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The INDEPENDENT, December 21, 2006
Norma Olson to be honored for work as human rights advo-
December 10 marked the
anniversary of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights
(UDHR), a landmark United
Nations document created in
response to the atrocities of
World War II. To recognize the
anniversary of the signing of
the UDHR, Columbia County
Citizens for Human Dignity
(CCCHD) is honoring Norma
Olson, posthumously, for her
work to advance human rights
in Columbia County.
On a daily basis, Olson em-
bodied the essence of so many
of the UDHR goals. She
worked tirelessly to found the
Woman’s Resource Center and
served on the board for many
years. She was appointed to
the Oregon Women’s Rights
Commission, appointed to the
Commission for Women by
Governor Barbara Roberts and
Governor Vic Atiyeh, and
served on the National Organi-
zation for Women’s Hispanic
Women’s Caucus.
Olson also worked tirelessly
for schools and children, organ-
izing clothing and schools sup-
ply drives, as well as hosting
exchange students with the lo-
cal Rotary Club.
Many people think human
rights abuses happen in far-
away places. The reality, how-
ever, is that individuals’ human
rights are threatened every-
where, including Columbia
County. Violence, abuse, neg-
lect, censorship, discrimination,
inadequate housing and edu-
cation, hunger, withholding of
due process of law and arbi-
trary arrest are human rights vi-
olations people in America face
every day.
The Declaration expressed,
for the first time, a clear and
comprehensive vision of basic
human rights – civil, cultural,
economic, political, and social
– that all people have, simply
because they are human. Hu-
man rights are rooted in com-
mon concepts of dignity and
justice, and local traditions and
values do not take precedence
over these universal principles
described in the 30 articles of
the Declaration.
CCCHD board member
Marjorie Kundiger said of Ol-
son, “She was instrumental in
making my life in Columbia
County more meaningful. I had
the opportunity to work with her
on a number of occasions and
she truly embodied the spirit
and goals of the UDHR.”
Norma Olson was just one
individual who worked to ad-
vance human rights in our com-
munity. The UDHR confirmed
that human rights are indivisi-
ble. There is no hierarchy of hu-
man rights and no one set of
rights can be enjoyed at the ex-
pense of other rights. The right
Community Calendar
VERNONIA
Al-Anon
Fridays
7:00 p.m. Grange Hall
Alcoholics Anonymous
Mondays
6:30 p.m., Head Start Bldg.
Alcoholics Anonymous
Thursdays
6:30 p.m., Head Start Bldg.
American Legion Post #119
2nd Thursday
627 Adams Avenue
Arts & Crafts Society
2nd Thursday
2:00 p.m., City Library
Booster Club
2nd Wednesday
7:00 p.m., VHS Library
Boy Scout Troop 201
Tuesdays
7:00 p.m., Scout Cabin
Boy Scout Troop 860
Wednesdays
7:00 p.m., LDS Church
Cemetery Beautification Comm.
2nd Thursday
7:00 p.m., Leonetti’s Grill
CERT
4th Wednesday
For Info Call 503-429-3018
Chamber of Commerce
2nd Wednesday
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
Friends of the Library
1st Tuesday
7:00 p.m., Vernonia Library
Hands On Art Committee
1st & 3rd Thursdays
4:00 p.m., City Hall
Izaak Walton League
3rd Thursday
For location call 503-429-7193
Lions Club
1st & 3rd Tuesdays 6:30 p.m., Buckhorn Restaurant
Narcotics Anonymous
Saturdays
7:00 p.m., Head Start Bldg.
Pioneer Museum
For Info Call 503-429-3713
Public Works Committee
2nd & 4th Wednesday
7:00 p.m., City Hall
Upper Nehalem C.P.A.C.
2nd Tuesday
7:00 p.m., City Hall
Venturing Crew 201
1st & 3rd Thursdays 5:30 p.m., Buckhorn Restaurant
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 Thursday
7:00 p.m., WGS Library
Vernonia Grange
3rd Monday
7:00 p.m., Grange Hall
Vernonia Health Center
2nd Monday
6:00 p.m., 510 Bridge St.
Vernonia Learning Center
1st & Last Wednesdays
7:00 p.m., City Hall
Vernonia Parks Committee
3rd Tuesday
6:30 p.m., City Hall
Vernonia Planning Comm.
1st & 3rd Thursdays
7:00 p.m., City Hall
Vernonia Pride
3rd Thursday
1:00 p.m., City Hall
Vernonia Ridge Riders
Last Thursday
7:00 p.m., Senior Center
Vernonia RFPD Board
2nd Tuesday
7:00 p.m., Fire Station
Vernonia School Board
2nd Thursday
6:00 p.m., District Office
Vernonia Sr. Center Board
2nd Friday
1:00 p.m., Senior Center
Vern. Volunteer Ambulance Assoc. 1st Thursday
7:00 p.m., Fire Station
Vernonia Volunteer Firefighters
2nd Monday
7:00 p.m., Fire Station
WOEC Directors
3rd Tuesday
7:00 p.m., WOEC
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to an adequate standard of liv-
ing (Article 25), for example,
does not take precedence over
the right of freedom of peaceful
assembly and association (Arti-
cle 20). People cannot advance
their economic, social and cul-
tural rights without the political
space and civil freedom to do
so.
Norma Olson will be hon-
ored at The CCCHD Winter
Gala on January 27, from 6:00
p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Her family will
be presented the UDHR award
in her name. The Portland Gay
Men’s Chorus will provide en-
tertainment. Tickets are $25
and can be reserved by calling
503-543-8417.
Council hears of budget process
A budget workshop was pre-
sented by Vernonia City Admin-
istrator Dick Kline, at the De-
cember 18 City Council meet-
ing. Kline told council that they
and the public often see only
the expenditures (the bills to be
paid) without seeing the rev-
enues and assets and that a
balance sheet or profit/loss
statement can give a more
complete picture.
Using a balance sheet
drawn on a whiteboard Kline
explained that on the left side
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of the sheet would usually be
assets, both liquid (cash) and
fixed (land, buildings, equip-
ment) and on the right side
would be short term and long
term liabilities (monthly bills
and other debts). He went on to
explain that assets minus liabil-
ities equal equity and the big-
ger the equity the better. There
are also revenues and expen-
ditures and a positive differ-
ence is preferable.
Some expenditures are on
Please see page 5
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MIST-BIRKENFELD
M-BRFPD Board Business Mtg.
2nd Tuesday
M-BRFPD Board Workshop
4th Tuesday
M-B Ambulance Drill
1st & 2nd Thursdays
M-B Fire Drill
1st & 2nd Wednesdays
M-B Helping Circle
2nd Monday
M-B SAR Drill
3rd Wednesday
M-B Volunteer Assoc.
1st Tuesday
Natal Grange
2nd Wednesday
T.O.P.S.
Mondays
Upr Nehalem Watershed Council For date call 429-2401
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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 Anonymous
Fridays
7:00 p.m., Methodist Church
Alcoholics Anonymous
Wednesdays
7:30 p.m., Methodist Church
American Legion Post #90
2nd Tuesdays
7:30 p.m., Main Street Post
Banks City Council
2nd Tuesday
7:30 p.m., City Hall
Banks Fire District #13
2nd Wednesday
7:00 p.m., Station 13
Banks Planning Commission
Last Tuesday
7:00 p.m., City Hall
Banks School Board
2nd Monday
7:30 p.m., Jr. High Library
Banks Youth Group
Sundays, Wednesdays
7:00 p.m., UMC Youth Bldg.
Chamber of Commerce
1st Thursday
12:30 p.m., Fire District Office
CPO 14
3rd Monday
7:00 p.m., City Library
Friends of the Library
2nd Tuesday
7:00 p.m., City Library
Lions Club
1st & 3rd Mondays
7:00 p.m., Brown Derby
Sunset Park Assoc.
3rd Wednesday
8:00 p.m., Gun Club
T.O.P.S.
Wednesdays
7:00 p.m., Administration Bldg.
COLUMBIA COUNTY (All meet in St. Helens unless otherwise noted.)
Board of Commissioners
Wednesdays
10 a.m., Courthouse
Citizens for Senior Justice
2nd Tuesday
7:00 p.m., Sunset Park Church
Columbia Soil & Water District
3rd Wednesday
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 Tuesday
10 a.m., 2nd Floor, Courthouse
Comm. on Children & Families
3rd Thursday 5:30 p.m. OSU Ext., 550 N. Hwy. 30
Local Alcohol & Drug Plann. Comm. 2nd Tuesday
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.