PRESORTED STANDARD
U.S. Postage Paid
Vernonia, OR 97064
Permit No. 37
Vol. 19, No. 23
“Voice of the Upper Nehalem River Valley”
December 2, 2004
Tree lighting, Lighted Truck Parade and
bazaar get holiday season underway
A great season
Vernonia High School Loggers defeated the Grant Union
High School Prospectors, November 20, to earn their way
to the quarterfinal round in state 2A competition. See
team photo and article on page 10.
Dukes named to NW Power
Council, will leave Senate
State Sen. Joan Dukes (D-
Svenson) will leave the legisla-
tive post she’s held since 1986
to accept a seat on the North-
west Power and Conservation
Council, an agency represent-
ing the governors of Oregon,
Washington, Idaho and Mon-
tana in the politically charged
arena of hydropower dams and
their impact on Columbia Basin
salmon.
The council, created by an
act of Congress and funded by
revenues from federal hy-
dropower sales, works to bal-
ance the region’s energy and
environmental needs.
Gov. Ted Kulongoski ap-
pointed Dukes to replace Gene
Derfler, of Salem, whose term
expires Jan. 15. The governor
emphasized Dukes’ experience
in the Senate as key to working
collaboratively with other states
“on growing the region’s econo-
FREE
my while also protecting the
environment.”
A Tacoma native and gradu-
ate of Evergreen State College,
Dukes has been active in fish-
eries and transportation issues
while representing Clatsop,
Tillamook and Columbia coun-
ties, and portions of Washing-
ton and Multnomah counties.
She was re-elected for a fifth
term in 2002.
Dukes said she looks for-
ward to the challenges of the
new post.
“It’s a great opportunity for
me,” she said. “But when I
leave the Capitol and leave my
office and my colleagues, I’ll be
sad. We have a lot of issues to
work out this session. There
are some regrets.”
The senator will retain her
seat until her appointment to
the council is confirmed by the
state Senate.
The holiday season will offi-
cially start in Vernonia on Sat-
urday, December 4, at 5:30
p.m. when lights on the Com-
munity Christmas Tree at City
Hall will be lit. Hot chocolate
and cookies will help banish the
evening chill, and Mrs. Santa
will be here to enjoy the event.
At 6:00 p.m. a Lighted Truck
Parade will begin at City Hall
and end at California Avenue,
alongside Washington Grade
School. Trucks decorated with
Christmas lights for the parade
should assemble at 5:30 p.m.
For more information about the
parade, call Heidi Brown at
503-429-2787.
Many downtown business
will hold open house following
the Christmas Tree lighting and
Truck Parade. It will be a good
night to get into the holiday
spirit and even get some early
shopping done.
The 25th Annual “Christmas
Special mailbox
for letters to Santa
Children may mail their
letters to Santa Claus at a
special mail box set up out-
side the Vernonia Fire Sta-
tion. The mailbox is spon-
sored by volunteers of the
Vernonia Rural Fire District
who will help make sure San-
ta answers letters received.
The mailbox will be avail-
able until Christmas day.
Flu shots given
Dec. 3 in Vernonia
Columbia County Public
Health will be giving flu shots to
High Risk people at Vernonia
Head Start on Friday, Decem-
ber 3, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00
noon.
The high risk guidelines set
up by the CDC will be followed
Please see page 16
in the Country” bazaar will open
Saturday, also, with crafters
from all over Northwest Oregon
displaying hand-made wares
that will include toys, orna-
ments, ceramics, fabric art,
home decor items, foods, jew-
elry, soaps and personal care
items, plus wreaths and much
more. Bazaar hours will be 10
a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday,
and noon to 5:00 p.m. on Sun-
day, December 5. The bazaar
will be in the Washington
Grade School gym, 199 Bridge
Street, Vernonia.
In addition to a wealth of
hand made merchandise, San-
ta Claus will be available for
pictures and shoppers can en-
joy breakfast, lunch and/or for
an early supper at the bazaar.
Home-made soups and fresh
hot rolls, hot cinnamon rolls,
pizza and a large variety of pies
and desserts will be sold in the
cafeteria by the Vernonia
Booster Club.
The schedule
of holiday
programs at
area schools
is on page 12.
Holiday Bucks may save $$
Vernonia “Holiday Bucks”, a local shopping promotion is now
underway, with cards available at all participating merchants
through December 22. Look for the snowflake design with “Holi-
day Bucks” on it, in the windows of participating businesses.
Merchants will stamp shoppers’ Holiday Bucks card for each
$5.00 purchased (10 stamps to a card). When a card is filled up,
the customer will put their name and phone number in the space
provided, drop off the card at any participating business, and pick
up a new Holiday Buck card.
The filled cards will be included in drawings on December 4, 11
and 18, for $25.00 gift cards redeemable at any participating busi-
ness. The grand prize drawing on December 23 will be for gift
cards worth $100, $75 and $50.
The drawings will all take place at noon: Saturday, December
4, the drawing will be at Vernonia Inn; Saturday, December 11 at
Bretthauer Fuel; Saturday, December 18 at the Country Kitchen.
The final drawings will be Thursday, December 23, at True Value
Hardware.
Rules:
1. For every $5 purchased at a participating business you will
get 1 stamp or punch and a set of initials on your card.
2. US Bank, Wauna Federal Credit Union, West Oregon Elec-
tric Cooperative, Inc. and the City of Vernonia will give one
stamp/punch per transaction, not per dollar amount.
3. Entrants must be at least 18 years of age.
4. Entrants are responsible for their Holiday Bucks cards.
5. Winning cards will be checked for authenticity.
6. Winning gift cards can be used at any one participating busi-
ness (cannot split between two or more locations).
7. All winning gift cards must be used by February 14, 2005.
8. Holiday Bucks promotion will end December 22, 2004, at
5:00 p.m. No cards will be accepted after that time.
9. Need not be present to win.