The INDEPENDENT, March 19, 2009
Palomar to talk at UNWC meeting
John Cassady, environmen-
tal and land manager for the
proposed Palomar Gas Trans-
mission project, will speak at
the Upper Nehalem Watershed
Council (UNWC) meeting on
March 26, at 7:00 p.m. The
meeting will be open to the
public and will be held at the
Mist-Birkenfeld Fire Station,
12525 Hwy. 202, Mist.
Cassady will talk about the
purpose and need for Palomar,
natural gas demand in the Pa-
cific Northwest, waterbody
crossing methods and bed-
and-bank restoration. The pro-
posal to build this gas line
through parts of Columbia
County into Washington Coun-
ty is currently being considered
by federal and state regulators.
For more information, con-
tact Maggie Peyton of UNWC
at 503-429-0869 or by email to
info@nehalem.org.
Open auditions call for “Oliver!”
ShoeString
Community
Players has announced open
auditions for the Summer 2009
production of Oliver! The play
will run July 16-18 and 23-25.
This production is presented by
special arrangement with
Tams-Witmark Music Library,
Inc. It is directed by Caleb S.
Thurston, who has directed five
children’s musicals with River
City Children’s Theater and is
currently studying theatre arts
at George Fox University.
“I am excited to bring Oliver!
to our community,” said director
Thurston. “Oliver! is a well
known and well loved musical
that presents us with a unique
opportunity to have children and
families participate together.”
Open auditions for adults
and youth ages 8 and up will be
held at the St. Helens High
School Olmscheid Auditorium
as follows:
Friday, April 3, 6-9:00 p.m.
for ages 15 and over only. The
sessions are closed.
Saturday, April 4, 9:00 a.m.
to Noon for ages 8 to 14 in
open sessions.
Saturday, April 4, 6-9:00
p.m. for ages 15 and over only,
closed sessions.
Children must be accompa-
nied by a parent or guardian
who must remain at the audi-
tion site at all times. No child
may be left unaccompanied.
More information about the
show can be found at the
ShoeString Community Players
web site at http://www.sscpmu-
sicals.com. To secure an audi-
tion slot and receive audition
materials, contact director
Thurston at olivermusical09
@gmail.com
Bits & Bites
By Jacqueline Ramsay
D i d
you call
t h e
phone
number
on your
February
Ve r i z o n
state-
ment to STOP all those un-
wanted “bleep” messages? I
did, the month is up so I’ll see
how they get around it now. But
one “pay your debt” said “press
2”, I did and it actually talked
back to me saying my 10-digit
number had been removed –
we’ll see…
How smart is a dog? Shad-
Center members and $14 for
non-members.
To sign up, or for more infor-
mation, call Karen at 503-429-
9112.
P.E.O. flowers help scholarships
The local chapter of P.E.O.
held election and installation of
officers for 2009-2010 at their
March meeting. New officers
are as follows: President Janet
Parker, Vice President Carolyn
Keasey, Recording Secretary
Coni Hodgson, Treasurer Ilene
Grady, Chaplain Claudine East,
Guard Allison McLeod, Corre-
sponding Secretary Pat Wheel-
er, and Historian Nancy Burch.
P.E.O. is an international or-
ganization which takes pride in
providing educational opportu-
nities to women in their com-
munities.
The local chapter is currently
taking orders for spring and
summer flowers with all pro-
ceeds being used to help pro-
vide scholarships for women.
Contact any member listed here
or Mary Tolonen at Vernonia
True Value to order flowers.
ow proved to me she can think,
hear and smell this past week.
I’m in total awe and wonder of
her. While walking the lake last
week she found a “dead” some-
thing in the brush and, of
course, she rolled in it. Said I to
her at the time, “You know what
happens now (bath).” When we
got home I just washed off her
neck for the time being (it was
late evening and I was too tired
to wrestle her in the tub). Two
days later, evening, I thought
she wanted out – no – she sat
looking at me. Said I, “What do
you want?” She got up, walked
into the bathroom and jumped
in the tub. I guess she stunk too
bad for herself to stand it. Beat
this one if you can. She is not
fond of water.
It is Spring. How can I tell?
By the number of notices of
friends and acquaintances
passing away – my family tree
just lost another branch. It
makes one ask, “Am I taking
good care of me,” and are all
my ducks in a row for those I’ll
leave behind?
Did you go to the Library
Book Sale? I did. Did not find
what I was looking for but
bought three books and they
tossed in a head cold. I’ve been
in bed barking like a seal since
March 8 – drinking hot broths,
reading, sleeping, barking,
barking, barking and watching
T.V. when I quit chilling. It’s all
in my head. Yes, it is. No fever.
Life goes on…
50 Years Ago This Month
The March 19, 1959, issue
of the Vernonia Eagle included
the following news story on the
front page:
Vernonia’s first Town and
Country day, sponsored last Satur-
day by the Chamber of Commerce
was voted a huge success and well
worth the effort by the committees
that had expended much time and
effort in arranging the affair.
The auction held in the the af-
ternoon with Chris Christiansen of
Hillsboro as auctioneer netted
$103.89.
The smorgasbord drew about
Still time to take Safe Driving class Meet the author
There is still time to sign up
for the AARP Safe Driving
Class at the Vernonia Senior
Center on March 30 and 31, at
12:45 p.m. The cost is $12 for
Page 9
There will be a book signing,
and discussion at the Vernonia
Library on Saturday, March 21,
at 2:00 p.m.
Barbara Scot and Eileen
O’Keeffe McVicker, authors of
Child of Steens Mountain will
discuss the book about
McVicker’s experiences grow-
ing up in a sheepherder family
on the flanks of Steens Moun-
tain.
This is no admission charge
to this event.
State Farm ®
Providing Insurance and Financial Services
Home Office, Bloomington, Illinois 61710
Bunny Girt, Agent
1229 N. Adair
PO Box 543
Cornelius, OR 97113-0543
Bus 503-357-3131 Fax 503-357-9667
bunny.girt.b71g@statefarm.com
200 people and caused the com-
mittee to run out of food. The fact
that many people were undecided
and that only about 50 advance
tickets were purchased gave the
committee no indication of the
wonderful turn-out there was.
The dance was well attended
and drew a number of former resi-
dents as did the dinner which gave
opportunity for seeing a lot of
friends while here.
Prizes awarded at the drawing
were a portable TV set which
when to Claude Shaw, an electric
blanket drawn by Tom Bateman
and an electric fry pan which went
to Calvin Davis of Forest Grove.
Total take for the event was
$805.99 and expenses for orches-
tra, prizes, printing and other items
amounted to $422.96, leaving a
profit of $383.03 for the Chamber
of Commerce.
Due to the success of the event
and the popular expression of de-
sire for another one, indications
are that another will be planned for
later this year.
To sum it all up, Guy Thomas,
president of the Vernonia chamber
of commerce said Monday, “Town
and Country Day was a success
because of the many people who
pitched in.”
Thomas went on to say that not
only those who worked on the pro-
gram but those who attended the
auction, smorgasbord and dance
helped to make the affair a suc-
cess.
Please see page 21
VERNONIA INN
Enjoy a quiet weekend with us.
FULL SIZE, IN ROOM
HOT TUBS
Queen Beds • Private Bath • Separate Entrance
Cable TV • Phones • Handicapped Access
• Commercial Rates
FOR RESERVATIONS CALL
1-800-354-9494 / 503-429-4006
Gift Certificates Available
900 MADISON AVE., VERNONIA, OR 97064
Just one block off scenic Nehalem River Hwy. (Oregon 47)