The independent., April 19, 2000, Page 14, Image 14

Page 14
The INDEPENDENT, April 19, 2000
Local m an’s skills bring pilots from far away for special training
V e rn o n ia M u n ic ip a l A irp o rt
M a n a g e r M ik e S e a g e r is fe a ­
tu re d in a n a rtic le in th e F e b ru ­
a ry 2 0 0 0
is s u e
of
S p o rt
A v a itio n , th e m a g a z in e of the
E x p e rim e n ta l A v ia tio n A s s o c ia ­
tio n .
“J o u rn e y to V e rn o n ia ” w a s
w ritte n b y G e ra ld M c K ib b e n , a
M is s is s ip p i p ilo t, w h o d e ­
s c rib e d th e “ ...2 ,0 3 0 h o u rs ,
m o re th a n 2 6 m o n th s , a n d
e n o u g h m o n e y to b u y a b o u t 37
p ic k u p s ..." he s p e n t b u ild in g a
V a n ’s R V -6A , an e x p e rim e n ta l
a irp la n e .
A fte r all th a t, he c o u ld n ’t get
h u ll in s u ra n c e until he sp e n t
tw o h o u rs in tra in in g to le arn
th e d iffe re n c e in h a n d lin g the
R V c o m p a re d to th e C e s s n a
1 7 2 s a n d P ip e r C h e ro k e e s he
w a s a c c u s to m e d to fly in g . To
S e a g e r flie s th e tra in e e s
fro m V e rn o n ia , in his o w n RV-
6, io R ich a rd V a n G ru n s v e n ’s
g ra s s la n d in g s trip in N o rth
s ip p ia n sa id “w a s o n th e o n ly
fla t real e s ta te I s a w in th e
w h o le a re a ." W h e n th e y to o k
off, M c K ib b e n w a s c o n c e rn e d
P la in s. O n c e th e re , th e y use an
11-y e a r-o ld R V w o rk h o rs e th a t
a b o u t fly in g “ rig h t to w a rd a to w ­
e rin g m o u n ta in ." S e a g e r e x ­
p la in e d th e y w e re ju s t c o a s ta l
h ills, but th e v is ito r s a id “ ...in
M is s is s ip p i w e w o u ld still call
w a s a c tu a lly th e fa c to ry p ro to ­
ty p e .
M c K ib b e n is e n th u s ia s tic
a b o u t S e a g e r’s tra in in g , b u t
a ls o d e s c rib e s his v ie w of V e r­
n o n ia a n d th e “ N o rth W E T ."
“V e rn o n ia is a sm a ll to w n
th a t has a fro n tie r lo ok, a n d I
th o u g h t I w a s o n th e se t o f th e
T V se rie s o f a fe w ye a rs b a c k
c a lle d N o rth e rn E xp o su re . A ll
th a t w a s m is s in g w a s th e
ra th e r d e c re p it lo o k in g c o w
m o o s e lu m b e rin g d o w n th e
stre e t. M o s t b u ild in g s a re b u ilt
o f th e D o u g la s fir, w h ic h is
a b u n d a n t in th e a re a , a n d I
w a tc h e d tru c k s g o d o w n M a in
S tre e t h a u lin g tra ile rs fu ll of
p r o te c t h is in v e s tm e n t, he
n e e d e d to ta k e a trip to V e r­
n o n ia , “ ...a to w n th a t I’d n e v e r
h e a rd o f .. . ” b e c a u s e V e rn o n ia
is w h e re M ike S e a g e r lives.
S e a g e r is o n e o f o n ly tw o
p e o p le w h o p ro v id e s c h e c k ­
o u ts , o r “tra n s itio n tra in in g " in
V a n ’s R V d e m o n s tra to rs . H e
h a s g iv e n 1 8 0 0 h o u rs of RV in ­
s tru c tio n a n d h a s te s t flo w n 4 6
n e w ly b u ilt R V s, in c lu d in g his
o w n . H e is a ls o b u ild in g a s e c ­
o n d RV.
D o u g la s fir lo g s .”
M c K ib b e n d is c o v e re d th a t “ It
ra in s a lo t” in th is a re a a n d , a t
8 :0 0 a .m ., w h e n he w a s s c h e d ­
u le d to fly, it w a s fo g g y a n d
drizzly. It w a s still to o fo g g y to
fly at 10:00 a .m ., b u t S e a g e r
to ld him th e fly in g p ro s p e c ts
lo o ke d g o o d fo r 1 :00 p .m .
T h e fo g lifte d a s S e a g e r sa id
a n d M c K ib b e n fo llo w e d h im to
th e a irp o rt, w h ic h th e M issis-
Professional Directory
th e n e xt d a y fo r th e c o a s t, g o ­
ing th ro u g h w h a t he d e s c rib e d
a s “ s o m e o f th e p re ttie s t c o u n ­
try ” h e ’d e v e r se e n .
Mike Seager walks past a hangar at Vernonia Airport. In the
forground is his experimental RV-6.
B e fo re le a v in g , h o w e ve r, he
a s k e d th e c le rk a t th e V e rn o n ia
D is p la y o f a r t b y P a c if ic s e n io r s
In n if h e (M c K ib b e n ) m ig h t
h a v e tra v e le d th e fa rth e s t to
g e t tra n s itio n tra in in g . T h e a n -
s w e r w a s d is a p p o in tin g ; th e
p rio r w e e k th e re h ad b e e n a
g u e s t fro m H o lla n d fo r th e
s a m e re a so n a n d , b e fo re th a t,
a p ilo t fro m E n g la n d . T h e n a
K a n s a n re g is te re d b e fo re M c K ­
E ig h t P a c ific U n iv e rs ity s e n ­
io rs ha ve a rtw o rk o n d is p la y in
^ e U n iv e rs ity C a w e in G a lle ry
M ic h a e l C h o n g , K in s e y E rik-
s e n , M a s a k o F u jim o to , A rie
H ig g in s , N a d a L in g e l, J e a n
th ro u g h M a y 19 d u rin g th e S e ­
P e re z ,
ib b e n left.
T h o u g h M c K ib b e n d id n 't
kn o w it, th e re h a v e a ls o b e e n
p ilo ts fro m m a n y o th e r c o u n -
trie s. T h e y all c a m e to V e rn o n -
ia fo r th e s a m e re a so n : T h is is
w h e re M ike S e a g e r lives.
n io r A rt S how . T h e fin a l e x h ib it
o f th e a c a d e m ic y e a r in c lu d e s
p ie c e s d o n e in s e v e ra l m e d i­
u m s ra n g in g fro m p h o to g ra p h y
to s ta in e d g la s s to w a te rc o lo r
to oil pa ste l. A n o p e n in g re c e p ­
tio n w ill b e h e ld on W e d n e sd a y,
A p ril 19 at n o o n in th e G a lle ry
anc^ *s ° P en to th e p u b lic a t no
c h a rg e .
S e n io r s tu d e n t a rtis ts in th e
s h o w a re : A n g e la A d a m s ,
n
M o s t In s u ra n c e s A c c e p te d
Outpatient Alcohol & Drug Services
A p p o in tm e n t
Mark Livingston, M.D. • Laura Nichols, P.A.C.
5 1 0 B R ID G E S T R E E T • V E R N O N IA
DELORES MELLINGER
(Form erly Brereton)
A gent
SERVING: VERNONIA, MIST, BIRKENFELD
AUTO • FIRE • LIFE • HEALTH
IRA'S • BUSINESSES
1 -8 0 0 -8 6 5 -2 8 0 0
148 N. Nehalem, Clatskanie • 728-2800
STATE FARM INSURANCE COMPANIES
HOME OFFICES: BLOOMINGTON, ILLINOIS
INDIVIDUAL - COUPLE - FAMILY - GROUP
MIDWAY MOBILE
VETERINARY SERVICE
Large & Small
Animals
622 Bridge Street, Vernonia
S ummer C ountry M assage C linic
Steve Sorbets, LMT
Call for Appointments or
Q Q 7
24 Hour Emergency Service
f " w “
C all for
A ppointment :
49Q
RQAA W
alihns
w
v u O V v
A ccepted
O pen M on , W ed , T hu , F ri , 10 am - 5 pm • 902 B ridge S t .
E venings & W eekends by A ppointment
12-5:30 pm , 2nd & 4th T h u rs d a y s
at Sunnyside Cafe & Deli, Vernonia
W ills and T rusts
E state & B usiness P lanning
R eal E state /T imber
26072 Hwy. 30
R ainier
Be Here W hen They Need You!
Reach 7,000 Readers
in Every Issue of
429-9410
f w
12725 S W 66 th A venue
S uite 107
P ortland , OR 97223
The All-
American
Family.
General Dentistry
for the
Entire Family
• New Patients W elcome
• Most Insurances Accepted
• Personalized Dental Care
Mon. thru Thur. 9 am - 5 pm
Call
429-2675
Appoint
Keep you r Sm ile in Style
VERNONIA FAMILY DENTAL
PAUL MORROW, AGENT
Call me for all your insurance needs
Scott M. van Dyken, D.M.D.
3 5 9 -1 7 7 7
Fax: 359-7998 • Res.: 429-1016
1904 Elm St., Suite #1, Forest Grove, OR 97116
R e la x a tio n • D e e p T is s u e • E n e rg y W o rk
S w e d is h M a s s a g e • N e c k & H e a d • R e fle x o lo g y
S w edish M assage • D eep T issue • Reiki • R eflexology
R E A S O N A B LE RATES
Large & Small Animals
For Information Call
(5 0 3 ) 6 8 4 -4 1 1 1
Most insurance accepted.
Call for information.
VALLEY VETERINARY CLINIC
Anderson Park, Vernonia • 429-1612
A T T O R N E Y S AT LA W
Wednesdays 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Your voice is heard
when you speak
from the ballot box.
The INDEPENDENT
9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Every W ednesday
Doctor of Optometry
Phone: 429-7008
m a tio n ca ll 5 0 3 -3 5 9 -2 2 1 6 .
203 S. Col. Rvr. Hwy,
St. Helens
429-1053
Terry P. Tobin, O.D.
For Appointment
vo n g .
G a lle ry h o u rs a re M o n d a y
th ro u g h F rid a y fro m 8 a m to 5
p m a n d S a tu rd a y s fro m 10 am
to 5 pm o r b y a p p o in tm e n t. A d ­
m is s io n is fre e . F o r m o re in fo r­
(503)397-4190 or 503)556-3084
Vial Fotheringham LLP
GLASSES - CONTACT LENSES
Phanou-
C a ll fo r A p p o in tm e n t:
Driving Under the Influence Program
ODL Monitoring
ROB FOTHERINGHAM
FAMILY VISION CARE
S te v e n
_______________________________________________________________
COLUMBIA COMMUNITY
MENTAL HEALTH
429-9191
and
B
Providence Family Medicine
V ernonia
M o n d a y - F r id a y 9 -6
C a ll
th a t hill a m o u n ta in ."
A t th e e n d o f th e s u c c e s s fu l
tra in in g p ro g ra m , th e y re tu rn e d
to V e rn o n ia a n d M c K ib b e n left
AMERICA NEAMUY
IN S U R A N C E
AUTO HOME BU9NESS HEALTH UFE
«
O 1 966 American Fani, Mutual te u n ra Company and k S U ertns. Home O ka - Mattoon. IMsoonan 53783
1/2 O R 1 H O U R A P P ’T. • G IF T C E R T IF IC A T E S
‘T fttw c e ‘ZZfKaAtr,
LICENSED & CERTIFIED • QUALIFIED FOR INSURANCE