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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 21, 2006)
The INDEPENDENT, December 21, 2006 Check traffic at Trip-Check.com Bits & Bites By Jacqueline Ramsay Merry Christ- mas and a Happy N e w Year to all of you near and far. Oh joy, I’ve seen the white swan twice in the past two weeks. We now have added another date to remember to our “cal- endar of events” to mark the passing of our times. Start where you will: 1st always with me is December 7, 1941; 2nd – total freeze over of the Colum- bia River at the Dalles, then the Vanport flood, then the burning of the mill, the flood of ‘96, and now the power outage of De- cember ‘06. If you didn’t bother (because of the cold) to attend the Christ- mas program at Vernonia High School (all grades), it is your loss. It was the best ever. The new band leader knows how to get music out of your kids. You parents should be proud. They started together, stayed togeth- By ODOT Staff You’re stuck in traffic, rain is pounding on the roof of your car and your favorite radio per- sonality is warning of conges- tion ahead. Is there an acci- dent? A lane closure or detour you didn’t know about? You crane your neck out the driver’s-side window to see what is slowing your commute, and as the rain blurs your vision and drenches your face, you can wonder: “Why didn’t I visit Trip-Check.com?” Winter weather and un- precedented levels of highway construction, statewide, mean drivers should be prepared. The Oregon Department of Transportation’s TripCheck web site provides motorists with a one-stop site for Oregon travel information. TripCheck is more useful than ever for motorists as con- struction ramps up on Interstate 5, Interstate 84 and other major routes across the state, mostly due to ODOT’s $1.3 billion OTIA III State Bridge Delivery Program. The bridge program, part of the agency’s 10-year, $3 billion Oregon Transportation Investment Act, is repairing and replacing hundreds of aging bridges across the state. On I-5 alone, drivers will pass through more than 20 active work zones between Portland and Medford in 2007. At TripCheck.com, visitors can access current construc- tion updates, view the latest road conditions via road cam- eras, get winter travel updates, and find tips on how to travel by bus, rail or ride-share. Travel- ers can easily access informa- tion about construction zones and approximate delay times by simply passing their cursor over an icon on a map. Alter- nately, the 511 system, created by the federal government in 2000, delivers traffic and weather information directly to callers over the phone. “It’s a simple, easy-to-use system that focuses on timely information for Oregon travel- ers,” said Galen McGill, ODOT’s manager of intelligent transportation systems, who oversees TripCheck. “Because of more active construction, more people are checking TripCheck in the summer than Please see page 22 Page 11 Top; Vernonia Cares volunteers served meals at the Senior Center Friday and offered a warm stop for any and all during the recent storm. Below; one of the many services the Ver- nonia Rural Fire Department Volunteers provided, during the power outage, were medical generators. Schann’s Basket er and finished together. The entire evening I only heard two or three split reeds. The last number – bands combined with the choral group – was perfect, the band director couldn’t see the choral director yet the tim- ing was great. Thank you for an enjoyable evening. Many thanks to the Senior Center and cooking crew that jumped in and warmed our hands and feet as well as the cockles of our hearts and stom- achs. Also, thanks to the Red Cross, Fire Dept. and whoever had free fire wood for those that could use it, also to the other businesses that opened up for flashlights, batteries and lamp oil. Vernonia – though inconve- nienced – is lucky. Beaverton, I hear, had snow on December 18, Portland had ice and fog. It’s been quite a year when you think about it. But we did survive, what next year brings is only partly up to us but how we react is totally up to us. Smile and say “Gee, I won- dered what was going to hap- pen next.” See you next year? 1st & 3rd Thursdays, 10am til the eggs are gone, inside Black Bear Coffee Co. 831 Bridge St., Vernonia Eggs ~ $2 dozen VERNONIA INN Enjoy a quiet weekend with us. FULL SIZE, IN ROOM HOT TUBS Queen Beds • Private Bath • Separate Entrance Cable TV • Phones • Handicapped Access • Commercial Rates FOR RESERVATIONS CALL 1-800-354-9494 / 503-429-4006 Gift Certificates Available 900 MADISON AVE., VERNONIA, OR 97064 Just one block off scenic Nehalem River Hwy. (Oregon 47)
