PRESORTED STANDARD
U.S. Postage Paid
Vernonia, OR 97064
Permit No. 37
“Voice of the Upper Nehalem River Valley”
Vol. 22, No. 14
Water rate increase adds
to Vernonia utility charges
A Grand Opening
Happy throngs turned out for the opening of Stub Stewart State Park, July 7, and have
kept the park full much of the time since the opening.
Burn season restrictions in place for forest areas
“We’re into that part of the
fire season where fire starts are
more likely in our forests, on
our own properties and within
or adjacent to our communi-
ties,” Mike Simek, Unit Forester
with the Oregon Department of
Forestry reports. With high
temperatures and low relative
humidity predicted, grass,
brush and forest fuels will dry
quickly and burn readily. The
risk of an ignition source start-
ing a fire goes up dramatically
with hot and dry conditions.
Conditions have been relatively
dry during the months of May
and June leading up to this
year’s fire season. This lack of
precipitation in the preceding
Article regarding Vernonia
Principal Aaron Miller may
be found on page 11, with
other school news.
months may indicate an above
average fire season locally, ex-
plained Simek. Residents and
forest users will see our fluo-
rescent orange regulated use
signs being posted. These re-
flect public use restrictions now
in effect on all forest, brush,
grass and other flammable cov-
er lands. Simek also noted that
private timberlands may have
tighter restrictions or even clo-
sures, so it’s always best to
check with landowners and the
local ODF office about current
restrictions and closures. All
residents and visitors are
asked to use extreme caution
when recreating, traveling, and
working in grass, brush and
forested areas.
The following public use re-
strictions went into effect on
Monday, July 9, and apply to all
private, state and federal lands
July 19, 2007
protected by the Oregon De-
partment of Forestry within the
Northwest Oregon Forest Pro-
Please see page 5
The Vernonia City Council
unanimously approved a water
rate increase of $11.50 starting
with the August 2007 billings
and continuing until such time
as that amount adds up to
$119,000, the amount City Ad-
ministrator M.R. “Dick” Kline
told council members is need-
ed to establish necessary loan
reserves in the Water Fund.
This is expected to take ap-
proximately one year, at which
time the $11.50 amount will be
removed from billings.
A public hearing was held on
the 20 acre parcel the city re-
cently declared surplus. There
was no testimony in favor of
selling the property, but one let-
ter of opposition was received
from Derl Roberts. Roberts
said that there are many subdi-
visions and additions already
that are not yet developed and
that the city should hold this
parcel for the future, when rev-
enues from its sale would be
higher. After hearing one neu-
tral opinion, the hearing was
closed.
Vernonia Police Sergeant
Mike Kay, on behalf of the
American Council on Criminal
Justice Training (ACCJT) pre-
sented Thor, a police dog pup-
py, to K-9 Officer Doug Asboe
from Fairview. On hand for the
presentation were Ken John-
son, the Fairview Chief of Po-
lice and Fairview City Adminis-
trator Joseph Gall. Members of
the ACCJT K-9 grant commit-
tee present were Cindy Ball,
Shirlee Daughtry, Clatskanie
Mayor Diane Pohl, Helen Hud-
son, Vernonia Chief of Police
Mat Workman and Clatskanie
Chief of Police Marvin Hoover.
Topics from the Floor ranged
from a request to get more
complete council packets on-
line, to a question about
whether the city has a policy
about horse riders picking up
their horse’s waste (yes, but
enforcement is difficult).
Noni Andersen told council
that several months ago she
brought to the Parks Commit-
tee’s attention the fact that the
flagpole at Vernonia Lake is not
being taken care when the flag
is supposed to be lowered to
half staff at appropriate times.
Please see page 5
Motorcycle crash takes life of Delmar Jepson
Delmar L. Jepson, age 75, of
Banks, died July 8 from injuries
suffered when his motorcycle
struck the side of a turning ve-
hicle on Hwy. 47 in Cove Or-
chard. Jepson, who grew up in
Clatskanie, was well-known
and well-liked in timber com-
munities from the Nehalem Val-
ley to the ocean, as he operat-
ed L. Jepson & Sons Logging
Company, the family business
started by his father.
According to Oregon State
Police, at approximately 1:00
p.m. on July 8, a GMC Denali
sport utility vehicle towing a 25-
foot RV trailer, driven by Ryan
Spang of Cornelius, was south-
Delmar Jepson
bound on Hwy. 47. Spang sig-
naled for a left turn onto Gra-
ham Road and began the turn
as Jepson’s southbound Harley
Davidson began to pass anoth-
er vehicle, then Spang’s SUV.
The motorcycle crashed into
the GMC’s left front side.
Jepson was ejected from the
motorcycle and landed about
75 feet from the point of impact.
He was wearing a helmet. Jep-
son was treated at the scene,
and transported to Oregon
Health Science University by
LifeFlight helicopter, where he
died at 6:00 p.m.
Spang, his wife and two chil-
dren, all using seatbelts, were
transported to Providence Hos-
pital in Newberg, treated for mi-
nor injuries and released.