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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (July 16, 1997)
Scout Cabin boosters offered time to show support . ................................ .......... after renovation is and is in a debilitated condi tenance tion. complete. The nine citizens who ex The renovation plan will pressed a desire to renovate need to include the names of the cabin and a need for an businesses and citizens who extension of time to raise will make a commitment to funds for the renovation, have donate funds, labor and/or been told in writing that the materials, with a time line for date will be extended to Sep anticipated completion of the tember 17 so they may devel project. op some sort of organization Because the City’s budget with a designated spokesper lacks funds to pay for on-go- son, a written plan for the ren ing use of the building, the ovation of the structure, and a maintenance plan will need to written plan for ongoing main specify how monies will be Acceding to heartfelt state ments from nine people at the last Vernonia City Council meeting, the council agreed to restructure a proposal that would allow a citizens’ group to raise funds for rehabilita tion and operations of the Scout Cabin" in Hawkins Park. The cabin was built in 1928 for Campfire Girls and was used for many years by Boy and Girl Scouts. It has not been used on a regular basis for more than 15 years i • & Ä Voi. 12, No. 14 > < d INSIDE: , It’s County Fair time___ See pgs 8-9 Thanks from flooded school__ See pg 10 Hearing on gas fields----- See pg. 13 RiverCity racing..... See pg. 16 »«S. Voice of the Upper Nehalem River Valley" A new (school) year begins... Citizens are asked what they want in local Charter? therefore, be able to make binding decisions? Should the mayor be counted for the quo rum... with or without a vote? Most of these elements are in the current Vernonia City Charter, which is now being up dated. The citizens who com pose the Charter Review Com mittee are seeking input from city residents regarding ele ments of the charter they feel should be either changed or left unchanged. The next meeting of the committee is Thursday, July 17 at 7:00 p.m. in the school dis trict board room. The public is invited to participate and let their feelings be known. VRFPD fills vacancies; schedules Open House Two important positions in moving to Vernonia. the Vernonia Rural Fire Protec Long-time volunteer fire tion District were filled by the fighter Don Webb was named fire district board of directors on to the director’s position that July 8. became vacant when director- Paul Epler, a volunteer fire elect David Coffin was trans fighter with the district during ferred out of state. the last two years, has been Webb, who filled in as acting named Fire Chief, to fill the va fire chief prior to Epler’s ap cancy created by the resigna pointment, has assumed the tion of Steve Weller. His first of duties of the directorship. ficial day in the position was July 14. Saturday Open House Epler also served as a fire Metro West Ambulance-Ver fighter in Crooked River prior to nonia, and VRFPD will hold July 16, 1997 Yarbor targeted for recall, fights back A new board of directors and a new superintendent of schools last week held their first meeting of the 1997-98 Vernonia school year. Seated above, left to right, are board m em bers S h elley Stevens and Don Dailey, w ith S u p e rin te n d e n t Larry McClellan. Standing are directors Carla Strand, Susann Ragsdale, Jeff Blum and Kim Tierney. Blum was elected board president; Ragsdale is vice-president. Not pictured is Director Debbie Johnston, who was unable to attend the July 10 meeting. Do the citizens of Vernonia want to limit the mayor’s vote to just tie-breaking? Should the mayor have veto power over the City Council? Should the council president have TWO votes when sitting in as acting mayor? Should just two coucilors be considered a quorum and, raised to operate the building, such as user fees, and the names of groups that would be interested in long-term us age. When the Council receives the plans, they will determine how the citizen’s group may continue toward its goal. If no group is formed or the written plan» are not received by Sept. 17, negotiations will cease and the council will sell the building to be moved out of Hawkins Park. open house at the fire hall, 555 E. Bridge Street, on Saturday, July 19, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. In addition to the opportunity to meet new Fire Chief Paul Epler, EMS volunteers and vol unteer firefighters, members of the community may also meet the Crash Dummies and wit ness someone being extricated from an auto. There will also be free re freshments, tours of the station facilities, ambulances, fire en gines and rescue units. A petition for the recall of ¡zed a letter to Yarbor as a way Columbia County Commis for the writer to circumvent sioner Joel Yarbor was filed planning department regula July 1 with the county elections tions. The letter from Reed office, charging that Yarbor has Bruegman, a neighbor of “conspired with others includ Arnold’s in rural Scappoose, ing Columbia County Commis requested a refund of fees he sioners to violate” county zon had paid for annual reviews of ing ordinances and state laws. his home occupations license, The charges by Chief Peti because an ordinance adopted tioner Mervin Arnold are non by the county eliminated the specific, but allege that Yarbor requirement for an annual has granted special favors to review. It was found that some at the cost and expense Bruegman did have a refund of other taxpayers, including due; the letter was then sent to having land development per the planning department for a mit application fees waived, staff recommendation on mod not passing on ex parte corre ification of conditions (the spondence regarding land annual review) for his home development, and recom opccupation license. mending fee waivers for his own “special interests.” ‘There is no substance to these allegations,” Yarbor said, noting that he has been accused of illegally helping his brother, Jeff, who owns a real estate business in St. Helens, ever since being elected. ‘The only time an issue has come before the board involv ing a member of my family, I declared a conflict and ab stained from participating,” Yarbor added. Arnold declined to be more specific, when contacted by The INDEPENDENT, saying Joel Yarbor he was waiting for a “report from the [state] Attorney According to Arnold, the General’s office” and would procedure was illegal for two then provide more details. reasons: 1.) The letter should Also named as part of the n’t have gone to Yarbor recall effort are Nellie Arnold because he will sit on the and Henry Horvat, both of board “when the decision is Scappoose. appealed.” 2.) The letter wasn’t To place the question of an “application" for a review of recall before the voters, the conditions so the county didn’t petitioners must gather the sig have an application on file from natures of 2,422 registered Breugman. voters in Columbia County by Columbia County Counsel September 29. John Knight said that a letter to any commissioner is appropri Tempers flare At the July 9 meeting of the ate when asking for a refund of board of commissioners, fees, and that it was proper Arnold and Yarbor traded procedure to send the letter on insults after Arnold character- Please see page 14 * 4
