Vol. 20, No. 13
“Voice of the Upper Nehalem River Valley”
July 7, 2005
Flag pole and light to
replace tree in city park
After deciding that a flagpole
and flag that will be lighted
around the clock, is more ap
propriate at Vernonia Lake than
a tree, the Vernonia City Coun-
Public meeting
will review new
trail to Vernonia
Fireworks enthralled viewers in Vernonia on the 4th of July as the pyrotechnic displays
lit up the night sky with brilliant bursts of color and sound. More photos on page 28.
County Emergency Services Fair slated
The first-ever countywide
Emergency Services Fair,
sponsored by Columbia Emer
gency Planning Association
(CEPA), will be Friday and Sat
urday, July 22-23, at the Co
lumbia County Fairgrounds,
with many of CEPA’s 280 mem
bers participating. “This event
will help fair visitors understand
the resources available during
emergency situations and pro
grams that continually work to
prevent hazards,” said CEPA
facilitator Jim Huff.
Events will include a tank
rescue by the Specialized Mul
ti-Agency Rescue Team, emer
gency responders from Scap
poose Fire and Columbia River
Fire & Rescue (CRF&R) will
demonstrate extraction from a
car using the jaws of life, Ore
gon State Police (OSP) will
demonstrate with the Bomb
Squad Robot, St. Helens Police
will demonstrate a tactical en
try, plus a K-9 drug-sniffing
take-down by Vernonia and St.
Helens Police dogs and a mock
meth lab cleanup by the Drug
Enforcement Administration
(DEA). Spectators may also
watch fire suppression demon
strations by the Oregon Depart
ment of Forestry and use of the
telesquirt by CRF&R crews.
The Clatskanie Police Depart
ment will participate in a taser
exhibition, while CRF&R and
Sanderson Safety team up to
educate ESF fair visitors on
how to operate a fire extin
guisher.
Several members of Ama
teur Radio Emergency Ser
vices (ARES) will bring their
new communications van, do
nated by Portland General
Electric, to the fair. Stop by
their booth and watch these ra
dio operators create communi
cation links anywhere in the
world. They will also be offering
free calls to servicemen in Iraq
or anywhere else in the world!
A feature event of the two-
Please see page 4
Columbia County will hold a
public meeting to provide an
update and obtain public com
ment on development of the
Crown-Zellerbach Trail. The
trail will run 22 miles from
Chapman Landing, on the
Multnomah Channel in Scap
poose, to Vernonia.
Discussion items will include
grant funding through the Rails
to Trails program, obligations
of the Hancock easement,
public access and use, current
trail status, concerns of adja
cent landowners, and develop
ment of a master plan. There
will also be time for questions
and comments.
County residents and prop
erty owners are invited to at
tend, as well as anyone who is
interested in learning about the
C-Z Trail Project.
The meeting will be held in
Vernonia on Tuesday, July 12,
from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at
Washington Grade School,
199 Bridge Street. A second
meeting will be in Scappoose.
cil decided at their July 5 meet
ing to form a new committee to
review the requirements for be
coming part of the Tree City
USA program.
Noni Andersen had made a
presentation at the June 20
council meeting regarding the
Tree City program developed
by the National Arbor Day
Foundation. There are 38 Ore
gon cities in the program at this
time.
The criteria set by the Na
tional Arbor Day Foundation in
cludes:
Adopting a tree care ordi
nance; establishing a program,
tree board or commission;
spending at least $2 per capita
on a community tree care pro
gram, and conducting an Arbor
Day or Arbor Week ceremony.
Andersen also provided in
formation from the Oregon De
partment of Forestry, including
a model ordinance.
Also at the June meeting,
the Lions Club offered to place
a lighted flag and pole at Ver
nonia Lake near the restroom
building where a tree was re
cently removed. In July, the
council received an offer from
Rebecca McGaugh, who said
her family would donate and
care for a replacement tree at
the lake.
City Administrator Robyn
Bassett reported that the lowest
Please see page 12
City will evaluate nuisance and hazard violations
There is one house on your
street that everyone envies.
You know the one...it has a
yard with lush green carpeting
and beautiful landscaping.
Therè is also the opposite of
that house. You know this one,
too...it has waist high grass,
overgrown trees, and the only
flowers are dandelions.
In addition to creating un
kempt conditions, tall grass,
a
blackberries and weeds can
harbor trash and hazards which
are dangerous to people, espe
cially children. Pests such as
mice and rats, which can carry
disease organisms including
hantavirus, are attracted to
these conditions. An overgrown
lot that becomes dry in the heat
of summer is also a potential
fire hazard.
For these reasons, a Ver
nonia City Ordinance requires
that vegetation be kept under
12 inches in height. The city will
be evaluating violations and
pursuing resolution for non-
compliance.
Because everyone wants to
live in a safe and attractive
neighborhood, residents are
asked to work with the City to
promote a beautiful, pleasant
and safe community.