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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 5, 2011)
The INDEPENDENT, October 5, 2011 Right, the action was excit- ing,on September 30, when Vernonia High School played Culver in Vernonia, although the Loggers did not win. Chalk Talk Chalk Talk is a column of information about Vernonia schools. This column was provided by Superintendent Dr. Ken Cox. Next football home games are Vernonia Middle School vs. Gaston at 5:00 p.m. on October 6, then Vernonia High School Loggers against Portland Christian on Octo- ber 7 at 7:00 p.m. In Volleyball action, the next home games will be tonight when Vernonia Middle School meets Warrenton at 4:00 p.m, then Vernonia High School meets Gaston on Oc- tober 13 at 6:30 p.m. Win essay contest and receive $1000 U.S. high school students and their teachers are invited to participate in the Bill of Rights Institute’s sixth annual Being an American Essay Contest. The largest contest of its kind in the country, the Being an American Essay Contest ex- plores the Founding principles outlined in the Constitution. The contest is administered by the Bill of Rights Institute, a non-profit educational organi- zation in the Washington, D.C. area devoted to educating young people about the Consti- tution and Founding principles. The 2011-2012 contest is sponsored by the History Channel. “This contest is unique in that it gives students the oppor- tunity to think about the impor- tant Founding principles com- municated in our Constitution,” said Dr. Jason Ross, Bill of Rights Institute Vice President of Education Programs. “This context is vital to helping stu- dents see their Founding prin- ciples as a meaningful part of the American experiment of self-government.” Specifically, students are asked to share their thoughts on the Constitution by answer- ing the following question: “How does the Constitution es- tablish and maintain a culture of liberty?” The top three student win- ners from each of the five geo- graphical regions will be awarded cash prizes of $1,000 (First Place), $500 (Second Place), and $250 (Third Place). Page 11 Teacher sponsors for each stu- dent winner will also receive a cash prize of $100. “The contest not only honors and awards sponsoring teach- ers, but also equips them with free lesson plans and other supplemental materials that meet state and national aca- demic standards so they can easily incorporate the essay contest into their classrooms. The Contest is really a tribute to the excellent work teachers do in the important task of civic education,” said Ross. Further information, includ- ing submission criteria, lesson plans and background informa- tion on the Constitution, Bill of Rights, Founders and the Founding principles are avail- able at www.BillofRightsInsti tute.org/Contest. One month of school has gone by and fall seems to be ap- proaching fast. Those of you who have children or grandchildren in school, I would encourage you to check in with their teachers to see how they are doing. Yes, even if they are in high school, it doesn’t hurt to let the teachers know you are interested in know- ing what’s happening with your student. Washington Grade School’s Open House is coming up on Thursday October 6th, from 6:30 to 8:00 pm. Teachers at Wash- ington Grade School are looking forward to meeting all of their new parents, and encourage you to come by and see your child's classroom. While it is only the beginning of the year, students have many things to share about their hours spent learning at school. In addition to having a chance to meet your child’s teacher, a Scholastic Book Fair will also be open during this event. We hope to see you there! It is hard to admit it but, I made a mistake. There I’ve said it, and now you all know that I am not perfect (far from it), but I should have checked before I sent in my article last month. I was informed shortly after it came out that the walking distance for students is 1 mile for elementary students and 1.5 miles for sec- ondary students (ORS327.043). Because there are few side- walks in Vernonia we have in the past provided rides to students within these limits, but have done so only as funds and route times allow. Lastly, I want to tell you about another event coming up on Thursday, October 6th. We will be having a ‘Roof-capping Cele- bration’ at 10 am that morning at the new school site. In addition to our regular distinguished guests, the president of Solar World will be in attendance and make an announcement that will be good news for our project. He and a number of other guests will be speaking at a breakfast meeting that morning for all Vernonia businesses. Please contact the district office for more informa- tion. ODFW has free orange hunter hats for youngsters Free hunter orange hats will be given to youth hunters that plan to hunt the fall 2011 sea- son, to help kids meet new reg- ulations requiring they wear the color. Hats will be given away by Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife troopers and ODFW field staff who see youth hunters in the field during hunt- ing season. Hats are also avail- able at select ODFW offices while supplies last (see list of offices at www.dfw.state.or.us). Oregon’s new law took ef- fect August 1, 2011. It requires youth hunters (age 17 and un- der) to wear a fluorescent or- ange hat or upper garment when hunting game mammals or upland game birds (except turkey) with any firearm. Game mammals are deer, elk, bear, cougar, pronghorn antelope, Rocky Mountain 4-H corrects county/state results Columbia County 4-H is- sued corrected results for both the 2011 county and state fairs. The corrected information is provided here. Beef Showmanship: Champion – Lauren Glass. Cake Decorating: Champi- on – Meghan Sullivan. Food Preservation: Re- serve County Champion and State Champion – Kaitlyn Eyrrick. Meat Goat Showmanship: Champion – Jessica String- field. Poultry Showmanship: Champion – Crystal-Ann Carreon. Pygmy Goat Showman- ship: Champion – Levi Carreon. Rabbit Breeds: Champion and Reserve Grand Champi- on – Katherine Goodman. Trail: Reserve Grand Champion – McKenzie Tarkalson. goat, bighorn sheep and west- ern gray squirrel. Upland game birds are forest grouse (blue and ruffed), chukar/Hungarian (gray) partridge, pheasants, quail (California and mountain) and sage grouse. Adult hunters are also strongly encouraged to wear hunter orange when in the field. Pet of the Month Find the pet that’s right for you at the Columbia Humane Society 2084 Oregon Street, St. Helens. Phone 503-397-4353 Open Mon - Fri 1 pm to 5 pm & Saturday, 11 am to 5 pm Shady is a young Labrador Retriever/Pit Bull Terrier Mix. He is about 2 years old and has been waiting more than year for a home and family. He is said to be very friendly with small children and is affectionate with adults. He loves cats, but maybe too much as he also loves to chase them, so a cat- free home would be best. He seems to get along well with most other dogs. The Columbia Humane Society is a No-Kill non-profit shelter dedicated to helping friends find each other since 1985. This Pet of the Month is Sponsored by: Senator Betsy Johnson