november21 2019
free
VERNONIA’S
volume13 issue22
reflecting the spirit of our community
Yoga in Vernonia
Yoga is available in Vernonia five
days a week at two different locations
By Scott Laird
People in the Vernonia community
interested in practicing yoga now have sev-
eral options, one in town and one at the end
of Keasey Road.
wanted it to be part of the Vernonia com-
munity,” says Wanless about why he started
teaching at the Grange. “I don’t want the
cost to be the deciding factor of whether
they can come or not. I just want to share
yoga practice and I want them to be part of
this yoga community and enjoy the class.”
“Yoga is not about who has the
inside
By Scott Laird
Two projects at Fishhawk
Lake in August of this year result-
ed in the complete draining of the
Lake and the death of thousands of
fish, remain under review by sev-
eral state agencies and could result
The projects were conduct-
ed by the Fishhawk Lake Reserve
& Community (FLRC), the local
homeowners association (HOA).
According to Wirtis the FLRC
failed to properly coordinate and
obtain permits before beginning
The Fishhawk Lake Reserve & Community was investigated by Oregon DEQ,
and other state agencies after the release of water damaged water quality
and aquatic life in Fishhawk Creek below the Lake.
Jim Wanless teaches yoga at the Vernonia Grange on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.
Tess Adams holds classes at the YogaFarm on Wednesdays and Sundays.
Jim Wanless is continuing to offer
yoga practice at the Vernonia Grange, with
classes on Tuesday and Thursday mornings
at 8:00 and Saturday at 8:30 am.
Tess Adams recently started offer-
ing a class on Wednesday afternoons from
3:00 to 4:15 at the YogaFarm at 11669 Ke-
asey Road. She also hosts mini yoga re-
treats on Sunday mornings from 9:00 am to
12:00 pm.
Wanless has been offering yoga
classes at the Vernonia Grange for almost
two years. His classes are designed for all
levels, so beginners are definitely welcome,
along with those with experience practic-
ing yoga. Class is by donation, with a sug-
gested contribution of $5. The “Yoga at the
Vernonia Grange” Facebook page is a good
place to keep up to date on the schedule and
any changes.
“I care a lot about yoga and I really
State Agencies
Still Reviewing
Fishhawk Lake Incident
prettiest pose,” says Wanless. “It’s really
about what is happening for you when
you practice. So that’s how I teach. It’s
evolved into a more moving meditation.
It’s not that it’s physically super easy, but
the focus is not purely the physical aspect
or the shape you can get into, it’s also about
what is happening for you while you’re get-
ting into that shape and while you’re in that
shape.”
Adams says her approach to yoga
is for it to be therapeutic. Her background
and studies revolve around the use of props
to help support your practice, make any
pose therapeutic, and move the body safe-
ly. “I’ve been trained in a modality called
SATYA, which stands for Sensory Aware-
ness Training for Yoga Attunement,” says
Adams. “It’s a floor based practice which
uses a mat and a blanket.” She says her
continued on page 14
in criminal charges being filed.
One project involved the
relining a 52-year-old underdrain
pipe, and the second involved the
mechanical dredging of silt from
the East End of the Lake. Both
projects were initiated simultane-
ously.
According to Oregon De-
partment of Environmental Quality
(DEQ) Public Information Officer
Lauren Wirtis, DEQ was notified
there was an issue at Fishhawk
Lake on Thursday, August 22, 2019
by a concerned citizen through the
Oregon Emergency Response Sys-
tem. By the time agency staff was
able to arrive on scene, the entire
lake had been drawndown. By that
time, Oregon State Police had ver-
bally requested that all work cease.
work, and in draining the Lake,
killed fish and other aquatic spe-
cies and negatively impacted water
quality. She said the FLRC has been
notified of these violations through
a letter called a Pre-Enforcement
Notice. These violations have been
referred to DEQ’s Office of Com-
pliance and Enforcement where
staff are continuing to review the
facts of the case.
The Pre-Enforcement No-
tice confirms that the FLRC Board
of Trusties voted in favor of drain-
ing the Lake in order to repair or re-
place the dam underdrain. It notes
that FLRC staff responsible for the
project described the discharges
from the draining operation as
“discolored and highly turbid.”
continued on page 3
Lady Loggers Take 5 th Place at State
Walters named to All
Tournament First Team
By Scott Laird
6
hometown
heroes
10
where do you
read the voice?
11
meet the
exchange students
The Vernonia Lady Loggers
played some outstanding volleyball
against some of the state’s best teams
and players, and brought home the 5 th
place trophy from Redmond on No-
vember 9, after competing in the Or-
egon 2A State Tournament.
The trip to Redmond was Ver-
nonia’s first time reaching the final
eight in the state since 1998. The Lady
Loggers qualified for the State Tourna-
ment after defeating Stanfield 3-0 in
their first round State Playoff game on
November 2. Qualifying for the trip to
Redmond was especially sweet for Ver-
nonia volleyball coaches Teresa Wil-
liams and Brandy Everett, who have led
the Lady Loggers program for 11 years,
qualifying for the State Playoffs in each
of those seasons, but failing to advance
to the final eight.
The #6 seeded Lady Loggers
pulled off the biggest upset of the
two day tournament in their opening
match, defeating #3 seed Union, before
continued on page 12