Attn; Leslie Larson
ÜO Library-O M P
1299 University Of Oregon
Eugene OR 97400-1299
Voi. 18, No. 3
PRESORTED STANDARD
U S. P o s ta g e Paid
V ern on ia, O R 97 0 6 4
“ Voice of the Upper Nehalem River Valley”
February 6, 2003
Hwy. 47 project back
on schedule for 2004
“Futures” committee looks at schools
The Futures Committee, a
community group concerned
about the future of education in
Vernonia, made a presentation
to the school board at their Jan
uary meeting. Initiated by
Michelle Blum, Marie Botchie,
Cari Levenseller, Carla Strand,
Mike Funderburg and Robyn
Cochran, the group decided
that its first project would be to
determine how to address the
schools’ facility needs.
Acting as the group’s histori
an, Botchie has gathered avail
able documentation including
engineering reports, pre- and
post-bond surveys, a facility
grant application, and other in
formation used in the unsuc
cessful 2001 effort to gain voter
support for a bond measure.
In a written statement pre tential future flooding?
sented at the board meeting,
• What are the advantages
Blum said the group recognizes or disadvantages to combining
the problems identified in the grade levels in one facility?
previous effort and will “create
The committee’s statement
and facilitate opportunities to says, “Our downtown area revi
learn about what we may or talizes, while our schools stag
may not need and what action nate" and goes on to question
we (as a community) want to how teachers and students can
be taken regarding another be asked to teach and learn for
bond effort."
the information age in an inad
In addition to seeking solu equate facility.
tions to previously identified
The committee is seeking
m echanical
and
structural participation from additional
problems, the committee will volunteers. According to Blum,
attempt to answer questions the core group will serve as the
raised after the previous bond "vehicle of communication” be
effort, including:
tween the community and the
• What can the community board by collecting information
afford?
and opinions and reporting to
• What options are there re the board on a m onthly basis.
garding school location and po
Please see page 8
In 2002, the Nehalem River
Highway (Hwy. 47) was sched
uled for resurfacing from the
north end of Vernonia city limits
to Hwy 26. It didn’t happen and
the project was moved to 2003,
but it won’t be done in 2003, ei
ther. Then, when Vernonia
Public Works Director Robyn
Bassett looked at the projects
scheduled for 2004, it had dis
appeared from the schedule.
At the February 3 meeting of
the Vernonia City Council, Bas
sett reported that, as of Janu
ary 31, the project is scheduled
for 2004. In addition to resur
facing, many culverts will be re
placed, some bridge work and
erosion control is needed, and
a bike path will be constructed
along Bridge Street from Wash
ington Grade School up O-A
Hill to the Nehalem River
bridge.
The revised schedule has a
bid date in late September, with
work to begin in the spring of
2004...if it doesn’t fall off the
calendar again.
The committee reviewing the
28 applications for Vernonia
Chief of Police selected eight
applicants for the second
phase of the process. City Ad
ministrator Mike Sykes told the
council that five of the eight had
responded positively within a
week. The three remaining ap
plicants hadn’t responded in
that time frame.
Sykes also told of finding let
ters dated in 1921 and 1922
detailing some rather acrimo
nious negotiations between the
city and a representative of
Oregon-American Lumber Co.
regarding conditions for siting a
mill in Vernonia. Copies of the
correspondence were given to
council members and the origi
nals were entrusted to the Ver
nonia Pioneer Museum, which
is appropriately located in the
former O-A Mill office.
Three public hearings were
scheduled: On March 17 to re
view an am endm ent to the
C ity’s Transportation System
Plan; April 7 to consider annex
ation of cemetery property, and
a second on April 7 to consider
an amendment to the Compre
hensive Plan.
Because February 17 is a
holiday, the next meeting of the
council will be on Tuesday,
February 18, at 7:00 p.m.
Some WOEC bills estimated
By Jim Buxton
The West Oregon Electric
Cooperative Board of Directors
were told at their January meet
ing that approxim ately one-
third of the members will re
ceive estimated bills for Janu
ary. Operations Manager Steve
Hursch said that, for various
reasons, WOEC was too short-
handed to read all the meters
as it usually does.
Every effort was made to ar
rive at an accurate estimate
based on the previous three
months usage, as well as us
age during the same month
one year ago. Any differences
will even out on the following
bill, when WOEC expects to
read all the meters on sched
ule, calculate two months us
age and subtract the estimate.
The system is being convert
ed to automated meter reading.
Meters in some of the outlying
areas are already converted.
Please see page 13
Blood Drive slated
Roll up your sleeve for a
Red Cross Blood Drive spon
sored by the Vernonia High
School Leadership Class, Feb
ruary 19 from 1:30 to 6:30
p.m., in the VHS Library.
Donors must be age 17 or
older and weigh) at least 110
pounds. The goal is 55 donors.