The INDEPENDENT, December 3, 2009 Story by local women wins 1st place Nancy Burch and Noni An- dersen were informed last month that a story they had submitted to the Oregon Rural Communities Explorer story competition placed first, earn- ing a cash prize of $200. It will surprise no one who knows Burch, the Vernonia librarian, or Andersen, a “semi-retired” journalist and editor, that they plan to donate their prize to the Friends of the Vernonia Library. The award letter described the story, Vernonia: Rising over Adversity, as “well-written, in- teresting, and awe-inspiring,… an exceptional job illustrating the intricacies of life in a rural Oregon community.” The Vernonia story will be featured this winter, along with other winners, on the Rural Communities Explorer website. The story will be accompanied with photos taken by Donna Webb, president of the Vernon- ia Chamber of Commerce. Senior News By Karen Miller Left to right; Noni Andersen and Nancy Burch, authors of prize-winning story. Oregon Rural Communities be permanently archived in is part of Oregon State Univer- ScholarsArchive@OSU, Ore- sity’s Extension Service pro- gon State University’s digital gram for Family & Community service for gathering, storing Health. No date was specified and making available the work for when the stories would be of the OSU community. For local readers, the story on the website: www.oregonex plorer.info/rural is in this issue of The Indepen- The Vernonia story will also dent, starting on this page. Ve r n o n i a : R i s i n g o v e r a d v e r s i t y Vernonia is both blessed and cursed to be located in a “Pocket in the Woods”. When Portland State University Pro- fessor Ann Fulton chose this ti- tle for her book, published in1997, she was referring to Vernonia’s location at the con- fluence of the Nehalem River and Rock Creek, and to the surrounding trees that make it truly a “pocket in the woods”. The early settlers to this area were mostly farmers whose first order of business was clearing land for crops and livestock. While they marveled at the majesty of the old growth timber, they sometimes cursed the trees as they struggled to prepare tillable land needed to provide the necessities of life for their families. At the same time, these early farmers felt blessed by the mild climate, fer- tile soil and endless streams of clear water. To utilize the plentiful supply of trees, small mills were built to supply lumber for the devel- oping community. Then, in the early 1920s, the value of this seemingly endless supply of trees (mostly Douglas Fir) was recognized by the “outside” world and exciting news came to the valley: The largest all- electric sawmill in the world would be built in Vernonia! As the news spread, a huge influx Page 7 of people arrived, bringing with them businesses, hotels, churches, schools and civic or- ganizations, and Vernonia was promoted as “the fastest grow- ing city in the northwest.” Pop- ulation soared from 150 to 2500 residents when the mill, at the peak of its operation, em- ployed 750 workers. Railroads were built to haul logs from the forest and take milled lumber to markets. The city prospered. Vernonia was blessed by being in the midst of these remark- able trees…until the 1929 crash of the stock market and the Great Depression. With no market for lumber and the re- sulting curtailment of produc- tion in the timber industry, the mill closed and the jobs were gone. Although the mill re- sumed operations with full em- ployment, devastating fires in the nearby Tillamook forest in 1933, 1939, 1945 and 1951, combined with the vast amount of timber that had already been See Vernonia on page 8 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) Christmas happenings at the Center: • December 16, Wednesday, join us for Christmas lunch. • December 25, 1:00 to 7:00 p.m., fourth annual Free Christmas Dinner, here at the Vernonia Senior Center. All are welcome to come. Brought to you by the Friends of Ver- nonia. Join us Mondays for Bingo at lunch. Maple bars available daily for $1.00. Con- nie’s Breakfasts on Friday mornings from 7:30 to 9:00 a.m. for $3.50. Christmas decorations for sale, along with all the other great deals in the Thrift Shop here. Get your ticket to win a decorated Christmas tree. Tickets are $1.00 each or six tickets for $5.00. Drawing the winner on Decem- ber 9. Congratulations to Ruth Grimsrud of Vernonia, the winner of the Senior Center Quilt Raffle. Thanks to all who bought tickets as the raffle earned $1,100 for the center. Welcome back to the Golden Oldies Band, Eleanor Thompson. We love you! Vernonia Senior Center: 503-429-3912. In The Service Army Pvt. Jeffrey A. Wal- ston has graduated from basic infantry training at Fort Ben- ning, Columbus, Ga. During the nine weeks of training, the soldier received training in drill and ceremonies, weapons, map reading, tactics, military courtesy, military jus- tice, physical fitness, first aid, and Army history, core values and traditions. Additional train- ing included development of basic combat skills and battle- field operations and tactics, and experiencing use of vari- ous weapons and weapons de- fenses available to the infantry crewman. Walston, a 2007 graduate of Vernonia High School, is the son of Suzanne Paleck of Ver- nonia. She shall bring forth a song and you shall call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins.' Matthew 1:21 'If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.' Romans 10:9-10 Lee Anne Krause www.pamperedchef.biz/leeannekrause 503-816-9810 leeannekrause@gmail.com