Financial constraints force “Pay for Play” at VHS
Several years after most
school districts in Oregon were
forced to institute student fees
for high school athletic pro
grams, Vernonia has finally
succumbed to financial pres
sures and joined the majority.
Details have not all been
worked out, but the basics are
as follows:
• The first participation in an
academic year in any sport,
from one family, will be
charged a fee of $75.00.
• There will be a $65.00 fe
for a second participation,
whether by the same student in
another sport or a sibling in the
same or another sport.
• The fee for a third and any
succeeding participation would
be $55.00.
• Students who qualify for
free/reduced meals will not be
charged a fee.
• Parents of students on
free/reduced meals will also be
given a complementary, (free)
season pass.
— - — «iiiiu refundable
up to the first ten practices.
There will be no refunds be
yond that time.
• Student participation fees
will not be prorated if a student
starts the season late or ends
the season early, regardless of
the reason.
The district is also examin
ing the feasibility of an install
ment payment plan for those
who would have difficulty pay
ing the entire fee in one lump
sum.
Before each season, the
athletes and their parents will
meet with coaches to review
the plan and the options avail
able.
The first meeting will be held
August 21, which is the first
day of practice for fall sports, at
7:00 p.m. at the high school.
There will be more informa
tion in the packet all athletes
will pick up on August 14.
The district’s budgeted goal
is to raise $10,000 with the par
ticipation fees. The fee sched-
Please see page 3
‘ Voice of the Upper Nehalem River Valley’
Voi. 15, No 15
INSIDE:
LDS Family
History
Center...... pg. 4
Business
Notes....... .pg. 5
Dental van
visits........ pg. 6
Cookin’...... pg. 7
August 2, 2000
$249,000 to Vernonia
Occupants saved...
fo r A n d e rs o n P a rk
Joe Poetter of Vernonia and Jared Busch of Mist, both recent graduates of Vernonia
High School, survived the wreck that destroyed this pickup, because of the extraordi
nary efforts of others. See story on page 3.
They hoped for it. They ap structure.
Some of the infrastructure
plied for it. But they sure didn’t
rehabilitation
was to be accom
hold their breath and wait - be
cause the competition was re plished with the aid of $80,000
from the Northwest Oregon
ally tough!
When the City of Vernonia Economic Alliance (NOEA),
received word last week that but the whole job can now be
they will receive $249,000 this done. The cost of the entire
year from the Local Govern program is projected to be
ment Grant Program through $415,000, which means the
the state Department of Parks city will still have to be very
and Recreation, the reaction careful with the available
was close to shock. The elation funds, but most of the program
can go forward without further
came next.
The grant application pre delay.
When the necessary con
pared by City Administrator
Mike Sykes and Public Works tracts between the city and
Director Robyn Bassett re state are completed, probably
quested funds for a new re- this month, the project can be-
stroom/shower facility, con . 9'n-
The total available in the
struction of a picnic shelter with
cooking facility, demolition of program was $4,127,264, and
the existing cooking facility and according to figures supplied
new/additional RV sites, all by the state, there were 67 ap
with disabled access, plus re plications requesting a total of
habilitating the existing infra $10,582,555.
It’s time for the 44th Vernonia Friendship Jamboree
Full Steam Ahead into the
New Millennium is the 2000
Jamboree theme and the com
munity is getting up a good
head of steam.
The festivities get off to a
good start Friday with water
balloon-tossing catapults and a
fishing derby for children. Go
ing through the weekend, peo
ple will stroll through the cruise
in of 300 or so cars, watch or
participate in softball, a parade,
fast draw competition, chil
drens’ games, horse gaming,
the Alternative Stage, a com
munity worship service, break
fast with the Sweet Adelines, a
show of synchronized swim
ming, relive the way of life as it
was in the 1800s at the black
power rendezvous, and more.
It all culminates in the logging
show on Sunday at noon, when
real loggers have fun demon
strating skills that have been
important in the Nehalem val
ley for the last century.
Because of errors in this
year’s schedule of events in
the special Jamboree issue
published by The INDEPEN
DENT, here is some clarifica
tion of the muddy points.
• The parade will be at 11
a.m. on Saturday, starting at
Weed Avenue and ending at
Washington Grade School. Pa
rade entries need to register
early because judging starts at
10 a.m.
• The Logging Show, as pre
viously mentioned, will be at
noon on Sunday. Participants
should be registered by 11:30.
With the exception of John
ny Limbo and The Lugnuts,
who will be appearing at Cedar
Ridge, all activities are free to
spectators. Participant registra
tion fees vary according to the
different activities.
Park off street when street sweeping
is scheduled to avoid parking ticket
Street sweeping is sched
uled in Vernonia for Friday, Au
gust 4, and residents are re
minded to park their vehicles
off the street on sweeping day.
Sweeping will start at 5:00
a.m. and be finished by 11:00
a.m. Sweeping begins at the
south end of Rose Avenue and
goes from there to Bridge
Street in order to complete the
business area first. Once the
streets have been swept, it is
alright to park there; if they
have not been swept, cars
parked on curbed streets dur
ing sweeping days and hours
may be ticketed for a parking
violation.
The next scheduled sweep
ing days are August 18 and
September 1. After that, street
sweeping will be done on the
first and third Fridays of every
month.