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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 20, 2000)
Training for Eight Vernonia business people, plus groups from For est Grove and Claskanie, at tended a five hour training ses sion at the Scout Cabin last week to learn how to develop a business assistance team (BAT). The primary objectives of the program developed by Rural Development Initiatives (RDI) are to train Business As sistance Teams in small, pri marily rural communities so they can usiness Assistance Teams held here • Help other businesses in their communities grow and create new jobs; • Stablize jobs and retain businesses to provide eco nomic security in the commu nity; • Create an efficient out reach mechanism that involves local people; • Better connect local busi nesses with public and private resources to help them suc ceed; and • Build capacity within the community to help its busi nesses. The program works by com bining local volunteers with professional business consul tants and programs. The Busi ness Assistance Team’s func tion is to assess the condition of local businesses and the type and extent of assistance needed; broker public and pri vate sector resources to small businesses; help business owners obtain business plan ning assistance, help busi nesses apply for financing; identify aspects of manage ment or operations where business owners may need help to find appropriate assis tance. The Vernonia BAT has scheduled a meeting for all lo cal businesses, Oct. 26 at 7:00 p.m., in order to fully explain the program. Prior to the meet ing, business owners will be contacted with the location and more specific information about the program. Regional needs inventory., pg. 4 Ring of Fire revisited.... pg. 6 Banks Schools’ “new” ofc..pg. 8 Mission Possible.... pg. 9 BULK RATE U S. Postage Paid Permit No. 37 Vernonia, OR 97064 Attn: Leslie Larson UO Library-OMP Another step forward... INSIDE: FREE Senior center hearing draws a large crowd Senior citizens and their supporters turned out in large numbers Monday night to ex press their thoughts and ideas on a new senior citizens/com- munity center for Vernonia. The public hearing held Sept. 18 before the Vernonia City Council was part of the process leading up to applica tion for a technical assistance grant to determine the feasibil ity of the project. The existing center has a number of problems. Among them, it is too small, has insuf ficient parking and is in the flood plain. During their regular meeting following the hearing, the council authorized City Admin istrator Mike Sykes to pursue the grant. A new fence around Shay Park will use poles and cable similar to those used in Hawkins Park. Instead of one cable, however, there will be three, Bassett said. The chain- link fence will soon be re moved. A design has been submitted for the informational kiosk at Shay Park, also. It must be approved by the state as part of the requirements for the grant funding. A shelter to protect the Shay locomotive is still planned, but hasn’t yet been designed. Anderson Park improve ments are in the preliminary design phase. The city Parks Commission is working on the project. Library fees tabled The council considered a re quest from Vernonia Librarian Nancy Burch, who requested permission to institute small The Public Works Depart fines for past due library mate ment of the City of Vernonia is rials. Mayor Art Parrow ex busy finalizing plans for sever Installation of a ceramic tile mural on the entry wall to the Vernonia Library required pressed a concern that if the al different projects in the city many hands. Setting a screw in the specially constructed wall is Dan Brown of Hard fees are instituted at this time parks. wood Creations. He was assisted in putting the heavy mural in place by, from left, Bri and Ballot Measure 93 is ap Public Works Director Ro an Gustafson, also of Hardwood Originals, and three members of the city Public Works proved in November, the City byn Bassett told the city coun crew, Scott Rethwill, Jim Gido and John Trent. Brown will design and build a frame for would be required to either pay cil Monday night that bids will the mural to provide a finishing touch. Read the story behind the mural, below. for a special election or return be opened soon for both the the fees. The council agreed rock hauling and paving of the with Parrow that it would be Banks-Vernonia State Linear prudent to postpone instituting Among the most trauma threatening atmosphere. There the tiles: A dog floating on a Trail extension between Ander the fine system until after the tized victims of the catastroph was drawing and painting and piece of furniture, slugs (kids son Park and Lake Vernonia. election. ic Flood of ‘96, were children music and drama, and the chil love them) in lots of places, Bassett is not handling the bids In other business, the Coun whose parents were occupied dren could use any of it - or all and rainbows galore! As the directly, but is working through cil: with the necessary clean-up of it - to work out their anxi children had more and more the Orgon Department of • Asked Sykes to do a study ideas for the mural, there were Transportation. work and whose schools were eties. of costs, comparing a munici Design for the trail exten A year later, the community more and more happy sugges closed or changed because of pal court with the existing jus the flood. They didn’t say much came together for a commem tions. The buoyancy of child sion includes trails for both tice court. because, after all, they were orative potluck party. A mural of hood had returned, defeating walking/biking and horses. • Agreed to a workshop with Councilor Shirlee Daughtrey children and didn’t really know ceramic tiles, designed on pa the negative experiences. the Planning Commission on The tiles were fired in expressed concern that some Oct. 5 regarding possible ordi per by children at HOAC, had how to express themselves. Into this turmoil came the been started, and at the March, 1998, and mounted on trees would have to be re nance changes. Hands-On Art Center. HOAC, potluck, children and adults heavy plywood in April and moved for the project. Bassett • Agreed to a workshop with under the direction of Luna decorated ceramic tiles donat May of ‘98. The mural was than assured the council that the the Parks Commission on Nov. Braun and Michelle Kunkel, ed by Georgie’s Tiles. Back at stored in a barn owned by grading has already been done 13 regarding Anderson Park providing not only a place for HOAC, children contributed Karen Mask, until it could be and no trees had to be re plans. Please see page 3 moved. children to be, but a safe, non more ideas and drawings for Many park plans are nearing completion Flood experiences were turned into art
