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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