The INDEPENDENT, July 6, 2011
Col. Co. Jail Commander retires
Columbia County Sheriff’s
Captain Jim Carpenter re-
tired effective June 23.
Jim Carpenter came to the
Columbia County Sheriff’s Of-
fice to serve in Corrections in
1989 after a career as a small-
businessman in Scappoose.
On Thursday, June 23, his 22-
year career with the Sheriff’s
Office officially came to an end,
although the retiring captain
will still be available to help oc-
casionally, said Sheriff Jeff
Dickerson.
“Jim Carpenter has been a
shining star for the Sheriff’s Of-
fice for many years,” the Sheriff
said, “and he was instrumental
in making my transition to the
Sheriff’s Office in 2009 a fairly
easy one.
“His experience in correc-
tions, his knowledge of our fa-
cility and its operations, and his
interest in people helped make
him an outstanding resource
for three sheriffs from 1989 to
now. He will be missed by this
administration as he takes this
next step that he and his wife,
Kelly, so richly deserve,” con-
tinued Dickerson.
Sheriff Dickerson named
Jim Carpenter as his jail com-
mander in 2009 after a region-
al search for candidates. Due
to budget cuts at the Sheriff’s
Office, no new hires will be
made to fill the jail commander
position. Undersheriff Andrew
Moyer will now take on the role
as Jail Commander.
See Carpenter on page 10
Page 9
Bits & Bites
By Jacqueline Ramsay
Howdy. This article is
for all of you folks who
don’t know where to go or
what to do with your
Wednesdays. So, please
come take a trip with me
down Memory Lane.
To set the scene, time
and place for you – Ver-
nonia Senior Center;
where folks from Mist, Timber, Banks, North
Plains, Buxton, Gales Creek, McMinnville,
Rainier, also from out of the woods around Ver-
nonia, including Vernonia proper, also a couple
of folks from the far side of Portland (Milwaukie).
We gather to visit, eat a good lunch, and listen
to music, music, music of the Golden Oldies.
Get your cup of tea or coffee, relax, open your
memory ears and come with me:
“Among my Souvenirs”, I, a “Sleepy Time
Gal” dreams “I’ll Fly Away”. I’ll “Stop Walkin’ the
Floor Over You” doing the “Blue Skirt Waltz” (a
2-yr. old Xavier sings) “I Don’t Know Why I Love
You Like I Do”. I am “Yearning” for that “Silver
Haired Daddy of Mine” wondering if “The Circle
Will be Unbroken” as “Bye, Bye Black Bird” re-
calls those “Blues at Midnight” and those “Span-
ish Eyes” recall “St. Louie Woman”, “Josephine”
and “The Johnson Rag” the “Blues Stay Away
From Me” make me think of “My Buddy” as we
go down to the “Crawdad Hole”. I see “Red
Wing” as we sip “White Lightning” from the
“Beer Barrel Polka”, suddenly I see “The Sheik
of Araby” and hear “Swiss Miss” singer “Elmer’s
Tune”. A friend of mine goes “From a Jack to a
King” and “I Want to Be a Cowboy’s Sweetheart”
but “Mr. Sandman” makes me think of “Play
Mates”, the “Little Girl” and I remember “How
Much is that Doggie in the Window”. I saw “The
Chapel in the Valley” where the “Alley Cat” was
“In the Mood” for a “Ride in My Little Red Wag-
on”. “The Birth of the Blues” caused “Pistol
Packin’ Mama” and “Mexicali Rose” to feel “On
the Blue Side of Lonesome” causing my “Hump-
ty Dumpty Heart” to need a bowl of “Jambalaya”.
I danced the “Sky Lark Waltz” and as I hummed
“Bye Bye Blues” I realized “Now is the Hour” to
come back to the living and get on with my
weekly routine.
What a gift that group of Golden Oldies gives
to this Golden Oldie (with “Silver Hair”), and it’s
waiting for you to break out of the house and
come and enjoy a trip down your own Memory
Lane. You don’t need a photograph to hear mu-
sic.
Bye now.
50 Years Ago This Month
The July 13, 1961, issue of
the Vernonia Eagle included
the following news story on the
front page:
At the meeting of the Vernonia
city council held Monday evening
of this week, steps were taken to-
ward the project of placing a fence
around the shay lot to protect it
and other historical articles from
destruction. These things which
have been given to the city are be-
ing used at present as playthings
and various parts have been dam-
aged to a great extent. It is the de-
sire to maintain them for an attrac-
tion here and to do so, further de-
struction needs to be curtailed. It is
believed that other relics will be
available if their care ad protection
can be assured.
The council voted Monday
evening to purchase fencing at the
best local price, part of which will
be used temporarily for protection
at the horseshoe court during the
jamboree, and later installed at the
shay lot.
The council granted permission
to the Lions club to meet in the
city fire hall on alternate Mondays
to those used by the firemen. The
club will provide their chairs and
tables.
The budget for the 1961-62 fis-
cal year as previously published
was given final adoption.
A decision was reached to have
E. P. Frank refinish the fire depart-
ment truck entrance doors at a cost
of $30.
The council moved to accept
the certificate of completion of L.
B. Read, contractor, for the
sewage pump station and force
mains. With the final payment on
this contract, the project is com-
pleted on the sewage lagoon in-
stallation.
Information obtained this week
regarding the sewage lagoon is
that it is now being tested to see if
previous seepage points have been
sealed. If not, the plan is to wall
off part of the lagoon for use while
the other part is being rolled and
packed to effect sealing to prevent
further seepage.
The council took action which
would provide for the extension of
the sewer mains to a new resi-
dence at E street and East avenue
with the benefitted party to pay
$1.00 per foot for the six inch line
and furnish a helper for the work
of installation.
Other action authorized the
West Oregon Electric company to
move two power poles from the
road right of way along the east
side of the Washington school
property and provided for the pur-
chase of a spray tank for weed
spraying. Auditing of bills com-
pleted the work of the evening.
This meeting was a continua-
tion of the postponed meeting July
3 when no quorum was present.