The INDEPENDENT, August 5, 2010
Page 5
Refresher course in Banks for adult drivers Buying a home? Be sure any
Banks drivers with clean
records could trim their auto in-
surance premiums and be-
come better drivers by taking a
safe driving course.
The AARP Driver Safety
Program is a key element in ef-
forts to support “livable commu-
nities” that ensure, enhance,
and sustain mobility and hous-
ing options, enabling people
age 50 and older to remain in
their homes. As the number of
older drivers swells during the
next few decades, the AARP
Driver Safety Program will be
there to help individuals keep
their driving competencies as
long as possible.
As opposed to younger driv-
ers, whose typical violations in-
clude speeding, reckless driv-
ing, and DWI offenses, older
drivers’ typical infractions in-
clude failure to yield the right-
of-way, improper turning, and
incorrect lane changing. Gen-
erally, older drivers have prob-
lems in driving situations that
require quick responses, full vi-
sion, and interaction with other
drivers. So the program teach-
es participants how to adjust
their driving in response to
those changes.
If interested in becoming a
defensive driver, Banks Fire
District is hosting a class Au-
gust 18-19, 2010. This is an 8-
hour course that is taught over
two days, from 9:00 a.m. to
1:00 p.m. each day. Call Banks
Fire District at 503-324-6262 to
register. The cost is $12 for
AARP members and $14 for
non-members. Payment is to
be made at the door. Partici-
pants must take both portions
to receive a certificate. Class
size is limited to 24.
City over budget, starts new expense process
From page 1
meeting as a sub-committee of
the Economic Development
Committee. Although no public
testimony was planned for the
July 19 meeting, council al-
lowed Willow Burch, a Down-
town Association member and
business owner, to speak. As a
result of Burch’s concerns, the
language in the sign ordinance
was amended to allow use of
internal illumination restricted
to “indirect halo”, “push-
through” or substantially similar
illumination techniques (italics
used to indicate the language
changed during the meeting).
The sign ordinance was then
unanimously approved and will
take affect 30 days from July
19.
Councilor Kevin Hudson
read a memo (on July 19) from
the Ad Hoc Budget Committee
stating that in week two of the
budget year, the city is already
over budget and, as a result,
the committee proposed a 90-
Fire regulations
From page 1
proximately 8 inches wide.
6. Fireworks are prohibited.
7. Cutting and welding of
metal is prohibited.
Current information on local
fire season regulations can be
obtained by calling the Colum-
bia City ODF office at 503-397-
2636, Forest ODF at 503-357-
2191, or your local fire district.
Vernonia, 503-429-8252; Mist-
Birkenfeld,
503-755-2710;
Banks, 503-324-6262.
day emergency procedure.
New handling will include any
expenditure over $100 being
approved by the Financial Ad-
ministrator before the money is
spent and any proposed ex-
penditure of over $1000 must
go before council, accompa-
nied by an evaluation report, for
approval. At the August 2 meet-
ing, two reports were presented
by Haack for expenses over
$1000. Both were for items that
had been included in the budg-
et and council approved the ex-
penditures.
At the August 16 meeting,
Council will be looking at a pro-
posal by Police Chief Frank
Grace to institute a “Fix-It-Tick-
et” and parking ticket program
that would allow for some tick-
ets to be dropped if the item is
taken care of and a $25 fee
paid. Some tickets, such as fail-
ure to have windshield wipers,
can cost $215. Under the pro-
posal, if the windshield wipers
were installed in a timely man-
ner, the ticket could be re-
moved with the payment of
$25. The $25 would be split
50/50 between the City and the
Justice Court.
In other business, council:
• Heard from a resident near
Ora Bolmeier Park who contin-
ues to have concerns about
dead trees in the park. At the
August 2 meeting, Haack told
council that he had an arborist
look at the trees and is waiting
for the final report to present
some options;
• voted to allow D.A.D.’s Re-
cycling an extension to October
31 to get relocated;
• appointed Tim Bero to rep-
resent the City on the Columbia
County Economic Team;
• heard that James Baraibar
has resigned from the Planning
Commission, citing job obliga-
tions as the reason;
• was told that ODOT will re-
quire the “Vernonia is Down
Here” sign to be removed,
sometime in the next few
months, from its current loca-
tion by Staley’s Junction, now
that the state owns that land;
• heard that City Hall will
close at 2:00 p.m. tomorrow,
August 6, to allow employees
to participate in Jamboree.
The next regular meeting of
the council will be at 7:00 p.m.
on August 16 at city hall.
uncertified woodstove is out
Oregon’s new woodstove
law designed to protect home-
buyers and clear the air of un-
necessary wood smoke pollu-
tion took effect on August 1.
The law requires the removal
and decommissioning of any
uncertified woodstove or fire-
place insert from a home when
it is sold.
In 1986, when Oregon first
passed a law requiring emis-
sions certification to control
smoke from these devices,
woodstoves produced approxi-
mately 70 percent more pollu-
tion and burned wood far less
efficiently than today’s newer,
cleaner certified woodstoves.
Oregon is the first state to
formally establish a woodstove
change out requirement upon
the sale of a home. It was also
the first state to adopt wood-
stove certification and emission
limits. The U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency later adopt-
ed and implemented this certifi-
cation nationwide.
“Wintertime residential wood
burning is a significant source
of air pollution, including fine
particles and air toxics,” said
Rachel Sakata, project manag-
er for DEQ’s Heat Smart pro-
gram. “Removing uncertified
woodstoves from service and
replacing them with more effi-
cient models would help Ore-
gon’s efforts to restore and pre-
serve healthy air and reduce
heating costs.”
For more information about
the requirements for uncertified
woodstoves visit: www.deq.
state.or.us/aq/burning/wood
stoves/heatSmart.htm .
County employment little changed
Columbia County’s season-
ally adjusted unemployment
rate was 11.7 percent in June,
essentially the same as the
previous month (11.9%) but
lower than the year before
(13.7%). The rate was above
the statewide rate (10.5%) and
the national rate (9.5%). Total
employment inched up by 19 to
21,467 but the number of un-
employed people rose by 54 to
2,880. Total employment this
June was 17 more than one
year before and there were 556
fewer people unemployed this
year.
Keep Jamboree Safe
Don’t Drink and Drive
VERNONIA’S
BIGGEST
CLASS REUNION
Sunday, August 15th - 10:00 a.m. - 5:00p.m.
Prizes ~ entertainment ~ Tours ~ Food ~ Fun
$5.00 Registration begins at 10:00 a.m. at the School cafeteria
Food & Drinks will be available for purchase
Please RSVP by July 15th to: VernoniasReunion@yahoo.com
Or mail to; Vernonia’s Biggest Reunion c/o Vernonia School District Office
475 Bridge St., Vernonia, OR 97064
For more information visit www.VernoniaClassmates.com or
our Facebook Group, Alumni & Friends of Vernonia Schools ~ Vernonia’s Biggest Reunion
Tax Deductible Donations may be made at www.vernonia.k12.or.us or at
Wauna Federal Credit Union – Vernonia Education Foundation/Alumni Funds
This is a fund raiser for our new schools.