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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 5, 2011)
Page 14 The INDEPENDENT, October 5, 2011 Extension office moves to new location in Washington County From page 13 Agricultural College, traveled the state from the city of Cor- vallis by horse, and later by train, to organize farmers’ insti- tutes and deliver lectures to far- Wetland is taking shape in Vernonia From page 1 stages” were complete, wet- lands consultants (who are bi- ologists) did conceptual draw- ings before civil engineers (KPFF Engineering for this project) and landscape engi- neers (Lango Hansen) were chosen. KPFF Engineering then determined what shape to carve the landscape into for best drainage, what to remove, and how to prepare the site. Because of clay soil on the site, topsoil had to be saved and re- placed to a pre-determined depth to be able to support the plant life. Lango Hansen se- lected the plants, trees, config- uration of plants, placement and number of plants to be used. After USACE and DSL ap- proved all these plans and final drawings, they issued the per- mit so work could begin. Nutter Corporation was chosen by the school district for the construc- tion and began work this past August. Nutter Corp. cleared the existing vegetation, includ- ing lots of the invasive Scotch broom, moved existing con- crete, then cut and excavated to the designed grades. The concrete has been crushed into about 3-inch sized pieces and will be used, along with gravel, to add to California Ave. along the site and add a gravel park- ing area near the wetland. That work will all be finished next week and the slopes of the wetland will be seeded with annual grass, and erosion con- trol added, so the sides of the wetland don’t collapse during this year’s rainy season. It’s too late in the year to establish most of the permanent plants that will go in starting next June. Teufel Landscaping will put in the final planting and there will be a temporary sprin- kling system in place for the summer to assure the plants get off to a good start. In the meantime, site visits will occur weekly until June to monitor for erosion and fix any that occurs, if the site is dry enough to work on. After the final plantings go in next year, USACE and DSL will make yearly site visits for sev- en years to make sure the site is behaving as a PEM. At the end of those visits, the site will be left alone to be a great place for native amphibians, turtles and songbirds to live. There will eventually be a packed bark- dust or woodchip trail that cir- cles the wetlands and connects to the existing informal trail sys- tem that runs throughout the old mill site. Want to know what happens around here all year? Get The Independent delivered to your home for a year for only $20.00 Call today to start your subscription 503-429-9410 flung communities. Their topics aimed to improve rural life, from food safety and family nu- trition to animal husbandry and pest management. OSU Extension continues with this mission today by pro- viding educational services and programs for rural, suburban and urban communities. Facul- ty and staff offer research- based knowledge and educa- tion focusing on strengthening communities and economies, sustaining natural resources and promoting healthy families and individuals. The work of OSU Extension involves and supports business people, growers, foresters, youth and community leaders statewide. In addition to providing these services, OSU Extension has a unique agreement with Washington County govern- ment to operate the county’s citizen involvement program. In combination with citizen advi- sory committees, citizen boards and other venues for engagement, the citizen partic- ipation program staffed by OSU Extension offers citizens throughout the county a means for communicating with and learning about their county government. More information about OSU Extension Service for Washington County can be found at: http://extension.ore- gonstate.edu/washington/ . Life & Times in Vernonia From page 9 the Union Station in 1952 and operated it for many years. Back then, stations competed for business and they gave full service – air in tires, cleaned windshields, checked the oil and pumped gas with a smile and gave change. Gas was about $0.29 a gallon and peo- ple could afford to drive. Kerosene for heat and lanterns was $0.10 a gallon. Eleanor remembers there were three auto dealerships in Vernonia. The Ford dealership was in the building that is now Sentry Market, Chevrolet was in the building that is now Mey- er’s Auto Body, and Plymouth was in the building that is now Muffy’s. The train depot was lo- cated where Vernonia City Hall and Library now stand. Where WOEC built their new building was Bush’s Feed Store and Creamery. She remembers Lew’s Place, the Japanese Laundry on the corner of Jefferson and Bridge Street, five taverns, two barber shops, the Squeeze In, a second-hand store where True Value now stands, Crea- tures was a tavern, Agalis was a paint store, Café 47 was the hardware store. There were two doctors and a dentist. An ice cream shop called Palshop and the Post Office were where Vernonia Pharmacy now oper- ates. Sam’s Food Store was across from where Blue House is, and the Mini Mart was a car lot with a hotel behind it. There was another hotel called Mc- Donalds Hotel where the Prov- idence Clinic is located. The police station and jail were behind US Bank. There was only one policeman, Ace Lolley, that she can recall. When WWII ended in 1945, there was celebration in the streets of Vernonia, with bells ringing and horns at the O-A Mill blowing. The Japanese Laundry abruptly closed when the war ended and they left town. Over the years, Bob and Eleanor tried several different businesses. Bob drove log truck from Vernonia to Scap- poose for a logging outfit that used horses to log. This enter- prise did not prove to be prof- itable, so they saved enough money to purchase a school bus, and Eleanor drove the Stoney Point route. Soon they had two buses and added the Pebble Creek route. School buses were hard to come by in Oregon at that time, so they were purchased in Min- nesota and driven back to Ore- gon. One new bus was bought in Ohio and driven to Vernonia. Most of the used school buses in Oregon were bought by the strawberry field owners to haul berry pickers. Eleanor recalls that Bob was driving the Peb- ble Creek route when the Columbus Day storm arrived at 4:20 p.m. Eleanor also deliv- ered the U.S. Mail between Vernonia, Mist and Timber, while Bob operated the gas station. To be continued in next issue