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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 5, 2011)
The INDEPENDENT, October 5, 2011 Page 5 CCRider announces fare increases and changes to zonal system CCRider fares increased ef- fective October 1, after ap- proval of new rates by the Co- lumbia County Board of Com- missioners, on September 14. The rate increase was deemed necessary after other funding streams decreased this year. In addition to the rate increase, a zone-based fare structure was established. Dial-A-Ride rates from Ver- nonia will now be: • to St. Helens, Clatskanie – $11.00 • to Scappoose, Rainier – $11.00 • to Portland – $13.00 • anywhere within Vernonia – $2.20. There is no regular CCRider bus service to the above areas. Vernonia Dial-a-ride oper- ates on Mondays, Wednes- days, and Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and can be scheduled by calling 503-366- 0159. Fixed Routes from Vernonia to Tri-Met’s Willow Creek Sta- tion (with stops at Stub Stewart State Park, and Staley’s Junc- tion) will continue leaving Ver- nonia at 6:15 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. The fare for Fixed Route rides is $5.00 for the general public, $4.00 for seniors, disabled, students and children (SDS&C). In addition, each zone crossed requires an additional $1.00. Zone 1 is the North County and includes Clatskanie, Alston Corner and Rainier. Zone 2 is the South County, covering Scappoose, St. Helens and Vernonia. Zone 3 includes downtown Portland, Willow Creek Station, Rock Creek and Longview. Monthly passes now cost: • Zone 1 – $75.00 ($60.00 for SDS&C). • Zone 2 – $130.00 ($110.00 SDS&C) • or All Zones (excluding De- mand Response Service) – $150.00 ($130.00 SDS&C). For more information call 503-366-0159 or see www. columbiacountyrider.com . Council works on FEMA compliance Mayor Josette Mitchell de- clared October 9-15 as Fire Prevention Week, in a procla- mation that initiated the Octo- ber 3 meeting of the Vernonia City Council. Council discussed handling of six properties that were flooded and substantially dam- aged, but whose owners have not been cooperating with FEMA requirements that the houses need to be elevated, moved, or bought out and torn down. A letter was reviewed and approved that will be sent to these property owners with a deadline to contact the city about their properties before le- gal measures are started, if needed. Council then held an execu- tive session (closed to the pub- lic) to discuss issues regarding legal counsel, real property transactions and labor negotia- tions. When they came out of that session, they unanimously approved the collective bar- gaining agreement with AF- SCME members of city staff. Additionally, by consensus, council gave City Administrator Bill Haack permission to nego- tiate with West Oregon Electric Co-op on the purchase of the Soderback property, though no further particulars were made public. In other business, council: • Approved a contract with Triangle GIS LLC for limited work on the city’s GIS mapping system through June 2012; • approved a contract with KLS Surveying for surveying at the wastewater lagoons as part of the ongoing wastewater treatment improvement project; • approved a contract with Shannon & Wilson Inc. for ge- otechnical engineering at the wastewater lagoons. The next time the council will meet will be at a joint work ses- sion with the Public Works Committee at 7:00 p.m. tonight, Oct. 5, at city hall. The next regular council meeting will be October 17 at 7:00 p.m. in city hall. Fire season ends with recent rains, backyard burning now open Fire Season was terminated within the Northwest Oregon Fire Protection district, effec- tive October 3. Now that fire season has ended, forest oper- ators are no longer required to have fire suppression equip- ment and fire watch services as part of their forest operations. The Columbia County Fire De- fense Board has lifted the ban on open burning of yard debris. Burning will be regulated on a day-to-day basis by local fire districts and the Oregon De- partment of Forestry. Burning of yard debris requires a valid permit from your local fire dis- trict. If outside a rural fire dis- trict, the Department of Forest- ry issues this permit. Always check to see if burn- ing is allowed before burning. Residents and commercial op- erators should also be aware of the following Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) prohibitions: • Open burning that creates a nuisance or a hazard to pub- lic safety is prohibited. • Regulations prohibit burn- ing the following materials any- where in Oregon: rubber prod- ucts, tires, plastic, wet garbage, petroleum and petro- leum-treated materials, as- bestos, wire insulation, auto- mobile parts, animal or veg- etable food waste, animal re- mains, asphalt or industrial waste, or any other material that creates dense smoke or noxious odors. Wauna holds fundraiser for school All seven branches of Wau- na Federal Credit Union will help raise money for construc- tion of the new Vernonia School by selling tickets for a prize drawing of $500 in cash. The tickets will be sold for $1.00 each, at all Wauna branches, through October. The prize drawing will be held November 7, when one lucky winner will win $500 cash. Tick- et buyers must be 18 years or older. Wauna’s 2011 fundraising goal is to raise $15,000 to- wards the Vernonia School project. A great time to buy your tick- ets for the $500 cash drawing would be on October 20, when Wauna will celebrate Interna- tional Credit Union Day. Credit Unions Build a Better World is the motto for 2011. All mem- bers are invited to come in and enjoy cake, and enter their names for prizes on October 20. • Burning materials that have been removed from the property of origin, unless the person has a DEQ permit, is prohibited. • Construction and demoli- tion debris and commercial burning is prohibited, in most cases. Burning of land clearing material is prohibited within three miles of Vernonia, St. He- lens, Scappoose, Rainier, and Clatskanie. Longview Timberlands LLC property in Oregon, except for Hood River and Wasco Coun- ties has been re-opened to public-recreational entry due to reduced risk of forest fire dan- ger. For more information on burning in Vernonia, call the fire district at 503-429-8252. Out- side of Vernonia, call the Ore- gon Department of Forestry at 503-397-2636. For commer- cial, construction, or demolition burning, call DEQ at 503-229- 5545.