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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 20, 2022)
Community January 20 2022 9 Senior Center Opens for In-Person Meals After a long wait of well over one year, Vernonia Seniors were finally able to enjoy the hospitality of their new Senior Center. On Wednesday, January 12, Vernonia seniors gathered together to enjoy a noon-time meal, the first meal served in the newly constructed center since it opened. The Vernonia Senior Center celebrated the opening of their new facility on September 12, 2021 with a ribbon cutting, but have been unable to fully enjoy it due to concerns around the COVID-19 virus. While COVID remains a con- cern, the Senior Center is following all recommended and required safety pro- tocols that restaurants are following. Servers and kitchen staff are all wearing masks, seating is limited to four per ta- ble, and tables are spaced six feet apart. A small group of seniors en- joyed a meal of lasagna, salad, broccoli, and pears. But more importantly, they enjoyed the companionship of sharing a meal together. “As seniors, we need this chance to get face-to-face with other people,” said Sandy Welch, an of- ficer with the Senior Center, as well as the Executive Director of the Vernonia Cares food pantry which adjoins the se- nior’s facility. “We waited a long time to be able to invite people into the new building and enjoy it together.” Pat Ray is a long-time member of the Senior Center and served as the Treasurer for many of those years. “I just felt I needed to be here to support what they’re trying to do,” said Ray. “I won’t be here for every meal, but today was the first day, so I felt I should be here.” The COVID virus didn’t seem to be a worry for those in atten- dance at the first meal. “There isn’t a big mob of people here, so I feel all right about being here,” said Karen Miller. Marcy Rohde also said she wanted to support the Senior Center and share a meal. She said she regularly self-quarantines after spending time in public, just to be on the safe side and not spread COVID. Meals will be available dur- ing January at the Senior Center on Wednesdays and Fridays and are served at 12 noon. In February the Senior Cen- ter will add meals on Mondays. There is no charge for seniors over the age of 60, although a recommended donation of $5 is suggested. Far left: Theresa Kilgore prepares the meal in the new Senior Center kitchen Left: This decoration was made by former Senior Center Board Member Pat Ray Below: Seniors enjoyed their first meal together at the new facility Biden’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act continued from page 5 Mexico will vie for those funds, as will Utah, which has a huge hydrogen proj- ect in the works in the central part of the state. Palo Verde nuclear plant near Phoenix has just entered into a partner- ship to use excess power to produce hydrogen, which would then be used to generate electricity, making it another possible hub. But wait … there’s more! There’s also money for wildlife crossings, energy efficiency in build- ings, railroads, for making the power grid more resilient and facilitating the construction of high voltage transmis- sion lines to move renewable energy over long distances, for airports, public transit, and for clean school buses. Even so, the bill remains in- complete without its other half: The Build Back Better Act, which has in- creased funding for social programs and climate resilience as well as potential oil and gas leasing and mining reforms. Fis- cal conservatives are holding that one up, though, until they can be assured it won’t break the budget. (A wealth tax on billionaires, à la Eccles, might help with that, by the way.) The bill’s proponents might respond by taking another page from Eccles’ book. During that 1933 hearing, Sen. Thomas Gore of Oklahoma asked: “Where does the federal government get this money to give to the States?” Without missing a beat, Eccles, referring to the vast amount of money that was used to fight World War I, re- torted: “Where did it get $27 billion dur- ing the war to waste?” Jonathan Thompson is a contributing editor at High Country News. He is the author of Sagebrush Empire: How a Re- mote Utah County Became the Battle- front of American Public Lands. VNC 503-429-9333 Recreational & Medical Marijuana Dispensary Serving the Community Featuring: • Edibles • Concentrates • CBD Oils, Topicals, & Tinctures • Flower Grams & Pre-rolled Joints Vernonia’s Natural Choice Open 7 days 9am - 9pm 736 Bridge Street, Suite 1 Owned and Operated by Don & Kim Wallace DON WALLACE, PLS Professional Land Surveying 1224 E. Alder St. Vernonia, OR 97064 Phone: 503-429-6115 FAX: 1-866-297-1402 Email: DWallace_KLS@msn.com CORPORATE MEMBER
