The INDEPENDENT, April 19, 2007
Reduce stress…go by van
Driving alone on crowded
highways can be an expensive,
frustrating experience that in-
creases congestion and pollu-
tion. Commuting in a vanpool
saves money on car mainte-
nance, fuel and insurance,
eliminates the stress of driving,
and reduces traffic congestion
and air pollution. A vanpool is a
group of 5 to 15 people who
share their commute. The van-
pool travels from home or a
prearranged meeting place to
work, school or other destina-
tions.
Vanpooling can cost a quar-
ter of what you would pay to
drive alone! Metro helps make
vanpooling even more eco-
nomical with an incentive pro-
gram that pays for 50 percent
of the van lease cost, not in-
cluding fuel. Passengers split
the remaining costs. Monthly
costs per rider, including fuel,
are $60 to $95 for a 30-mile
round trip, compared to $266 to
drive alone. By reducing the
cost of maintenance on your
own vehicle and splitting the
high cost of gasoline with other
riders, you can save hundreds
of dollars each year.
The average commuter
spends eight hours each week
behind the wheel of a car, the
equivalent of working one extra
day. According to surveys,
most workers believe their
commute is the most stressful
part of the day. In contrast, van-
pool riders can relax, read the
newspaper, work on their lap-
top or just take a nap. There
are fewer worries about traffic,
vehicle reliability or getting to
work on time. As a member of a
vanpool you will be doing your
part to reduce traffic congestion
and improve air quality while
saving money.
There may already be a van-
pool that meets your commute
needs. Learn more about van-
pool options and how to start a
vanpool at www.metro-region.
org/vanpool. Or, come to the
Vernonia Community Learning
Center on Tuesday, April 24, at
7:00 p.m. for an informational
meeting about vanpooling op-
tions available to commuters in
Vernonia who work in the Metro
area including Portland and
Washington County.
St. Mary’s garage sale starts today
St. Mary’s Catholic Church
annual garage sale started to-
day at 9:00 a.m. and closes
tonight at 6:00 p.m. Friday
hours are the same as today’s
and Saturday hours are from
9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
St. Mary’s is located at 960
Missouri Ave.
Lions gazebo given to Vernonia
At an awards banquet held
March 14, the Vernonia Lions
Club officially gave the gazebo
in Hawkins Park to the city of
Vernonia. The gazebo was giv-
en to the city in honor of Bill
Horn, who, before his death in
2006, had been a charter mem-
ber of the Lions for 54 years.
The gazebo has been in use
for a few years, though it was
not completed until August of
2006. Lion Jim Prpich designed
and spearheaded the building
of the gazebo. Many volunteers
worked on the gazebo and the
Lions Club donated hundreds
of hours to its construction. A
plaque with the Lions motto,
“We Serve” will be placed on
the gazebo.
At the same banquet, Ver-
nonia Lion Bob Curl was pre-
sented with an outstanding
service award. Curl has been a
Vernonia Lion since 1962.
Page 9
Bits & Bites
By Jacqueline Ramsay
Do you
want to
k n o w
how
I
k n o w
Spring is
here?
You can’t
count on
t h e
weatherman’s word. Another
sure way is – all the folk with
fishing poles around the lake,
also the antics of the ducks. A
couple of them diving and
splashing – one came up, took
off for the shore with the sec-
ond in hot pursuit – #1 duck
had a fish in its beak. I don’t
know the outcome – they went
into the cattails.
Oh, by the way – if you see
any duck eggs in the grass or
brush, leave them alone. They
just might be someone’s child.
Ducks don’t lay and abandon,
they know where they were sit-
ting. I’ve seen several out in the
open this spring.
Going to Astoria by the in-
land route this past month,
Spring things noted; the skunk
lilies were showing yellow
buds, newborn calves, lambs
and gamboling colts. Wonder
of wonders at the Elk Reserve
the herd was within about 50
feet of the viewing fence – I’ve
never seen them so close – we
gawked, they ate and watched
us. Another close encounter –
watching five does munch
away while we sat on the high-
way and watched them.
Now, who beside myself
read the full page ad “Bin
Laden Found” in the March 27
issue of the “Courier Mail?” Did
you read it with tongue in cheek
or a big question mark in your
brain? It might be interesting to
learn more about the “People of
Wisdom” before swallowing
what they had to say as fact.
Chapter two of this week’s
Bits & Bites:
Here is a big bit of news if
you are curious as to who and
what all of those cyclists were
and why they were peddling
through Vernonia two weeks
ago (March 31).
Shadow and I stopped in
Mariolino’s for lunch and, being
curious, I ask if they were prac-
ticing for Cycle Oregon. No,
they are a group called “Ore-
gon Roundonneurs.” They are
a long-distance, unsupported
cycling group. This means – if
you break down, you fix it the
best you can or figure out how
to continue the trip. Dan said
he had his Visa card and could
or would call a cab. Anyhow,
the style developed in the 19th
century in France. Some of the
group are in training to go to
France and participate in the
July 2007 “Paris Brest Paris”
1,200 Kilometer (767 mile) cy-
cle run. You have to finish in 90
hours to be in the standings.
March 31, they were just lim-
bering up with a 100 or so mile
jaunt. Good luck to all of you.
Vernonia Lake stocked, Lost Lake access changed
Vernonia Lake is scheduled
to be stocked with another
1,000 trout this week and 2,000
trout the week of April 30, from
the Oregon Department of Fish
and Wildlife.
The stockingthe week of
April 30 is scheduled to be the
last for Vernonia Lake this year.
Visitors to Lost Lake in
southeast Clatsop County need
to alter their access point to the
lake and enter from Highway
26 at Quartz Creek Road, in-
stead of going through Henry
Rierson Spruce Run Camp-
ground.
Get out and help
Make Vernonia Shine on
April 28, 9am to 1pm
State Farm ®
Providing Insurance and Financial Services
Home Office, Bloomington, Illinois 61710
Bunny Girt, Agent
1229 N. Adair
PO Box 543
Cornelius, OR 97113-0543
Bus 503-357-3131 Fax 503-357-9667
bunny.girt.b71g@statefarm.com
A logging operation in the
area is closing public access to
Lost Lake from the camp-
ground, according to the Ore-
gon Department of Forestry.
The closure is expected to last
until May 25.
For more information about
the road closure and its re-
opening, call Larry Sprouse at
the ODF Astoria District office,
(503) 325-5451.