The INDEPENDENT, May 7, 2009
Matai’s Wish is Vernonian’s brainchild
MATAI’S WISH has been
created to fill the need for long-
term, in-home fostering of pets
whose owners must seek care
for their animals due to medical
problems, military deployment,
natural disasters, or other long
disruptions to their lives. It is
the foundation for a network of
care seekers and caregivers
that will allow them to connect
with one another and reach an
agreement regarding financial
responsibilities so that no ani-
mal family member must be
kenneled indefinitely – or be
given up to a shelter to be re-
homed.
Carol Davis, Vernonia,
founder of MATAI’S WISH, took
the name from Matai, a young
chocolate lab, who was
dropped off at Rock Creek Ken-
nel by an enlisted man bound
for Iraq who had no other place
to leave his beloved dog. Un-
fortunately, it was not a long-
term boarding kennel; the bills
mounted into the thousands of
dollars, and the owner dropped
contact, leaving Matai without a
home. He became listless and
developed medical problems fi-
nally requiring surgery. He
came through the surgery just
fine, but nothing seemed to
bring him back to health until
the kennel manager took him
home. That was what he need-
ed — a home of his own! The
owner was supposed to return
in July 2008 but hasn’t been
heard from. If he doesn’t, Matai
has found a new forever home.
Davis sees the problem as
one of personal resources —
both financial and human. El-
derly people with a small in-
come must make choices be-
tween their own medical care
or boarding the pets who are
often their only companions as
they age. Davis has heard
many similar problems — a
family emergency, medical
problems, floods, and animals
that must be nurtured without
the human resources to do so.
With local foster care, a lot of
heartache can be avoided.
20 Years Ago This Month
The May 25, 1989, issue of
The Independent included the
following news story on page
18:
The Vernonia City Council
heard complaints this month
about the $500 fee for a permit
to place a manufactured home
in the city. Various speakers
said the fee was too high, and
Judy Bates, a member of the
city planning commission com-
mittee that studied the prob-
lem, said that wasn’t the plan-
ning commission’s intention.
Bates’ concern was that a
$500 fee, plus water and sewer
hookup fees, would increase
the permit costs too high for
people of moderate income.
Councilor Scott Sword said
that the fee process for a stan-
dard “stick home” would total
about $1000, and that the
council felt halving the cost was
adequate. The council agreed
to look again at the rate struc-
ture.
Mandatory garbage collec-
tion service is under council
consideration as a way to elim-
inate trash dumping and the
accumulation of garbage.
Bob Prohaska, who has the
city’s garbage collection fran-
chise, said he favors such an
ordinance, but would want to
have a monthly service for sen-
ior citizens who generate very
little garbage.
The council will hold a work-
shop on the subject.
The city decided to apply for
a $500,000 grant from HUD to
go along with a hoped for $1.2
million grant from the EPA for
repairs to its sewer collection
system.
Even with all available assis-
tance, costs will likely exceed
$20 per household.
Happy
Mother’s Day
May 10
“There are so many unwant-
ed pets in shelters, that when
people want to keep their pets,
we need to do everything we
can to help them,” Davis said.
Davis began building this
network in January 2009. The
goals are: connect people with
those who can help, set up a
mutually satisfactory financial
agreement regarding food and
medical responsibilities, and
determine how best to care for
the pet to meet everyone’s
needs.
A website currently under
construction, Mataiswish.org,
will help by having download-
able forms for both foster care
seekers and givers, as well as
a way for both sides to make
contact. Further efforts will be
made to publicize this resource
so it is available to those with-
out internet access.
For more information, con-
tact Carol Davis by email:
mataiswish@gmail.com or call
503-367-2378.
Page 9
Bits & Bites
By Jacqueline Ramsay
Well,
all
the
y a c k ,
y a c k
about
“Going
Green”.
I don’t
k n o w
m u c h
about all of the ins and outs of
it but…in my dishpan I do have
an opinion. I’ve now used sev-
eral different brands of a million
different types and scents. At
present I’m using Palmolive
Pure & Clear. (Not that that
matters to you dishwasher
folks.) Spring Fresh Scent.
Blah, blah, blah – my findings –
uses more to maintain suds
and the water feels strange.
Have you ever stopped wash-
ing a dish to feel the water? It
seems to me to take a little
longer to make sure all of the
grease residue is washed off
before you rinse (you don’t
have the feel or sight of it float-
ing in the water). Which to me
is good.
We have sunshine and Dan-
D-Lions. Forget my plan of
sprucing up my yard – I’m just
going to chop down the weeds.
The tree roots are changing the
contour of the ground for some
reason.
There’s been a lot going on
in town lately but I’ve missed it
all due to old age, time of
evening, weather, and I might
miss Bones and Jeopardy.
Questions I’ve been asked
of late. How’s the new Senior
Center coming? When are you
moving out of the Park? Why
do you have to have an opinion
on everything?
Answer to #1 – Why ask me.
I’m not an officer at the Senior
Center anymore.
#2 – I didn’t know anything
was changing in that area. I’ve
received no news of it.
#3 – Even the least of us has
a right to try and find the lighter
side of any and everything.
Applications due July 17 for CCCC grants
The Columbia County Cul-
tural Coalition (CCCC) re-
quests grant applications for
projects that address the priori-
ties identified in the Columbia
County Cultural Plan.
Grant awards will range from
$200 to $1,500; the amount of
Columbia County’s 2009-10 al-
location from the Oregon Cul-
tural Trust (OCT) will be deter-
mined in early July. Applicants
must provide matching re-
sources (in-kind or cash) and
must be either 501(c)(3) non-
profit organizations or working
with one. The Columbia County
Cultural Plan and grant applica-
tions are available from the Co-
lumbia
County
website,
www.co.columbia.or.us; click
the Links tab to reach the
CCCC link. Applications must
be postmarked by July 17,
2009, for projects that will be
completed between September
2009 and August 2010.
The CCCC has awarded a
total of $30,100 in grants to Co-
lumbia County cultural organi-
zations, since 2005, with funds
allocated by the OCT. Estab-
lished in 2001, the OCT is a
public/private partnership that
makes annual grants to county
and tribal planning groups for
cultural activities. The OCT
Website, www.culturaltrust.org,
contains information about its
programs and the matching gift
tax credit that is available to
donors.
The CCCC and its Grants
Committee are volunteers from
Clatskanie, Rainier, Scap-
poose, St. Helens and Vernon-
ia, whose mission is to encour-
age projects and activities in
the arts, local heritage and the
humanities. Priorities in the
Cultural Plan are protecting ex-
isting cultural assets, helping
people experience a variety of
cultural venues, and increasing
access to and participation in
cultural events.
For additional information
regarding the plan or the grant
process, call Janet Wright at
503-397-1035, or email: janet.
wright@co.columbia.or.us.
Intel helps out
Vernonia Cares
Vernonia Cares Food Bank
was the recipient of a $600 do-
nation thanks to the Intel In-
volved Matching Grant Pro-
gram. It is a result of Intel em-
ployees and retirees who vol-
unteer in their community and
is a matching funds program.
The check was a result of 60
hours of volunteer time.