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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 15, 2005)
Page 4 The INDEPENDENT, December 15, 2005 Successful Middle School open house Acting Vernonia School Dis- trict Superintendent Anne King- sley opened the December 8 school board meeting by telling the board that around 50 peo- ple attended the Middle School Open House on November 30. Kingsley then reported on a reading improvement project at the grade school using a tech- nique called “flooding” where the staff and assistants zero in on one grade at a time and pro- vide enough staff so each 4-5 kids have one adult to help them concentrate on reading. An update on the building project reported that only a few items in the kitchen still needed attention at the Middle School. Board member Tim Titus asked about the trees in front of the Middle School and was told by Board President Randy Han- sen that neighbors across from the school have indicated con- cern about the potential of the trees coming down in a wind. Hansen said he would talk to City Hall about landscaping in the conditional use permit and research the cost of having the trees professionally removed. The other two board members present, Dick Brunsman and Debbie Brown, along with Hansen and Titus, agreed they would like to see the trees re- placed by some other trees if they need to be removed. Three board members – Cari Levenseller, Angie Taylor and Kim Wallace – did not attend the meeting. Aaron Miller, grade school principal, reported on an Intel Volunteer Program that al- lows parents to spend time at Please see page 14 Community Calendar VERNONIA Alcoholics A n o n y m o u s M o n d a y s 6:30 p.m., Head Start Bldg. Alcoholics A n o n y m o u s S a t u r d a y s 7:00 p.m., Head Start Bldg. American Legion Post #11 9 2nd T h u r s d a y 627 Adams Av e n u e Arts & Crafts Society 2nd T h u r s d a y 2:00 p.m., City Library Booster Club 2nd We d n e s d a y 7:00 p.m., VHS Library Boy Scout Troop 201 Tu e s d a y s 7:00 p.m., Scout Cabin Boy Scout Troop 860 We d n e s d a y s 7:00 p.m., LDS Church Cemetery Beautification Comm. 2nd T h u r s d a y 7:00 p.m., Leonetti’s Grill C E RT 4th We d n e s d a y For Info Call 503-429-6033 Chamber of Commerce 2nd We d n e s d a y For Info Call 503-429-6081 Community Coalition 2nd Monday 12:30 p.m. School District Ofc. Cub Scout Pack 201 Scout Cabin For Info Call 503-429-8133 Doll Club 4th Tu e s d a y 1:00 p.m., Senior Center Friends of the Library 1st Tu e s d a y 7:00 p.m., Vernonia Library Hands On Art Committee 1st & 3rd T h u r s d a y s 4:00 p.m., City Hall Izaak Walton League 3rd T h u r s d a y For location call 503-429-7193 Lions Club 1st & 3rd Tu e s d a y s 6:30 p.m., Buckhorn Restaurant Nehalem Valley Car Club For Info Call 503-429-4074 Pioneer Museum For Info Call 503-429-3713 Preschool Story Hour M o n d a y s 10:30 a.m., City Library Upper Nehalem C.P. A . C . 2nd Tu e s d a y 7:00 p.m., City Hall Venturing Crew 201 1st & 3rd T h u r s d a y s 5:30 p.m., Buckhorn Restaurant Vernonia Airport Committee 3rd We d n e s d a y 7:00 p.m., City Hall Vernonia Cares Directors For Info call 503-429-1414 Vernonia City Council 1st & 3rd Mondays 7:00 p.m., City Hall Vernonia Community PTA 3rd T h u r s d a y 6:30 p.m., WGS Library Vernonia Grange 4th Saturday 10:30 a.m., Grange Hall Vernonia Health Center 2nd Monday 6:00 p.m., 510 Bridge St. Vernonia Planning Comm. 1st & 3rd T h u r s d a y s 7:00 p.m., City Hall Vernonia Pride 3rd T h u r s d a y 1:00 p.m., City Hall Vernonia Ridge Riders Last T h u r s d a y 7:00 p.m., Senior Center Vernonia RFPD Board 2nd Tu e s d a y 7:00 p.m., Fire Station Vernonia School Board 2nd T h u r s d a y 6:00 p.m., District Off i c e Vernonia Sr. Center Board 3rd Friday 1:00 p.m., Senior Center Vern. Volunteer Ambulance A s s o c . 1st T h u r s d a y 7:00 p.m., Fire Station Vernonia Volunteer Firefighters 2nd Monday 7:00 p.m., Fire Station WOEC Directors 3rd Tu e s d a y 7:00 p.m., WOEC S M 4 11 18 25 5 12 19 26 Planning underway for 47J future By Schann Nelson Citizens of Vernonia have had the privilege of coming to- gether to plan for growth. A strategic plan completed just prior to the flood of 1996 de- serves much of the credit for organized improvements in in- frastructure (streets, roads, sewer and water) and facilities (city hall and library). T h e bonds formed between com- munity members as part of the planning process served the community well when faced with the overwhelming task of recovering from a disaster. The school district is poised to in- volve the community in a simi- lar process to develop a com- prehensive plan for district property that forms the focus of the center of town. Long-range planning does not happen in a vacuum. The committee that completed the 1996 plan met every two weeks for about three months, and had several subcommittees DECEMBER 2005 T W T 1 8 7 6 13 14 15 20 21 22 27 28 29 F 2 9 16 23 30 S 3 10 17 24 31 S 1 8 15 22 29 M 2 9 16 23 30 JANUARY T W 4 3 10 11 17 18 24 25 31 2006 T F 5 6 12 13 19 20 26 27 S 7 14 21 28 meeting intermittently to study aspects of the plan in depth. In order to be effective, such a committee needs a wide range of community members who are willing to dedicate the nec- essary time and to support the committee’s conclusions. The school district is well on the way to developing a plan to guide future development. Though out of the public eye, the work of Dull Olson Weeks Architects (DOWA) did not completely end with the com- pletion of the middle school. Board members Debbie Brown and Kim Wallace have met twice with DOWA and others who have stepped up to begin the preliminary work. T h e board has authorized a com- mittee to solicit proposals from firms, including DOWA, to com- plete the process. The board also decided to form a long range planning committee (LRPC) and solicit proposals Please see page 26 S M 5 12 19 26 6 13 20 27 MIST-BIRKENFELD M - B R F P D Board Business Mtg. 2nd Tu e s d a y M-BRFPD Board Wo r k s h o p 4th Tu e s d a y M-B Ambulance Drill 1st & 2nd T h u r s d a y s M-B Fire Drill 1st & 2nd We d n e s d a y s M-B Helping Circle 2nd Monday M-B SAR Drill 3rd We d n e s d a y M-B Volunteer A s s o c . 1st Tu e s d a y Natal Grange 2nd We d n e s d a y T. O . P. S . M o n d a y s Upr Nehalem Watershed Council For date call 429-2401 FEBRUARY 2006 T W T 1 2 7 8 9 14 15 16 21 22 23 28 F 3 10 17 24 S 4 11 18 25 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station 7:30 p.m., Natal Grange Hall 6:00 p.m., Main Fire Station 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station BANKS Alcoholics A n o n y m o u s F r i d a y s 7:00 p.m., Methodist Church Alcoholics A n o n y m o u s We d n e s d a y s 7:30 p.m., Methodist Church American Legion Post #90 2nd Tu e s d a y s 7:30 p.m., Main Street Post Banks City Council 2nd Tu e s d a y 7:30 p.m., City Hall Banks Fire District #13 2nd We d n e s d a y 7:00 p.m., Station 13 Banks Planning Commission Last Tu e s d a y 7:00 p.m., City Hall Banks School Board 2nd Monday 7:30 p.m., Jr. High Library Banks Youth Group Sundays, We d n e s d a y s 7:00 p.m., UMC Youth Bldg. Chamber of Commerce 1st T h u r s d a y 12:30 p.m., Fire District Off i c e CPO 14 3rd Monday 7:00 p.m., City Library Friends of the Library 2nd Tu e s d a y 7:00 p.m., City Library Lions Club 1st & 3rd Mondays 7:00 p.m., Brown Derby Sunset Park A s s o c . 3rd We d n e s d a y 8:00 p.m., Gun Club T. O . P. S . We d n e s d a y s 7:00 p.m., Administration Bldg. COLUMBIA COUNTY (All meet in St. Helens unless otherwise noted.) Board of Commissioners We d n e s d a y s 10 a.m., Courthouse Citizens for Senior Justice 2nd Tu e s d a y 7:00 p.m., Sunset Park Church Columbia Soil & Water District 3rd We d n e s d a y 7:30 p.m., NRCS , 2514 Sykes County Fair Board 2nd Monday 7:00 p.m., Fairgrounds 4-H Bldg. County Parks Commission 3rd Monday 6:00 p.m., 1054 Oregon St. Mental Health Advisory Comm. 3rd Tu e s d a y 10 a.m., 2nd Floor, Courthouse Comm. on Children & Families 3rd T h u r s d a y 5:30 p.m. OSU Ext., 550 N. Hwy. 30 Local Alcohol & Drug Plann. Comm. 2nd Tu e s d a y 3:00 p.m., 2nd Floor, Courthouse Organizations and meeting dates not listed may be included by calling 429-9410 or by mail to The INDEPENDENT, 725 Bridge Street, Vernonia, OR 97064.