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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 5, 2004)
The INDEPENDENT, February 5, 2004 Page 5 Business Notes Parrow to head Vernonia “The Junction” opens in Birkenfeld There is a new, old place in Chamber for coming year Birkenfeld. The Junction Randy Parrow was elected president of the Vernonia Area Chamber of Commerce at their January meeting. He will be assisted by Vice-Presidents Royce Hagelstein and Mike Sykes, Secretary Brandi Page and Treasurer Mary Kornegay. Serving as directors will be Marilyn Vicks, Dana Roach, Sandy Welch, Ken Bateman, and Patty Fogel. Committee chairs will be as follows: Publicity, Noni Ander- sen; Marketing, Donna Webb; Fall Festival, Shirlee Daughtry; Business Assistance Team, Jim Tierney; Linear Trail, Schann Nelson. Parrow asked chamber members to be committed in supporting the activities of the chamber. As (former) chairman of the Jamboree committee, he also told the group that both Jamboree and the Salmon Festival would like to come under the chamber umbrella as chamber-sponsored events. Though still in the planning phase, this often-discussed move received impetus during recent Town Hall meetings on economic development, where one of the goals expressed was greater integration between the chamber and other community organizations. George Tice made a presen- tation on the Rafts & Crafts Festival being promoted by the Vernonia Lions as a family- oriented event that would help raise funds for a skate and bike park. According to Tice, the Lions will provide the initial funding and have additional fund raising ideas, but they would like to have the event be a chamber function. Chamber members expressed several concerns that would have to be address before the chamber could accept responsibility, but consensus was reached to help support the event. The next chamber meeting will be February 11, at noon, at the Buckhorn Restaurant. Anyone interested is invited to attend; it is not necessary to be involved in a business in Vernonia. CPAC elections scheduled Columbia County will be holding Citizen Planning Advisory Committees (CPAC) elections. CPACs provide advice and recommendations to county Land Use Planning entities, including the Planning Depart- ment, the Planning Commis- sion and the Board of County Commissioners. CPAC mem- bers serve for two-year terms. Each CPAC is divided into neighborhoods. Residents and/ or property owners within the neighborhoods elect their own CPAC members. There must be at least five voters from each neighborhood to hold an election for the neighborhood. Eligibility to vote requires either picture identification showing your address in the CPAC neighborhood where you will cast your ballot, or a tax statment proving that you own property within the neighbor- hood where you are voting. Only one vote is allowed. Election for the Upper Nehalem neighborhood will be Tuesday, March 9 at 7:00 p.m. at Vernonia City Hall, 1001 Bridge Street. The election for Mist-Birken- feld will be Wednesday, March 17 at 7:00 p.m., at the Hemeon residence, 14090 Wallace Rd. in Mist. Elections will also be held in other areas. For more informa- tion, call Chief Planner Glen Higgins, or Land Use Planner Jim Holycross, at Columbia County Land Development Services, 503-397-1501. 2004 Vernonia Parks windshield stickers are not available Windshield stickers for 2004 Friends of Vernonia Parks are now available at City Hall. Vernonia residents can pick up their 2004 sticker free of charge. Parks visitors and patrons living outside the city limits can purchase an annual daily use pass at City Hall. Prices are $12.00 for a Senior Annual Pass and $20.00 for a Family Annual Pass. (formerly J’s Place) recently changed hands, with new owners Kathy Briggs and Peggy Cahill taking over from J Hemeon. The new name, The Junction, comes from the historical train activity that took place in Birkenfeld. Briggs and Cahill are looking forward to drawing people in from all over the valley for fun and daily specials. There will be a Valentine’s Day celebra- tion with a live band ($5.00 cover charge). They are working on a new menu and will be having a monthly birth- day party with music (no cover charge during your birthday month) and cake. A new pool league is being formed and now is the time to sign up. Kathy Briggs grew up in New Jersey and said she saw antlers only on reindeer at the mall at Christmas time. The first time she looked up from the bar and saw a hunter in camou- flage sitting there, she blurted out “Oh sorry, I didn’t see you.” Now that’s good camouflage. Though she currently lives in Portland, Briggs plans to move closer when her two sons, age 11 and 12, finish the school year. According to Briggs, “after being laid off in the past, it’s good to be in control of my own destiny and it’s a fun place to work.” One of Peggy Cahill’s great- grandfathers was a soldier who settled in Birkenfeld after mustering out of the service back east. Her mother was a Benson from Jewell. Her great- grandfather Benson was a stagecoach driver on the Centralia to Longview line. Cahill grew up in Portland, but says all her favorite child- hood memories are of visiting her grandparents in Birkenfeld. She remembers sitting at the bar, in what is now The Junction, with her sister, eating ice cream and saying she wanted to own the place someday. She and Briggs start- ed helping out at J’s Place last July, saw the potential and made an offer to buy. Now she’s fulfilling her childhood wish and living at the family homestead. Cahill looks forward to The Junction “being the community meeting spot” in Birkenfeld. Kathy Briggs and Peggy Cahill invite you to come on in. Both owners have retail, sales and marketing experi- ence. Cahill managed a restau- rant previously. Briggs says they want The Junction to be a great place “to meet, eat and kick up your feet.” Their grand opening is scheduled for July 3 so Briggs’ relatives from New Jersey can come and camp out. The Junction is open Tuesday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday from 11 a.m. to midnight, Satur- day from 9:00 a.m. to midnight, and Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Stop in to see the changes and stay for awhile at The Junction, located at 11126 Hwy 202. For more information or to sign up for the new pool league, call 503-755-0900.
