PRESORTED STANDARD
U.S. Postage Paid
Vernonia, OR 97064
Permit No. 37
Vol. 19, No. 13
FREE
July 1, 2004
“Voice of the Upper Nehalem River Valley”
Sykes will leave for
job in Forest Grove
Summer fun…
Vernonia City Administrator
Michael Sykes will resign his
position to accept the job of city
manager in Forest Grove.
“This is probably one of the
hardest decisions in my life,”
Sykes said. “I’m excited about
the new challenges facing me,
but I’m really sad to leave. Ver-
nonia is a special place with
special people.”
The Forest Grove council
voted unanimously Monday
night to hire Sykes, who was
the top pick after a three
month-long, nationwide search.
He has been offered an annual
salary of $95,000 to oversee
the operations of approximate-
ly 130 employees for the city of
nearly 19,000 people.
Vernonia has 15 employees
and about 2,250 population.
In the five years that Sykes
has been administrator, Ver-
nonia has benefited from con-
struction of a new city hall, new
library, rehabilitation of the wa-
ter distribution system, down-
town streetscaping, extensive
parks improvements including
public showers at Anderson
Park, and the Webb Way trail
from Anderson Park to Vernon-
ia Lake.
Projects underway include
sewage treatment changes, a
community learning center, in-
creased parking and recreation
area at Vernonia Lake, and
restrooms and paved parking
at Spencer Field.
“Vernonia has good employ-
ees and a bright future,” Sykes
said.
His resignation will be effec-
tive at the end of July. “But I’ll
be around,” he said. “I’ll be
stopping by…and I’ll be here
for Jamboree.”
PY B I R T H D A
Y
HA P
I NDEPENDENCE D AY F UN
ABATE participants chose a perfect day for a ride, with a midday stop in Vernonia.
Good news concludes 47J budget It’s Fire Season:
A combination of circum-
stances resulted in good fiscal
news for the Vernonia School
District, Superintendent Mike
Funderburg reported at the
June 22 budget hearing.
Over $76,000 became avail-
able for reallocation, largely as
the result of savings in salary
and benefit packages for new
employees, plus remarkable
savings in both workers com-
pensation and liability insur-
ance. Funderburg explained
that the district had been told to
expect a 10 percent increase in
premiums, the estimate that
was included in the original
budget. According to deputy
clerk Dawn Plews, workers
compensation premiums were
reduced by $28,733 from last
year’s premium. Funderburg
said that the district did not
have any workers compensa-
tion claims this year, and that
“habitual [compensation claim]
users are gone from the dis-
trict.”
Please see page 5
Caution is needed
with fireworks
Fireworks and natural cover
areas don’t mix as the Oregon
Department of Forestry has de-
clared the start of fire season in
Northwest Oregon. Fire restric-
tions are now in effect on all
private, state, county and BLM
forest lands protected by the
Oregon Department of Fores-
try in Washington, Multnomah,
Please see page 4
BANKS HAS A BIG DAY VERNONIA PLANS FOR
OF FAMILY ACTIVITIES TRADITIONAL FOURTH
Banks Family Fun Festival
will start at 1:00 p.m. with a pa-
rade of race cars on Main
Street. The fun will continue
through the afternoon with ac-
tivities that include music, food,
games, pony rides, a petting
zoo, kiddy car rides, craft
booths, a dunk tank and much
more, all at Sunset Park.
At 6:00 p.m. races will start
at the Sunset Park Speedway
and the day’s festivities will
conclude with a fireworks dis-
play at dusk.
Banks Chamber of Com-
merce is sponsoring the Family
Fun Festival.
Join in the fun with Vernon-
ia’s annual 4th of July parade
and fireworks.
Parade participants will
gather at Vernonia City Hall at
7:00 p.m., with the parade
starting at 7:30, down Bridge
Street to California Avenue.
There is no entry fee for the pa-
rade sponsored by Vernonia
Pride.
The fireworks display will be-
gin at dusk behind Vernonia
High School. Personal fire-
works are discouraged and
may be confiscated. Pyrotech-
nics will be handled by Vernon-
ia Rural Fire District volunteers.