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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 17, 2020)
december17 2020 free VERNONIA’S volume14 issue24 reflecting the spirit of our community Lucky Dog and Fox Hollow Antiques Were Worth the Wait By Scott Laird It took over two years, but the long awaited opening of Lucky Dog Antiques finally took place on Saturday, December 5. Lucky Dog Antiques owners Joe and Nina Versaw join their next door neighbor Fox Hollow Antiques, owned by the Ver- Vernonia looks festive for the holidays thanks to the efforts of the Intercultural Society of Vernonia, The Spirit of Christmas Committee, and the Vernonia Freewheelers. Vernonia City Council Adopts Equality and Justice Resolution The Vernonia City Council voted unani- mously, 5-0, at their December 7 City Council meeting, to adopt Resolution 2020-17, support- ing equality and inclusion in the City of Verno- nia. The draft of the resolution was a col- laboration between a group of local citizens, Vernonia Equality and Racial Justice (VERJ), working together with two City Council mem- bers, Susan Wagner and Dale Webb, and several members of City staff, including City Adminis- trator Josette Mitchell and City Recorder Stepha- nie Borst. The resolution condemns discrimination and violence against anyone in the community; affirms the values of compassion, inclusion, re- spect, and dignity; welcomes all people who rec- ognize an individual’s right to live with dignity and free from racism, intolerance, and bigotry; and commits the community to work to uphold these values. During the discussion on the Resolution, the Council added socio-economic status and appearance, to the list of people protected from discrimination under the resolution, which al- ready included race, color, ethnicity, nationality, inside 9 holiday food boxes 18 pioneer museum’s rare mulay saw 19 holidays and quarantines country of origin, age, marital status, disability, religion, sexual orientation, gender expression, or gender identity. The resolution commits the City to the following goals: • undertaking Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) training for all City Councilors and Staff and making said training available to citizens and local businesses and encourage community participation • creating a visible inclusion campaign for the community • supporting the creation of a new discrimination reporting system to collect data about discrimi- natory experiences in the community • reviewing discrimination and bias data quarter- ly to identify areas for improvement and measure outcomes City Administrator Mitchell explained these goals would be achieved through collab- orative efforts that could include the community and other organizations and agencies, and by working with VERJ. The Council appeared to enthusiasti- cally endorse the adoption of the resolution, saw’s friend Julie Kehoe, and the Rusty Nail just up the street, to form a sort of “Antique Row” in Vernonia’s downtown. “Vernonia is like a beach town, but not on the beach,” says Nina. “It’s the cutest little town. The people have been so friendly and welcoming.” “We absolutely love it here,” adds Joe. It was a long road for the Versaw’s, who purchased the old J.C. Penney building at the corner of Bridge Street and Madison Avenue in 2018, along with the former Foursquare Church build- ing on Madison. At the same time Kehoe purchased the old Lin- coln School building, which she is currently trying to renovate into a residence. A few months ago she bought the old Lew’s building downtown. Lucky Dog and Fox Hollow feature antique furniture, vin- tage items, and collectibles. A doorway between the buildings tells continued on page 7 continued on page 15 (L-R) Nina Versaw, Julie Kehoe, and Joe Versaw in the Fox Hollow Antique store. City Moves Forward with Tree Removal Danger trees in Ora Bolmeir and Hawkins Parks scheduled to be cut Vernonia will look very different in the com- ing months after two major tree removal projects take place. About 60 Douglas fir trees in the lower part of Ora Bolmeir Park will be removed before the end of February; work could start as early as December 17. In addition, five or six trees in Hawkins Park along Rock Creek will be removed. The trees have become safety concerns, or what are considered “danger trees,” for the City. Af- ter much consideration and deliberation, the City has decided to remove them. “I just want the citizens to know this is not something we do lightly. There is a purpose,” said Vernonia City Administrator Josette Mitchell. “The City Council has discussed this on several occasions. I know people won’t be happy about it, but this needs to be done for the safety of the public.” Ora Bolmeir Park is located on O-A Hill, overlook- ing Highway 47 (Bridge Street), across from the Pioneer Mu- seum. The stand of mature Douglas fir trees were inspected by certified arborist David Hunter and were determined to be suffering from a type of root rot which is spreading and slowly killing the trees. “The trees have stood many wind storms and storm events, but there are decay issues in the stand which have high concern for me...” stated the arbor- ist report. The report mentioned the high flow of traffic on continued on page 7