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The INDEPENDENT, February 20, 2003
Dep’t of Revenue will help teens
with their first income tax returns
More than 80,000 Oregoni
ans between the ages of 16
and 19 are employed and pay
ing taxes through payroll with
holding. Those filing their first
income tax returns can get on
line help from the Oregon De
partment of Revenue.
At <www.steps2cash.org>,
first-time filers can access ma
terials needed to complete re
turns; information about Forms
W-2, W-4 and 1099-INT; how to
complete a self-calculating
Form 40S (short form) and get
a refund. Answers to frequently
asked questions, along with an
explanation of how tax money
is spent and definitions of tax
terms are available.
The department believes
that teaching students how to
file returns is an investment in
the state’s future. “We want to
give them the tools and motiva
tion needed for lifelong tax
com pliance,” said Rosemary
Love, program coordinator.
This is the Web site’s sec
ond year. Last year, the site re
ceived thousands of hits and
many positive comments from
parents, teachers and students
about its ease of use and clari
ty. As one student explained in
response to a department sur
vey, "This site was very simple
and made it easier than your
parents talking to you."
Hands On Art workshops on music
theory dance, photography and more
Hands On Art will offer a se
ries of workshops this spring on
Music Theory, Photography,
W ater Color Painting, and
Dancing. The workshops will be
on Saturday afternoons in
March and April.
The workshops are designed
for adults and serious teens,
but children are welcome with
their parents. Because this is a
fund raising activity for the local
non-profit organization, there
will be a fee.
Pre-registration is recom
mended so there will be suffi
cient materials for participants;
all supplies will be included in
the registration fee. More de
tails will be published in future
issues of The INDEPENDENT.
Information will also be posted
at local merchants in Vernonia
Spaghetti and Bingo will help fund
students trip to Washington, D.C.
A Spaghetti Dinner/Bingo
Night will be held March 15 to
help raise funds for this year’s
group of Vernonia eighth and
ninth grade students who will
travel to Washington, D.C., in
November. Former Washington
Grade School teacher, Shan-
Start planning for St.
Patrick’s Day parade
“Will Vernonia have a St.
Patrick's Day parade?” is a
question that has been fre
quently asked since the organ
izer, Pat Knight, and his wife,
Darlene, sold Lew’s Place.
The answer is “Yes.”
On Monday, March 17th, the
parade will again form at the
Knights’ home on the corner of
State Avenue and Bridge
Street. Wise participants will
arrrive in time to prepare for the
5:15 p.m. starting time.
Anybody who wants to join
the parade is invited to do so.
Decorate yourself, your bike,
your car, your dog or your float
and join the fun along with the
Al Kader clowns. There is no
registration fee for this home
grown celebration.
non Dotson, has organized the
trip and will be accompanying
the students.
The group has been working
at fundraising since May of
2002, with various activities
such as car washes and pop
can drives. They also sold con
cessions at Jamboree and held
a 50/50 raffle, with the winner,
Dean Johnston of Birkenfeld,
receiving a $484 prize.
There will also be a bake
sale and cakewalk. A 50/50
drawing will be held, with tick
ets for $1 each. The group will
be selling these tickets in the
weeks to come. A 25-inch TV
will be one of the prizes, along
with many others.
For more information, call
Treasa Staggenborg at 503-
429-4006.
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Chalk Talk
Ed. note: Chalk Talk is a new column that we hope will
provide the Vernonia School District with the opportu
nity to inform the community about details they might
not normally be aware of. Administrators will write the
column, trading the responsibility each month. Chalk
Talk will be published monthly in the second issue of
The INDEPENDENT.
By Laurie Harrison, Special Services Coordinator,
Vernonia School District
As the Special Services Coordinator for the
Vernonia School District, it is my honor to be the
first author of the “Chalk Talk" column. Every
month (excluding summer months), an adminis
trator will be writing to describe or inform the
public of issues of interest within his/her area of
specialty. It is my hope that you, or someone you
know, will benefit from the information contained
within this month’s article.
The Vernonia School District currently has ap
proximately 85 students (or 11.6% of it’s school
population) identified with disabilities. These in
clude learning disabilities, communication disor
ders, visual/hearing/orthopedic impairments,
autism, traumatic brain injury, serious emotional
disturbance, mental retardation and other health
impairments. It is important for the parents of
students with disabilities to know that they may
be eligible for a tax exemption because of their
child’s disability.
Under the Individuals with Disabilities Educa
tion Act and Oregon law, eligible disabilities in
clude the following:
Autism, Visual Impairment, Mental Retard
ation, Serious Emotional Disturbance, Traumatic
Brain Injury, Hearing Impairment, Orthopedic Im
pairment, Other Health Impairment, Multiple Dis
abilities, Deaf-Blind.
Parents who are unsure as to which disabling
condition their son/daughter has been identified
with should contact the case manager for their
child’s IEP. The case managers are as follows;
• Grades K-6, Karen Johnston, 503-429-7941
• Grades 7-8, Kathy Pennington, 503-429-
7941
• Grades 9-12, Cheryl Watt, 503-429-3521
The Special Education department is pleased
to announce that, as the result of receiving a
grant, we are currently staffed with a full-time
School Psychologist. I believe that the two indi
viduals filling this position are wonderful assets
to Vernonia’s students and staff. Both individuals
(Bonnie Lancaster and Jim Banaghan) are excit
ed to be in Vernonia and hope to help as many
students and staff as they can, in addition to con
ducting Special Education evaluations.
I look forward to a great remainder of the
year, and am always glad to answer any ques
tions you have regarding special services. I can
be reached at 503-429-3521 or via e-mail at
<lharrison@ vernonia.k12.or.us>
Vernonia students honored for academic performance
Vernonia students who have
received recognition for out
standing academic achieve
ment in post-secondary educa
tion include the following:
Evie Morgan has been
named to the George Fox Uni
versity Dean’s List for the fall
semester of the 2002-03 aca
demic year. A senior majoring
in elementary education, she is
the daughter of Everett and
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liene Morgan of Vernonia.
Danita D. Angell has been
named to the Seattle Pacific
University Dean’s List for the
2002 Autumn Quarter.
Nicole E. Gwin and Kaifa
Hennessey were named to the
W estern Oregon University
Honor Roll for the 2002 fall
quarter.
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