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The INDEPENDENT, September 21, 2006
PCC joins new Vernonia Learning Center in offering classes for all
This fall, Portland Community
College’s presence in Vernonia
will get stronger and better.
PCC will have a presence in
the City of Vernonia’s newly
opened Vernonia Community
Learning Center (VCLC), offer-
ing both credit and non-credit
classes beginning fall term. In
the future, the college may offer
Adult Basic Education and
GED courses, as well.
“We will be utilizing local
qualified faculty as much as
possible to staff the course of-
ferings,” said Kelly Marks, Co-
lumbia County education pro-
gram coordinator. “We are dis-
cussing the possibility of bring-
ing additional services, specifi-
cally admissions and testing for
larger groups of potential stu-
dents, to the community and
hope to be able to offer this, as
appropriate, beginning fall
term.”
Because the city was unable
to furnish the learning center as
originally
planned,
PCC
stepped in to provide support by
donating surplus furniture and
equipment. Marks said she an-
ticipates further donations in the
near future to help the operation
of the new learning center.
In addition to being on site in
Vernonia, PCC has provided at
no cost a complete set of
Teleweb course tapes to VCLC.
These tapes will allow local res-
idents to access distance learn-
ing classes via Teleweb. They
will be particularly useful for
those residents who are not
served by internet service or
cable television access, by
which most distance learning
courses are delivered. This ini-
tiative will increase PCC’s offer-
ings to the Vernonia community
by approximately 20 classes
per term.
For more information, about
PCC’s services in Vernonia
contact Marks at 503-614-7775
or kmarks@pcc.edu.
Among the credit classes
available in Vernonia will be
Career and Life Planning, First
Aid and Emergency Care, In-
troductory Algebra - Term 1,
and Writing 90.
The following PCC classes
will also be taught at the Ver-
nonia Community Learning
Center, 919 Bridge Street. For
more information about these
classes, call 503-978-5205.
User Friendly Windows XP
One of the most popular
computer platforms, Windows
XP, is the subject of two non-
credit classes this fall. Instruc-
tor Marge Dunay will lead Win-
dows XP: Level I, and Windows
XP for Seniors: Level I, using
non-technical language to
teach students how to navigate
and customize their computers.
The class is slated from 6:00 to
9:00 p.m., Wednesdays, Sep-
tember 27 through October 25.
There will be no class on Oct.
18. Cost is $45.50 for seniors,
or $85 for the general public.
Introduction to Deep Memoir
Writing
Publisher, poet and teacher
Carol Sawyer will also lead a
non-credit class in writing to
help aspiring new writers find
energy and develop technique.
Sawyer will lead students
through Introduction to Deep
Memoir Writing, a class for new
writers and those needing new
ideas. It is a supportive envi-
ronment for exploring the emo-
tions and freeing self-expres-
sion, using the senses and oth-
er techniques. The class will be
held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.,
Tuesdays, September 27
through November 1. Cost is
$59.
Portland Community College
is the largest post-secondary
institution in Oregon, serving
approximately 91,000 full- and
part-time students. For more
PCC news, please visit us on
the Web at www.pcc.edu/news.
PCC has three comprehensive
campuses, five workforce train-
ing and education centers, and
200 community locations in the
Portland metropolitan area.
The PCC district encompasses
a 1,500-square-mile area in
northwest Oregon and offers
two-year degrees, one-year
certificate programs, short-term
training, alternative education,
pre-college courses and life-
long learning.
International Peace Vigil September 21
The “Loud and Proud” Portland to Coast walking team,
above, took first place in the Men’s Walking Division (which
required only that at least seven of the team be male). Ver-
nonians on the team were Kim Wallace (on left in second
row), Elizabeth White (third from left in second row) and
Derek and Angie Handegard (fourth and fifth from left in back
row). The picture includes the support staff, drivers and
walkers and was taken on the beach in Seaside after the walk
had been completed.
Evergreen Dance Center
Classes Start Oct. 4th!!
Ballet
Age 4-5 3:30 p.m.
Age 6-7 4:30 p.m.
Age 8 + 5:30 p.m.
Columbia County Citizens
for Human Dignity (CCCHD)
will participate in the second
annual International Peace Vig-
il and invites all interested peo-
ple to join them on September
21, in St. Helens, at the corner
of Columbia Boulevard and
Hwy 30 at 5:00 p.m. The rally is
scheduled for 5-6:00 p.m.
According to Marcy Wester-
ling, CCCHD president, the or-
ganization’s executive board
decided to organize a peace
rally in Columbia County in
conjunction with international
efforts to stop the violence, war
and occupation in Iraq and
Afghanistan. Westerling hoped
that, along with rallies in Paris,
London, New York and other ef-
forts around the world, Colum-
bia County would add to that
worldwide effort.
“We continue to have our
weekly peace vigils in Scap-
poose on Sundays near the
Totem Pole, said one of the or-
ganizers of the rally, CCCHD
board member Marjorie Kundi-
ger, “but this is an opportunity
to join with millions across the
world to say ‘NO MORE WAR’.”
Last year CCCHD joined the
first international peace vigil
with a gathering in St. Helens,
3rd Annual Vernonia
Community PTA Carnival
Wednesdays
$38/Month
Saturday, September 30th, 5pm - 9pm
Join us for Dinner!
Registration Day Sept. 27, 5-6 pm
Pizza, Hamburgers, Nacho, Soda & Water
Raffle, Silent Auction and Games Galore!
Teacher: Jessica Davis
Food Drive for Vernonia Cares
Bring in 2 cans of food and receive
1 game ticket (Maximum 10 cans per family)
Classes held at Vernonia Community Church
957 State Ave, Vernonia
To Register, Call 360-423-7410, Longview
Join the Vernonia Community PTA at the
carnival & get a $5 game punch card!
and 35 to 40 people turned out.
“We are looking at a much larg-
er number this year,” Kundiger
said.
“This is our chance for Co-
lumbia County to show the rest
of the state, the Northwest, and
the world, that we have had
enough of this war and it is time
for our soldiers to come home,
now!” said Craig Frasier, a CC-
CHD member and frequent
participant in the Sunday
Peace rallies.
In conclusion, Westerling
added, “One of the questions
most often asked of us is ‘Do
we support the troops?’ Our
constant response is ‘very
much so’. Not only do we wish
for every one of our troops to
return home alive, but also we
realize that our soldiers are car-
rying out a policy set by our
elected officials. It is these
elected officials that we dis-
agree with. Our going to the
streets is to demonstrate sup-
port for the troops while telling
our political leaders – President
Bush, Senators Wyden and
Smith and Congressman Wu –
what we think of their policy of
war.”
For more information, call
CCCHD at 503-543-8417 or e-
mail ccchd@hotmail.com.