Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (July 13, 1994)
MS Society will use Vernonia as home base for weekend bike ride If you’re looking for an un usual weekend get-away this summer, you may want to consider two days of cycling fun and adventure from Ver nonia to Seaside through the Jewell Wildlife Refuge. This get-away includes a 150 mile cycling c h a lle n g e th ro u g h som e of O re g o n ’s m ost bre ath ta king scenery, one night’s accommodation, food, and all of the cycling support needed for a safe and chal lenging ride. Organized by the Oregon Chapter of the National Mul tiple Sclerosis Society, this year’s Portland MS150 Bike Tour is being held July 30-31 and is expected to draw 400 local area cyclists. The ride begins and ends at Vernonia High School. “If you need to get out of town for the week end, the MS 150 two-day Bike Tour is a great way to do som e c re a tive s ig h ts e e in g , get in shape and, most importantly, make a con trib u tio n to the search fo r a cure fo r M S,” said Cheryl Sheppard, direc tor of special events for the Oregon Chapter. Each cyclist is sponsored by friends, colleagues and family members, who pledge money for every mile com pleted. Proceeds support lo cal health-related and educa tional services which reach more than 3,500 people in O regon and C lark County, W ashington. In ad dition , a portion of the funds are used to support national research efforts to find the cause and cure for M ultiple S clerosis (M S); a c h ro n ic , u n p re dictable and often disabling disease that attacks a pe r son’s nervous system. The National Multiple Scle rosis Society is dedicated to advancing the cure, preven tion and treatment of MS and to improving the lives of those affected by the disease. For more information on the ser vices offered by the Oregon Chapter, please call 1-800- 422-3042. Individuals in te reste d in registering for the Portland MS150 Bike Tour should call the O regon C hapter of the N ational M ultiple Sclerosis Society at1 -800-422-3042. Vol. 9, No. 13“ Voice o f the Upper Nehalem River Valley"July 13,1994 Let it Rain. . . Vernonia, rural Scappoose top increases in real estate values A 28% increase in local real estate prices brings with it both good news and bad news. The good news is that your property has increased in val ue. The bad news is that your property taxes are likely to in crease because your property is more valuable— even if you did nothing to improve it. Dallas contractor J. W. Fowler is installing storm drain sys tem on A Street. INSIDE: Ike Says................................................... See pg. 2 Business Notes...................................... See pg. 4 The Way It W as-70 years ago.............. See pg. 6 Cookin' Comer........................................See pg. 7 Letters, lots of letters....................See pgs. 8 & 9 Tee off on cancer....................................See pg.11 Summer burning ban............................See pg. 12 Job opportunities......................... See pgs. 15*18 A report issued recently confirms what home buyers and real estate agents have known all along — that the hot real estate market contin ues to inflate home prices. The report, called the As sessors Certified Ratio Study, analyzes sales of property from May 1, 1993, to April 1, 1994. The report compares 19 93 -94 a sse sse d value s with the sales price and de termines how those assessed values are to be adjusted so that the 1994-95 assessed values are at 100 percent of market value. "The real estate boom that started in 1990 is continuing u n a b a te d ,” sa id Tom U n hares, Columbia County As sessor. “ In fact, if anything, the rate of increase is greater th is y e a r th a n p re v io u s years,” Linhares said. Generally, residential val ues have increased 20 per cent, personal property mo bile homes have increased 5 percent and commercial and industrial property have re mained the same. Each area of the county is analyzed sep arately. The increases range from 18 percent in Rainier to 28 percent in rural Scappoose and the City of Vernonia. A total of 1,463 sales were a n a lyze d th ro u g h o u t the county. During the first three m onths of 1994, deeds re corded by the County Clerk increased by 27 percent over the firs t th re e m onths of 1993. Building permits were up by 36 percent, during the same period. W hile higher real estate va lu e s are good new s fo r sellers, property owners will likely see higher property tax bills next October. “ Despite lower tax rates due to Ballot Measure 5, it looks like residential property taxes will be up approximate ly five to ten percent next year,” Linhares said. L in h a re s a ttrib u te s the higher home prices to a gen erally favorable real estate m arket com bined w ith the strong influence of people moving to Columbia County, especially from the Portland Metropolitan area. “Without a doubt, what is driving these increases is the migration of people to St. He lens, Scappoose and Verno nia," Linhares said. “ Even Vernonia is experiencing a tremendous real estate boom market,” he continued. To a lesser extent, the in-migration is also affecting Rainier and Clatskanie, according to Lin hares. The ratio study was pre sented on Tuesday, July 5, to the Columbia County Board of Ratio Review, a five mem ber citizen panel that will re view the report and make rec ommendations to the asses sor. The ratio study is also re view ed by the O regon D e partment of Revenue. CHANGE IN PROPERTY VALUES 1993-94 TO 1994-95 (Selected Columbia County communities) LOCATION St. Helens Columbia City Scappoose (City) Scappoose (Rural) Vernonia (City) Vernonia (Rural) 1993-94 1994-95 % INCREASE $100,000.00 X 20.2322 $ 2,023.22 $120,000.00 X ___18Æ422 $ 2,165.06 1 .20% $100,000.00 X ...21.4723 $ 2,147.23 $123,000.00 X: ■19.2823 $ 2,371.72 1 .23% $100,000.00 X__ 20J428 1 $ 2,034.28 $ 120,000.00 X___17,8428 $ 2,141.14 $100,000.00 X 13.6784 $ 1,367.84 $ 128,000.00 X 11178 4 $ 1,430.84 $100,000.00 X ___ 1 7 6 4 1 8 $ 1,764.18 $128,000.00 X 17 5116 $ 2,241.48 $100,000.00 JC___1Q.Q824 $ 1008.24 $ 119,000.00 X___ SL9552 $ 1,184.31 1 .07% 1 .10% 1 .20% 1 .05% 1 .28% 1 .05% 1 .28% 1 .27% 1 .1 9% 1 .17%
