Attn: Lesli© Larson
UO Library-OMP
1299 University Of Oregon
Eugene OR 97403-1299
“Voice of the Upper Nehalem River Valley”January 16, 2002
Voi. 17, No. 2
Councilor explains
background of KKK
Nature’s silver touch
Local temperatures
in the low 20s trans
formed the appear
ance of some every
day sights, with the
frost-laden
spider
web, above, looking
like woven strands of
platinum, while the
rhododendron at left
appears to be bloom
ing in the middle of
winter.
More cold weather
is forecast with, per
haps, a small amount
of snow.
Vibrant downtown is vision for
Citizens of Banks had an op
portunity to see their communi
ty in a new way at a meeting
presenting the work of an Ore
gon Downtown Development
Association (ODDA) ’•esource
team on January 11. An excit
ing vision showed the future of
the downtown area as an ac
tive, vibrant central hub for
community life.
The ODDA team is com
posed of specialists who review
existing plans and studies and
other information prior to visit
ing a town. The team conduct
ed interviews with local busi
ness owners and residents, ex
U S. Postage Paid
Vernonia, OR 97064
amined the business mix and
development, public space de
sign including streetscape,
parking and traffic, private
space, façade design, and
downtown housing. The pre
sentation included recommen
dations for development within
an implementable and cohe
sive framework.
Brad Sinn, of ODDA, began
the presentation by telling the
audience that the key to suc
cessful growth is planning. Ac
cording to Sinn, Banks is
uniquely situated to capitalize
on the traffic from the highways
on either side of town. The area
anks
defined as “downtown” begins
at the five-way intersection of
Sellers Road, Banks Road and
Highway 47, and extends south
along Main Street to the Scout
Cabin.
Treva Hunter, of Marketek,
spoke to nearly every business
in town and said that she great
ly enjoyed the positive, pedes
trian friendly atmosphere. Her
work examined the mix of busi
nesses currently operating in
the city, the lifestyle character
istics of the population, and the
existing competitive advan
tages and disadvantages of the
Please see page 8
Because one line on a sign
that listed historic events in
Vernonia has attracted unwar
ranted media attention, Ver
nonia City Councilor Shirlee
Daughtrey explained at the
Jan. 7 meeting, that the Ku
Klux Kian came to Vernonia in
1922 along with personnel for
the Oregon-American Lumber
Company.
“They were from the south,
they brought it with them and
that was the way they were,"
Daughtrey said, “but Vernonia
is not racist.” Daughtrey, who is
nearing her 65th birthday, is
the only member of the city
council who was born and
raised in Vernonia.
The councilors generally felt
that media reaction to a letter
in The Independent that asked
about the entry on the sign,
was ridiculous or insulting, or
both.
In other business, the Coun
cil was pleased to hear that its
financial house is in good order
in more ways than one.
After months of negotiation
and a session with a mediator,
the City and the association
that represents the City’s po
lice officers have finally
reached a collective bargain
ing agreement. The new con
tract is basically the same as
that accepted by the municipal
workers, with a cost of living
raise of about three percent
and additional increases based
only merit. The police associa
tion had been seeking a pack
age of increases that would
have totalled about nine-and-
one-half percent.
The annual audit report
w
g
So
2
made only one corrective sug
gestion - for improved use of
the utility billing softwear - and
expressed pleasure at the
work of finance clerk Cindy
Naillon.
Council agreed to amend
regulations prohibiting gasoline
motors on boats on Vernonia
Lake so Vernonia Volunteer
Firefighters could practice with
a rescue boat that was donat
ed to the district. The former
U.S. Coast Guard rescue boat
was donated to the local fire
district by the Forest Grove
Fire Department. The ordi
nance will be reviewed and the
practice sessions will be limit
ed under the modifications, in
cluding a “no wake" provision.
Public hearings
set on Vernonia
market analysis
There will be plenty of op
portunity to ask questions and
make suggestions at two pub
lic hearings on the Vernonia
Marketing & Business Analy
sis, prepared by the Oregon
Downtown Development Asso
ciation. This analysis is partic
ularly important to downtown
businesses and property own
ers.
The first hearing will be on
February 7, at 6:30 p.m., be
fore the Vernonia Planning
Commission. The second
hearing, before the City Coun
cil, will be on February 19 at
7:30 p.m.
Both hearings will be held in
the Council Chambers at Ver
nonia City Hall.
School news.......
Banks news........
Weather report...