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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (July 2, 2009)
Page 4 The INDEPENDENT, July 2, 2009 Fire Season: No open burning allowed until fall rains From page 1 The declaration of fire sea- son also means that open burn- ing is closed until significant rains occur in the fall. As we enter fire season, fire officials wants landowners to check areas where burning has been conducted recently, espe- cially any heavy accumulations of piled woody debris. These old burn areas are known to hold hot spots that can come to life under warm and windy con- ditions. Homeowners should also complete clean-up activi- ties around their home to en- sure a fire safe landscape and reduced ignitability of the home. Mike Simek, Protection Unit Forester with the Department of Forestry indicates that a few simple actions a homeowner can do now can make a big dif- ference as to whether or not your home is at risk of igniting from a wildfire. Within a 100 feet perimeter around the home, reduce flammable vege- tation, remove or prune lower limbs of trees, keep dry grass cut low. Also relocate wood piles away from house, and clean roof and gutters of nee- dles and leaves. More informa- tion on fire safe landscaping practices and reducing struc- tural ignitability is available from local fire districts and the Oregon Department of For- estry. The predicted hot tempera- tures combined with the in- creased use of fireworks during the Fourth of July weekend has all fire agencies on alert. “It’s a definite concern this time of year and the message should be clear – use fireworks re- sponsibly, exercising extreme caution and that means no use in areas of dry grass, brush or forest vegetation”, says Simek. Fires resulting from fireworks can result in significant liabili- ties, consider the following: • Start a fire with fireworks and you can be held responsi- ble to reimburse the landowner for the value of real property losses and timber damaged or destroyed. • If the fire occurs on private forestlands protected by the Oregon Department of Fores- try, you can be billed for the en- tire cost of putting out the fire. • Parents are legally respon- sible for at least $5,000 of the costs to put out fires caused by their child’s use of fireworks. • Using fireworks on federal forestland can get you arrested and jailed. Fire officials urge everyone to use good fire prevention practices whether working or playing in the forests, or in oth- er areas of flammable vegeta- tion. For information regarding current public and industrial regulations in effect for local forests, contact the Columbia City office, Oregon Department of Forestry at 503-397-2636. County jobless rates still climbing Columbia County’s season- ally adjusted unemployment rate rose to 15.7 percent in May, a significant increase from the previous month (15.2%) and the year before (6.2%). The rate was above the statewide rate (12.4%) and the national rate (9.4%). Total em- ployment fell by 126 to 21,651 and the number of unemployed people rose by 19 to 3,675. To- tal employment this May was 1,103 fewer than one year be- fore and there were 2,308 more people unemployed this year. More people needing food stamps As Oregon’s unemployment figures hit historic levels, the need for basic economic sup- port such as food stamps and cash assistance continues to grow, the Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS) an- nounced on June 16. Need for cash assistance (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families or TANF) in- creased nearly 30 percent over May of 2008. Only very low-in- come families qualify for this assistance – the monthly in- come limit for a family of three is $528 – and currently 25,509 families statewide are receiving assistance. Washington Coun- ty saw the largest percentage jump with 50 percent more families needing assistance than last year at this time. “We began to see the huge increases of people coming into our branches last year and those numbers continue to grow today,” says Xochitl Es- parza, TANF program manager for the DHS Children, Adults and Families Division. The need for food stamps also continues to grow. The most recent statewide figures for May show that 601,706 Ore- See Food Stamps, page 21 Community Calendar VERNONIA Alcoholics Anonymous Mondays 6:30 p.m., 410 North Street Alcoholics Anonymous Thursdays (Big Book Study) 7:00 p.m., 410 North Street American Legion Post #119 2nd Thursday 7:00 p.m., 627 Adams Avenue 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 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 2nd Wednesday 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 2nd 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 429-0869 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 9:00 a.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 1:00 p.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 6:00 p.m., Fairgrounds 4-H Bldg. County Parks Commission 3rd Tuesday Times vary, 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.
