anks council names replacement for Mailer seat
Dana Lee Kampbell was the
unanimous choice last night to
complete the term vacated by
Banks City Councilor Evelyn
Mailer. Kampbell has prior ex
perience in city government in
Corvallis and, since moving to
Banks 18 months ago, has at
tended most city meetings.
She describes herself as
“being interested in getting
things done,” not as an observ
er. Kampbell publishes the Ar
bor Village newsletter. She will
be sworn in at the council
meeting on Apnl 11.
Two additional citizens, Alan
Cathcart and Claudine Bache
lor, also applied for the vacan
cy.
A Planning Commission va
cancy was also filled, with the
appointment of Margaret Hol
land to a non-voting position.
Holland previously served as a
transportation planner for the
State of Alaska. She is also ex
perienced with project develop
ment and fund raising.
Banks Chief of Police Daryl
Crandall discussed a bad
check ring operating in the
area and suggested that mer
chants use ink pads to put
thumbprints on checks. The
ring’s most frequent targets are
places like gas stations, pizza
parlors and other quick service
businesses, according to Cran
dall.
The city will be able to bor
row the $615,000 needed for
water system upgrades from a
state revolving loan fund, con
sulting engineer Dale Merrell
INSIDE:
told the council. The city will
have to raise water rates by
about $4.50 per month in order
to pay off the 30-year loan. The
current residential rate is
$20.47 for one-thousand cu. ft.
per month.
A public hearing will be set
to answer citizens’ questions
on the water project and to
gather their comments.
The city budget committee
will meet at 7:00 p.m. in City
Hall on March 21 to consider
the budget for the 2000-2001
100 million trees
planted.... pg. 4
Eight exchange
students
at VHS...... pg. 9
More Banks
news., pg. 10-11
VHS
sports..... pg. 12
BULK RATE
U.S. Postage Paid
Permit No. 37
Vernonia, OR 97064
“ Voice of the Upper Nehalem River Valley”_______________ March 15, 2000
Vol. 15, No 5
Peterson won t run,
others seek position
Counting noses...
If everybody enjoys the 2000 U.S. Census as much as the group above, there should
n’t be any problem getting a good count. Actually, these people are a few of the 18 Ver
nonia volunteers who gathered for a training session on how to help other citizens with
questions about the census. An accurate count is very important for local governments
because of the number of funds that are allocated by population. The Questionnaire As
sistance Center will operate in the Vernonia Senior Center through April 14.
Choir serenades school board
A brief, but very enjoyable,
presentation by the Vernonia
High School Choir was a wel
come change for the Vernonia
School District Board of Direc
tors at their March 9 meeting.
Led by director Bob Isted,
the choir started with the Star
Spangled Banner, then per
formed a parody on Bach with
the “Not So Boring Minuet”.
They completed their perfor
mance with the Skye Boat
Song, a traditional Scottish air.
Most of the meeting involved
routine personnel matters, pri
marily contract extensions for
certified staff who are in the
first few years with the district.
In other personnel matters,
the resignation of high school
Spanish teacher Wilfredo Mar-
tir was accepted, and the fol
lowing extra duty contracts
were approved:
— Clint Kelly as head Junior
FREE
High Track Coach.
— Dave Doubrava as head
High School Baseball Coach.
— Joe Strand as head High
School Girls Golf Coach.
The last position was not in
cluded in the district budget. A
community member has donat
ed funding for the total cost of
the girls’ golf program.
Superintendent Larry Mc
Clellan informed the board that
the state Department of Educa
tion has again delayed the
state Report Card for schools
like Lincoln Grade School. The
delay is because Lincoln does
n’t have any students in the
benchmark grades (3, 5, 8 and
10). Now the district expects
the information in April.
There are two vacancies on
the district budget committee.
The board will need to fill the
positions at the April meeting.
Terms are for three years and
members must be residents of
the school district.
Accreditation by the North
west Association of Schools
and Colleges was renewed for
Vernonia High School. The
school was slightly downgrad
ed because its media program
is not under the supervision of
a certified media specialist.
The district has been unable to
find a certificated person for
the position.
Public Hearing on
weight ordinance
March 20 at 6:30 p.m., is the
time set for a public hearing on
a proposed ordinance regulat
ing the weight of vehicles on
residential streets within Ver
nonia. The hearing will be held
in the City Council Chambers in
the City Hall, 1001 Bridge
Street.
With the exception of Com
mission Position No. 1, current
ly held by Jack Peterson, there
won’t be a lot of action in the
Columbia County primary elec
tion. Peterson, a St. Helens
Democrat, has decided to step
down at the end of this term.
He served two terms as a com
missioner before losing, then
being re-elected in 1986
The action will be especially
interesting in the Democratic
primary, with four candidates
for Position No. 1: Mike Avent,
a business owner and member
of the Rainier City Council; Joe
Corsiglia, a PGE employee and
member of the St. Helens City
Council; Susan Easley, a busi
ness owner and member of the
St. Helens School Board; and
Carole M. Smith of Warren,
who was appointed to fill a va
cancy on the Board of Com
missioners but was unsuccess
ful in her election bid for a full
term.
Two candidates will seek
Position 1 in the Republican
primary election: Scott Burge,
an automation specialist and
member of the Scappoose City
Council who previously ran for
election to the board of com
missioners; and Colleen DeS-
hazer of Warren, a business
administrator and member of
the Port of St. Helens Commis
sion. This will be DeShazer’s
third run at a commission seat.
Incumbent Commissioner,
for Position No. 3, Tony Hyde,
a Vernonia Republican, is un
opposed in the primary elec
tion. He will meet Democrat
Shawna L. Sykes, of Scap
poose, in the November elec
tion. Sykes was the only De
mocrat to file for Position 3.
She is executive director of the
St. Helens-Scappoose Cham
ber of Commerce.
Four non-partisan positions
— County Sheriff, Treasurer,
and Surveyor, and Justice of
the Peace for Clatskanie-Ver
nonia Justice Court — will be
noted on either the primary or
general ballot. There is no
competition for any of the posi
tions, leaving Sheriff Phil Der
by, Treasurer Paulette Kuiper-
Hall, Surveyor Phil Dewey and
Justice Rod McLean unop
posed for re-election.
City says no Jake brakes
except in an emergency
An ordinance prohibiting the
use of engine compression
brakes in Vernonia was adopt
ed by the Vernonia City Council
at their March 6 meeting. The
ordinance went into effect im
mediately. A fine of $315 may
be imposed for violating the or
dinance.
The council was informed
that Youth in Action members
who are working on develop
ment of a wheels park have
found that the proposed site
across from Hawkins Park will
not be suitable. Because the
site is located in a flood plain, it
cannot be filled to the standard
needed for the park develop
ment. The council affirmed
their intent to help find another
location and suggested that
Youth in Action send represen
tatives to the next park board
meeting.
Columbia County Commis
sioner Rita Bernhard informed
the council that the board con
siders extension of the linear
trail very important. She said
they have no plans to help with
financing the project, but will
write letters of support when
the City applies elsewhere.