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Attn. Leslie Larson
UO Library-OMP
1299 University Of Oreaon
Eugene OR 97403-1299
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Voi. 18, No. 13
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’
............
Family fun
S***
MetroWest chosen
as new bus provider
By Noni Andersen
The Columbia County Board
of Commissioners has been
expressing dissatisfaction with
Colco Transportation and its
operator, the Columbia County
Council of Seniors, for more
than a year and, in fact, refused
to allocate any transportation
funds to the senior council from
this year’s budget.
As
Com m issioner
Tony
Hyde explained, $50,000 of
transportation funds were put
aside while a county-wide
transportation plan was being
developed “so seniors wouldn’t
have to carry the burden of pro
viding transportation” for every
one who rode Colco. Hyde said
he wanted to see $10,000 go to
each of the five senior centers
in the county, for them to use
for their own transportations
needs.
When the senior council was
de-certified by the state in May,
the county was ready to make a
change. Right?
Rally cars will be here July 12
Most people don’t think of
using a navigator while racing,
or of running against the clock,
instead of getting in front of a
pack of other drivers, but that is
the “hook” in rally car racing.
Oregon Rally Group is bring
ing their premier event to Ver
nonia on Saturday, July 12,
with upwards of 80 rally teams
from all over North America.
The race will start at 10 a.m.
from Hillsboro Stadium, with
teams heading west to roads in
the Tillamook State Forest,
then work their way to Vernon
ia for their first service stop.
The service area will be at
Washington Grade School and,
with 80 cars arriving at two
minute intervals, there will be
activity all afternoon.
This will be a great opportu
nity to check out these remark
able cars and the crews that
take care of them.
Don’t miss it!
Fewer lifeguard
hours this year
Because of fiscal re
straints, the City of Vernonia
has not been able to hire life
guards for as many hours as
in prior years. As a result,
there will be no lifeguards on
Sundays, except during Jam
boree.
“We have excellent, certi
fied lifeguards who would
like to work more hours,"
said Robyn Bassett, the
city’s director of public works,
"but the city’s financial condi
tion just doesn’t allow it.”
Bassett was especially
concerned that parents be
aware of the situation.
July 3, 2003
Well, not exactly.
Com m issioner Rita Bern-
hard said in April that alterna
tive plans were being devel
oped - a statement supported
by Sen. Joan Dukes at a meet
ing in Vernonia. Yet, as of June
3, the county had not made any
specific effort to provide alter
nate transportation. They were
“talking to providers” and
“working with a transportation
planner," but hadn’t issued any
requests for proposals (RFPs)
or requests for quotes (RFQs),
basic steps to be taken before
local governments award con
tracts.
The county didn't think they
had to use RFQs, Hyde ex
plained, because it was an
emergency.
On June 30, all Colco vehi
cles (except four that are
owned outright by the council of
seniors) were turned over to
the county.
As of July 2, interim con-
Please see page 17
47J budget finalized, priorities listed
Vernonia School District
Budget Committee completed
its work, June 9, by approving
the latest budget revisions and
prioritizing a list of programs
and positions to be returned to
the budget if additional revenue
becomes available. The ap
proved budget is based on a
state school fund allocation of
$4.8 billion. According to Su
perintendent Mike Funderburg,
it appeared likely, at that time,
that the legislature would in
crease the allocation to state
school fund (SSF) to at least
$5.0 billion and, possibly, to as
much as $5.2 billion.
Funderburg and Deputy
Clerk Dawn Plews presented a
personnel summary for the
2003-2004 school year, as
compared to the personnel lev
els adopted in the 2002-2003
budget. Overall, staff will be re
duced by slightly more than
nine full-time employees. This
level of staffing represents the
loss of five or six more full-time
positions than were absorbed
by budget cuts this year. All ar
eas will be working with a
smaller staff next year, from
food service to administration.
Based on concerns dis
cussed in previous budget
committee meetings, Funder
burg and the adm inistrative
team developed a list of items
to add back to the budget if
more money becomes avail
able. If the legislature increas
es the SSF to $5.0 billion, it
would add $147,175 to district
revenues. If it were increased
to $5.1, local revenue would in
crease
by
an
additional
$73,538.
Following discussion, which
included reference to goals
adopted at the beginning of the
budget process, the committee
decided that the first priority
should be the addition of spe
cial education personnel, fol
lowed by $5,000 needed to
complete next year’s textbook
adoption, and the return of
business and alternative edu
cation. Funderburg explained
that retaining the business/al-
ternative education program
will enable the district to apply
for a $150,000 charter school
im plem entation grant to ex
pand the existing program.
The committee recommend
ed the following “add backs,” if
additional revenue becomes
available (listed in order of pri
ority):
Please see page 8