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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 2, 2007)
Page 2 The INDEPENDENT, August 2, 2007 The INDEPENDENT Published on the first and third Thursdays of each month by The Independent, LLC, 725 Bridge St., Vernonia, OR 97064. Phone/Fax: 503-429-9410. Publisher Clark McGaugh, clark@the-independent.net Editor Rebecca McGaugh, rebecca@the-independent.net Assoc. Editor Noni Andersen, noni@the-independent.net Opinion Remember When…1987 The 1987 Jamboree was held July 31, August 1 and 2. At that time, Fred Klinger was the president of the Vernonia Area Chamber of Commerce and made this statement: It’s my pleasure to again invite you to visit Vernonia and to enjoy our Friendship Jamboree. We are proud of our town. The casual visitor might not notice the many improvements we have made in the past year, such as the acquisition of a new water plant. The Vernonia Area Chamber of Commerce, look- ing to the future, has acquired a Bridge Street business property for development as a permanent facility. Many older homes have been renewed with help from a HUD block grant. An extensive clean-up campaign of our streets, highway and neighborhoods was undertaken. An agressive abatement program is in progress to eliminate unsightly and unsafe buildings and proper- ties. Downtown has been beautified with plantings, and waste receptacles to eliminate litter. Facilities in our parks have been improved, with a new horse arena and complete reconstruction of the Little League ball park and facilities. Most exciting at present is our involvement with a newly formed Columbia County Economic Develop- ment Council, supported by the Oregon Business Council and the governor’s Oregon Comeback pro- gram. We will be exploring resources for business and industrial development on a regional basis. So, to all our friends, old and new, check out our small changes from one year to the next, and you will see why Vernonia is growing. IT’S THE PLACE TO BE! Dirk Andersen, former publisher of The INDEPEN- DENT , and in 1987 secretary of the Jamboree Commit- tee, had this to say: “The more things change, the more they remain the same,” seems uniquely applicable as we approach the 31st annual celebration of the Friendship Jamboree and Logging Show. Vernonia certainly has been ex- posed to its share of changes, but through them all there has remained a determination to survive, with an optimistic view of its future. The Jamboree committee invites you to share this spirit, as well as our celebration, with us. Reprinted from the 1987 Jamboree paper, put out by The INDEPENDENT. We couldn’t have said it better. Enjoy the 51st Ver- nonia Friendship Jamboree and Logging Show. Ike Says… By Dale Webb, member Nehalem Valley Chapter, Izaak Walton League It is Jamboree time again, have a safe and sane time. Usually when it’s Jamboree in our little community, we notice a large increase in the use of our local parks. Ander- son Park is packed and Airport Park gets some usage, then there is the county’s Big Eddy Park, which is usually packed too. Recently, I had relatives who used Ander- son and Airport Parks; quite frankly they were very busy. It seems that when the weather is good, more and more people are looking to camp. The new Stub Stewart Park is full on weekends. All the coastal parks are booked, some a year in advance, so it is apparent the people want more campgrounds. The state is trying to fulfill this wish and Stub Stewart was a start. Now the state is proposing to develop a new park on the lower Nehalem River in the Cook and Lost Creek area. Unlike Stub Stewart, the Cougar Valley State Park is receiving a lot of opposition. Some of the opposition is the “not in my backyard” form where people are just against change, but some of the concerns are real. Many anglers are concerned with the impacts on vulnerable fisheries, especially spawning salmon in the low waters of Lost and Cook Creeks. Elk hunters are concerned about impacts on the elk herds in the Cook Creek drainage; it seems that their wintering habitat is in, or close to, the pro- posed park. These are valid concerns and, if you read the master plan for the park, it can be seen that those concerns are recognized by State Parks. When it concerns spawning salmon I think we can use local experience with our Summer Chinook run, which increased after they were protected from fishing and harassment several decades ago. With awareness, we have developed a new protection for these fish by the local residents, who love to watch the spawning habits of these large fish. One of the aspects that caught my eye in the master plan for Cougar Valley State Park was the recognition of the Nehalem River as a water- way trail. In fact, there is currently an effort un- derway to develop a waterway trail from Spruce Run Park to Nehalem Bay State Park. The de- velopment of Cougar Valley State Park would be a natural place for a campground for people pad- dling this new trail. Cougar Valley is the exact place that I would suggest for people to start the lower part of the river trail if they are not into white water. From Cook Creek downstream, the river is mainly class one and very quickly be- comes tidally influenced. This section makes a great paddle for beginners and day paddlers with take outs at Nehalem, Wheeler and Nehalem Bay State Park. Regardless of the outcome of the public meet- ings on this new park, the fact cannot be ignored that more camping areas need to be built across Please see page 23
