“ Voice of the Upper Nehalem River Valley”February 20, 2002
Vol. 17, No. 4
Election cycle starts;
filing deadline near
Winter recreation spot
Improvements at Anderson Park are bringing visitors to Vernonia even on a cool Febru
ary weekend. These visitors brought along their bikes, too, to enjoy the linear trail.
Like Christmas, the election
season seems to come around
before most people are ready.
Nevertheless, the deadline
for filing nomination papers for
state and county offices that
will be on the May 21, 2002,
primary election ballot, is
March 12, less than a month
away.
In addition to state and fed
eral openings, several county
positions will be on the ballot.
The term of Columbia Coun
ty Commissioner Rita Bernhard
will expire this year, as will
county assessor, county clerk
and district attorney. Incum
bents who have filed for re-
election, as of Tuesday morn
ing, include County Assessor
Tom Linhares, County Clerk
Betty Huser and District Attor
ney Steve Atchison.
There will be two openings
on the Columbia County Circuit
Court. The positions held by
Judge Steve Reed and Judge
Ted Grove will both be on the
Commissioner would eliminate regional strategies
By Noni Andersen
Columbia County Commis
sioner Joe Corsiglia submitted
written testimony recommend
ing the elimination of the Re
gional Strategies program as a
statewide cost-cutting effort, in
spite of the fact it has brought
hundreds of thousands of dol
lars to Columbia County in the
form of grants and low-cost
loans. Corsiglia based his sug
gestion on what he feels is un
necessary overhead, because
there is “an administrator in five
regions throughout Oregon.”
He further wrote: “...sending
a pro-rated amount directly to
each county with the task of ad
dressing real industry needs
...to assure outcomes within
each county in an effective pro
gram...”
Asked by The Independent
why he would send Regional
Strategies funds to metropoli
tan counties, when the program
is designed for rural areas,
Corsiglia said he didn’t consid
er that when he suggested the
money go to all the counties.
He also said he wasn’t
speaking for the Board of
County Commissioners, al
though the letter was written on
county stationery and he
signed it as a county commis
sioner.
“I don’t know what (Commis
sioner) Tony (Hyde) and (Com
missioner) Rita (Bernhard)
think (about the program),”
Corsiglia said.
To provide a little back
ground, here are some of the
projects that have been helped
with Regional Strategies funds:
• $14,160 grant to Business
Assistance Teams, Vernonia &
Clatskanie, for small business
owner financial and technical
training.
• $60,000 grant to Columbia
Health District to conduct
needs assessment (see pg. 12).
• $50,000 grant to construct
Columbia River fishing pier.
• $21,000 grant to improve
security around historic loco
motive in Shay Park.
• $93,630 grant to improve
water, sewer and electrical ser
vices at Anderson Park.
• $40,000 grant to improve
4-H facility at Columbia County
Fairgrounds.
• $5,000 grant to assess
community college needs in
PCC service area of Columbia
County.
•
$55,000
grant
to
Clatskanie Park District facility
improvements.
• $49,000 grant for Vernonia
streetscape.
• $11,000 grant to pave path
and parking lot at Vernonia
Lake.
• $47,500 grant for feasibili-
ty/site analysis for Vernonia
Visitor Information Center/City
Hall.
$24,000 loan for weatheriza
tion at Cedar Ridge
• •
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ballot. Reed has filed for re-
election.
Oregon Representative Bet
sy Johnson (who represents
Vernonia and Mist since re-dis
tricting took effect), has filed for
re-election, as has state Sena
tor Joan Dukes. Dukes was
saved by the bell, so to speak,
when the state Supreme Court
tossed out the term limits law.
Had it been judged constitu
tional, Dukes would have had
no choice about leaving the po
sition.
On the federal level, Democ
ratic Congressman David Wu
will seek re-election, as will Re
publican
Senator
Gordon
Smith.
There will be nothing on the
ballot for the City of Vernonia.
City offices are voted on during
the general election in Novem
ber.
Although candidates must
file by March 12, the deadline
for filing a ballot measure is
March 21.
April 30 is the last day to reg
ister for the May 21 election.
Vernonia Lake will
be stocked March 4
Oregon Department of Fish
and Wildlife will begin its 2002
North Coast Area Trout Stock
ing March 4, stocking Vernonia
Pond with 2,000 catchable-size
rainbow trout.
Subsequent stocking dates
for Vernonia Lake will be March
18, April 8, April 29, and May
13.
Business notes....... Pages 4 & 5
Community news... Page 6 & 7
School news.... Pages 8, 9 & 10
Banks news.................... Page 11
Weather report............. Page 16