The INDEPENDENT, January 6, 2011
Page 15
Power of the People
By W. Marc Farmer, General Manager,
West Oregon Electric Cooperative
Kiwanis Past Lt. Governor Jewell Bailey and Division 62 Lt.
Governor Oscar Domingo came to Vernonia on December 21
to Vernonia Cares Food Bank. Vernonia Kiwanis president
Marilyn Nicks helped Vernonia Cares Director Sandy Welch
as they received ham, cheese, sausage and other items total-
ing almost 200 lbs. of food for needy families in Vernonia. Ki-
wanis has been donating to Vernonia Cares Food Bank every
year since the 2007 flood.
Our own West Oregon
Electric Cooperative Board
President, Robert VanNat-
ta, was honored as the
2010 recipient of the Ore-
gon Rural Electric Cooper-
ative Association (ORECA)
Pioneer Award. ORECA
represents the legislative
and regulatory interests of Oregon’s 18 not-for-
profit, consumer-owned electric cooperative util-
ities, and the Pioneer Award recognizes out-
standing political advocacy for electric coopera-
tives. Robert did not know he would be receiving
the award, even though he was also serving as
President of the ORECA board of directors. Ted
Case, Executive Director of ORECA, kept it a se-
cret so that Robert would be surprised at the
ORECA annual meeting that was held in Port-
land the first two days of December. As he pre-
sented Robert with an engraved ax, Ted ex-
pressed the gratitude from the co-ops around
the state for work and time that Robert has con-
tributed to political advocacy for electric cooper-
atives not only within Oregon, but also at a na-
tional level.
Robert has served on the West Oregon Elec-
tric Board of Directors since 1986, and has been
Board President for many of those years. He is
chairman of the board of Lightspeed Networks
(LSN), of which West Oregon Electric’s sub-
sidiary Columbia Broadband is a part owner.
LSN is committed to providing high speed
telecommunications service throughout the
State of Oregon and Robert is helping to make
that happen.
Robert attends both the ORECA and National
Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA)
legislative conferences in Salem and Washing-
ton, D.C., to meet with our Legislators and advo-
cate for electric co-ops and our members. He
was also instrumental in encouraging participa-
tion in the Action Committee for Rural Electrifica-
tion (ACRE) program among other board mem-
bers and co-op managers around the state.
ORECA received a special “Bigfoot” award at the
NRECA Region 9 meeting this October for hav-
ing the top ACRE program. Ted summed it up
best during the Pioneer Award presentation to
Robert when he said, “No person better exempli-
fies electric co-op political activism than Robert
VanNatta”.
Vernonia 2010 Year in Review SSCP to hold auditions January 11 and 12
From page 2
No. 10-07 on Rebuilding Vernonia.
Aug. 6-8 – 54th Friendship Jamboree.
Aug. 15 – Vernonia’s Biggest Class Reunion.
Sept. 7 – Sergeant Mike Conner named Interim Chief
of Police.
Sept. 9 – School board names P & C Construction to
build new school.
Sept. 16-19 – St. Mary’s Quilt Fair.
Sept. 18 – Community Garage Sale.
Sept. 21 – City Council approves UGB expansion for
new schools site.
Sept. 30 – City attorney resigns.
Oct. 1 – WOEC raises rates by 4%.
Oct. 2 – Salmon Festival.
Oct. 4 – Mayor Harrison announces her withdrawal
from the mayoral race.
Oct. 5 – Mayor Harrison withdraws her withdrawal.
Oct. 8 – WOEC new building groundbreaking.
Oct. 29 – Last section of Banks-Vernonia State Trail
opened.
Nov. 2 – Josette Mitchell elected Mayor, Willow Burch
and Marilyn Nicks elected as councilors.
Nov. 15 – City hires Alexandra E. Sosnkowski PC as
city attorney.
Nov. 16 – Ford Family Foundation announces $1 mil-
lion challenge grant for new school project.
Dec. 2 – Groundbreaking for new school.
Dec. 4-5 – Christmas in the Country Bazaar and Spirit
of Christmas in Vernonia Celebration.
The fascinating tales of an-
cient Greek and Roman
mythologies are brought alive
with the crisp, modern dialogue
of two narrators and a very flex-
ible cast. Phaethon asks the
Sun God if he can “borrow the
car” for a day. Dad fears disas-
ter but relents with the admoni-
tion to “Fasten your seat belt!”
In another tale, Arachne is
turned into a spider for beating
Athena in a weaving contest.
Even the story of Pygmalion is
included. The tales are expertly
woven together by the narra-
tors, who alternate in describ-
ing the stories as they unfold.
Actors alternate between
speaking parts, mime and be-
ing props such as trees or
rocks. We will be casting for
roles for men and women 14
and older. “Mankind and Co.”
was adapted by Thomas His-
chak and will be performed by
special arrangement with Pio-
neer Drama Service.
Auditions will take place at
Bertucci’s, 2017 Columbia
Blvd., St. Helens, on Tuesday,
January 11 and Wednesday,
January 12. Auditions will start
promptly at 6:30 p.m. For plan-
ning purposes, performances
are planned for late March. For
more information email bvae
rewyck@comcast.net.
ShoeString
Community
Players (SSCP) was very busy
in 2010 with the spring radio
play “Sam Spade and the Per-
sian”, the traditional summer
musical “The Sound of Music”,
fall radio play “GunSmoke”,
and an additional fall play “Hat
Tricks”. The director and play
have been chosen for the sum-
mer musical; audition dates
and times will be announced
shortly.
Formed from a dedicated
group of “Reader’s Theater”
performers, SSCP was official-
ly founded in 1982.
Meyers
‘ Auto Body,Inc
503-429-0248
493 Bridge St, Vernonia, OR