The INDEPENDENT, June 6, 2001
Lottsrs to the Editor
B o tw esn th e B ookends
By Cindy Stanley, Library Assistant
Banks Public Library
Did you know that reading during the summer
helps kids bridge the learning gap between
school years? Last year over 11,000 children of
all ages - preschool through high school - par
ticipated in Washington County’s summer read
ing program. The theme for the upcoming 2001
Summer Reading Program is “Read a Wild
Tale.” Registration begins on June 1st and our
first free special program will be held Thursday,
June 21st at 2:00 p.m. at the library. BJ the
Clown will join us that day with circus tricks and
magic. More fun will follow each Thursday at 2
p.m. Let us help you make reading fun for your
child!
Saturday June 9th is Recycle Saturday at the
SWATCO Service Yard on Sellers Road, be
tween 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Friendly library
volunteers will be there to assist you. Items ac
cepted include newspapers, cardboard, maga
zines, aluminum and tin, glass and plastic con
tainers with necks (sorry no plastic tubs, lids or
caps).
You may think that the “new” reading material
is isolated to just a few of our shelves. But the
beauty of our library is the fact that our shelves
are brimming with titles - characters, stories and
far-away places - that are new to YOU! Use
your imagination. Pick a theme, an author, au
thors’ first novels, or even the color of the book
jackets! It can be so much fun discovering the
hidden treasures that line our shelves. They are
just waiting for an eager reader like you.
Connie May Fowler’s words read like music in
her moving novel Remembering Blue. This book
won’t be found on our “new books” shelf but war
rants special mention. Remembering Blue is a
Page 3
story narrated by Mattie O’Rourke, a woman
who spent her first 22 years drifting through life
with a singular purpose: never to draw attention
to herself because she feared both judgment
and recognition. Then Nick Blue came into her
life in what seemed to be a chance meeting.
Thus begins a relationship that evokes a life-al
tering change in Mattie, one which allows her to
become more than a flicker in the world’s pe
ripheral vision. She learns to respect and value
family and to approach the future with both an
ticipation and forgiveness. You will practically
smell the salt air coming off the Gulf coast of
Florida as Remembering Blue weaves the story
of Mattie and Nick’s return to his island home. As
if beckoned back by the sea, Nick returns to be
come a third generation fisherman on the island
from which a family legend had caused him to
run away.
John J. Nance, “master of the aviation
thriller,” brings us his new title, Headwind. Hang
on as Nance leads you on a whirlwind chase
halfway around the globe aboard a hijacked jet,
as former United States President John Harris
evades would-be kidnappers.
A new title for our juvenile readers is Cast
aways of the Flying Dutchman. Master story
teller Brian Jacques brings us this new fantasy
Thanks for the help
To the Editor:
I would like to thank the
good Christians of Vernonia for
their support after my misfor
tune.
Your generosity and kind
ness helped me get through.
Thank you all.
Randall McLaughlin
Vernonia
Budget is proposed,
not yet final
To the Editor:
The following is in regard to
the recent article, “Vernonia
budget balanced, at the time",
from the May 16 issue of the
Independent.
I feel that there was a key
word missing in many parts of
the article that left myself, and
many other citizens I have spo-
The word that is missing is
“PROPOSED”.
Therefore, there is a clarifi
cation to this article I would like
to make to the readers of your
publication.
The PROPOSED budget,
recommended by the city ad
ministrator, that was approved
by the budget committee and
members of the city council at
the recent Budget committee
workshop was just that, PRO
POSED.
We still have a public hear
ing to carry out and other is
sues to address before a final
vote will be made on the PRO
POSED budget that was re
cently approved.
If you are one of the many
who was confused by the way
the article was written, please
be advised there is still time for
input from the public regarding
the PROPOSED budget.
Glen Purvee
City Councilor
tin Says.. .
By Dale Webb, member
Nehalem Valley Chapter Izaak Walton League
So, how far do you have to travel from Vernonia to
find Class III water? Let’s see, the falls on the Ne
halem River below the Salmonberry River and the
falls at Nehalem Falls campground on the lower Ne
halem are all Class III, but they are at least an hour
away. The Wilson, Trask and Nestucca Rivers all have
some Class III waters, but are even farther away.
Would you be surprised if I told you we have one
piece of Class III water in our backyard, and it is only
a fifteen minute drive from Vernonia? It’s on Rock
Creek, around river mile seven.
So, what is Class III water? First, we must learn
how water is rated. The most widely used scale for
rating river difficulty is the International scale. This
scale consists of a range from I through VI, with Class
I waters consisting of easy water, not much gradient,
with riffles, small waves and a wide channel. Class II
waters have regular waves, with relatively clear chan
nels that may require occasional maneuvering. Class
III waters include rapids of intermediate difficulty and
moderate, irregular waves that may be difficult to
avoid. These waters may require complex maneuver
ing and scouting is advisable. Class IV waters are for
advanced paddlers; the rapids have big waves with
many obstacles that require precise maneuvering.
Class V waters are for experts only, have long, violent
rapids with dangerous obstructions. The conse
quences of an upset are likely to be dire, with long,
dangerous swims and poor prospects for rescue.
Class VI waters are for the crazy, lucky and magical
people of the world. Death or injury are very likely.
Generally, the Nehalem River around Vernonia is a
Class I river, although it could easily be argued that
some of the rapids would rate a II under certain water
levels. The rapids at Mist are certainly Class II and an
other little rapids just above the bridge over the Ne
halem at Flora Road is Class II, due to its need for
some maneuvering and side bank sweepers. It could
also be argued that the waters above Vernonia in both
the Nehalem and Rock Creek should be rated Class II
because of the maneuvering needed in the confined
channel and the presence of lots of wood hazards.
Yet, even with the confined channel and wood haz
ards, our local waters are fairly mellow compared to
most, except for the Class III falls on Rock Creek. Yes,
I said falls. Apparently, during the flood of 1996, Rock
Creek cut a new channel through a large oxbow in the
river. While the gradient around the oxbow, about five
hundred yards, is only slightly noticeable, the gradient
of the new river shortcut is breathtaking.
I was kayaking with a new-found partner, Matt
Giles, who is relatively new to the sport, when we
found Rock Creek falls. Actually, we heard it before we
saw it and we both were wondering what we were get
ting into before we saw what was going on. We both
decided to take the easy route around the falls via the
old river channel, which still flows adequate amounts
of water to float. We stopped at the bottom of the falls
as the river flows back past its base and both of us
deemed it do-able, with a little more water flow.
A few weeks later, my other kayak partner, Troy
Horton, and I were able to get back on Rock Creek af
ter a good rain. We started our trip at the concrete
bridge near Keasey. This is a very neat stretch of
stream and should be rated Class II waters because
of the excessive amount of maneuvering that is re
quired to avoid log hazards in the narrow corners. We
could have used another six inches of water, which
would translate into the water being just on the staff
gauge at the Vernonia swimming pool on Rock Creek.
There were numerous ledge drops of only a foot or so
and numerous blind comer rapids that required last
minute peeks around the comer before committing to
a line. The gradient on upper Rock Creek is moderate
and makes for a fun paddle.
Finally, we approached the Rock Creek falls and
we both disembarked to take a good look. The falls is
a drop of only about six feet in a distance of about
forty yards. The mouth is about thirty yards wide and
drops about three feet into a small pool on river right.
There appears to be a rock or ledge on the right side
of the pool entrance which could be a potential for a
vertical pin (where the nose of the kayak gets stuck,
leaving the kayaker stranded in a vertical position with
water pouring over him). The pool is a short fifteen
yards, then the river bottom drops another three feet
at about a fifty degree angle into the plunge pool at the
bottom. A strainer about sixty yards downstream
makes a mandatory portage, but poses little hazard if
a kayaker does take a swim. The most dangerous as
pect of Rock Creek falls is that there isn’t a lot of wa
ter depth and an upset could result in some hard
knocks.
I would regard Rock Creek Falls as a giant slip-
and-slide with a three foot drop at the start. The
stream bottom is all soapstone and relatively smooth
in the Falls.
Finally, after giving the Falls a good looking over, I
decided to give it a try. Troy decided to watch me and
be my safety man in case I got in trouble. I handed
him my throw rope and he departed via the old chan
nel. Soon, he was standing at the bottom of the falls.
I hit my line and plunged into the pool on the first drop,
with my kayak completely submerging. I made a quick
decision not to eddy out in the pool, since my kayak
had darted left and toward my line for the descent of
the last drop, which was less than spectacular due to
low water flow and dragging my bottom on the soap
stone. With more water, this is really going to be fun. I
can’t wait till next winter.
There are several places where portages are
mandatory on Rock Creek due to full length trees
spanning the river. Most are in calm stretches of the
river, pose little risk and give a kayaker the opportuni
ty to try a seal launch (where a kayaker gets in the
kayak and slides or plunges off the bank and into the
water). A couple of the seal launch sites are four to
five foot drops and a whole lot of fun on a hot day.
One warning I would offer to anybody wanting to try
Rock Creek is that you need good maneuvering skills
and a short boat. In other words, you should be able
to maneuver crucial eddy turns and cross stream fer
ries in two foot waves. If you tackle Rock Creek, make
sure you have throw ropes and an experienced per
son along.
Kayaking Rock Creek is fun and is a beautiful ex
perience. In some places, high banks are covered
with moss and green plants, while small rivulets of wa
ter pour out amongst the greenery and cascade into
the stream. There are several small waterfalls that
tumble into the stream from hanging stream beds of
side creeks. We saw several steelhead, both alive and
dead, and ducks are constant companions as you
paddle in this local wonder.
Please help protect this natural wonder, keep it
clean and respect private property.
See you in the water!
Izaak W alton League Nehalem Valley Chapter
meetings are on the third Thursday of each
month at 7:00 p.m. The public is welcome.
For meeting location, call (603) 429-7193.