May 6, 2021
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VERNONIA’S
Volume 15 Issue 9
reflecting the spirit of our community
Is Vernonia’s Weather Changing?
Temperature and rainfall trends,
along with personal observations,
point to increasing changes. But
what does the data really show?
By Scott Laird

When I first moved to Oregon in 1993,
the standing rule was that the spring rains didn’t
stop, and summer didn’t start, until the 5 th of
July. That rule proved to be mostly true for the
first 20 or so years that I’ve been here, and has
held up here in Vernonia as well. But it has
seemed that spring rainfall patterns and sum-
mer temperatures have been changing over the
last few years, at least based on anecdotal evi-
dence and unscientific observations.

But during the last several years that
anecdotal evidence is being confirmed by data
and other observed incidents – western red ce-
dar trees in the region have begun mysteriously
dying; wildfire seasons have grown progres-
sively longer, and more intense and dangerous;
and the garden growing season has extended. A
few weeks ago the State of Oregon announced
that about 80% of the state was currently expe-
riencing drought conditions, caused by a lack of
spring rainfall over the last several years. And,
as the month of April came to an end, the Na-
tional Weather Service was reporting that Port-
land, Hillsboro, and numerous other recording
sites around Northwest Oregon had experi-
enced some of the lowest amounts of monthly
rainfall ever recorded during that month.

All of those incidents and observable
changes tell both individual stories, but also
paint a broad picture of change that impacts all
of us in one way or another. But are they re-
lated? Is this a trend towards drier and hotter
weather conditions that we all need to adjust to,
or are they just blips on a graph – normal fluc-
tuations in the ever changing weather patterns
that are just a normal part of life in the Pacific
Northwest?

To see if I could find more details about
our local weather patterns, I reached out to Jim
Buxton who has been charting and report-
ing weather conditions at his residence about
6 miles outside of Vernonia on Keasey Road
inside
6
Noxious Weeds
in the Watershed
8
Hole In One!
10
Gift of a
Grand Piano
since the 1960s. Buxton reports the weather
from his station, known as OR-CB-10, to Co-
CoRaHS (Community Collaborative Rain, Hail
& Snow Network), a grassroots volunteer net-
work of backyard weather observers who mea-
sure and map precipitation in their local com-
munities. Buxton turned out to be a wealth of
information, and provided me with numerous
graphs, charts, and statistics – enough to actu-
ally make finding the answers to my questions
fairly complex.

Buxton’s data differs from the City of
Vernonia’s data - precipitation, high and low
temperatures – which you may have noticed has
been published here in the Voice since mid 2015;
that data is faithfully provided monthly by Jeff
Burch, foreman of the Vernonia Public Works
Department and recorded at the Public Works
shop near State Avenue in town. At his station
Buxton typically records rainfall that is about
20% more than the City. For example, in March
this year Buxton recorded 3.78 inches while the
City of Vernonia recorded 2.93 inches. That
confirmed that Vernonia’s regional weather
consistently varies across its landscapes. Bux-
ton’s data also shows that the weather in this
region changes significantly from year to year.
For documentation purposes, the rain year runs
from October to the following September.

At Buxton’s station, his data shows a
30-year average of 59.84 inches of annual rain-
fall. Over the last 10 years Buxton’s records
indicate that most years the rainfall is close to
that average although they can fluctuate sig-
nificantly – in rain year 2014-15 he recorded
43.39 inches and in 2016-17 he recorded 73.54
inches. His records also indicate that a specific
month can receive drastically differing amounts
from year to year. For example in 2019-20 we
received:
1.74 inches in November
7.69 inches in December
15.92 inches in January
4.9 inches in February,
while the previous year in 2018-19 we received:
4.08 inches in November
10.53 inches in December
4.95 inches in January
7.35 inches in February.

And those kinds of fluctuations go back
continued on page 9
Logger Stadium
Campaign Passes
$100,000 Goal
Momentum is growing for the school sports
complex project which would build a concession
stand/restroom, covered seating, and team rooms
By Scott Laird
The campaign to raise funds to build a covered seating
area for Vernonia Logger football, and track and field fans is
starting to take shape and just passed its first landmark goal.
Members of the Logger Stadium Steering Committee stand
near the current bleachers at the football field and track.
The group has initiated a campaign to raise over $1 million in
funds to build a covered seating area along with a concession
stand/restroom facility at the school campus.
The Logger Stadium Steering Committee was excited
to announced they have raised over $100,000 towards the con-
struction of a covered seating area and concession stand at the
Vernonia Schools Campus. The project was organized this past
October and is quickly gaining traction.

A very generous donation of $35,000 from a local alum-
ni, received in April, along with continued donations from busi-
nesses, citizens, and other alumni, has pushed the total fundrais-
ing effort to $103,190 and helped energize the campaign.

“Thus far, donations have ranged from $25 to $35,000
from 130 donors, with 75% of our donated funds coming from
the Vernonia community,” said alumni Jim Eckland, who, along
with his wife Kathy have been instrumental in organizing and
promoting the effort to complete the school’s sports complex.
The Ecklands, who live in Keizer, Oregon but still have a close
attachment to Vernonia, were part of the Vernonia Education
Foundation’s efforts to raise funds to build the school, and the
softball and baseball fields, by rallying alumni from across the
country to get involved; the Alumni Field softball field is named
continued on page 10
Witt Accused of Sexual Harassment
Brad Witt steps down as
Committee Chair after
Republican Vikki Breese
Iverson files complaint

Democratic State Representa-
tive Brad Witt, who represents Colum-
bia County in the Oregon Legislature,
has temporarily stepped down as the
Chair of the House Agriculture and
Natural Resources Committee after one
of the Vice Chairs on the committee,
Vikki Breese Iverson (R-Prineville),
accused him of sexual harassment.

Breese Iverson said in a letter
she sent to House Speaker Tina Kotek,
a Democrat, on April 19, that she was
subjected to sexual harassment and
pressured to engage in a “quid-pro-quo”
arrangement in a text message sent by
Witt. Breese Iverson asked that Witt be
removed temporarily from three com-
mittees that she and Witt work together
on.

“The fact Representative Witt
chose to sexually harass me leaves us
no room for any future ability to have
real discussions regarding committee
business or other House Floor busi-
ness,” Breese Iverson wrote. “The
quid-pro-quo he texted me is an inex-
cusable abuse of his power. Experienc-
ing this sexual harassment is something
I should not have to be exposed to or
accept as a course of business, espe-
cially in today’s Capitol culture.”

The contents of the text or texts
Breese Iverson referred to have not
been disclosed.

Witt has said he believes
“101% that it will be found that there
was no ill intent on my part whatsoev-
er, but rather an attempt to further the
committee interests.”

The House Conduct Commit-
tee, evenly split between Republicans
and Democrats, heard the complaint,
but declined to recommend Witt’s
forced removal as committee chair,
while issuing a no-contact order be-
tween Witt and Breese Iverson as an in-
terim safety measure. Witt voluntarily
stepped down as Committee Chair until
the matter is resolved.

An independent investiga-
tor, private attorney Sarah Ryan, will
handle an investigation, which she
said should be concluded by the end of
April. The matter would then go before
the House Conduct Committee to con-
sider whether Witt violated legislative
rules, and determine any consequences.