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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (April 7, 2005)
Vol. 20, No. 7 "Voice of the Upper Nehalem River Valley" Vernonia Half Marathon on Saturday An Eggcellent Day! 4 ^ ’ Îi . ^^5,. V. iEW I F ■ 1 ■#'. • sfl 1 April 7, 2005 R Teamwork helped these youngsters have a great tim e dur ing the annual Easter Egg Hunt sponsored by the Vernon ia Chamber of Commerce. Approximately 150 runners and walkers will be at the start ing line for the Vernonia Half Marathon on Saturday, April 9. The event will start at 9:30 a.m. from Anderson Park and pro ceed 13.1 miles along the Banks-Vernonia State Trail, some of it paved and some gravel, through scenic woods on the abandoned railroad bed that became Oregon’s first lin ear trail. The finish line will be near the Buxton Trail Head. The Oregon Road Runners Club (ORRC), which is spon soring the half marathon, will bus participants from the finish back to Vernonia for the awards ceremony. Food, beverages and a few surprises will be pro vided after the race. Awards will go to the top three overall male and female winners, and to the top three overall male and fe male masters winners. In addi tion, ribbons will go to the top five finishers in each five year age group. A map of the trail and direc tions, are available at <www. oregonstateparks.org/park_14 5.php>. A limited edition long sleeve Dri-Release T-shirt is available, but only pre-registered partici pants are guaranteed a shirt. Day of race entrants get shirts as quantities last. Participants may register at <www.active.com>. Pre-regis tration for ORRC members is $20 with no shirt and $35 with a shirt; for non-ORRC members the cost is $25 with no shirt and $40 with a shirt. Registration, which starts at 8:00 a.m. on the day of the race, is $50 for all. For more information, or to volunteer as a helper, call Race Director Mark Barrett at 503- 357-3533 or email <MBarr etts@aol.com>. Sen. Wyden brings Town Hall to Vernonia school, senior center U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, who holds a town hall meeting in every Oregon county, every year, chose Vernonia High School as the site of this year’s Columbia County Town Hall, on March 28. Student questions included a variety of topics such as the possibility of a draft, Oregon’s assisted suicide law, being able to serve our country at 18 but not being able to drink until 21, school budgets and funding, security improvements needed as a result of recent shootings at schools, and even “who will win the NCAA tournament?” Wyden’s responses were generally supportive of state laws and states’ rights, with the suggestion that the public should be cautious about the issues when they request in volvement from the Federal government. Gordon Smith, owner of Ver nonia Sentry, stated he would like to hire more teens (14 to 17 year-olds) but has stopped do ing so because of the high Please see page 5 Lesson in Government Many candidates for May 17 ballots Candidate filings have closed for the May 17 Special District Elections revealing three contested positions on the board of directors for Ver nonia School District, one con tested position for the Banks School board and two for the Jewell School board. There are no contested fire district posi tions. Vernonia School District Leslie Barnes and Dick Brunsman are seeking Position 4, currently held by Gienah Ch eney, who was appointed and did not file for election. Position 6 incumbent James Krahn is being challenged by Kim Wallace. A three-way race has devel oped for Position 7, held by Philip Doyle, who was appoint ed. In addition to Doyle, Debo rah Brown and Ernie Smith are seeking to fill the position. Two additional positions will be on the ballot: Angela Taylor is the sole candidate for Posi tion 1, now held by Ed Buckner who was appointed and did not seek election. Cari Levenseller is unopposed in seeking re- election to Position 5. Banks School District Will Moore and Ruth Liese- gang have both filed for the va cant Position 2. Incumbents Douglas Nord- Please see page 4 U.S. Senator Ron Wyden visited Vernonia March 28, spending an hour at Vernonia High School, then dropping in at the VernonlaSenior Citizens Center before heading to his next appointment.
