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The INDEPENDENT, July 19, 2007
Farm Bureau urges motorists to drive carefully on rural roads
Summer marks harvest sea-
son for many of Oregon’s 220
agriculture products, from blue-
berries and cherries, to toma-
toes and sweet corn. It’s a time
when more Oregonians head
out into the country to purchase
fresh produce directly from the
folks who grew it.
Though it’s easy to be ab-
sorbed by the beauty of the bu-
colic countryside, Oregon Farm
Bureau urges drivers to please
take special care when travel-
ing on rural roads this summer.
Because of deceptively
sharp turns, exposed hazards
like trees or fences, steep
slopes, and pavement edge
drop-offs, the potential dangers
of driving in the country should
not be underestimated.
Although there are fewer
crashes in rural areas, they
tend to be more severe than ur-
ban car accidents. Probably
due to higher speeds, twice as
many fatalities happen on
country roads than on city
streets. According to the Ore-
gon Department of Transporta-
tion, there were 10,338 crashes
on rural road areas in 2005,
with 303 fatal accidents. Com-
paratively, on urban roads,
there were 34,540 total crashes
in 2005 with only 141 fatal acci-
dents.
Also, because it is harvest
season, large farming equip-
ment is more likely to be out on
rural roads during the summer
months. Most of these vehicles
are designed to operate at
speeds of no more than 25 mph
and are required to display a
Slow-Moving Vehicle sign – a
triangular sign with a red reflec-
torized border and a fluores-
cent orange-red center. If you
come upon a vehicle with an
SMV sign, slow down immedi-
ately.
Consider this: ODOT reports
that a car traveling 55 mph re-
quires about 224 feet to stop on
dry pavement, assuming aver-
age reaction time and braking.
A car traveling 55 mph can
close a 300-foot gap (the length
of a football field) and overtake
a tractor moving at 15 mph in
about 5 seconds. If drivers do
not begin to slow as soon as
they see a farm vehicle, they
might not have time to avoid a
collision.
Oregon Farm Bureau offers
a few simple safety tips for
sharing the road safely with
slow-moving farming equip-
ment:
• When you see the triangu-
lar, red and orange slow-mov-
ing vehicle sign, slow down im-
mediately.
• Be patient. A farmer under-
stands that your trip is being
delayed; he or she will pull off
of the road at the first available
location to allow you to pass.
• If you must pass a farm ve-
hicle, do not assume the driver
knows you are there. Pass with
Community Calendar
VERNONIA
Alcoholics Anonymous
Mondays & Thursdays
6:30 p.m., Head Start Bldg.
American Legion Post #119
2nd Thursday
7:00 p.m., 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
6:30 p.m., City Hall
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 503-429-4250
Friends of the Library
1st Tuesday
7:00 p.m., Vernonia Library
Girl Scouts, Neighborhood 4-2
For Info Call 503-819-0143
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
Municipal Airport Committee
4th Thursday
7:00 p.m., City Hall
Narcotics Anonymous
Saturdays
7:00 p.m., Head Start Bldg.
Pioneer Museum
For Info Call 503-429-3713
Public Works Committee
4th Tuesday
7:00 p.m., City Hall
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 Wednesday
7:00 p.m., VLC
Vernonia Parks Committee
3rd Wednesday
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
Vernonia Transfer Station
2nd & 4th Saturdays, 8 a.m.-2 p.m.
Behind VHS
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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caution.
• Don’t assume when a farm
vehicle pulls to the right, it is
making a right-hand turn or let-
ting you pass. Some large
pieces of equipment must exe-
cute wide left-hand turns. If you
are unsure, check the opera-
tor’s hand signals and look at
the left side of the road for
gates, driveways, or any place
a farm vehicle might turn into.
• Triangular SMV signs are
for slow-moving vehicles only,
not stationary objects like drive-
ways, mail boxes, or fences. In-
stead use reflective tape or an-
other type of reflective sign.
To help educate the public
on the proper use of SMV signs
and how to share the roads
with farming equipment, Ore-
gon Farm Bureau has created
a Rural Road Safety brochure.
To request free copies, contact
Anne Marie Moss, OFB Com-
munications Director, at 503-
399-1701, ext. 313, or e-mail
JULY 2007
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annemarie@oregonfb.org. Or
download the brochure at
www.oregonfb.org.
Farm Bureau is a non-parti-
san, independent, nongovern-
mental, voluntary organization
of farming and ranching fami-
lies united for the purpose of
finding positive solutions to the
challenges facing the agricul-
ture and natural resource com-
munities.
Oregon Farm Bureau traces
its roots to 1919 when the
Umatilla County Farm Bureau
was established in the heart of
the state’s wheat country. OFB
was formally incorporated in
1932. In December 2007, the
organization will celebrate its
75th anniversary.
Farm Bureau is organized in
all 36 Oregon counties. Today,
OFB has over 54,000 total
member families, making it the
largest general agricultural or-
ganization in the state.
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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
SEPTEMBER 2007
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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
7:30 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 Library Commission
3rd Tuesday
7:00 p.m., City Library
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.