Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (April 1, 2004)
The INDEPENDENT, April 1, 2004 Vernonia Country Market will debut at River Fest After informal talks, a large group of people met in early March and enthusiastically brainstormed about the possibil- ities for a vendors market in Ver- nonia. What emerged from the discussion was a vision of pro- viding residents with a venue to sell produce and hand crafted products, and an opportunity to purchase from out-of-town ven- dors on a regular basis. The group elected a board of directors including Marilyn Nicks, Steve Loders and Schann Nelson. Two additional board members were elected, but have withdrawn from the board, preferring to participate only as vendors. The mission, as established by the board, is “to provide the community with the structure and opportunity to display their talents and wares to the greater public.” The group originally selected the name Vernonia Saturday Mar- ket then, to avoid confusion with other Saturday markets, the name was changed to Ver- nonia Country Market (VCM) After consideration of a vari- ety of spaces and discussion with city council, the board chose to locate the market at Hawkins Park. This site will provide shade and sun, access to Rock Creek for recreation, and will encourage people to get out of their cars and explore all that Vernonia has to offer. The market will operate on the first and third Saturdays of each month from River Fest to Salmon Festival, excluding Jamboree weekend. VCM would like to encour- age a wide variety of family- friendly vendors to participate. During Vernonia River Fest (VRF), all vendors will need to apply through VCM, even if previously approved, in order to assure adequate liability coverage. Vendor spaces will range up from card table size. Emphasis for the market will be on handcrafted items and home grown produce of high quality. Fees for booth space had not been determined at press time, but all regular fees will be waived for the first annu- al VRF and for the opening day of VCM, though vendors will be encouraged to make a dona- tion to the skate park fund. VCM vendors are encouraged to commit to at least half of the market days over the summer and will receive a price break for doing so. Applications and further in- formation will be available at a joint meeting of VCM , VRF and representatives of Hands on Art, April 7 at 7:00 p.m. at the Buckhorn Restaurant. Anyone interested in selling at VCM or VRF should attend that meet- ing. Applications will be avail- able after the meeting at Ver- nonia City Hall, etcetera and The INDEPENDENT. Page 15 Jamboree committee holds an “umbrella” for others As community-wide events increase in Vernonia, the role of the Vernonia Jamboree Com- mittee has been expanded as it becomes an umbrella organi- zation, covering elements needed for Jamboree, River Fest, Vernonia Country Market and the Fall Salmon Festival. Each event has its own inde- pendent committee, but some functions, such as liability in- surance, will be handled through the Jamboree Commit- tee. Profits earned by these events will be donated to local projects or charities, as the Jamboree Committee has done for many years. Vernonia Chamber of Com- merce President Randy Parrow expressed hopes that, in the near future, all of these events will be conducted as an exten- sion of the chamber’s long-time mission of improving commer- cial opportunities in Vernonia. This eventuality has been dis- cussed at two Chamber meet- ings this year and will continue at the April 14 meeting. River Fest events include Home Brew Contest, music and more From page 1 A Home Brew Contest will feature tastings of that malty beverage made by amateur brewers. Brett Costley will be supervising the event; he may be contacted at <http://home. agalis.net/bcostley/vrfbc>. Should go well with the chili! There will be nominal entry fees for the Chili Cook-Off, Brew Contest and May Pole. Other activities will include a beer garden in Hawkins Park, music from live bands, the Ver- nonia String Orchestra and a deejay. Heritage Bakery will be providing treats and ball teams will be selling sausage and kraut. T-shirts for this first annual event can be purchased at Ver- nonia Mercantile, Sentry Mar- ket and, in Banks, at Banks Precision Outdoor Power Equipment. Vernonia Country Market will also open for the season on May 1, joining the fun at Haw- kins Park with vendors selling fresh produce and handcrafted merchandise. See article above for more information on vendor requirements. UN LI M IT ED 5 6K I N T E RN E T For information call 5 03 - 42 9 -2 70 1 www.agalis.net Open 8 - 5pm Monday - Friday; 8 - 3pm Saturday 185 W. MAIN EXTENSION • HILLSBORO • 503-648-4178