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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (July 15, 2004)
PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. Postage Paid Vernonia, OR 97064 Permit No. 37 Vol. 19, No. 14 “Voice of the Upper Nehalem River Valley” As a reminder that the Vernonia Friendship Jamboree has a purpose beyond fun and games, Jamboree committee co-chair Mark Hall, second from left, presented $150 checks to three local non-profit organizations. Accepting the checks were Madeleine Gendron (left) for Vernonia Hands-On Art, Bill James for the Vernonia Senior Center, and Claudine East for the Friends of the Vernonia Library. CERT training will be offered locally This training program has proven to be so successful and beneficial that the Federal Emergency Management Agen- cy (FEMA) felt the program should be made available na- tionwide to anyone who wants to attend. The goals of CERT training are to improve disaster re- sponse and recovery, develop a relationship with emergency responders, improve prepared- ness and self-reliance, and teach effective use of scarce resources. Additionally, the training promotes opportunities for cooperation among neigh- bors and between neighbor- hoods, building on the sense of community. The training course meets weekly for 8 weeks with the fol- July 15, 2004 Family fun awaits at Columbia County Fair Jamboree Smiles… Did you notice the CERT banner in the Fourth of July pa- rade? Perhaps you read the banner and wondered “what is CERT?” CERT is an acronym for Community Emergency Re- sponse Team, a concept that was developed by the Los An- geles Fire Department (LAFD) in 1985. LAFD recognized that citi- zens would very likely be on their own during the early stages of a catastrophic disas- ter such as an earthquake or terrorist event. Accordingly, they decided that some basic training in disaster survival and rescue skills would improve the ability of citizens to survive un- til professional responders or other assistance could arrive. FREE lowing curriculum: • Disaster Preparedness • Disaster Fire Suppression • Disaster Medical Opera- tions - Part 1 • Disaster Medical Opera- tions - Part 2 • Light Search & Rescue Please see page 5 Mayor, two council terms will be open If anyone is interested in an unpaid, time-consuming and unappreciated position, now is the time to file for the Vernonia City Council. Three positions will be open, two council seats with 4-year terms, and the position of May- or, which is a 2-year term. Forms and explanations are available at City Hall. Delightfully new for children and pleasantly nostalgic for oldtimers, The Columbia Coun- ty Fair & Rodeo will run from July 21 through July 25 with all of the following events – and a whole barnyard more – includ- ed with Fair admission. Wednesday, July 21; My Fair Lady Pageant at 1:00 p.m., Fair Benefit Stock Car Races at 6:00 p.m., Talent Show Tryouts at 7:00 p.m. (See Page 11) Thursday, July 22; Creek- side Studios NW Baby Contest at 2:00 p.m., Jr. Rodeo at 6:00 p.m., Johnny Limbo & the Lugnuts at 7:00 p.m. Friday, July 23; the Holden Band at 4:00 and 10:00 p.m., Lonesome Road at 5:00 p.m. and following the Rodeo, NPRA Rodeo at 7:00 p.m. Saturday, July 24; Logging Show at 11:00 a.m., NPRA Rodeo at 7:00 p.m., Holden Band at 7:30 p.m., Lonesome Road at 9:30 p.m., JP West at 10:30 p.m. Sunday, July 25; C.A.S.I. Oregon State Chili Cook-off at 11:00 a.m., Tractor and Truck Pull at 1:00 p.m. Other events going on throughout the fair include a carnival, Kids’ Zone, petting zoo, Grange Museum, over 15 categories of exhibits, food booths, and lots of animals. Fair admission is $3 for chil- dren 7-12, $4 for age 13-18, $6 for adults and $3 for seniors 60 and over. Children under age 7 are free. Season passes are also available. Tickets and passes are available in Vernon- ia at West Oregon Electric Co- operative, at Johnson Family Feed & Supply in Clatskanie, Alston Corner Feed Company in Rainier, South County Spot- light in Scappoose, Columbia County Fair office in St. He- lens, and the St. Helens-Scap- poose Chamber of Commerce. The fairgrounds are located at 58892 Saulser Road (just off Sykes Road) in St. Helens. Fair hours will be 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, 9:00 a.m. - midnight Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Sunday. Teen is fatally injured in crash Shirea Lynn Ray Shirea Ray, 17, was killed July 6 in a crash near Ray, No. Dakota, while on vacation with her father, William Benecke, 42, of Flagstaff, Arizona. According to the N. Dak. Highway Patrol, Benecke, who was driving a convertible, was passing a truck on Hwy. 2 when he crashed head-on into a pickup. He was not seriously injured, nor were the occu- pants of the pickup. Shirea, who would have been a senior at Vernonia High School in the fall, worked at the Country Kitchen and lived with the family of Betty and David Vaughn in Vernonia until re- cently moving to Mist. A complete obituary may be found on page 21.