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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 18, 2003)
Page 2 The INDEPENDENT, December 18, 2003 The INDEPENDENT Serving the upper Nehalem River valley. Published twice monthly, on the first and third Thursdays of each month, by Public Opinion Laboratory Ltd., 725 Bridge Street, Vernonia, OR 97064, as a free newspaper. Publishers, Dirk & Noni An- dersen. Editor, Noni Andersen. Phone/Fax: 503-429-9410, e-mail: noni@vernonia.com Display Advertising, Clark Mc- Gaugh, 503-429-9410, e-mail: clark@vernonia.com Opinion The greatest gift we can give is ourselves It is easy to overlook the everyday generosity of many, many people who are important in many, many ways. These people are called volunteers and there are so many of them who give so generously of their time and talents that we have a tendency to take them for granted. Though we will, undoubtedly, miss many of them, here are a few of these everyday Santa Clauses: Lions Club members, who paid for and built the gazebo in Hawkins Park and are now going to start on a skate/bike park, in addition to their ongoing activities in support of sight and hearing impaired people. Members of the Pioneer Museum Association, Mist- Birkenfeld Historical Society and Banks Historical So- ciety, who have worked long and hard to preserve local history. Hands On Art helpers who provide children with in- valuable exposure in both visual and performing arts. Unpaid classroom aides in every school district who take time to help a child read or understand arithmetic. The folks who fill boxes and bags with groceries at Vernonia Cares. Coaches and organizers for kid’s activities – summer baseball and softball, soccer, football and more. Nature’s caregivers from the Izaak Walton League and the Upper Nehalem Watershed Council. Vernonia Pride for the downtown decor in every sea- son, for landscaping and for organizing the communi- ty-wide cleanup day each spring. Mist-Birkenfeld Helping Circle, which fills whatever functions are needed – social service agency, organiz- ers and community cheerleaders. Firefighters and Emergency Medical Technicians who provide greatly needed services. Unpaid elected officials and unpaid appointed offi- cials – city councils, school boards, fire district boards, planning commissions, cemetery commissions – who spend hours and hours in the trench of public service. Vernonia Jamboree committee who work all year to provide one long weekend of community activities, and have now successfully added the Fall Salmon Festival. Helpers of all ages at the Senior Center. Not only is there a Santa Claus, there are many of them. Proposal slights Nehalem Valley area From page 1 The only reference to “Ser- vice Improvements” for the Vernonia area is that to “maximize” service provided in Vernonia, “…service go- ing into the Portland area should only go to Hillsboro.” From there, the plan recom- mends developing “a trans- fer point at Hillsboro senior citizen center.” Those need- ing door-to-door service can then transfer to the Tri-Met LIFT, the consultant says, and those who are physical- ly able can be dropped off at the MAX station. Mist and Birkenfeld, as usual, were not mentioned as being part of Columbia County when services are under consideration. In contrast, the plan rec- ommends keeping vehicles available in Clatskanie, Rainier, St. Helens and Scappoose “during midday when seniors are going to and from meal sites.” This was not recommended for Vernonia. The plan also rec- ommends three (3) daily round trips between Clatskanie, Rainier and Longview, plus St. Helens- Portland service “at a mini- mum…early morning, mid- day and late afternoon.” The plan notes that high fares have reduced ridership and recommends lowering fares to $1.00 per trip. As an example, it uses making the fare $1.00 from Clatskanie to St. Helens and $1.00 from St. Helens to Portland, for a $2.00 trip from Clatskanie to Portland. In other business, the council: • Authorized Mayor Cindy Ball to seek professional consultants from the north- west Resource Conserva- tion and Development coun- cil and/or the Columbia Soil and Water Conservation District regarding improve- ments and preservation work needed for Vernonia Lake, plus a fish ladder that would allow the Rock Creek swimming pool to be used later in the year. Currently, the dam that forms the pool must be removed as soon as salmon start coming up- stream. • Authorized Bassett to seek additional bicycle/pedestrian funds for improvements along E. Bridge Street because the city lacks sufficient funds to meet the match required for a federal grant. Please stay happy and safe. We’ll see you in 2004!