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.