The INDEPENDENT, February 21, 2001
Page 7
Authorities concerned that date-rape drug may be in use locally
Authorities have received in
form ation that GHB, a date-
rape drug common in some
parts of the country, may now
be in Colum bia County, includ
ing Vernonia.
The effects of gam m ahy-
droxybu tyrate, or G HB, are
dram atic and dangerous. Five
to tw en ty m inutes after the
drug is taken, users experience
euphoria followed by periods of
drow siness o r unconscio us
ness. These periods alternate
until the drug leaves the sys
tem. The drug also causes loss
of mem ory fo r the period it is
active.
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For Information and Registration
Call Today!
429-3118 or 429-5190
V ernonia C ommunity C hurch
F irst B aptist C hurch
Grant Williams, Pastor
957 State Avenue
Vernonia, 503 429-6790
John Cahill, Pastor
359 “A’ Street
Vernonia, 503 429-1161
Sunday School 9:45 a.m.
Morning Worship 11:00 a.m.
Children's Church w/Nursery
Evening Fellowship 6:00 p.m.
Nursery Care
AWANA, Wednesday 3:15 p.m.
Prayer Meeting, Wed. 7:00 p.m.
Men’s Group, Thursday 7:30 p.m.
Sunday School 9:45 a.m.
Morning Worship 11:00 a.m.
Evening Worship
Saturday, 6:00 p.m.
S t . M ary ' s C atholic C hurch
G race R eformed B aptist
C hurch
D.J. Dickey, Pastor
Grant & North Streets
Vernonia, 503 429-3110
Mass Schedule
1st & 3rd Saturdays 4:30 p.m.
2nd & 4th Sundays 12 Noon
Sunday Services: Adult Prayer &
Children's Sunday School 9:45 a.m.
Morning Worship 11:00 a.m.
Evening Worship 5:00 p.m.
Religious Education
2nd & 4th Sundays 10:30 a.m.
Wednesday Service:
AU Family Bible Study, 7:00 p.m.
Roger Kruger, Pastor, 397-6883
2nd Ave. and Nehalem St.
Vernonia, 503429-1941
Joel Stith, Pastor
410 North Street
Vernonia, 503 429-6522
Sunday School 9:30 a.m.
Morning Worship 11:00 a.m.
Every Wednesday:
Ladies' Bible Study, 9:15 a.m.
Children’s Choir 3:00 p.m.
Family Bible Study, 6:30 p.m.
Women's Fellowship, 2nd & 4th
Wednesdays, 1:30 p.m.
S eventh D ay A dventist
C olum bia P acific Food
Bank will hold it’s third annual
“Open Your Heart to Hunger”
run/walk. The 4-mile run/walk
fundraiser will be held Satur
day, February 24, in St. He
lens.
Registration begins at 9:00
a.m. under a tent in the parking
lot of Red Apple m arket on Co
lumbia Blvd. The run/walk will
start at 10:00 a.m.; it will end at
Grace Baptist Church on N.
17th Street. C om plem entary
soup, bagels and beverages
will be available for all partici
pants.
Registration fee is $10.00
per person, or $15.00, for par
ticipants who want a short-
sleeved T-Shirt. Long sleeved
shirts will also be available.
The price for a fam ily is $25.00
and includes two short-sleeved
T-shirts.
All proceeds will go to Co
lumbia Pacific Food Bank to
S t . A ugustine (C anterbury )
E piscopal C hurch
The Rev. Robert Grafe, Pastor
375 North Street
(Vernonia Grange Hall)
Vernonia, 503 429-3700
Jerry James, Pastor
500 California Ave
Vernonia, 503 429-5378
Sunday School 10:00 a.m.
Morning Worship 11:00 a.m.
Nursery available
Wednesday Service 7:00 p.m.
V ernonia F oursquare C hurch
Pastor Paul Pastor
850 Madison Avenue
Vernonia, 503 429-1103
Sunday Worship Service: 10:30 a.m.
Children’s Sunday School
Sabbath School 9:15 a.m.
Morning Worship, 11:00 a.m.
Tuesday Prayer, 7:00 p.m.
C hurch of J esus C hrist
of L atter D ay S aints
Men’s Ministry 7:45 a.m.
3rd Saturday, each month
Lee Knowlton, Branch President
1350 E. Knott Street
Vernonia, 503 429-7151
A ssembly of G od
Relief Society, Priesthood and
Young Women, Sunday 12:10 p.m.
GHB is one of several drugs
called the “date-rape drugs”
because they are used to ob
tain chemical submission in al
leged sexual assault cases.
Dr. Zane Horow itz, O regon
Poison Control Center (OPC),
says that use of the drug is un
der-reported to OPC as local
agencies become more accus
tom ed to dealing with GHB
cases. Since the victims have
no memory of the time when
the drug was active in their sys
tems, the perpetrators feel that
they can avoid prosecution for
rape.
The drug was created in the
1960s as an anesthetic/seda-
tive but was not pursued. Ac
cording to Gibson this “unique
com pound has undergone a
renaissance" and is now avail
able illegally on the street.
“The concern is that street-
purchased GHB is a real risk...
individuals have no idea of the
concentration they are taking.
Also, there may be caustics in
the material from home synthe
sis,” Gibson said.
help offset operating costs as
sociated with the distribution of
food to its 20 m em ber agen
cies. The agencies include
em ergency food cupboards lo
cated throughout C olum bia
County, such as V ernonia
Cares, H.E.L.P., H.O.P.E., Tur
ning Point, and St. Vincent De-
Paul, along with senior centers
and group homes.
For further information, call
Tracie Smith at 503-397-9708.
Health insurance topic of guide
A new consum er publication
from the Oregon Insurance Di
vision may help answer any
questions regarding obtaining
health insurance, your insur
ance policy and your health
care rights.
The free booklet, a C on
sum er Guide to Health Insur
ance, is designed to help O re
gonians better understand their
insurance policies and make
informed health care choices.
The booklet discusses what
kinds of insurance plans are
available, identifies resources
to obtain coverage and ex
plains your options if you lose
you r
em ployer
sponsored
group health insurance cover
age.
It also sum m arizes you r
health
care
rights
under
O re g o n ’s P atien t P rote ction
Act, the U nfair Claims Settle-
m ent Act, and other laws and
rules. In addition, the booklet
includes sections on frequently
asked questions and a glos
sary of health insurance terms.
Also included in the booklet
is information on how to file a
com plaint with the Insurance
Division against an insurance
com pany or agent.
To receive a free copy of the
booklet, write to: Publications,
O regon Insurance D ivision,
350 W inter Street NE, Salem,
OR 97301-3883, or send an
e-mail request to <dcbs.insmail
@ state.or.us>
The booklet also is available
on the d iv is io n ’s w ebsite:
<www.oregoninsurance.org>
Chnroh Bulletin Bloopers
Stewardship Offertory: “Jesus
Paid It AH” .
THIS SPACE PAID TOK BY VERNONIA SENTRY
AS A COMMUNITY SERVICE TO OUR AREA
Sunday Services, 10:00 a.m.
Wednesdays 7:00 p.m.
Evening Service
Youth Ministry
Children’s Ministry
Nursery Available
Sacrament Meeting, Sunday 10 a.m.
Sunday School & Primary 11:20 a.m.
dered drugs, or combined with
plant material.
Open Your Heart, but use your feet to fight hunger
N ehalem V a lley B ible C hurch
Pastoral Associate
Juanita Dennis
960 Missouri Avenue
Vernonia, 503 429-8841
F irst C hristian C hurch
At high doses there is a
chance of coma, according to
Michael Gibson, PhD, an asso
ciate professor of m olecular
and medical genetics at O re
gon Health Sciences Universi
ty. These reactions are en
hanced if combined with other
adulterants (i.e. alcohol) and
can lead to respiratory arrest
and death.
A nearly tasteless, odorless
drug, GHB can be ingested in a
va rie ty of w ays. It can be
added to drinks (alcoholic or
non-alcoholic), mixed in pow
dered form w ith other pow
662 Jefferson
Vernonia
Sunday School 9:45 a.m.
Morning Worship 11:00 a.m.
Domestic Violence
Domestic violence creates the most common emergency call
for the Vernonia Police Department. Though officers have the
authority to use discretion in most cases, under the provisions
of Oregon Family Abuse Prevention Act their discretionary pow
ers are diminished. This law requires police officers to make ar
rests at the scene if there is probable cause to believe violence
or the threat of violence exists. The act exempts officers from
civil liability for making an arrest in these situations, but they can
be held accountable for failure to make an arrest.
Two decades ago those who physically abused their spous
es and children were rarely held accountable. Oregon was a
leader in the passage of laws to correct this situation. The legis
lature also increased the penalty for simple assault from a Class
A Misdemeanor to a Class C Felony when children are present,
which means within hearing distance of the incident. So, if a
scared child hears an assault taking place from behind a closed
door, that incident is a felony.
Drug and/or alcohol abuse is a factor in nearly every domes
tic violence case. Columbia Community Mental Health can refer
those with anger management or drug abuse problems to avail
able resources. There are also shelters in Columbia County,
safe havens for women and children trying to escape the cycle
of threats and violence in their homes The Vernonia Police De
partment encourages victims of domestic violence to seek as
sistance. Leaving is never easy, but there is help for those with
the courage to help themselves and their families
Jim W alters
C hief o f Police
Vernonia Police D epartm ent