The INDEPENDENT.
Columbia County Parks meeting on Jan. 8
The Columbia County Parks
Advisory Commission will hold
a public meeting on Wednes
day, January 8, at 6:00 p.m., in
the Columbia County Parks
Department office, 1054 Ore-
gon Street, St. Helens.
Paj? those Gludstmas bills...
with a G U bin pager Ioan
Don’t let high credit card interest ruin the new year.
Call or come in to see how we can help.
VERNONIA FEDERAL
CREDIT UNION
622 Bridge Street, Vernonia
503 429-8031
Effective January 1, 2003,
Oregon’s minimum wage rose
to $6.90 per hour.
In November, Oregon voters
passed a ballot initiative to in
crease the minimum wage. The
initiative also indexed the mini
mum wage to inflation, which
means it will continue to grow
each year.
“Over the long-term, Ore
gon’s minimum wage has not
kept up with inflation," said Jeff
Thompson, economist and an
alyst with the Oregon Center
for Public Policy. “Each year
families working at or close to
the minimum wage find it hard
er to make ends meet because
prices go up. Indexing the min
imum wage to inflation stops
UNLIMITED
56K INTERNET
F o r i n f o r m a t i o n c a ll
503-429-2701
w w w .a g a lis .n e t
Pant» R
the erosion of its value.”
Making sure the minimum
A full-time worker at the new wage keeps up with inflation
minimum wage will earn about ensures that the amount of
$14,300, which is below the food on the table doesn’t get
poverty level for fam ilies of smaller.”
three or more. “Many families
Many workers with incomes
with full time workers will con above, but close to the mini
tinue to struggle to make ends mum wage, will also likely see
meet,” said Thompson. “Rais increases as employers revise
ing the minimum wage eases their wage schedules. “Increas
that burden, and indexing it ing the minimum wage doesn’t
means families won’t have to just help those at the very bot
work more hours each year just tom,” said Thompson, “but it
to stay in place.”
boosts others on the income
In Oregon, housing costs ladder.”
continue to be high relative to
Thousands of Oregon fami
income. “Landlords don’t wait lies depend on incomes near
to increase rents just because the minimum wage. “Minimum
their tenants haven’t had a wage employment isn’t just for
raise," Thompson said. In Ore teenagers earning spending
gon, over 150,000 renters are money,” said Thompson. “It is
paying more than 35% of their for the waitress with the child at
income as rent.
home, the fast food worker sup
Thompson noted that Ore porting his family or the janitor
gon has likely the highest who left welfare for work."
hunger rate in the nation, and
“Oregonians have chosen
that work does not necessarily not just to raise the minimum
prevent hunger. “Raising the wage, but to improve it, to help
minimum wage makes it easier ensure that low-income families
for thousands of Oregon fami aren’t falling behind,” said
lies to put food on the table. Thompson.
JANUARY
S M T W r A
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VERNONIA
Alcoholics Anonymous
Mondays
Alcoholics Anonymous
Saturdays
American Legion Post #119
2nd Thursday
Arts & Crafts Society
2nd Thursday
Boosters
2nd Wednesday
Boy Scout Troop 201
Tuesdays
Boy Scout Troop 860
Wednesdays
Cemetery Beautification Comm.
2nd Thursday
Chamber of Commerce
2nd Wednesday
Cub Scout Pack 201
Scout Cabin
Doll Club
4th Tuesday
Friends of the Library
1st Tuesday
Izaak Walton League
3rd Thursday
Lions Club
1st & 3rd Tuesdays
Nehalem Valley Car Club
Preschool Story Hour
Mondays
T.O.P.S.
Wednesdays
Upr Nehalem Watershed Council 4th Thursday
Vernonia Airport Committee
3rd Wednesday
Vernonia Cares Directors
Vernonia City Council
1st & 3rd Mondays
Vernonia Comm. Dev. Corp
2nd Tuesday
Vernonia Grange
4th Saturday
Vernonia Health Center
2nd Monday
Vernonia Planning Comm.
1st Thursday
Vernonia Pride
Vernonia Ridge Riders
Last Thursday
Vernonia RFPD Board
2nd Tuesday
Vernonia School Board
2nd Thursday
Vernonia Sr. Center Board
1st Friday
Vem. Volunteer Ambulance Assoc. 1st Thursday
Vernonia Volunteer Firefighters
2nd Monday
WOEC Directors
3rd Tuesday
9001
New minimum wage is $6.90 per hour
■
1- •*
J a n u a rv 9
6:30 p.m., Head Start Bldg.
7:00 p.m., Head Start Bldg.
627 Adams Ave./ 503-429-4000
2:00 p.m., City Library
7:30 p.m., VHS Library
7:00 p.m., Head Start Bldg.
7:00 p.m., LDS Church
7:00 p.m., Leonetti’s Grill
Noon, Lew’s Place
For Info Call 503-429-0188
1:00 p.m., Senior Center
7:00 p.m., Vernonia Library
For location call 503-429-7193
6:30 p.m., Lew’s Place
For Info Call 503-429-4074
10:30 a.m., City Library
6:30 p.m., First Baptist Church
For location call 429-2401
7:00 p.m., City Library
For location call 503-429-1414
7:00 p.m., City Hall
Noon, City Hall
10:30 a.m., Grange Hall
6:00 p.m., 510 Bridge St.
7:00 p.m., City Hall
For Info Call, 503-429-5201
7:00 p.m., City Library
7:00 p.m., Fire Station
8:00 p.m., District Office
1:00 p.m., Senior Center
7:00 p.m., Fire Station
7:00 p.m., Fire Station
7:00 p.m., WOEC
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20
27
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14
21
28
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15
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29
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16
23
30
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10
17
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31
FEBRUARY
r w r r
m
3
10
17
24
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18
25
5
12
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26
6
13
20
27
MIST-BIRKENFELD
M-BRFPD Board Business Mtg.
2nd Tuesday
M-BRFPD Board Workshop
4th Tuesday
M-B Ambulance Assoc.
1st & 2nd Thurs.
M-B Firefighters Assoc.
1st & 2nd Wed.
M-B Rescue
3rd Wednesday
M-B Helping Circle
2nd Wednesday
Natal Grange
2nd Wednesday
T.O.P.S.
Sundays
BANKS
Alcoholics Anonymous
Banks City Council
Banks Planning Commission
Banks School Board
Banks Youth Group
Chamber of Commerce
CPO14
Friends of the Library
Lions Club
Sunset Park Assoc.
T.O.P.S.
Tri-City RFPD Board
Women’s Aglow
s
S **
7 8
14 15
21 22
28
3
10
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8 24
31
1
MARCH
T W T
4
11
18
25
5
12
19
26
F
a
1
6
8
13
20 21 22
27 26 29
7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station
7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station
7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station
7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station
7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station
10:00 am, 755-2346 for info.
7:30 p.m., Grange Hall
7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station
Fridays
8:00 p.m., Methodist Church
2nd Tuesday
7:30 p.m., City Hall
Last Tuesday
7:00 p.m., City Hall
2nd Monday
7:30 p.m., Jr. High Library
Sundays, Wednesdays
7:00 p.m., UMC Youth Bldg.
1st Thursday
12:30 p.m., Brown Derby
3rd Monday
7:00 p.m., City Library
2nd Tuesday
7:00 p.m., City Library
1st & 3rd Mondays
7:00 p.m., Schlegel Hall
3rd Wednesday
8:00 p.m., Gun Club
Wednesdays
7:00 p.m., Administration Bldg.
2nd Wednesday
7:00 p.m., Station 13
2nd Thursday
7:00 p.m., City Library
CO LUMBIA COUNTY (All meet in St. Helens unless otherwise noted.)
Board of Commissioners
Citizens for Senior Justice
COLCO Transportation
County Council of Seniors
County Fair Board
County Parks Commission
Historical Society
Wednesdays
2nd Tuesday
2nd Friday
2nd Friday
2nd Monday
3rd Monday
4th Wednesday
10 a.m., Courthouse
7:00 p.m., Sunset Park Church
10:30 a.m., Courthouse
1:00 p.m., Courthouse
7:00 p.m., Fairgrounds 4-H Bldg.
6:00 p.m., 1054 Oregon St.
_________
Noon, location
call 429-3713
Organizations and meeting dates not listed may be included by calling 429-9410
or by mail to The INDEPENDENT, 725 Bridge Street, Vernonia, OR 97064.