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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (April 3, 2003)
Attn: Leslie Larson UO Library-OMP Vol. 18, No. 7 PRESORTED STANDARD U S P o s ta g e P a id V e rn o n ia , O R 9 7 0 6 4 Voice of the Upper Nehalem River Valley” ... ................ April 3, 2003 Voters have choices for District directors With filing closed for candi dates in the May 20 Special Districts Election, some posi tions have been left vacant and others have multiple candi dates. The last day for voters to register for this election is April 29, 2003. Vernonia Schoo! District Inset at left shows the remains of two pipe bombs detonated by the Portland Police Bureau Bomb Squad, which re sponded to a call from the Washington County Sheriff’s office. Above, the Bomb Squad vehicle and one member of the specialized response team after they had explded the devices found alongside Hwy. 47 in the Buxton area. Story below. Pipe bombs cause closure of Hwy. 47 Two pipe bombs found in a field adjacent to Hwy. 47, near mile post 76 in Buxton, were re sponded to by W ashington County Sheriff’s deputies and the Portland Police Bureau Bomb Squad, March 30. The man who reported find ing the bombs, told deputies he was driving his 4-wheeler along the property line with his three young children when he ob served a red duffel bag in some tall grass about 15 feet off Highway 47. He unzipped the bag and inside found what he described as two 12” x 2-1/2” pipes, sealed on both ends, a long green fuse and a metal looking container of powder. FREE Realizing the items in the duf fel bag could be explosive the man reportedly threw the bag on the ground, grabbed his chil dren and drove to the nearest house, where the occupants calle d 9-1-1 Deputies closed Highway 47 for about 300 yards in both di rections. They also evacuated two homes in the area and called the Bomb Squad. After covering the duffel bag with a sand bag, the Bomb Squad exploded the devices. They also kept the remaining materials from the pipe bombs. Highway 47 was closed about two hours, reopening at approximately 12:30 p.m. Pandyce Meeker, Matthew Samuelson and Carrie Thomp son. There are two choices for Position 5 - Karl Meier and Steve Adamson. Vernonia Rural Fire Protection District A full slate of candidates will be on the ballot for the Vernon ia Fire District board. Position 2 incumbent is be ing challenged by Tim Bam- burg. Position 3, vacated by Fra zier Rohm, is being sought by Joseph Batty and William Cota. Position 4 incumbent Steph en Roberts will face Jeremy Woodall. Vernonia School District will have one contested position. Ed Buckner and Stephen H. Roberts have both filed for Po sition 1, an open two-year term that was formerly held by Ran dall Hansen. Hansen has filed for Position 2, a four-year term formerly held by Carl Strand. Strand is not seeking another term on Mist-Birkenfeld Rural the board. Fire Protection District No one challenged the in Position 1 incumbent Steph cumbents for the remaining po en Butsko is being challenged sitions - Tim Titus in Position 3; by former director Raymond E. Darrell Hamblet in Position 7. Kyser. Banks School District No candidate filed for Posi There are no contested posi tion 2. tions in the Banks School Dis Position 4 and Position 5 in trict. Duane Lundsten has filed cum bents Trish W right and for Position 3, which is open. Troy Horton, respectively, are Incumbent Gene Kelly is unop unchallenged. posed for re-election to Posi Banks Fire District #13 tion 5. Mitch Vandehey and Steph Jewell School District en Jackson have filed for the No incumbents filed for re- Position 2 seat vacated by Bob election to the Jewell School Vandehey. District Board of Directors, but Mark Schmidlin and Richard voters will have plenty of choic E. Buchanan, incumbents for es, with ten candidates on the Positions 4 and 5, have no op ballot for three positions. ponents. There are three candidates Elsie-Vine Maple Rural for Position 1 - Mike Carter, Oly Fire Protection District Schockelt and Ronaid Tate. There are no candidates for Position 3 will also have three open positions. three names on the ballot - Sen Dukes will hold Town Hall meetings in Vernonia and Banks Senator Joan Dukes will- hold two legislative Town Hall meetings on Saturday, April 12, in Vernonia and Banks. The Vernonia meeting will be at 10:00 a.m. in the Scout Cabin, 901 Park Drive. The Banks meeting will be at 1:00 p.m. in the Banks Library Community Room, 111 Market Street. The recession has created enormous shortfalls in the state budget, requiring cuts to pro- grams and services. Senator Dukes will review the effects of those cuts on state and local services, discuss her legislative agenda and other capitol activ ities and take questions from the audience. The public is invited to at tend. Senator Dukes represents Columbia, Clatsop and Tillam ook Counties and rural portions of Washington and Multnomah Counties.