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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (March 17, 2011)
The INDEPENDENT, March 17, 2011 Plan now to help Make Vernonia Shine What are you doing on Sat- urday, April 16, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.? Vernonia Pride is hoping you’re planning to participate in the annual Make Vernonia Shine Day. Vernonia Pride is proud to organize this event, in coordination with SOLV’s SOLV IT day throughout Oregon. This year’s event will focus on Vernonia Pride’s mission: downtown beautification. Weeding, debris pick-up, etc. The focus will be on the “down- town core” from the Elk sign to the Lake. If enough people show up to volunteer, work will also be done in our Parks. Registration will begin at 9:00 a.m. at Providence Clinic. Snacks and bottled water will be available for volunteers at the end of the clean-up (1:00 p.m.). Volunteers are asked to please bring your own garden- ing tools/yard equipment. If you’d like to volunteer, please contact Catherine Helmer at 503-914-9525 or email her at catherine.helmer@yahoo.com Vernonia Pride thanks you for your support of this fabulous activity! Vernonia seeks committee members The City of Vernonia has openings on two city commit- tees, the Emergency Prepared- ness Committee (EPC) and two openings on the Vernonia Community Learning Commit- tee (VCLC). The EPC will meet on the fourth Wednesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. in City Hall. The first meeting will be April 27. The committee recom- mends changes to the city’s Emergency Operations Plan to City Council and City Staff. The VCLC, with two open positions, acts as an advisory committee to the council and city administrator. They meet on the first Wednesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. at the VCLC. Applicants for either commit- tee must be city residents and commit to approximately four hours per month. To apply, complete an Appli- cation of Appointment by 4:00 p.m. March 29. The form is available online at vernonia- or.gov (city information, forms and documents) or at City Hall, 1001 Bridge St. County offers free disability information Social service agencies in Columbia County are collabo- rating to host three free infor- mational panels in Clatskanie, Vernonia, and St. Helens, for children and adults with any type of disability. The purpose of the panels is to create awareness for Columbia Coun- ty residents on the resources and services available in the lo- cal community and to provide assessibility to meet in person with representatives from local human services agencies. These panels will provide the opportunity for individuals to ask questions about what serv- ices may benefit them. Individ- uals with disabilities including those with physical disabilities, veterans, seniors, adults, chil- dren, parents, teachers, care- givers, community members, and professionals are all invited to attend. There will be representatives from several agencies, includ- Page 9 Bits & Bites By Jacqueline Ramsay Hooray!! I’ve found new freedom on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. No, I’m still on my dialysis, but I’ve found a way to hold my arm so I can knit for 3 hours and 15 minutes, instead of Crosswords and/or reading. Oh, joy of my heart – along that line my treatments are sailing right along. March has arrived and so have the rains – soft, medium, or hard – slow drizzle, steady drip or medium, hard downpour. It can all happen in less than five minutes. I don’t know what’s happenin’ in your town but life is rather dull here. Weather’s too lousy to go sit in the park and watch the squir- rels, and gas is too high to just hop in the car and go for a drive, unless you are out of milk, eggs and soda pop, or you just have to have Chinese for something different for dinner. Now there’s something to think on. How old are you? I can re- member when we had breakfast, noon meal and dinner. Now it’s coffee and sweets, lunch munch (McDonald’s), coffee break, hi mom – what’s to eat (frozen fish), coffee, pop, beer, popcorn and peanuts. Dinner is when you toss on something cozy and go out to the Red Robin, Red Lobster or Chang’s with your friends. The washer has quit, the dryer is silent so I guess I’d better stop here and do some shifting. If the sun shines I may take Shad- ow for her 20 block walk. Bye now. ing Seniors and People with Disabilities, Vocational Rehabil- itation Department, Develop- mental Disabilities Program, Women’s Resource Center, Community Action Team, River- side Training Center, and Co- lumbia Community Mental Health. The panel discussions will include, but will not be limit- ed to, supports for seniors, em- ployment services, advocacy, supports for parents, supports for children, respite care, en- suring health and safety in the home and community, health care, sheltered housing, trans- portation, energy assistance, and other community re- sources. The Clatskanie meeting will be April 5, at 7:00 p.m. in the Clatskanie School District Board Room, 555 Bryant Street. The Vernonia meeting will be April 12, at 7:00 p.m. in the Ver- nonia Middle School cafeteria, placement for the business section of Bridge Street came under discussion. Among the concerns were whether enforcement of the two-hour regulation would be cost-effective, and whether it would provide better service to the merchants. The city decid- ed to survey the area physical- ly and talk with the merchants in order to determine the best course of action. Vernonia’s cable television was again discussed, with city attorney Tom Kohl reporting that franchise holder Mike Sea- ger had complied with the por- tion of the contract that requires proof of insurance, but still had not made his business records available for review. Kohl agreed to continue in attempts to secure Seager’s compliance, but said he felt there was a breach of contract and sug- gested that the city start mak- ing inquiries of other cable companies to see if they are in- terested in providing service to Vernonia. The council agreed to pro- vide copies of city ordinances and the state developed book on nuisance abatement to Kevin Robertson, along with a 14 day extension of time to comply with the city’s order to abate a nuisance on Robert- son’s property at the corner of Rose Avenue and Nehalem Street. 249 Bridge Street. The St. Helens meeting will be April 19, at 7:00 p.m. in Co- lumbia Community Mental Health’s Community Room, 58646 McNulty Way. This effort has been organ- ized and sponsored by the Quality Assurance and Adviso- ry Committee for the Develop- mental Disability Program in Columbia County. 24 Years Ago This Month The March 26, 1987, issue of The Independent included the following news story on the front page: After discussion of the use of city owned vehicles by employ- ees not on duty, the Vernonia City Council, at their March 2 meeting, ordered all such vehi- cles to be parked except when being used by employees “on call” for city business. Included in the order are police and pub- lic works vehicles. The quick response vehicle used by O.J. Zeigler of the fire department is considered on call at all times. Linda Davies appeared at both council meetings in March in an attempt to open Buckskin- ner's Trading Post in the old Penney’s building at the corner of Bridge and Madison Streets. She explained that she was told in City Hall that she didn’t need anything except the li- cense, but learned later that she must apply for a variance from the off-street parking ordi- nance. Her concern wasn’t as much for the $25 nonrefund- able fee as for the 30 day delay after being told everything was in order. The council approved is- suance of the business license, pending approval by the plan- ning commission of the vari- ance request, but told Davies that city ordinances don’t allow the council to make exceptions. The city’s two-hour parking ordinance and loading zone G OOD F OOD G OOD F RIENDS G OOD T IMES 831 Bridge St. Vernonia, OR 503-429-0214