Vernonia's voice., February 03, 2022, Image 1

February 3, 2022
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VERNONIA’S
Volume 16 Issue 3
reflecting the spirit of our community
Armitage Sworn ODOT to Begin “Green Bridge” Repairs
The Oregon Department of
in as State Senator Transportation
will begin repairs on
Rachel Armitage has been se-
lected by County Commissioners from
Columbia, Clatsop, Mutlnomah, Tilla-
mook, Washington, and Yamhill counties
to fill the remainder of Betsy Johnson’s
term as State Senator for District 16.
Armitage, a Democrat from
Warren in Columbia County, was sworn
in on January 21. She previously worked
as a legislative assistant in Salem in 2016
and 2017, focusing on constituent servic-
es, and education and foster youth rights
issues.
Armitage plans to bring her per-
spective from her past legislative work
to the Oregon Senate, advocating for bet-
ter economic opportunities for Oregon’s
working families. Armitage will serve
on the Joint Ways and Means Subcom-
mittee on General Government, and has
said publicly she does not plan to run for
the seat in November. She is currently
employed at Reed College, where she is
also studying toward a Masters’s Degree.
“I look forward to bringing my
perspective as a rural Oregonian to Sa-
lem,” said Armitage. “Our communities
deserve action on the everyday issues
that affect our way of life, such as access
to rewarding jobs and stable, affordable
housing.”
inside
3
Gorge Networks
Announces Delay
8
VHS Winter
Sports Report
9
Legion Briefing
the historic Nehalem River Bridge, lo-
cated on Highway 47 on the north end
of town. Known locally as the “Green
Bridge,” work will begin on February
7 and is scheduled to continue through
June 30.
Built in 1939, the repairs on
the bridge are needed or it will con-
tinue to deteriorate and require costly
maintenance.
The project includes:
• Removing the rust that has built up
between the steel plates.
• Straightening bent steel beams.
• Replacing rusted rivets and bolts.
• Repainting the bridge to protect the
bridge against the elements and future
rust.
During construction expect
noise and lane closures, causing short
delays.
Estimated cost of the project is
$1.7 million.
Big Changes at Columbia Pacific Food Bank
The regional supplier of
food to local food pantries
is getting a new home
and has a new Executive
Director
By Scott Laird
Change is never easy, but
sometimes it can be exciting.
That’s the situation at the
Columbia Pacific Food Bank, which
supplies dry foods, meats, and fresh
produce to food pantries across Co-
lumbia County, including Vernonia
Cares.
Sometime around the begin-
ning of March the Columbia Pacific
Food Bank is expecting to move into
their new, 12,500 square foot loca-
tion on Columbia Boulevard in St.
Helens from their old, 2,500 square
foot location just around the corner.
The newly renovated building will
be easier for clients to access, and
features a large walk-in fridge and
freezer, lots of storage space in the
warehouse, an inviting food pantry
and indoor produce storage space for
local users, a full kitchen and large
office space, and more room for...
well, maybe some new ideas.
That’s because long-time
Executive Director Casey Wheeler
is taking this opportunity to retire at
the end of March after nine years of
service to the community, and will
be handing over the Executive Di-
rector position to former Columbia
County Commissioner Alex Tardif.
During his tenure in charge, Wheel-
er was able to improve efficiency,
while increasing food distribution
by almost 500% to the communities
that needed it, from about 4 tons of
continued on page 5
Alex Tardif is the new Executive Director of
the Columbia Pacific Food Bank which
will be moving into a new, 12,500 square
foot facility in St. Helens in March.
Celebrating Black History Month
Black History Month is an an-
nual celebration during the month of
February across both the United States
and Canada to recognize and honor
the achievements by African Ameri-
cans and their central role in history.
Also known as African American His-
tory Month, according to history.com,
the event grew out of “Negro History
Week,” created by prominent African
Americans in 1926 to focus the atten-
tion of the public on important devel-
opments, contributions, and the legacy
of African Americans across U.S. his-
tory and society – from activists and
civil rights pioneers to leaders in in-
dustry, politics, science, culture, and
more.
In honor of Black History
Month, in this issue of the Voice we
profile some civil rights freedom fight-
ers who may not have the name recog-
nition of other prominent leaders, but
are people, some of them with local
connections, whose accomplishments
should make them
household names.
Elizabeth Freeman
Elizabeth Free-
man, also known as
“Mumbet” or “Bet,”
was among the first
slaves in Massachusetts
to sue for and win her
freedom.
Born into
slavery in 1742, she
was given to the Ash-
ley family of Sheffield,
Massachusetts in her early teens. Dur-
ing her period of enslavement to them,
she married and had a child, Betsy.
Soon after the Revolution-
ary War, Bet heard the Massachusetts
Constitution read aloud in the Ash-
ley’s home, and heard these words
from Article 1: “All men are born free
and equal, and have certain natural, es-
sential, and unalienable rights; among
which may be reckoned the right of en-
joying and defending their
lives and liberties...”
Bet recognized the
potential legal and moral
import of these words and
sought out an attorney to
sue for her freedom un-
der the newly ratified state
constitution. With the help
of Theodore Sedgwick, a
Stockbridge attorney and
abolitionist, she pled her
case in the Court of Com-
mon Pleas in August 1781
and became the first African-American
woman to be set free under the Massa-
chusetts Constitution. Her case, Brom
and Bett v. Ashley, served as precedent
in the State Supreme Court case that
brought an end to the practice of slav-
ery in Massachusetts.
As a free woman, Bet took the
name Elizabeth Freeman. She worked
as a governess in the Sedgwick house-
hold, and then she and Betsy bought
continued on page 6