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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (May 2, 2002)
Volunteer clean-up at P.O. is appreciated To the Editor: As the postmaster of the Vernonia Post Office, I would like to give a public thank you to the wonderful volunteers who worked so hard around the post office during Vernonia Pride Day. I realize most resi dents do not know the Postal Service is mandated by Con gress to lease buildings in towns the size of Vernonia. The owner of our building is a physi cian in the mid-west and, unfor tunately, we have been in litiga tion with him over maintenance to the building for quite a while. Again, I would like to give a special thank you to Enid Par- row, Dan Murphy, Mike Sykes, Tony Hyde, Scott Rethwill, Ray Pelster, Kathleen Griffin, Rachael Sykes, Erin Gehrke, Jessie Roberts and Austin East. If I have missed anyone, please forgive me. I feel very privileged to have a job that has allowed me to be part of such a great community. Sally Phillips, Postmaster Vernonia Post Office Competition is the basis of capitalism To the Editor: I am writing in response to the letter by Marie Due in the April 18 issue of The Indepen dent. Her letter was in re sponse to a letter in the April 4 issue written by Lisa Edgar. Lisa was commenting on the lack of support for local, and especially downtown, busi nesses. She commented that people will go to a competitor, and then wonder why a local business fails. When taken in the context of the entire letter, this comment refers to competi tors outside Vernonia. I believe that Marie may have missed this point. In her letter, she ba sically attacked Lisa for adding a tropical fish section to her store, Creatures. As both Creatures and Marie’s Tropical Fish are local businesses, neither would fall into the category of out of town competition referred to by Lisa. Competition in town is a sign of a healthy, growing business environment. Competition in business is the basis for capi talism, which is, by definition, the American Way. If Lisa were to pull the fish from her store, as Marie asked in her letter, then we should also ask one of the gas stations to close, and one of the markets to close, and one of the hardware stores to close. We should also ask that, from this point, no one be allowed to open a business if one that is similar already ex ists. As a former business own er myself, I can tell you now that none of these things will happen. If Marie is concerned about competition, then she needs to adjust her business so that it meets a need or possibly specializes in an area of the market that other local busi nesses don’t. My intent here is not to at tack or put down Marie. I be Between tbe Bookends By Ann Krutsinger, Library Assistant Banks Public Library Interested folks are invited to join our May program, “A Taste of Calligraphy," taught by Colleen Cavin. The workshop will be held Satur day, May 4th from 11a.m. to 2:00 p.m.. If inter ested, please call the library to secure your spot. This workshop is funded by the RACC, NEA, and WCCLS. This is the library’s fifth year in our beautiful building. Please help celebrate the anniversary by attending our programs scheduled Saturday, June 1st. We will host a workshop on bookbind ing, taught by Colleen Cavin, from 11 a.m. to :00 p.m. In the evening, please come and enjoy a free concert performed by the Quartette Bar bette. This saxophone group plays an eclectic variety of music — from jazz and ragtime to folk, classical, popular and klezmer styles. These pro grams are funded by the RACC, NEA, and WC CLS. Saturday, May 11th is recycling day spon sored by the Friends of the Banks Library at the lieve that she simply misunder stood Lisa’s statement about competition. Lisa did not speci fy out of town competitors, however, this was the tone of her entire letter. I hope my criti cisms will be viewed as con structive. Keith Shaw Vernonia Vernonia Shines by volunteers’ efforts To the Editor: Vernonia Pride and SOLV would like to extend a HUGE thank you to everyone who helped this year’s Make Ver nonia Shine day. We had won derful weather, which certainly helped, and roughly 140 or more volunteers that day (I heard rumors of people work ing, who did not sign up, and were not counted. Thanks for your help, too, but please sign up and come join us for lunch. We miss your faces.) You just have to look around town and cannot miss the won derful job you did. Just an interesting tidbit: On page 79, in the history book, Vernonia: A Pocket in the Woods, there are comments about civic pride. The women of Vernonia organized the city’s first “Clean Up Day” on April 25, 1922. It notes that schools were closed and businesses closed for a few hours to clean up. The city helped and prison ers were even taken out of jail to help beautify the town. It says that “Clean Up Day” be- ■■ Swatco Service Yard between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. If you miss this date and are looking for the mixed paper recycle bins that were near to Main Street in the parking lot of Dayspring Christian Fellowship, you will find they have been moved. The bins have been placed away from the street, onto the City of Banks’ gravel parking lot, next to the paved library parking lot. Proceeds from the bins now benefit the library. The hauler accepts mixed paper (including old paperback books, magazines and newspapers) but not cardboard. Library patrons with Internet access at home or work can browse the library resources by clicking on www.WILInet.wccls.lib.or.us. Materi als can be reserved electronically. Banks Public Library: 111 Market Street. Hours: Tues., Wed., Thurs., 11 a.m. - 7 p.m,; Frl. and Sat. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Preschool Story Time: Wednesdays, 10:15 a,m., when school is in session, Phone: <503 ) 324-1382 «1® Internet: www.WILInet.wccls.lib.or.uS. «— M M ... came a tradition in Vernonia. I guess this is true, although it would be my guess that some years went by without this year ly event. (If you would like to purchase Vernonia: A Pocket in the Woods, they are on sale at Vernonia Sentry Market for $16.00.) THANKS TO ALL who helped on Saturday. It was nice to see your smiling faces and nice to see all of the kids who showed up because you do make a difference and you are the future of this town. If anyone is interested in joining Vernonia Pride we are always looking for new mem bers (we currently have a sec retary position open). I know that when I moved to this town, in 1994, I met so many more people when I joined Vernonia Pride and it has been wonder ful. Thanks to all of you who help our organization because, in helping Vernonia Pride, you are really helping Vernonia. Donna Webb Vernonia Pride Emerald Forest, Chinook Winds Casino, Columbia Vil lage, Cookies by Design, Curves for Women, Earth ‘n’ Sun, El Tapatio Restaurant, Bob Hemmerling, Ida’s Wreath Shop, Joy Creek Nursery, Key Title, Teresa and John Knight^ Liefeld's Jewelry, Mossbarg- er’s, Pat and Bob Nelson, Nel son’s Nursery and Gifts, Ore gon Trail Lanes, Portland Trail Blazers, Rainier Eagles #4022 Auxiliary, St. Helens Book Shop, St. Helens Golf Course, Scappoose Business and Tax, Scappoose Fitness Center, Semling’s Pharmacy, Sunshine Pizza, Gary and Roxy Templin, Tony’s Shoes, Judi Weigandt, Shena Wheeler, Wicker Won ders, Wild Star Design and Re pair, and Weird Harold’s Cus tom Iron. We also want to thank our wonderful sponsors: Betsy Johnson, Boise-Cascade, Chi nook Winds Casino and Con vention Center, Liefeld’s Jewel ry, St. Helens Auto Center, Tony’s Shoes, Karen and Leonard Punch. Debra and Dick Jacobus do Thanks for helping nated the use of the Time and Women’s Center Again Ballroom, and Dockside Steak and Pasta Express Lane Espresso donated their ser To the Editor: vices to the Café Boogie. Columbia County Women’s Thank you, each and every Resource Center, its board, one of you, as well as all the volunteers and staff, would like to thank the community for wonderful people who came making the 3rd Annual Café out to dance, eat and enjoy Boogie a success. Our center Café Boogie. Our apologies if could not exist without support we have overlooked anyone. from our neighbors, friends, Your contribution was appreci businesses, artists and each ated. We look forward to having and every concerned person in even more fun next year! Columbia County. Our special thanks go to the Sincerely, following: Bathing Bungalow, Karin B. Kaczmarek Bertucci’s Chocolates, Best Program Coordinator Western Oak Meadows Inn, Columbia County Blue Moon Gifts, Christopher Women’s Resource Center Burkett, Cindy Bremmer, Camp City seeks marketing theme Following a marketing as sessment of Vernonia, under the auspices of the Oregon Downtown Development As sociation (ODDA), an active group of volunteers is working as a committee with the City to develop a marketing plan. One of the steps in that process is to adopt a theme. The theme should describe Vernonia in a few easily re membered words. Tillamook’s theme, for instance, is “Land of Cheese, Trees and Ocean Breeze." Pendleton is called the “Round-up City” and Wald port describes itself as “Where the Forest Meets the Sea.” All ideas may be submitted and will be considered. Sug gestions may be dropped off at city hall, or call marketing committee member Donna Webb at 503-429-5201. The deadline is Friday, May 3. Suggestions will be presented to the city council for ap proval. The theme that is chosen will be adopted as the official city motto. The final decision will be the responsibility of the city council.
