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Voi. 18, No. 8
Attn. Ledi© Larson
UO Library-OMP
1299 University Of Oregon
Eugene OR 974Û3-1299
<,
PRESORTED STANDARD
U S P osta ge P aid
V ern on ia, O R 97 0 6 4
, a r t
Vo/ce of the Upper Nehalem River Valley
A Spring Day...
April 17, 2003
Wauna gets approval
for local service area
Another step has been taken
in the proposed merger of Ver
nonia Federal Credit Union with
Wauna Federal Credit Union.
An expansion in W FCU’s
field of membership has been
approved by the National Cred
it Union Administration, allow
ing the Clatskanie-based credit
union to serve people who live,
work, worship, or attend school
anywhere in Clatsop and Co
lumbia Counties. Also eligible
are members of immediate
families or households of cur
rent Wauna Federal members.
“Expanding our membership
provides consumers in Clatsop
and Columbia Counties more
choice in financial services and
allows us to bring our world
class rates to new communi
ties,’’ said Wauna Federal
Credit Union President Dave
Baggett.
Wauna Federal has been a
community credit union since
1975, and its previous field of
membership was limited to
parts of Clatsop and Columbia
Counties. The $76 million cred
it union has 12,000 members
and offices in Astoria, Warren
ton and Clatskanie.
Regulators have not yet ap
proved a merger between the
credit unions, but that is not
likely to be a problem if Vernon
ia Federal Credit Union mem
bers vote in favor of the pro
posal at their annual meeting in
May.
Vernonia schools struggle to
finish year without more cuts
A father and daughter enjoyed one of April’s few dry days with a little time for fishing and
fun at Vernonia Lake.
This police car brought to you by...?
Advertising on Vernonia Po
lice cars isn’t in the City’s long
range plans, but cars are need
ed, so the Vernonia City Coun
cil instructed Police Chief Mike
Cahill and City Administrator
Mike Sykes, at their April 7
meeting, to obtain more infor
mation from cities that have
used advertising to fund vehi
cles.
The program under consid
eration operates through a
company called Government
Acquisitions, Inc., which solicits
sponsors to help pay for emer
gency vehicles, in exchange for
advertising on the vehicles. A
number of cash-strapped agen
cies have contracted with the
company, including at least two
in Oregon.
Technically, there is no po-
tential conflict of interest in the
arrangement
because
the
sponsors pay Government Ac
quisitions, Inc., for advertising.
The car is then purchased and
“donated” to the city. The city’s
only expense is $1.00...but it
must give the car back at the
end of three years.
There should be more infor
mation available at the April 21
council meeting.
The Vernonia Planning com
mission was brought back to
full strength with the appoint
ments of Steven Stanbrough
and Carol Sawyer.
DaleneMcLeod was reap
pointed to the city Budget Com
mittee, but there are still vacan
cies. Anyone interested in serv
ing on this extremely important
committee should call City Hall
at 503-429-5291.
Director of Public Works
Robyn Bassett told council that
a successful grant application
will provide $10,000 to hire
young people during the sum
mer. Bassett will be working
with Oregon Youth Conserva
tion Corps (OYCC) members.
City residents can
ignore Goal 5 notice
A programming error sent
post cards giving notice of a
workshop and public hearing
regarding proposed am end
ments to Columbia County’s
Goal 5 resource protection pro
gram were mailed to owners of
property within city limits. The
proposed amendments would
affect only properties outside of
incorporated city limits.
The Vernonia School District
board of directors heard about
two areas of concern from dis
trict patrons at a well attended
meeting in Mist, April 10. Gor
don Hieronomous asked the
board about a variety of rumors
regarding the future of Mist
School. Later in the meeting,
Richard Forster told the board
that he, and other parents, had
not received adequate notice of
the elimination of bus trans
portation for spring sports.
Superintendent Mike Fun-
derburg told the audience that,
rather than have the adminis
tration develop the budget, a
team of community members,
administrators and board mem
bers, know as the budget assis
tance team (BAT), has been
meeting since early March to
develop a budget. The district
is in the unprecedented posi
tion of having to find areas to
reduce spending in the current
budget and, at the same time,
develop a budget for the follow
ing year, Funderburg told the
audience.
The state informs school dis
tricts of revenue projections for
the next fiscal year, however,
as is the case in the current fis
cal year, the projections may
Please see page10
Easter Egg Hunt
at Hawkins Park
The Easter Bunny will be
attending the Vernonia
Cham ber of Commerce
Easter Egg Hunt in Hawk
ins Park on April 19.
Age categories will be 0-
3 years, 4-6 years, 7-8
years and 9-10 years.
Following
the
romp
through the grass in search
of colorful Easter eggs, the
Easter Bunny will have
treats for the children.
NOTE TO PARENTS:
The
event will
begin
promptly at 10:00 a.m. In
korder for your child
to take part,
rou must ar
rive on time.