PRESORTED STANDARD
U.S. Postage Paid
Vernonia, OR 97064
Vol. 18, No. 23
“Voice of the Upper Nehalem River Valley”
A Christmas swan…
An addition to the wildlife at Vernonia Lake is this graceful swan, which has been feeding
on the lake for about four weeks. It has been joined, occasionally, by a few other swans,
but they were only passing through. Bald eagles have also been feeding at the lake.
Young gymnast is statewide champion
Madeline O’Leary, of Ver-
nonia, walked away with the
State All-around Championship
in the 7-8 age category during
the Oregon State Gymnastics
Championship, November 22
at the Multnomah Athletic Club
in Portland.
Madeline’s Level 5 team
from the Oregon Gymnastics
Academy in Beaverton had fin-
ished first in seven previous
meets this season. That record
remained unblemished as they
placed first out of 29 teams in
the State Gymnastics Champi-
onship.
Individually, Madeline fin-
ished first in the 7-8 year-old
bars event and first in the vault
event, before taking the All-
around Championship in that
age category. Twice during the
regular season she had fin-
ished second in the All-around,
so she saved her best perform-
ance for the State Champi-
onship.
Madeline is the daughter of
Peter and Leslie O’Leary. She
is a third grader in Ms. Judy
Gingrich’s class at Lincoln
Grade School and has been in-
volved with gymnastics for
three years. This was her first
year of competitive gymnastics.
Madeline O’Leary is all
smiles after winning the All-
around Championship for 7-
8 year-old Oregon gymnasts.
FREE
December 4, 2003
Trees removed because
of disease, safety issue
In the late 1950s and again
in 1980, Vernonia High School
students planted a mixed
species grove of conifer trees
on campus. Though the FFA
and forestry classes involved in
those years are no longer avail-
able to VHS students, the fir,
pine and spruce trees contin-
ued to grow, gracing the cam-
pus during the past 20-50 years
at the east end of the shop
building.
No more. Overcrowding and
disease have taken their toll
and most of the trees have
been removed.
One element is troubling,
however – according to school
board member Tim Titus, who
was supervising as the trees
were being felled on Saturday,
Nov. 22, they were cut because
“They aren’t doing anything,”
and were being removed for a
“wrestling building.” When
asked who approved construct-
ing a wrestling building, Titus
said “the school board, [Super-
intendent Mike] Funderburg,
everybody.”
He said nothing about dis-
ease, root rot or anything hav-
ing to do with the trees’ condi-
tion.
In spite of repeated calls,
The INDEPENDENT was un-
able to talk with school Super-
intendent Mike Funderburg on
Monday or Tuesday and, with
the Thanksgiving holiday com-
ing up, called other board
members for information.
Cari Levenseller said she
had received several calls from
district residents, asking why
the trees were cut, but she
hadn’t been able to get any an-
swers from the district office, ei-
ther. When asked whether the
board had approved a wrestling
facility, she was emphatic:
“That has not been discussed
at a board meeting,” Lev-
enseller said, “and I haven’t
missed any.”
Darrell Hamblet said “I don’t
recall ever having any discus-
sion about a wrestling building.
We have a lot of other things
that should be done before a
wrestling building.” Hamblet
called back the following day to
say that board chair Jim Krahn
reminded him that the Safety
Committee had discussed the
trees and approved removing
them if they were dangerous.
Hamblet served on the safety
committee along with board
member Randy Hansen, Super-
Please see page 11
Truck Light Parade
Christmas Bazaars
School Programs
Christmas Concert
Christmas Drama
Toy & Joy
Fairgrounds Events
See page 9 for these
Holiday Activities