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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 2, 2000)
2000 Vernonia Friendship Jamboree - Page 7 building its future with energy and enthusiasm — Volunteers, both adults and youth, play a major role in City’s successes « Vernonia Development Corporation JUDY H ILL/TH E INDEPENDENT This view, from the public lib ra ry’s fro n t entrance to the rear entrance of City Hall, looks across Bear Creek, which was un covered and released from an underground culvert when the property was developed. When the funds are available, a bridge w ill cross the creek between the two light poles shown in the photo. entrance. Though not yet open regu larly, the cham ber is seeking volun teers to staff the office part tim e to as sist visitors needing inform ation about the Vernonia area. The cham ber and CDC are working jointly on developm ent of a Business Assistance Team of local people who will be trained in sem inars provided by Rural Developm ent Initiatives, which directed several m onths of com m unity m eetings for developm ent of the com m unity’s long term goals. The two-year-old Vernonia C om m u nity D evelopm ent C orporation is a com m unity-based, not-for-profit organ ization designed to follow through with projects the city can’t take on. The CDC works with private proper ty owners and public agencies. At this time, it is working with a private prop erty owner on a proposal to develop a sports com plex and RV sites on the form er site of Oregon Am erican Lum ber Company. Vernonia Wheels Park Other projects include helping nego Project Committee tiate a potential three-way property trade between a state agency and two The efforts to develop a skate park private corporations, working with the in Vernonia operate on the energies Vernonia Area Cham ber of Com m erce and creative thinking of youth in the on downtown business development, community. The initial idea was an off and studying the feasibility of co n shoot of a school authorized club, structing an “incubator” building for Youth in Action, which has successful fledgling businesses. ly helped with m any com m unity proj ects. Part of that creative thinking engen Vernonia Area dered the decision that a skate park is Chamber of Commerce too limited and, to do the job right, the A revitalized and e n th u sia stic facility should be designed to include Cham ber of Com m erce now has office bikes and other forms of “wheel power.” space and a location for a Visitor Infor The youth have developed the de mation Center. When the C ham ber re sign, with the guidance of a profes ceived a grant to construct a small sional skate park designer, and are building, a few years ago, now looking for a location and funding. the city was still consider At this time, they need adult guidance ing how to fund a new in fund raising because this project City Hall. The cham ber goes way beyond bake sales and car decided to donate its washes. $37,000 to the m unicipal Anyone interested in helping advise project in exchange for the group on fund raising is asked to space at the b uildin g ’s call YA advisor Michelle Blum at 429-0159. Municipal airport will get improvements, Vernonia has had a m unicipal airport since the early 1930s. It was built by CCC crews during the depression, as part of the n a tio n ’s econom ic recovery. Since that time, aside from oc casional grading and hangar building, little has been done to im prove the original product. That will change. A study au thorized by the C ity has identi fied and p rio ritiz e d w hat is needed to properly utilize the airport. Planning is now under way on an im provem ent pro gram to develop the airport. This u p d a te on V ernonia was b ro u g h t to you by th e fo llo w in g : The City of Vernonia 1001 Bridge S tre e t , V e rn o n ia , OR 97064 503-429-5291 Vernonia Area Chamber of Commerce P. 0 . Box 7, V e rno nia , OR 97064 503-429-6081 The INDEPENDENT JUDY HILL/TH E INDEPENDENT The heads of children from Vernonia Head S tart’s summer program can be seen as they peer over a bridge railing at Rock Creek. This bridge is part of the Banks-Vernonia tra il extension from Anderson Park to Vernonia Lake. 725 Bridge S tre e t, V e rn o n ia , OR 97064 5 0 3 -4 2 9 -9 4 1 0 For a dd ition al in fo rm a tio n , ca ll any o f th e above.
