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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 16, 1998)
WlsiMJU. f/üd&bn£L& Hapîtu Tlew (lj&ah BULK RATE U.S. Postage Paid Permit No. 37 Vernonia, OR 97064 “ Vo/ce of the Upper Nehalem River Valley’ Vol. 13, No. 24 Nearly the entire student body at Mist Elementary School appeared on stage for the fi nale of the annual winter holiday program. The standing-room-only crowd enjoyed the program which, this year, was performed by students from three classrooms, instead of just two classrooms. The Mist School population was increased with the addition of students bused from Vernonia, where the primary grade students threatened with over crowding. VRFPD looking at illegal burns mit, • Burning during a No Burn Season or on non-burn days, • Burning after dark, • Allowing a fire to escape, • Burning illegal materials, • Burning without minimum safety requirements. In addition to possible warn ings or citations, the policy would include billing those re sponsible for illegal burning for all costs of extinguishing the fire. The financial responsibility component would include the costs of personnel time, equip ment and materials. The fire district board is ask ing residents to send written comments about the policy, no later than 5:00 p.m. Jan. 11, 1999. The entire policy may be found on page 21 of today’s IN DEPENDENT INSIDE: December traditions, see Between the Bookends...pg. 3 Serenity Gardens bloom in the mall.............pg. 5 December 16, 1998 Local museum may be closed by county The grand finale The board of directors of the Vernonia Rural Fire Protection District is reviewing policy on il legal burns and hopes to make a decision on adopting a policy at their next meeting, Jan. 12, 1999. The proposed policy pro vides warnings and/or citations for various kinds of illegal burns, including the following: • Burning without a burn per FREE Prep Sports..pgs. 11-14,17 Students named to Who’s Who........... pg. 20 The Columbia County His torical Society Museum in Ver nonia is being threatened with closure because of shortfalls in the county Parks Department budget. Both the Vernonia mu seum and the museum located in the courthouse in St. Helens are included in the Parks De partment. The City of Vernonia owns the building that houses the lo cal museum, which the county has been leasing it for $1 per year. The county has also paid all of the costs for maintenance and operations, including a small salary and living quarters for a curator. County Commissioner Tony Hyde told the Vernonia City Council last week that the job of museum curator Robb Wil son will be eliminated at the end of 1998, but that the coun ty is looking at other ways to keep the museum open. Hyde said he recognized the impor tance of the museum to Ver nonia, but that it would not be funded next year. Hyde suggested that the area which is now living quar ters could be remodeled to ac commodate Vernonia Cares, the emergency food bank, which, according to Hyde, is losing its quarters in the Amer ican Legion building. If that proposal worked out, Vernonia Cares could take care of the building, and the opening and closing of the mu seum, he suggested. He also said that the county historical society has indicated a willing ness to take care of curating the museum. Mayor Art Parrow asked why the city hadn’t been in formed of the problem earlier, instead of being given less than a month’s notice. Hyde said that was why he had come before the council. Council members were also dismayed at the lack of prior notice. In order to deal with the problem as quickly as possible, the council agreed to hold a workshop with all of the organi zations involved - County, Ver nonia Cares, Historical Society and City - to discuss the situa tion and, hopefully, find a solu tion. The workshop is scheduled for tonight, December 16, at 7:00 p.m. in the city library. It is open to the public and the city is encouraging all interested parties to attend. Planning panel members needed So, you’ve always won dered how those idiots made such dumb decisions, right? Here is your chance to find out. Columbia County is inviting interested persons to send lit ters of interest concerning openings on the county plan ning commission. Current openings on the commission are for at-large members, that is citizens who reside any where in Columbia County. Commission members are appointed by the county Board of Commissioners. The planning commission meets at 6:30 p.m. on the first Monday of each month, oper ating as a public hearing, and takes testimony on various land use applications. The panel then makes decisions or recommentations based on the testimony. You may request an “Inter est Form”, by calling the BOC office, 397-4322. For further in formation, call Chief Planner Glen Higgins at 397-1501.
