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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (June 21, 2000)
Page 2 The INDEPENDENT, June 21, 2000 Vernonia successful in pursuit of funds “The City of Vernonia and the community of peo ple both inside and outside the city limits have ac complished a great deal over the past ten or twelve years...” That quote is the beginning of an editorial Opinion in The INDEPENDENT issue of Feb. 16, 2000. It con tinued: “ ...Vernonia will continue to vigorously pursue funds needed for economic development, safety and outdoor recreation. Our city government [and] the people of the community...have no intention of giving up just because other agencies put up road blocks. It won’t be easy, but it can and will be done.” That was the end of the commentary on Vernonia’s refusal to give up on the linear trail extension, shortly after a grant application was submitted for the project. Now, with an excellent grant from the state Parks Department, the goal is much closer than it was in February — but there are still hurdles. Funding is still needed to pave the trail once the property has been purchased and the trail prepared. The City of Vernonia has a very tight budget in the coming fiscal year and can’t come up with $35-37,000 out of the general fund to complete the job. This would be an excellent time for the county Board of Commissioners to be the “good guys” and support this project with some of the $119,000 in Bi cycle Path funds they will receive from the state this year. Banks council needs to take a different approach Banks City Council is facing a serious budget short fall that won’t go away by pointing fingers. They need to take a different approach to undertand the problem, starting, perhaps, with a careful study of the last audit report. If that doesn’t help, the arduous task of reviewing City expenditures month by month and item by item, making the necessary comparisons, may be the only way to find out why and how the shortfall occurred. It is also obvious that the mayor and council mem bers need to work on better communications, among themselves and with staff. No one on the council is try ing to harm the City’s operations s o ...talk to each oth er before another crises occurs! Senior News writer leaving Pat and Eric Olson are leaving Vernonia for Grants Pass and, while we wish them well, we want to say, “Don’t go!” We will miss the wonderful job Pat Olson does in reporting on activities at the Vernonia Senior Citizens Center. Her warmth, humor and writing skill are unique and will be greatly missed. Unforeseen expenses plague Banks From page 1 cal assistance grants if it relin quished the plan. And there have been unfore seen events, such as the fail ure of Banks to obtain Commu nity Development Block Grants to complete the water and sew er projects. The city will borrow $615,000 for this purpose, and the interest rate is still not nailed down. Water rates were increased to service the loan but another public hearing will be held to discuss how to pay for an increase in the loan’s in terest rate. Each of these and similar is sues provokes a need for pro fessional services such as en gineering, city planning or at torney services, with fees rang ing from $60 to $110 per hour. The council has not ad dressed ways to oversee the hours these professionals bill to the City. Banks is in a protracted state of change, like so many suburban towns in Oregon and across America. The popula tion doubled in a single year, and the infrastructure - roads, water, sewer, services, etc. - has to catch up to that fact. A few hundred dollars spent by the mayor without council approval is regrettable but hardly the issue when the bud get is overdrawn by $136,000. The council voted at the June 13 meeting to have Council President Bob Orlowsky over see spending. Perhaps this should have been done last fall when the first hints of trouble came after the City audit. Both council and mayor need to get their priorities straight, keeping pot shots to a minimum, and communication and teamwork focused in order to guide Banks through a diffi cult period. Letters to the Editor Improvement plan is result of dedication To the Editor: The completion of the School Improvement Plans (SIP) for Vernonia Elementary Schools and Vernonia High School was a formidable task. It required many hours of in tense work with lively and often continuous discussion. It was accomplished with good humor and dedication. I would especially like to thank Vernonia High School students Leslie Finamore and Randee Parker. Their input kept the rest of us centered on the students’ interests and needs and is deeply embedded in the finished product. Others who volunteered their time were Cici Bell, Robin Cochran, Rebecca Brookins, and Doreen Buchan. Dedicat ed teachers and administrators were Lynn Bergerson, James Brookins, Byron Brown, Sheri Burleson, Kim Emura, Bob Ist- ed, Clint Kelly, Mary Miller, Lar ry McClellan, Mike Durbin and Kirk Sherril. We are excited about watching and participat ing in the implementation of the SIP. The Site Councils at Wash ington Grade School and VHS are a good place for parents and community members to contribute to instructional im provement and implementation of the [state required] Certifi cate of Initial Mastery (CIM). There are currently openings on both Site Councils. I want to encourage you to become a part of this process. If you are interested, please contact the principal’s office at WGS or VHS, or me, at 429-8930 Looking forward to an excit ing school year in 00-01. Schann W. Nelson VHS Site Council The trees are considered to be landmarks if they have sur vived as long as the trees at Bolmeier Park and are not re placeable. Why are the trees here in Vernonia considered replaceable and who decided what was suitable for park use? Old growth Douglas Fir seems very park-like to me. You also feel it necessary to not only cut down but remove the dying white fir from Airport Park. Why can’t the trees be cut and left for nature to grow up around if they need to be cut at all? They couldn’t be much of a hazard on the ground. My family and I want a better rea son for removing trees. Sam Potter Vernonia Need better reasons A great year, thanks for cutting old trees to all for everything To the Editor: As a taxpayer and a voter, I would like to know what’s real ly going on at Ora Bolmeier Park and Airport Park. I work in parks where qualified people are paid to determine the fate of a tree. To the Editor: I want to take the opportuni ty to thank the Vernonia com munity for all the support and warm welcome that I received throughout my exchange year. From senior trip fundraising to Please see page 3
