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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 17, 2008)
The INDEPENDENT, January 17, 2008 Senior Center is not ready to take donations for their thrift shop The Vernonia Senior Center wants to remind everyone that they are NOT currently accept- ing any donations. The Senior Center building is in the process of being reconstructed after the flood. Please do not leave dona- tions at the Senior Center, hold on to them until the Senior News column indicates that the center is again ready to begin receiving items. Welcome Additions Robert John “R.J.” Foster Robert John “R.J.” Foster was born December 19, 2007, to Jenifer Normand-DeBorde and Robert “Bob” Foster, Jr. of Scappoose. He weighed 5 pounds, 9 ounces and was 17- 1/2 inches long. Grandparents are Jamela Knight of Vernonia, and Robert “Bob” and Colleen Foster of Scappoose. Great-grandparents are Pat and Darlene Knight of Vernon- ia, Sara Campbell of Scap- poose, and Janet Normand of Beaverton. 50 Years Ago This Month The January 16, 1958, issue of the Vernonia Eagle included the following news story on the front page: The 80th anniversary of the Vernonia post office was last Sat- urday, January 11, a fact was called to the attention of Postmas- ter O. T. Bateman by a letter from Louise Maxwell of Salem asking for cancellations on that date for her collection. She said that her in- formation came from Payne’s compendium which lists the offi- cial dates on which post offices were established throughout the United States. According to such information as is available from pioneer records, David Baker was the first postmaster and maintained the post office in his home back of the location of the house in which the Homer Gwins now live. From there it was moved to the McNutt store that stood on the site of the old West Oregon building. In 1918 when Emil Messing became postmaster, succeeding Harvey Duncan, the post office was in the old Stuart drug store that stood where Texaco service is now. During the 38 years that he was postmaster, it was moved to Third street to a small building south of the old apartment build- ing now standing. It was later moved to the apartment building and July 1, 1925, while located there became a second class of- fice. In 1930, the office moved to Bridge street to part of the build- ing now housing Hawken Motors. Also that year, house to house de- livery was begun with Bert Tisdale and C. R. Watts as carriers. In 1941, the office moved again to the middle section of the old West ORegon building near the bridge and in 1954 moved to its present location on Second street. The 80 years have seen many changed in Vernonia as well as in the postal service here with mail coming in to Vernonia first from St. Helens over a blazed trail to a fourth class office in a home in contrast to the speedy service now which brings the mail by truck to a second class office. The entire ap- pearance of the country has changed also with the heavily tim- bered area of the pioneer days now logged off and being developed into tree farms and agricultural ar- eas. Page 9 Bits & Bites By Jacqueline Ramsay M y last ob- serva- tion of 2007 is a question for all of my read- e r s , young or old. Are ducks slightly mindless or do they see only the way their bill is pointed? Do you look at ducks or do you ob- serve the ducks? (OK, that’s two questions.) On December 30, Shadow and I took our last “old year” walk around the lake. The ducks were in full strut, playing follow the leader, starting at the boat ramp. The leader came to the point of a log. It hesitated, then climbed over the point (in- stead of veering around it, he stopped, then climbed over it, as did each one), paddling on they came to the slush ice along the reeds. The leader tried pushing through – stopped, back paddled, tried again and again, made a slight correction and proceeded for- ward alongside the slush. Each following duck did the same thing until the last one (a thinker) saw open space ahead and went in behind the slush. Now he had the problem. He tried pushing through several times. Finally giving up he sat and looked around, quacking loudly I might add. Fi- nally (by accident I think) he got turned around, saw open water and went out the way he went in – in the process he met his mates coming back along the slush and turned around to join them. So – do they think? Do they have side vision? Or, is their life just choices; paddle or sink, eat or go hungry, fly or sit on land or water, and paddle, paddle, paddle. Question #3. How like the duck are a lot of us humans? Follow or we may be left behind to try and think for ourselves, where we will find something for better or worse; afraid to take the chance (same ol’, same ol’). Start a new book, make a new friend. Like the Jokester says – Feel good, be happy, life can’t get much worse, be happy you made it through 2007. Vernonia Pioneer Museum gets grant The Oregon State Historic Preservation Office, an Agency of the Oregon State Parks De- partment has awarded Colum- bia County $70,000 in grant funding to help rehabilitate and preserve two historic proper- ties. These grants are provided from lottery dollars and are awarded through a competitive process for preservation of his- toric resources listed on the National Register of Historic Properties, or for significant work toward identifying, pre- serving and/or interpreting ar- chaeological sites. Funding was awarded for Columbia County Courthouse roof replacement and bell tower restoration, total grant and match is $30,000. and the Ver- nonia Museum Restoration, for foundation, rain gutter, and roof replacement and replacement of deteriorated cedar siding on the building. Total grant and match is $40,000. Projects must be completed by December 2008. Priorities and criteria for historic proper- ties grants are: • The property must be listed on the National Register of His- toric Places, either individually or as a “contributing” property in a Historic District. • Higher priority is given to publicly owned resources and private not-for-profit (ie., 501c3 owned) resources and proper- ties that offer the greatest pub- lic benefit through visual ac- cess and interpretive/educa- tional value. • Properties that are not pub- licly owned must have excep- tional significance and/or ex- traordinary public benefit to compete. • All work must meet the Secretary of the Interior’s Stan- dards for Rehabilitation of His- toric Property. Questions can be addressed to Janet Wright at 503-397- 1035. Certified Mold Removal/Remediation Plus General Contracting Services Need Help?? Very Competitive Pricing All Pro Construction 503-547-7251 Free Estimates - Gladly CCB 131088
