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The INDEPENDENT, M arch^l^O O l
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business Notes
Redistricting Committee seeks input from citizens around state
The state Senate and House
committees charged with re
drawing legislative and con
gressional district boundaries
have outlined their schedule for
taking public comment on re
districting. In addition to taking
public testimony during com
mittee meetings at the State
Capitol, the committees will be
traveling around the state to
get input from Oregonians. The
two committees are working in
a bi-partisan manner to receive
public testimony over the next
two months and will travel to at
least 11 different locations
around Oregon during that
time.
The 2000 Census shows
that Oregon grew by nearly
600,000 people since the 1990
census. The legislature is re
sponsible for redrawing legisla
tive and congressional district
boundaries to reflect both pop
ulation growth and the move
ment of people from somfe
parts of the state to others.
According to committeb
members, they want to hear
suggestions and reasons for
moving legislative and con
gressional district lines from as
many members of the public as
possible.
Rep. Carl Wilson, (R-Grants
Pass) is Chair of the House
W yden puts to g e th e r g u id e to
loans and grants for rural areas
Senator Ron Wyden un
veiled a new publication, The
Information
Superhighway:
Building a New Oregon Trail.
Subtitled “A Road Map to Tech
nology Grants for Rural Com
munities,” the guide is de
signed to assist communities
across Oregon in their efforts
to obtain technology grants for
business, health care, educa
tion and other purposes.
“Just as the original Oregon
Trail linked our state to the rest
of America, a New Oregon Trail
can link our small rural commu
nities with the rest of the world,”
said Wyden. “This guide gives
folks specific information need
ed to make successful grant
applications and join the
telecommunications revolution
right alongside America’s larg
er cities.”
The guide provides listings
and background facts for gov
ernment and non-government
agencies offering technology
grants. Its easy-to-follow for
mat also includes information
on how grant monies may be
used, deadlines, the dollar
amounts of similar grants Ore
gon has received in the past
and contact names and num
bers.
Wyden’s guide to technolo
gy grants has been more than
a year in the making. It sprang
from a Rural Infrastructure
Conference hosted by the Sen
ator. Among other topics, the
conference highlighted the
growing gap in telecommunica
tions access between Oregon’s
rural communities and more
populous areas. Wyden’s staff
compiled the grants guide to
help communities from John
Day to Vernonia “cut away the
red tape” to grow small busi
nesses, offer distance learning
opportunities, improve health
care with telemedicine and use
telecommunications technolo
gy in ways routinely found in
more urban settings. The Asso
ciation of Oregon Counties and
the Oregon Rural Development
Council have endorsed the
guide, calling it a “valuable tool
for communities.”
The 1999 Rural Infrastruc
ture Conference brought to
gether leaders of technology
and rural development, along
with county commissioners,
city managers, members of pri
vate industry and Federal and
State agency officials.
Communities represented at
the Conference will receive a
copy of The Information Super
highway: Building a New Ore
gon Trait, other communities
and organizations may request
the guide by calling Senator
Wyden’s Eugene office at 541-
431-0229.
Business Expo
plans underway
Saturday, June 2, has been
chosen for a Vernonia Busi
ness and Community Groups
Expo. Though still in the plan
ning stage, the Expo will pro
vide a forum for businesses of
all types - in-home, commer
cial, contractor, etc. - and civic
organizations to promote their
products and/or services and,
at the same time, raise funds
for Vernonia Cares Food Bank.
Each participating business
will also be urged to raffle
something at the Expo, with the
proceeds from each raffle go
ing to a local non-profit organi
zation or activity of their choice
(Scouts, Churches, Vernonia
Pride, Memorial Cemetery, for
example.)
Suggestions for the tables or
booths include brochures, busi
ness cards, posters, back
drops, sign-up sheets, mer
chandise lists, and other adver
tising that will help the public
become familiar with the prod
ucts and services available in
this area.
Only the date has been se
lected; location and times will
be decided soon.
Space may be reserved by
calling (503) 429-1414 and
leaving a message. The cost
will be $25.00 and payment
may be sent to:
Vernonia Cares
P.O. Box 126
Vernonia, OR 97064
(please include name, address,
phone number and e-mail ad
dress)
Expo Committee members
include Ben and Lisa Edgar,
Lauri Jerman, Cindy Smejkel,
Patty Fogel and Sandy DeWe-
ber. For further information, call
Lisa Edgar at (503) 429-4013.
Committee on Rules, Redis
tricting and Public Affairs. Oth
er House members are Rep.
Richard Devlin, (D-Lake Os
wego) Vice-Chair, and Rep.
Dan Doyle, (D) Vice-Chair.
Sen. Steve Harper, (R-Kla-
math Falls) chairs the Senate
Committee on Rules and Re
districting, with Vice-Chair Sen.
Peter Courtney, (D-Salem).
The committees will meet at
different locations around the
state as follows:
March 23 in Medford
March 30 in Bend
April 3 in Newport
April 6 in Coos Bay
April 10 in Eugene
April 13 in Hillsboro, Beaver
ton, Gresham, Portland
April 17 in Oregon City
April 20 in Woodburn
Time has also been set
aside each week to accept
public testimony during the
regularly scheduled committee
meetings on Wednesdays from
1:30 to 2:00 p.m. in the House
Committee on Rules, Redis-
Radio club elects
officers for year
tricting and Public Affairs, and
on Thursdays from 3:00 to 3:30
p.m. in the Senate Committee
on Rules and Redistricting.
Contact committee staff for ad
ditional information on proce
dures to submit testimony at
any of the above meetings.
The legislature will use the
criteria outlined in law for redis
tricting legislative and congres
sional districts including conti
guity, equal population, use of
Jamboree theme contest starts up
The Vernonia Friendship
Jamboree Theme Contest is
open and waiting for your sug
gestion. If you have an idea for
the 2001 Jamboree theme,
mail it to Vernonia Friendship
Jamboree, P. O. Box 244, Ver
nonia, OR 97064. The winning
entry will receive a $50 savings
bond. The winning theme will
be announced in the May 2 is
sue of The Independent.
The next meeting of the Ver
nonia Friendship Jamboree
Committee will be on March 22
at 7:00 p.m. in the meeting
room at Lew’s Place. Please
Patrick Murphy was elected
Feb. 20 as the new President
of the Vernonia Amateur Radio
Klub. The new Vice President
is Lee Seibert; secretary will be
Norm Roberts. Ed Johnson
and Mike Fudge were re-elect
ed.
VARK meets at the Vernonia
Fire Hall on the third Tuesday
of each month at 7:00 p.m.
Anyone interested in “ham” ra
dio is invited to attend the
meetings. For more informa
tion, call Norm Roberts at 503-
429-2405.
They study fire command
techniques for control and ex
tinguishment of fires ranging
from small, residential struc
tures to multi-occupancy, com
mercial complexes. Special
emphasis is placed on firefight
er safety.
The Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA)
promotes the professional de
velopment of our nation’s emer
gency personnel through pro
grams offered by the United
States Fire Administration’s
National Fire Academy and the
Emergency Management Insti
tute. FEMA’s training goals are
to enhance the capability at the
community level and to better
prepare for emergencies by im
proving technical competence
and public policy perspective of
key emergency managers and
staff.
mark your calendars and plan
on attending.
The agenda will include
election of president and vice-
president, Grand Marshall and
Citizen of the Year nominations,
committee assignments and
new business from the floor.
The Jamboree Committee
would like all businesses that
directly benefit from the Jam
boree to have an active role in
the planning and execution of
this year’s festivities. Civic
groups and other interested
parties are also invited to take
an active role.
Sunnyside Cafe
Daily B re a ite t Specials
ORDERS TO GO: 5 0 3 -4 2 9 -4 8 1 0
Open Daily 5 am-2 pm • 58360 Nehalem Hwy. S., Vernonia
fa & ja iw s i
¿ a / zaaaajd & n A
Berg com pletes
FEMA course
Ann Berg of the Mist-Birken-
feld Fire Department complet
ed the National Fire Academy’s
Command and Control of Inci
dent Operations course in Em
mitsburg,
Maryland,
this
month. In this course, volun
teer fire officers are introduced
to the Incident Command Sys
tem.
existing geographic or political
boundaries, not dividing com
munities of interest, and con
nection by transportation links.
The criteria also specify that no
district may be drawn for the
purpose of favoring any politi
cal party, incumbent legislator,
or other person, and that a dis
trict may not be drawn for the
purpose of diluting the voting
strength of any language or
ethnic minority group.
&
(D s d i
HOT, ICED & BLENDED DRINKS & TEA
PASTRIES • M UFFINS • COOKIES • BAGELS
SANDWICHES • SALADS • SOUPS • CHIU • CHILI DOGS
DELI OPENS 11:00 A.M.
N a // & Tanning A p p o in tm e n ts
Available • Walk-ins Welcome
REG HOURS: M on 6a-12:30p *Tu-F 6a-5p • Sa 7a-5p • Su 8a-2p
854 BRIDGE ST., VERNONIA • 503-429-9011
r
Serenitu Sardens Oder bals
©
_ d U nique S b o p Selebratiny O u r S p i r i t '[dditki
Full Size Batiks <■ Crystals < Dream Pillows
New Selection of Beaded Curtains
Beautiful Amber Jewelry < Handmade Pillows
Candles < Evening Bags for Prom < Rune Sets
Custom Cloaks < Tie-Dye Clothing < Sarongs
<—------------------------ -
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V
Custom Blended Bath Salts
Essential Oils < Soothing Herbal Balms
S a e r ie SfoiuerS O d e r b a fO J a r ia fS c r u b
_____ Large Variety of Incense & Burners
Teas and Herbs
Garden Statuary and Fountains
Oil Paintings by Christine
More Unique Items
(hominy ~^oon: J'Jcindmadp (jjfaAA iddvach
Mon - Fri 8 am - 4 pm • Sat 10 am - 6 pm
998 Bridge Street, Vernonia • 503-429-4064