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