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The INDEPENDENT, August 21, 2008
Hwy. 47 N. to close Aug. 27 to Sept. 10
From the City
By Jim Johnson
Interim Vernonia City Administrator
The Opinion on the Vernonia Bicycle Skills
Park, in the August 7th issue of The Indepen-
dent , interested me because the proposed park
will be owned by the City. After reading the Opin-
ion piece, I think it might be beneficial to share a
few more facts with readers.
Being new to Vernonia, I interviewed City
Recorder Joann Glass, Mayor Sally Harrison,
and Scott Laird, chair of the City’s Parks Com-
mittee, for help with this article.
As I understand it, the Bicycle Skills Park proj-
ect was started three years ago. The idea is to
create a local attraction and help make Vernonia
a bicycling destination. A consulting firm called
Ric Balfour and Associates was hired to create a
Master Plan – a vision of what the park would be
like when complete. The Balfour firm also helped
prepare the application for the city’s land use
process (a Conditional Use Permit). At the pub-
lic hearing, 13 local citizens spoke in favor of the
project and one against. The consultant also
helped make a presentation to Vernonia Middle
School and High School students, after which
about forty students signed up to be involved in
the project.
Last summer, local volunteers began building
trails on the site. Two local residents volunteered
use of their tractors and mowed designated ar-
eas for trails. Two other citizens offered use of
their ATVs which were used to drag tractor
wheels to remove surface vegetation along the
trails. A group of local youth spent a day on dirt
bikes to help break-in the trails. Another citizen
volunteered his time and a bulldozer to clear the
areas for the Skateboard Park and Dirt Jump
Park. Roughly 27 volunteers logged about 200
hours of time on trailbuilding alone during 2007;
over 300 volunteer hours have been spent on
planning the project so far. Finally, Columbia Riv-
er Youth Corp, an alternative school program in
St. Helens, was hired as trail builders for eight
work days, and did the finish work of cutting in
the trails, a decision an expenditure approved by
the Vernonia Parks Committee and the City
Council.
This year, the project has not moved forward
as quickly as was hoped. Spring and fall are tra-
ditionally trailbuilding seasons, with little con-
struction done during summer months. The flood
last December has left community members with
other important priorities. Many of the city’s vol-
unteers have been working on flood-related is-
sues. But, more work is planned for the park.
Please see page 22
A contractor for the Oregon
Department of Transportation
(ODOT) plans to begin work
soon on a culvert replacement
project on Highway 47. During
the two-week project, Highway
47 will be closed to all vehicles
Offer accepted for
sale of old City Hall
From page 1
other storefront along the city’s
main street. And, the mayor
said, “We’re glad that the new
owners plan on opening a new
business and employing more
Vernonia residents.”
The transaction should
close by the end of August.
Within six months the City will
remove the building’s small ad-
dition, currently housing a real
estate office. Then it will possi-
ble to connect the courtyard
behind it to Bridge Street.
Ed. note: See Vernonia City Coun-
cil meeting article for additional in-
formation.
24 hours/day at mile post 1.25,
just south of Clatskanie. The
highway closure is anticipated
to begin on Wednesday, Au-
gust 27, and is scheduled to re-
open 15 days later (Wednes-
day, September 10).
Electronic Message Signs
will be placed at the intersec-
tions of U.S. 30 (Lower Colum-
bia River Highway) and High-
way 47, and at Highway 47 and
Highway 202 to advise mo-
torists of the closure period.
During the highway closure,
Apiary Road will be the detour
route for through traffic. Apiary
Road connects Highway 47
south of Mist with U.S. 30 via
Old Rainier Rd/Larson Rd just
west of Rainier.
Workers will be installing a
7-by-19 foot concrete culvert at
Fall Creek, a location that ex-
perienced flooding earlier this
year. The new culvert will allow
for fish passage.
Community Calendar
VERNONIA
Alcoholics Anonymous
Monday
6:30 p.m., 410 North Street
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., 410 North Street
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
6:00 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
6:00 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, 3rd & 4th Tuesday
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
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
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.
Quarterly
For Info call 503-397-7211
Comm. on Children & Families
3rd Thursday 5:30 p.m. OSU Ext., 505 N. Hwy. 30
Local Alcohol & Drug Plann. Comm.
Quarterly
For Info call 503-397-7211
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.