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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 17, 2011)
PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. Postage Paid Vernonia, OR 97064 Permit No. 37 Vol. 26, No. 4 THE FREE INDEPENDENT The Voice of the Upper Nehalem River Valley for Over 25 years February 17, 2011 February, 1996, before flood waters crested at full height. Mayor Josette Mitchell presents Certificate of Appreciation to tireless volunteer Donna Webb. Webb honored for many volunteer hours Donna Webb was given a certificate of appreciation by the City of Vernonia at the Feb- ruary 7 City Council meeting. Webb has been involved in many projects and committees over the years. Webb moved to Vernonia in 1994. She says she was a shy sort then, with kids in kinder- garten and preschool. Her first volunteer effort was in her daughter’s first grade class when she helped the teacher with work she (Webb) could do at home. Webb has been a full- time employee of Providence Health & Services for the past 30 years, some of the time working from home. Next, Webb helped with kids t-ball and softball teams. She says her first “public” volunteer job was as secretary for the Vernonia Boosters. She said, “I can sympathize with newcom- ers to town, as I was one of them. I used to hear things like, ‘Send it to the usual list’ or ‘Mike can do that or Bill does that.’ The point being there were names and lists that I did- n’t know as a newcomer. It was very frustrating.” Every year, Webb took her daughters with her to “Clean Up Day”. Once while attending a fundraiser for Vernonia Pride, Genny Fisher greeted her very kindly and commented that she had noticed Webb and her daughters in the community. Webb was flattered and accept- ed Fisher’s invitation to work on a Vernonia Pride project – a float in the local parade. Webb says, “I went, and the rest is history. She hooked me in be- cause she asked me in person and gave me value. I will never forget Genny and the wonderful things she did for me and this community. I then met many wonderful ladies including Enid Parrow, Audeen Wagner, Car- olyn Keasey, Shirlee Daughtry, and Dorothy Hass.” Webb became close to Par- row, who took over as Vernonia Pride president when Fisher moved out of town. Parrow got Webb involved with the muse- um where she and Parrow, “spent many wonderful hours together, laughing and showing one another artifacts at the mu- seum as we cleaned and or- ganized. Volunteering was, and should be, rewarding.” Webb later became museum presi- dent. With her children still in school, Webb joined the high school site council and worked on many different school February, 2011, demolition crew carefully dismantles café. Landmark café will feed no more The Country Kitchen restau- rant, across the street from Ver- nonia High School, closed after severe flooding in December, 2007, and never opened again. Before it became the Coun- try Kitchen, it was Mario’s, and before that it was the Pine Cone Café. It may have had other names throughout the years, but that was unimpor- tant. It fed generations of stu- dents who grabbed a quick lunch there, loggers came in for an early breakfast, oldtimers gabbed over coffee, and housewives met for a little con- versation without kids. Now it’s gone; memories re- main, the school will be moved, and the community looks to the future. fundraisers. Her contact with Daughtry, from Vernonia Pride, led her to serve on the board of the Scout Cabin, where she volunteered for many years; helping with decisions and cleaning. Webb also credits past Ver- nonia City Administrator Mike Sykes for recognizing her ea- gerness to help and “taking her in” and helping her find scholar- ships and training through Rur- al Development Initiatives. Also as a result, she began to serve on city committees and says she learned a great deal there, See Volunteer on page 5
