The INDEPENDENT, August 6, 2009
First Friday helps start Jamboree ODOT meeting on Banzer Rd. work
Vernonia’s August 7 First
Friday event from 5:00 to 8:00
p.m. is one of the first events of
Vernonia’s Annual Friendship
Jamboree. Centered around
the
Vernonia
Community
Learning Center at 939 Bridge
Street, regularly featured
events include the Open Air
market in the Courtyard, the
OSU Master Gardeners’ table
starring Chip Bubl and local
Master Gardeners to answer all
your questions, and the Float-
ing Gallery of Art and Hand-
Made Gifts which will be open
all week-end long (10:00 to
5:00 Saturday, 10:00 to 4:00
Sunday).
Special to this First Friday is
the Free For All Goat Banner
Painting for kids of all ages.
Acrylic paints and smocks will
be supplied, but final clean up
of painters will be parents’ re-
sponsibility so have children
wear old clothes. This event
will be included in every First
Friday venue until the end of
the season so come and be a
famous artist!
New Event: The Pet Party
will be held on the grass next to
Vernonia Realty from 5:00 to
6:30 p.m. Bring your well-be-
haved, socialized pets (no fish,
please!) to party together as a
fund-raiser for Vernonia Cares
food bank (and Vernonia Cares
Pets’ Food division). Make a
scarf for your dog or let your
dog bob for hot dogs for $1.00
or a donation of food for pets or
their people.
Music will be provided by
Clint Colbert from Portland.
For more info or to partici-
pate visit vernoniafirstfriday.org
or call Erika Paleck: 503-429-
0898.
ODFW give tips for fish release
With the advent of extremely
warm summer temperatures,
the Oregon Department of Fish
and Wildlife is asking anglers to
take special care when catch-
ing and releasing fish.
“Fish mortality can increase
drastically when water temper-
atures reach 74 degrees,” said
Charlie Corrarino, ODFW Con-
servation and Recovery Pro-
gram manager.
Warm water does not hold
as much oxygen as cooler wa-
ter. This means fish are getting
less oxygen while they are be-
ing caught, and take longer to
recover once they are re-
leased.
“Many anglers will voluntary
limit their fishing when air and
water temperatures are high in
order to protect trout popula-
tions,” Corrarino noted. “How-
ever, anglers can safely contin-
ue fishing if they follow a few
precautions.”
To help minimize the impact
on fish and fish populations,
ODFW makes the following
recommendations when fishing
during prolonged periods of
warm weather:
• Fish early in the mornings
when water temperatures are
lower.
• Fish in lakes and reservoirs
with deep waters that provide a
cooler refuge for fish.
• Use barbless hooks, land
fish quickly and keep them in
the water as much as possible
in order to minimize stress.
• Shift your fishing efforts to
higher elevation mountain
lakes and streams where water
temperatures often remain
cool.
Gary Galovich, ODFW
warmwater fish biologist, sug-
gests anglers turn their atten-
tion to warmwater species,
such as bass, bluegill and crap-
pie, that are available in many
lakes and reservoirs statewide.
Even with warmwater fish,
Galovich cautions, anglers
should try to land and release
fish as quickly as possible.
“While trout are especially
sensitive to high temperatures,
warmwater fish such as bass
and bluegill also can become
stressed when battling with an
angler,” he said.
Corrarino points out that hot
summer temperatures don’t
necessarily mark the end of
trout fishing for the year.
“Once cool fall weather ar-
rives, water temperatures will
drop and trout will begin feed-
ing actively again. ODFW also
will resume stocking trout in
many lakes and reservoirs,” he
said. “In fact, fall can offer
some of the best fishing of the
year.”
ODOT will hold an open
house 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. on
Thursday, August 13, at Mist-
Birkenfeld Rural Fire Protection
District, 12525 OR Highway
202 (about one mile west of
Banzer Rd.) to give the public
the opportunity to talk to staff
about the OR 202 Banzer
Bridge replacement project.
The project is scheduled to be-
gin construction in spring 2010
and finish in fall 2011.
ODOT is designing a project
to replace the existing Banzer
Bridge over the Nehalem River,
located on OR 202 (Nehalem
Highway) near Banzer Rd., be-
tween Mist and Birkenfeld –
about milepost 44. The bridge
is being replaced because of
significant cracking on the deck
surface, substandard rail and
narrow roadway width. Project
elements include:
• Constructing a new bridge
with wider lanes and shoulders
• Shifting the road alignment
to the north to meet the new
bridge
• Constructing water quality
facilities
During construction, a tem-
porary traffic signal will be in-
stalled in the project area on
OR 202 to control traffic
through the bridge area. The
signal will be in operation 24
hrs/day and will control both di-
rections of traffic.
For more information: Chris-
tine Miles, 503-731-8265,
Christine.L.Miles@odot.state.o
r.us or Kimberly Dinwiddie,
503-731-8281, Kimberly.Din-
widdie@odot.state.or.us or see
the project Web site: www.ore-
gon.gov/ODOT/HWY/REGI
ON1/banzer/index.shtml .
Always wanted to paint?
Have you always thought
you’d like to paint that special
picture some day? Here’s your
chance.
Painting classes will be
starting in early September and
registration is now open. Class
size is limited, so call instructor
Walter Neuman, 503-799-
4527, soon to guarantee your
place in the class.
Neuman displays some of
his painting during Vernonia’s
First Friday event and recently
won a 1st Place Blue Ribbon
for one of his seascapes at the
Columbia County Fair.
Page 7
Senior News
By Karen Miller
T h e
Vernonia
Senior
Center
wishes to
express
our sin-
cere con-
dolences
to mem-
ber Pat Derrick on the passing
of his beloved wife, Mary.
Mary’s sunny disposition and
friendship will be missed by
many – I’ll miss you Mary –
Thank you for all you meant to
me.
From Treasurer Pat Ray:
See her for free swim passes
and free Jazzercise passes –
for seniors.
Join us for our senior picnic
Friday, August 14, at Anderson
Park, starting at 10:00 a.m. Se-
niors: Please bring chairs and
side dishes.
INFORMATION NUMBERS
Senior Services...429-9112
Senior Center.......429-3912
Transportation......429-4304
“Old Grads” picnic on August 15
The annual picnic of the Ver-
nonia Society and “Old Grads”
will be held August 15 at Ander-
son Park in Vernonia. Registra-
tion starts at 10:00 a.m.
Hot dogs and soft drinks will
be be offered for sale by Ver-
nonia Pride, or attendees may
bring a picnic lunch. Coffee and
cups will be provided.
All former Vernonia resi-
dents and their families are in-
vited to visit with old friends or
meet some new ones at this
event.
August
17 - 21
Family Dinner
VBS Program
Adult Study
5:30 - 6:30 p.m.
6:30 - 8:00 p.m.
6:30 - 8:00 p.m.
Vernonia Community Church
957 State Ave.
For more Information or to pre-register call
Jan Dyer 503-799-1747 or Corrie Smith 503-429-1052