Vol. 17, No. 12
“ Voice of the Upper Nehalem River Valley”
June 20, 2002
City adopts marketing slogan
Adoption of a marketing slo
gan for the City of Vernonia and
a touching presentation to Ver
nonia Police Chief Jim Walters
were highlights of the June 17
council meeting. Council also
awarded a paving contract and
set dates for several meetings
or workshops.
Discover Vernonia...Forests,
Parks, Trails & Streams!
The slogan above was
adopted by the City Council
and will start appearing on pro
motional materials - brochures,
videos, web site, etc. - as they
are developed.
The presentation to Chief
Walters had its roots in a trip by
local kids to Washington, D.C.
Among the parents who went
with the DC Kids were Mike
Hayes and Chris Cota. While
visiting the memorial honoring
police officers who died in the
line of duty, Chris Cota realized
that the name of Vernonia’s late
police chief, Ray Garcia, was
included. While Cota was doing
a “rubbing” of Garcia’s name on
the memorial, Hayes took pho
tos of him and the memorial.
After returning home, they
mounted several photos in one
frame for the presentation to
Walters, who was a reserve of
ficer under Garcia. Helping with
the presentation were Mike and
School board formally adopts budget
Retiring Superintendent Lar-
/ McClellan attended his 260th
chool board meeting June
3th, with most of the board’s
me spent dealing with a vari-
ty of financial issues. McClel-
in’s final report to the board in-
luded an update on the work
f the staff committee looking
t the impact of multiple coach-
ig assignments on the teach-
ig curriculum. The committee
las expanded the scope and
/ill also collect information on
iow athletic/activities programs
upport the instructional pro-
iram. They will bring a report
ind proposal to the board in
March. McClellan also told the
board that the district liability in
surance, previously renewed
somewhat automatically with
out changes, would increase
30 percent. The new superin
tendent, Mike Funderburg, will
be exploring options to reduce
the cost and still provide the
district with adequate liability
coverage.
The board formally accepted
donations totaling $22,832, that
were received throughout the
current fiscal year. Local busi
nesses and community mem
bers donated over $5,400 for
athletic programs, and more
than $6,000 for the purchase of
risers. Donations for technolo
gy were more than $5,700, with
a $5,000 grant from the Gates
Foundation and the remainder
in cash and equipment donated
by the community. The balance
of the donations, $5,684 was
from local people and busi
nesses and United Way of Co
lumbia County.
With exception of three posi
tions, the board approved ad
ministrative and confidential
employees salaries at their pre
sent rate. In lieu of a raise or a
cost of living adjustment (COLA),
Please see page 2
Collin Hayes, Chris, Kala and
Kristin Cota, and Bryan Budge.
A contract for paving and up
grading a loop off of Bridge
Street was awarded to Brix
Paving Co. of Tualatin. The
portions of Madison and Jeffer
son Avenues north of Bridge
St., will be improved along with
Shady Lane, which runs be
tween the two.
The following meetings will
be held:
• Council will hold a work
shop and tour the city’s waste-
water facility at 5:30 p.m. on
July 8th (No meeting on July
1st.). The public is welcome.
Council meeting will follow.
• Town Hall meeting July 15
at 7:00 p.m. in the Council
Chambers for discussion of op
tions for the historical museum.
This meeting is being called by
local members of the Historical
Society.
• Town Hall meeting to ex
plain the city's water curtail
ment plan is set for Aug. 5 at a
time to be announced later.
Enjoy July 4th
in Vernonia
Parade 7:30 P.m.
Register at City Half
Boosters BBQ 6 pm
Cotton Candy. Popcorn, etc.
Between V H S & W C S
Fireworks Display
at dusk
Brine blankets. Spread out.
relax and enjoy
an
Old-fashioned 4th!
Interim superintendent takes
responsibility at first of July
Monday, July 1, will be Mike
Funderburg’s first day as su
perintendent of Administrative
School District 47J, more popu
larly known as Vernonia School
District.
Funderburg has spent the
past two years as superinten
dent at Culver, a long commute
from his home in St. Helens.
Prior to that, he was principal
for two years at 650 student
Scappoose High School and
for five years at Sandy High
School, where 1200 students
are enrolled.
Culver, with about 600 stu
dents
from
kindergarten
through 12th grade, was Fun-
derburg's first exposure to op
erating in a small school dis
trict, and he was hooked.
“I like the small K-12 school
district,” Funderburg said. “I
can rea.ly get to know the stu
dents and the community. Peo
ple will see me in the schools,”
he said with a smile.
A native of Ashland, Funder
burg graduated from Eagle
Point High School. He earned
his Bachelor’s and Master’s de
grees in secondary education
at Southern Oregon University.
Mike Funderburg
Funderburg has been mar
ried to his high school sweet
heart for 33 years. Their son
teaches engineering in Japan,
and their daughter teaches
health at Sandy High School.
The Funderburgs also have
two grandchildren.