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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (July 18, 2002)
Vol. 17, No. 14 “Voice of the Upper Nehalem River Valley" J Meeting on museum fills council chamber Improvements continuing at Shay Park Improvements are continu ing at Shay Park. A roof now shelters the old engine, and a concrete and brick sidewalk has been installed around it. The sidewalk installation is a joint effort of the City of Ver nonia and Vernonia Pride, and is funded partly with the pro ceeds from sales of engraved bricks. Local contractor Loren Dennis constructed the side walk and set the bricks. Those interested may still purchase a brick engraved with your name, or in memory of someone else. Vernonia Pride is still taking orders for the $25.00 bricks. They will be en graved on the Saturday of Jam boree by Fred Bass, from Bass Memorials and Stone Art, who will work on bricks already in stalled in the walkway. For more information, call Donna Webb of Vernonia Pride, at 429-5201. People concerned about keeping the museum in Ver nonia open and accessible to the public, filled the Vernonia City Council meeting room Monday night, and expressed what Mayor Cindy Ball charac terized as a “mostly gracious exchange of opinion.” Although most people in volved in local museum opera tions were under the impres sion that the collections in both Vernonia and St. Helens had been conveyed to the Colum bia County Historical Society, extensive research by county staff could find no documenta tion to support that position, ex plained Columbia County Com missioner Tony Hyde. (The St. Helens museum is in the old county courthouse and the Ver nonia museum is owned by the City of Vernonia, with museum expenses paid by the county.) According to Hyde, the only documented agreement is for museum operations, which would indicate that the county retains ownership. Having completed their re search, the county had already arranged to reopen the muse um in Vernonia—with staffing by local volunteers—so access was no longer a concern, pro vided there are enough volun teers. Enit Parrow, who has volun teered at the museum for sev eral years, said that the muse- Bike trip Saturday on proposed linear trail Bicycle enthusiasts can pre view about 25 miles of a pro posed linear trail between Ver nonia and Scappoose on Sat urday, July 20, by joining a ride along an old railroad right-of- way from Pittsburg to Scap poose. Participants will meet about 10 a.m. at Chapman Landing in Scappoose, then take a bus to the Spar Tree Restaurant for breakfast and the starting point of the ride. To add an interest- ing historical element to the day, there will be a stop at the divide between the two local watersheds (Nehalem and Co lumbia) for a short hike to an abandoned railroad tunnel. Everyone should be back in Scappoose by 3:00 p.m. Riders may also join the group at the Spar Tree, but will have to arrange their own transporta- tion from Scappoose. Bike trail tires are recommended, though not essential for most of the route. The original use of the right- of-way was by a railroad that carried logs for Clark & Wilson Please see page 12 um was closed for three months this winter because the furnace needed to be repaired, then because the president of the county historical society changed the locks, but that it had seldom been closed for lack of volunteers. Questions of inventory re mained. The past two curators, Barbara Werner and Robb Wil son, had each prepared com plete inventory lists, but the lists are missing. County Coun sel John Knight said that there should be written agreements for materials given to the muse um, with any special conditions noted. No one asked about ar tifacts missing from Vernonia. Vernonia Museum Open Friday, Saturday, Sunday 1:00-4:00 p.m. Arrangements can be made fo r groups. Volunteers needed. For inform ation, call Enid Parrow: 503-429-8134. Costley named to Council vacancy The Vernonia City Council is now at full capacity, with the appointment of Brett Costley, July 8, to fill the vacancy creat ed when Mario Leonetti re signed as Mayor, and Coun-, cilor Cindy Ball was appointed to fill the mayoral position. Costley is already familiar with many ongoing projects in the city, having served for nearly two years on the Vernonia Planning Commission. The only other applicant was Sam Hearing, a longtime Vernonia resident and former businessman.
