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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (April 26, 1995)
1 This wriggling catch photographed in the Izaak Walton League’s Bear Creek trapping project was safely released to go on their way. This particular group is composed mostly of young coho salmon mixed in with a couple of cutthroat trout. uper to c k car 1995 Race Schedule Season Opener M ay 6 I PHRA - Pacifie Hardtop Racing Assecntlen WESCO - Wash. Ecana Sprint Car Org. Pra-4 -| ZZ tt » • a :0 7 June 3 0 7 1 5 2 July 6 Aug. Sept. 5 2 9 2 3 6 3 0 Oct. 7 Modified* ground poundin', 1/4 mile oval PHRA Action!! Regular Race PHRA Regular Race PHRA Regular Race Rain Date W ESCO Port *0 ’ Fun Race PHRA Regular Race P R O 4-M O D IF IE D S Regular Race PHRA Reg. Race (Double Points) SPEC IA L S H O W Reg. Race (W ed. Night) Regular Race W ESCO Regular Race PHRA Regular Race PHRA Labor Day Races (2-D ay Show) PHRA Labor Day Races (2-D ay Show) Regular Race Championship R ace (Double Points) 10th Annual "Run W hat Ya Brung” Race Fairgrounds Benefit R ace (Run W hat Ya Brung II) Regular Shows Include Sportsman, Street Stock, Women & Dwarf Car Divisions Wvercity Speedway, CehmMa County Mrgroends, S t Helens Time Trials 3:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m. • Race Time 6:30 p.m. Colombia Coenty Racing Association • 397-6506/397-2393 From page 2 g a th e rin g m ore volum e and force from stream s that happily join in from adjacent draws. Now the tiny creek makes noise as it continues down the steep canyon bottom. The creek enters a flat stretch of ground and is momentarily captured in a large man-made pool that is the start of man’s world. The water is not alone on its journey to the Pacific Ocean, some 90 miles away, for there are numerous creatures that live in the creek’s water; some permanently, like the macroinver tebrates (aquatic insects) or some, like the salmon, that flow to the Ocean with the com ing of each yea r’s spring showers. As the creek enters the town it is forced to flow through strange pipes and unnatural courses of concrete and there are no logs to create holes in the stream bed. There are far fewer trees lining its shore and in many places the water touches nothing but grass on its banks. Finally the small stream breaks free from this unfriendly environment when it finally en ters a bigger stream called Rock Creek. The creek is glad to dilute some of the poisons it received as it flowed through this strange man-made area, poisons like soap suds from washing cars, oils, gas and antifreeze from cars, chemicals applied to houses, yards and streets. They all flowed into the stream via man-made creeks that flow from pipes in the ground. To many of the people who live along this stream, the creek is a worthless nuisance, es pecially in the summer when it dries up except for a few tiny pools that languish in the sum mer heat. Yet, there is worth in this tiny creek for, in spite of man, life struggles on and there is value in this stream for it produces a com modity that man values; that commodity is fish. Of course this value is hidden in the cone of plastic mesh which funnels them into a solid plastic pipe, a lot like the culvert they were just shot out of. The fish flow down this strange pipe and land in a small basket with no escape to the downstream waters. Here, they wait until a man comes along, lifts their small prison to the water’s surface and opens a lid. The fish are then scooped out individually with a little net, measured and gently released into the downstream waters to complete their journey to the Ocean. This de vice is the Izaak Walton League’s downstream migrant pipe trap in Bear Creek. The results, so far, prove that there is value in this tiny creek flowing through our town and it’s a value worth protecting. Here are the ear ly results of our trapping efforts. Coho Salmon - 69 smolts with an average length of about five inches. Steelhead - 5 sm olts w ith an average length of about seven inches. Cutthroat trout - 24 with an average length of about six inches. Sculpins - 54 with an average length of about two inches. This is the data up to April 24th and there will be many more Coho and Cutthroat trout migrating downstream in the coming month. So, as you can see, Bear Creek is far from dead, as many townspeople believe. W ith a little help, it could be a lot healthier. We will publish the fish counts when we conclude this study in June. And, for all you trout fishermen, there were a couple of real nice, fat eight- inchers that migrated into Rock Creek. Any of you who want to know more about our great outdoors are invited to join us at our monthly Izaak Walton League meeting, the third Wednesday of the month, 7:00 p.m. at the Vernonia City Library. Arts and Crafts Society meetings set The Vernonia Arts & Crafts Society recently elected new officers: Irene Christensen, president; Barbara Sturde- vant, vice-president; Arietta Frace, secretary/treasurer. The o rg a n iz a tio n ’s next m eeting w ill be held at the City Library, May 11 at 2:00 p.m. An invitation is extended to anyone interested in arts and crafts of all types. New- SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS 2 9 16 23 30 VERNONIA 3 10 u 24 4 11 18 25 5 12 19 26 6 13 20 27 JUNE MAY APR 2nd Thursday 1 2:00 p.m., School District Ofc. Adult & Family Services 7:30 p.m., VHS Library 1st Wednesday AFS 8 p.m.,1st Baptist Church Fridays Alcoholics Anonymous 12:30 p.m., Golf Course 2nd Wednesday American Cancer Society Wednesdays 7 -8:30 p.m., Evangelical Church AWANA Clubs 7:30 p.m., VHS Library 2nd Wednesday Boosters 7:00 p.m., LDS Church Wednesdays Boy Scouts 8-9:00 p.m. WGS Cafeteria 4th Thursday Boy Scout Parents 7:30 a.m., Country Kitchen 2nd Wednesday Chamber of Commerce 6 p.m., School District Ofc. 2nd Wednesday Community Center Project 7:00 p.m., WGS Gym Tuesdays Cub Scouts 6:30-8 p.m., Christian Church Thursdays Girl Scouts For location call 429-7193 3rd Wednesday Izaak Walton League 7 p.m., VHS library 1st Wednesday Jamboree Committee 6:30 p.m., Lew's Place 1st & 3rd Tuesdays Lions Club 2nd Thursday 1 -2:00 p.m., School District Ofc. MTC Training & Placement 7 p.m., Crazy Charlie' 1st Tuesday Nehalem Valley Car Club Oregon State Employ. Dept. 2nd Thursday 1 -2:00 p.m., School District Ofc. 10:30 a.m., City Library Wednesdays Preschool Story Hour 7:30 p.m., City Library Last Thursday Ridge Riders Saddle Club 1 p.m., Senior Center 1st Friday Senior Center Directors 2nd Thursday 1 2:00 p.m., School District Ofc. Senior & Disabled Services City Library, 429-7605 for time 2nd Thursday Society of Arts & Crafts 6:30 p.m., 627 Adams Tuesdays TOPS 7:30 p.m., 627 Adams 2nd Thursday* Vernonia Cares Directors 7:30 p.m., City Library 1 st & 3rd Mondays Vernonia City Council 10:00 a.m., Grange Hall 2nd Saturday Vernonia Grange A rie tta Frace at 429-2991, Barbara Sturdevant at 429- 6696, or Irene Christensen at 429-7605. comers to the area are wel come as well as any former members or past participants. For more information, call 7 14 21 28 i 8 15 22 29 7 14 21 28 1 8 15 22 29 Vernonia Planning Comm. 1 st & 3rd Thursdays Vernonia Preschool Directors 1st Tuesday 4th Thursday Vernonia Pride 2nd Tuesday Vernonia Rural Fire District 2nd Thursday Vernonia School District Vernonia Volunteer Firefighters 2nd Monday 3rd Tuesday WOEC Directors 2 9 16 23 30 3 10 17 24 31 4 11 18 25 5 12 19 26 6 13 20 27 4 11 18 25 5 12 19 76 6 13 20 27 7 14 21 28 1 8 15 22 29 7 9 16 73 30 3 10 17 24 7:00 p.m., City Library 7 p.m., 627 Adams 7 p.m., VHS Library 7:30 p.m., Fire Station 8 p.m., School District Office 7 p.m., Fire Station 7 p.m., WOEC MIST-BIRKENFELD 7:30 2nd Tuesday Mist-Birkenfeld Fire Bd. M-B Firefighters Assoc. 1st, 2nd & 3rd Wednesdays 7 7 M-B Ambulance Assoc. 1 st, 2nd & 3rd Thursdays Natal Grange 2nd Wednesday p.m., Main Fire Station p.m., Main Fire Station p.m., Main Fire Station 7:30 p.m., Grange Hall COLUMBIA COUNTY (All meet in St. Helens unless otherwise noted.) 10 a.m., Courthouse Wednesdays Board of Commissioners 7 p.m., Sunset Park Church 2nd Tuesday Citizens for Senior Justice 10:30 a.m., Courthouse 2nd Friday COLCO Transportation 1:00 p.m., Courthouse 2nd Friday County Council of Seniors 7:30 p.m., 800 Port Ave. 3rd Wednesday Columbia ESD 2nd & 4th Tuesday 7 p.m., 4-H Bldg., Fairgrounds County Fair Board 7 p.m., 1054 Oregon St. 2nd Wednesday County Parks Commission 7 p.m., Courthouse 3rd Tuesday Emergency Comm. Dist. Noon, location call 429-3713 4th Wednesday Historical Society 7 a.m., Village Inn 1 st Wednesday Traffic Safety Commission ‘ January, April, July & October only Organizations and meeting dates not listed may be included by calling 429-9410, or by mail to The INDEPENDENT, 1206 State Avenue, Vernonia, OR 97064.
