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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
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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
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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
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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
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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.