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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (July 1, 1998)
Parade, barbecue, music and fireworks for the 4th Vernonia’s traditional Inde pendence Day celebration will include a children’s parade, band music, hot dogs and hamburgers, and, of course, a rousing finale of fireworks. The parade will start at 7:30 p.m., traveling along Bridge Street from Weed Avenue to Washington Grade School. There are no entry fees and anyone who wants to join in with appropriately decorated bikes, horses, wagons or what ever, is invited to gather at Weed Ave and Bridge Street at 7:00 p.m. Parents may help, or accompany their children. In fact, children of all ages (0- 80?), are welcome to celebrate Independence Day by joining the parade. The Booster Barbecue will start at 6:00 p.m., in the back parking lot between Vernonia High School and WGS, and Voi. 13, No. 13 continue until the fireworks start. All proceeds will go to ward construction of a new concession stand at VHS and continued support of school ac tivities. Bring your blankets and lawn chairs to enjoy the Upper Nehalem Dixieland Band, which will entertain with lively music starting at 8:00 p.m. This group of local musicians will keep everyone happily moving until it’s too dark to see the mu sic—which will be near the time for fireworks. The pyrotechnical display INSIDE: will elicit oohs and aahs just as soon as it is dark enough. The whole show will be operated by certified local technicians who donate their services. There is no cost for the great fireworks show, but members of Vernonia Pride will be pass ing through the crowd seeking donations to help pay the sev eral thousand dollars needed for the display. People are advised to leave their own fireworks at home be cause they will not be allowed to use them at the community gathering. Summer activity ideas.......... pg. 5 Cookin with Gladys...... pg. 7 Racing news....... pg. 13 Annie, Grapes of Wrath on stage at Longview .................pg. 16 “ Voice of the Upper Nehalem River Valley” Ready for Summer... July 1, 1998 Curriculum Council leads way to change This is the first in a series on how the Vernonia School District is working to bring new state stan dards into the classrooms. Jeff Burch and other Vernonia Public Works employees found lots of hands eagerly want ing to help install the dam on the city’s Rock Creek Swimming Pool. This annual rite of summer was just in time for last week’s hot weather. City cracks down on violations The City of Vernonia is seri dumped in Bear Creek. Colum Vernonia administrator Gordon ous about enforcing regula bia County, which regulates Zimmerman, who explained tions regarding riparian set commercial properties, also re that a 50-foot riparian setback backs, wetlands and earth fill, quired him to obtain a grading is required along streams with as Stop Work orders from both permit. a flow of less than 750 cubic Columbia County and the Ore Additional requirements in feet per second (cfs), such as gon Division of Lands have clude construction of a site-ob Bear Creek. Water flow greater emphasized to at least one lo scuring, six-foot fence running than 750 cfs [Rock Creek and cal resident. parallel to the creek, with a 50- the Nehalem River] requires a Vernonia resident and busi foot setback, as well as be 75-foot setback. nessman Rob Richards, who tween the commercial lot Wetlands delineation is also had been using earthfill to raise Richards is developing and ad required in city regulations. In the level of low-lying commer jacent residential property that order to avoid possible finan cial penalties and any delay in cial property that is bounded by he also owns. When clearing trees from development, property owners Rose Avenue, Bridge Street and Bear Creek, ignored a ver the property, Richards also re are advised to obtain copies of bal order from the city to stop moved trees on the city-owned city regulations, which incorpo work until he obtained permits right-of-way. So, in addition to rate county and state require a penalty that will double the ments. Building requirements, to fill and grade. State inspectors called in by cost of the approximately permit information and city reg the city determined that a fill $40.00 permit fee, he must ulations are available Monday permit was required; the state plant replacement trees. through Friday from 8:00 a.m. also ordered Richards to re “Property owners need to be to 5:00 p.m. at Vernonia City move brushy debris he had aware of requirements,” said Hall, 919 Bridge Street. Oregon expects more of its students. It expects students to master not only the traditional basics of reading, writing and arithmetic, but also advanced mathematics, advanced sci ence and the ability to apply academic knowledge in practi cal ways. The Oregon Educational Act for the 21st Century, passed by the state legislature in 1991, calls on schools to hold stu dents accountable for higher academic standards. Students will be required to demonstrate what they know and can do through complex assignments and periodic tests. Testing will occur to see whether students are meeting the benchmarks at each level because they must work to ward a Certificate of Initial Mastery (CIM) in the tenth grade and a Certificate of Ad vanced Mastery (CAM) in or der to graduate. Now, it’s up to each school district to help its students meet those standards. Six Vernonia teachers and one administrator have been working on the curriculum that students will need to be suc cessful. And because curricu lum is the backbone of the pro gram, it must provide continuity to support learning from kin dergarten through high school. The teachers who comprise the Curriculum Council cover all grade levels: Mary Miller teaches first grade; Rosemary Laridon has fourth grade; Eileen Grady, sixth grade; Robyn Cochran, junior high English; Kurt Victor, high school science; Sheri Boyd, high school math. ¿ « Working with the teachers is administrator Mike Durbin, who will be high school principal next year. Using math as an example of curriculum continuity, what the curriculum council must do is develop a path that takes a primary student from under standing what a number is, to the level of a high school se nior who can not only make ac curate computations, but can apply basic knowledge of how math works and, at the same time, explain the process used. That “explanation” compo nent is another important part of the whole process called “Writing through the curricu lum.” No matter what the sub ject is, or at what grade level, Vernonia students will be writ ing. They will write in composi tion, of course. But they will also write in math, in science, in health, in social studies...in every subject and at every lev el. But, back to mathematics. Here is a sample third grade question provided by the Ore gon Department of Education: Three of the following fig ures could be folded in the mid dle, making two equal halves. One figure could not have two equal sides. Which one? ’ / \ ° A The goal is for students to identify properties of geometric figures and combinations of shapes as part of the basic un derstanding of mathematics. Incidentally, if you don’t know the answer, ask your kids. If they don’t know, it’s a good starting place.
