Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (April 21, 1999)
Page 4 The INDEPENDENT, April 21, 1999 N ew G TE s w itc h in g d e v ic e w ill allo w fu ll use o f n ew te c h n o lo g y Updated telecommunica tions technology from GTE will make Caller ID, Voice Mail and other advanced, optional call ing features available in Ver nonia starting this fall. It happens Sept. 18, when GTE will replace its existing digital telephone switching sys tem in Vernonia with a newer generation of digital technolo gy. The updated system will serve all of the company’s 1,600 customer lines in the 429 prefix. A switching system is the heart of a community’s telecom munications network. It routes local and long-distance calls, fares and data transmissions to their proper destinations. Digi tal technology is the most mod ern available in the public net work. In addition to the advanced features, the modern system will provide greater capacity. That’s significant because in creased call volumes are ex pected when Vernonia cus tomers receive toll-free access to the Portland metro area starting Oct. 2. “This newer generation of digital technology will improve the quality of life for Vernonia customers and strengthen the area’s potential for economic growth,” said Jim McFarland, customer operations manager based in Beaverton. “Better yet, even though we’ll invest $850,000 in the new system, basic customer rates will not change.” The optional features will be available in early October, about two weeks after the ad vanced switching system is ac tivated. They will offer conven ience, security and control to those customers who order them. Here’s a partial list: Caller ID: Allows customers Stewardship considers the future As we close out the twenti eth century and second millen nium, we must think about what we are passing on to fu ture generations, according to organizers of the 1999 Soil & Water Stewardship Week ob servance, set for April 25th to May 2nd. The event theme, “In the Children’s Hands”, reminds us that children of the new mil lennium will need both roots and wings — roots anchored in the legacy of sound natural re source conservation and wings to strike out, to innovate and make the world a better place to live. Local sponsor of the obser vance, the Columbia Soil & Water Conservation District is inviting youth leaders and par ents to take the time to help young people better under stand their role in caring for the natural resources in our envi ronment. “Our ability to maintain a healthy, productive land is de- on how seriously our children take their stewardship responsibility,” said Kay C. VanNatta, CSWCD Chairman. Employees and volunteers at the local conservation office can help identify conservation practices and activities that are best suited for your neighbor hood or your backyard. To learn more about conser vation practices and activities that benefit children, contact the Columbia Soil & Water Conservation District during business hours at 2514 Sykes Rd., St. Helens, 397-4555. Farm building permits change State Law (ORS 455.315) exempts “farm agricultural buildings” from the requirement to obtain a building permit and comply with the Oregon Struc tural Specialty Code. Effective June 1, 1999, the Columbia County Land Devel- Please see page 5 Non-profit Clubs and Organizations Churches - Service Clubs Schools ^5?^* Youth Groups - Seniors * £ t f i You could be fund raising every day with our new “S hopper A dvantage C ommunity S ervice S tamps ” Come in and ask us how! WESTERN UNION • MONEY ORDERS • FAX SERVICE LAMINATING • BOOKS • GREETING CARDS VIDEOS • LOTTERY GAMES to see the name and number of the person calling before the phone is answered. Caller ID can be an effective deterrent to obscene, harassing or threat ening calls. (Customers need ing privacy will have options to prevent their number from dis playing.) Anonymous Call Rejection: Any caller who has blocked his or her number from appearing on a Caller ID box will be inter cepted by a recording. The message announces that the called party will not accept calls from people who prevent dis play of their phone number. Call Tracing Service: This is another service that deters ob scene, threatening and harass ing calls. It allows the customer to trace the last incoming call received from the local service area by dialing ‘ 57. Law en forcement officials can subse quently retrieve the number. The cost is $1.00 for each suc cessful trace. Voice Mail: Calls to a cus tomer with Voice Mail never get a busy signal or no answer - they are automatically stored in a voice messaging system where they are retrievable 24 hours a day from any tone dial ing phone in the world. Smart Ring: Provides a cus tomer with two separate phone numbers on the same primary line. Calls placed to each num ber have a different ring, en abling the customer to know which number is being called. Automatic Busy Redial: Keeps trying a busy number for up to 30 minutes. When the number becomes available, the person trying to call is alerted with a ring. Automatic Call Return: En tering ‘ 69 on the phone auto matically dials the number of the last call received, whether it was answered or not. GTE is one of the largest publicly held telecommunica tions companies in the world. In the Northwest, the company serves 1.5 million customer ac cess lines, including about 490,000 in Oregon. kJ YES! tA«C LJAW C O 7^ IP LOCAL CALL INTERNET ACCESS! NO LONG DISTANCE CHARGES!! Pick up your FREE copy of Computer Bits at The INDEPENDENT, 725 Bridge St. 4 2 9 -4 0 4 5 507 Rose Ave., Vernonia G rand O pening ! Newly Remodeled, Come See Us. SATURDAY, MAY 1 ST Complimentary Coffee and Cookies (Buds & (Bfooms Vernonia's Nursery, Florist & Garden Center NURSERY FLORIST • Fresh Flowers • Arrangements • Balloons • Dried Flowers • House Plants • Gift Baskets • Annuals • Perennials • Ground Covers • Shrubs • Trees • Pond Plants OlLleflonf Jackson & Perk ins Wire Service Flowers in the U.S. & Internationally Remember to order early for Mothers' Day & the Prom! • Tea Roses • Floribundas • Climbers • Miniature • Tree Roses GARDEN CENTER Bird Center Hanging Baskets Fertilizers & Sprays Seeds Bagged Potting Soils & Peat Moss Bulk Potting Soil & Bark Dust Delivered Yard Services Lawn Maintenance Fencing & Decking Gazebos & Arbors Utility Sheds Green Houses Ponds Rock Gardens Retaining Walls CCB #100169 Licensed, Bonded & Insured • Free Estimates Look for Randy’s Special Buys! Open 8 am - 9 pm Seven Days a Week - VISA & MasterCard Vernonia Sentry 735 Jefferson Ave. ■ Vernonia ■ 429-3811 MasterCard DEBIT CARD 429-Y A R D (9273) Open Mon.-Sat. 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM 998 Bridge Street, Vernonia, OR (Formerly Sandra McLean Florist & Nursery)
