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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 18, 2003)
PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. Postage Paid Vernonia, OR 97064 Vol. 18, No. 24 “Voice of the Upper Nehalem River Valley” Members of Cub Scout Pack 201, with families and friends, enjoyed an evening of carol- ing as they strolled throughout town Blood Drive recognizes local needs, too lives. A Red Cross bloodmobile will visit Vernonia January 2, in recognition of Joel Glass, a Vernonia resident who recently received 111 units of blood af- ter a hunting accident. The blood drive will be held at the Vernonia Fire Station, 555 East Bridge, on Friday, January 2, from 12 noon to Counties receive federal grants for emergency food and shelter Oregon will receive grants totaling $2,571,031 from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Emergency Food and Shelter (EFS) Pro- gram to supplement food, shel- ter, rent, mortgage, and utility assistance programs for Ore- gonians with non-disaster relat- ed emergencies. Included in the total are $43,595 for Co- lumbia County and $22,353 for Clatsop County. The EFS national board is chaired by the Federal Emer- gency Management Agency (FEMA) and composed of rep- resentatives from national charities and relief organiza- tions. In each jurisdiction fund- ed, a local board establishes priorities, selects local non- profit and government agen- cies to receive supplemental funding, and monitors program compliance. December 18, 2003 Vernonia Lions aim for skate/BMX park Sounds of the Season… The need for blood is rarely expected and sadly, every two seconds someone in the United States needs a blood transfu- sion. Being sure that blood is available can be difficult be- cause it has a shelf life and must come from volunteer blood donors. Patients rely on volunteer blood donations to save their FREE 4:00 p.m. Donors must be at least 17 years old, weigh a min- imum of 110 pounds, have pos- itive identification, and be in good general health. Take a moment to donate blood. One hour of your time can help premature babies, cancer and surgery patients, accident victims and others who need blood and blood products to live. Blood products are often needed in the following ways: red blood cells, blood’s oxygen carrying component, are often used to treat surgery patients; platelets, which aid in blood clotting, are often needed by cancer patients during chemo- therapy; plasma, the liquid por- tion of blood, is often used to treat trauma victims; and cryo- precipitate, a clotting factor found in plasma, can help peo- ple with blood disease lead normal lives. The local Lions Club is start- ing the process of developing a skateboard, inline skate and BMX bike park in Vernonia, the Vernonia City Council was told at their December 15 meeting. Making the presentation for the Vernonia Lions, George Tice said that club members have been visiting other communi- ties, talking with people in- volved in the development and operation of skate parks, and researching the various kinds of construction. Between fundraising and construction, the group expects the project to take two to three years. The Lions goal is to develop the project as a community- wide effort, working with the city, fire district, schools, serv- ice organizations, businesses and churches. They are willing to take the lead in raising the $50,00-$100,00 needed but, because they do not want to handle the accounting and ad- ministrative functions, are seeking arrangements with the city or another non-profit organ- ization to handle those areas of the project. They will be looking for potential sites on both city- owned and privately owned properties. As soon as they have devel- oped more information, includ- ing possible locations for the park, a public meeting will be scheduled, likely in February or March. City staff will work with the Lions in developing site in- formation. Highway 47 work starts Bridge work has started on state Highway 47, which is both Vernonia’s main street and the major transportation route for the upper Nehalem Valley. Soon to follow will be culvert re- placement and shoulder work, as needed, plus resurfacing from the Sunset Highway to the north end of the Vernonia City Limits. In the process, there will be some major disruption of traffic, Vernonia Public Works Director Robyn Bassett told the council. Bassett and City Administra- tor Mike Sykes have been meeting with personnel from the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) to ob- tain more information on scheduling and how it will affect the community. They will be meeting again in an effort to co- ordinate scheduling and mini- mize negative impact on the community. Council has sched- uled an informational Town Hall meeting at the Scout Cabin, February 17 at 6:30 p.m., with staff from ODOT to explain the project and answer questions. Senior Center A new Vernonia Senior Cen- ter may become reality, starting this spring. Representing Com- munity Action Team, which will administer the project, Jim Tier- ney told the council that, as soon as the city completes ac- quisition of land adjacent to Vernonia Lake, an option for property west of there will be obtained for the building site. In addition to the senior center, the building will house Vernon- ia Cares and offices for county and/or state services. The City of Vernonia has obtained a $600,000 Community Develop- ment Block Grant for the proj- ect, but there is still a need to seek approximately $400,000 in grants and/or loans, Tierney said. Transportation plan Council members were somewhat less than enthusias- tic about a transportation plan developed and recommended for Columbia County by Lands- man Transportation Planning; actually, they were appalled. Please see page 2