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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 7, 2011)
PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. Postage Paid Vernonia, OR 97064 Permit No. 37 Vol. 26, No. 17 THE FREE INDEPENDENT The Voice of the Upper Nehalem River Valley for Over 25 years September 7, 2011 New Vernonia council says Haack is now back For the first time since June 6, when recall efforts starting emptying seats, the Vernonia City Council has a full complement of five members. The new council is made up, left to right, of Kim Tierney, Randy Parrow, Mayor Josette Mitchell, Bruce McNair and Donna Webb. Tierney, McNair and Webb were sworn in at a special council meeting on August 29. Vernonia has a full council once again A panel of 15 Vernonia citi- zens interviewed eight candi- dates for Vernonia city council and recommended three to Mayor Josette Mitchell and Councilor Randy Parrow. Mitchell and Parrow were the only remaining council mem- bers after the recent recall of Kevin Hudson, Willow Burch and Marilyn Nicks. The panel of 15 was chosen at the August 22 special coun- cil meeting. A member of the audience, Coral Pearl, selected the panel by pulling 15 names out of a basket containing the names of 29 applicants. The panel members chosen were John Agee, Sharon Bernal, Keli Crowdis, Doris Garcia, Helen Hudson, Eric Larke, Heidi Ma- theney, Sharon Parrow, Lorna Poetter, Ernie Smith, David Spackman, Sonia Spackman, Jannet Wageman, Philip Wageman, and Sandy Welch. The 15 panel members in- terviewed eight city council ap- plicants on August 25. The eight applicants were Noni An- dersen, Brett Costley, Ilene Grady, Sally Harrison, Bruce McNair, Victoria Peters, Kim Tierney and Donna Webb. The panel recommended, and on August 29 existing council appointed, Bruce Mc- Nair, Kim Tierney and Donna Webb to the vacant council po- sitions. After taking the oath of office, they were seated imme- diately to participate in their first meeting. At the September 6 meeting, council came out of an execu- tive session, closed to the pub- lic, to announce that they had agreed on an employment con- tract with Bill Haack, who will start his employment as Ver- nonia’s city administrator effec- tive September 6. On August 30, once there was a full Vernonia City Coun- cil, they lost no time getting on with city business, interviewing Dennis Rhodes and Bill Haack for the position of City Adminis- trator. The interviews were held in executive session. When council left the executive ses- sion, they adjourned until the August 31 special council meeting. On August 31, council held another executive session. At the close of that session, they asked Pro Tem City Administra- tor Jim Johnson to “negotiate an employment agreetment” with their #1 candidate. Haack had been Pro Tem City Administrator until mid- May, when then City Councilor WIllow Burch made a motion to terminate his contract, and councilors Hudson and Nicks agreed. That action triggered efforts that led to the success- ful recall elections of Hudson, Burch and Nicks. Further fire restrictions in place Warm, dry weather prompt- ed the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) to increase fire safety restrictions in the North- west Oregon Forest Protection District, effective August 20. ODF’s Mike Simek said the decision to institute the regulat- ed-use closure in the region was based on the “continued See Fire on page 4 Vernonia Town Hall on Sept. 13. Vernonia Schools will hold a Community Town Hall on September 13, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. in the school cafe- teria (green building). Topics will include an up- date on the new school con- struction, ODOT will discuss road improvements related to the new school, and there will be discussion regarding planning for the new Spencer Park (on the exist- ing school site) and decon- struction of the old school buildings. Everyone is invited. Setptember 1 was the first day of school for Vernonia students, shown lined up here before entering Washington Grade School to start the new school year.