voice welcomes and requests your thoughts, opinions and ideas. Please
include your name, address and phone number, limit your letters to 300 words or less.
Vernonia’s Voice reserves the right to edit, omit, respond or ask for a response to letters
submitted. We will print letters space permitting. Deadline is the first and third Monday
of each month. Email: scott@vernoniasvoice.com or mail to: Letters, PO Box 55,
Vernonia, OR 97064.
and a door to door welfare check the
year following the flood during the next
high water incident.
The reasons for the intensive
training of civilians, as it was explained
to us, are threefold:
1. Public Safety. To assure that the peo-
ple being utilized by officials in time of
disaster are certified in basic tasks – that
they understand and are committed to
“do no harm.” Well intentioned people
without proper training to recognize and
operate within the chain of command
are at risk of losing vital data imperative
for timely and informed decisions by of-
ficials resulting in potential escalation
and/or adverse impact to other residents.
2. To minimize the city’s liability. While
there is a Good Samaritan law in Ore-
gon, when people report to have an of-
ficial capacity and there is an adverse
outcome, the city (all of us taxpayers)
are on the hook for any law suit or settle-
ment not covered by city insurance.
3. To ensure that proper record keeping is
in order. This allows for reimbursement,
when available, of public employees’s
time. In some circumstances we get
credit for volunteer hours and expenses
if properly recorded. This can be applied
to the city’s portion of “in kind” contri-
butions during a FEMA level disaster. If
there is an official need for conscription
of inventory or supplies from private
businesses this also must be properly
documented with proper authorization
through the chain of command for any
reimbursement to be considered.
All the red tape can be frustrat-
ing and it would seem that reasonable
people should be able to step in when
they choose. A good example of when
that goes wrong is the Harney County
incident. Regardless of the politics of it
or where you stand on the issue, you can
see that it quickly escalated leaving one
death, and fourteen found guilty with
two sentences pardoned for time served.
The residents of Harney County are still
healing the breach.
This community is tight and
filled with generous, kind, and hard
working folk. I encourage any who have
the time and inclination to become cer-
tified in: CERT, as a HAM operator, as
an EMT or driver, as a firefighter, or in
SAR. Most training is free or grants are
available! Keep your contact info and
certification up to date so that you can
be used in an official capacity when the
community needs you!
Dear Fellow WOEC Member/Owners,
If you know me, you know my
proven commitment to the community
of not only Vernonia, but the Upper Ne-
halem Valley. From health care to the
Planning Commission to the arts, I’ve
dedicated myself to helping all of us
grow and thrive.
I am running for the District 5
Board of Directors seat, but all members
vote for all directors. My goals and val-
ues are: continuing the ongoing upgrade
of service; my commitment to really
hearing all members; fiscal responsibil-
ity and accountability; sustainability of
the co-op to benefit all members.
Long power outages are dangers
to our health, livelihoods, and quality of
life. The Board of Directors’ priorities
and policies are crucial aspects of how
this is managed.
My promise: to meet mem-
bers directly at least three times a year
in different locations in the district (all
members welcome), bringing managers
along. If we can’t answer your concerns
immediately, we’ll take your contact in-
formation and get back to you with solid
answers.
No unrealistic promises to mag-
ically drop the rates. Rates are mostly
based on indispensable personnel and
equipment—both maintenance and re-
placement. We are still paying for long
deferred maintenance as well as massive
storm and flood damage in the recent
past. FEMA payouts only cover up to
75% of expense and only for locations
declared Disaster Areas. Basically, the
only source of income for the co-op is
what we members pay.
I’ve been attending board meet-
ings for the past year, as well as learning
about America’s electrical grid system,
studying our own co-op’s history, and
reviewing cooperative law. I won’t at-
tend the directors’ education classes at
full price at the expense of my fellow
members.
Please review my candidate
statement that comes with the ballot
mailed July 27 th to see how I’ve contrib-
uted to my community on an ongoing
basis since 2004 and consider voting for
me. I’ll hit the ground running and do
my best to help us all thrive.
Kind Regards,
Erika Paleck
Vernonia
continued on page 5
Heather Lewis
CERT Class of 2005
Columbia Humane Society
Featured Dog
Purr-fect Pals
Kittens, Kittens, Kittens! We are not kitten you,
we are busting at the seams with them right now!
Currently being held at the shelter, we have 31
cats that have come in from one situation or
another, with only two of those being adults. If
you are wanting kittens please give us a call.
These guys are awesome! They are well
socialized, vaccinated, altered, and treated for
fleas and worms. They will make wonderful
additions to any family. If you are interested in
meeting them please don't hesitate to email
animalwelfare@columbiahumane.org or call
(503) 397-4353.
2084 Oregon Street, St. Helens, OR 97051
Phone: 503-397-4353
Tracker came to CHS after his owner had to go into
hospice and could no longer care for him. This guy
is about 3 years old, does well with other dogs, and
loves to run and play. He is a Jack Russell Terrier
mix and weighs around 10 lbs. He has not had
much exposure to cats so that will be something
the new family will have to work on with him if they
want him to be with kitties. He is a very fast runner,
so having a fenced yard will be a benefit for him. If
you think you can give this guy a good home
please don't hesitate to email
animalwelfare@columbiahumane.org or please
give us a call at (503) 397-4353.
E-mail: info@columbiahumane.org
Web: www.columbiahumane.org