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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (March 21, 2012)
Page 4 The INDEPENDENT, March 21, 2012 Vernonia council told law on golf carts February job rate remains flat The March 19 Vernonia City Council meeting started with a public hearing and decision on new water rates (see article on page 1). The council heard a presen- tation by Sean McGilloway, of ISoutsource, who provides computer IT services. The city has been having trouble with one of their servers and McGil- loway has determined it is fail- ing. ISoutsource will replace the existing servers with two upgraded servers, one always running and one for backup. Costs are expected to be around $16,000 for hardware, licensing, and labor. The plan met with council’s approval and will be started as soon as hard- ware is chosen. Mayor Josette Mitchell ac- cepted resignations from Carol Davis, Janelle Cedergreen and Jill Hult, all on the Vernonia Community Learning Center Columbia County’s season- ally adjusted unemployment rate was 9.7 percent in January essentially unchanged from the previous month (9.9%) but low- er than the year before (11.9%). The rate was higher than the statewide rate (8.8%) and the national rate (8.3%). (VCLC) Committee. Each left stating concerns about having no dedicated city staff to help run the VCLC and improve the usage of this building. Mitchell included her thanks to these citizen volunteers for their serv- ice. Council had asked Police Chief Michael Conner to look into the use of golf carts on city streets. Conner reported that golf carts can be used only with an ODOT permit and only on roads with speed limits no high- er than 25 mph. They also can not be used to tow trailers. The police will be making contact with golf cart users to educate them about these laws and to work with them on permitting requirements. The ORS laws that apply are 801.331, 807.210, and 807.010. In other business, council: • Approved a new IGA (Inter- governmental Agreement) with the school district related to the demolition of the old schools. • Were informed that the po- sition of mayor, and the council positions held by Randy Par- row and Kim Tierney will be up for new terms in the November 6 General Election. Anyone wishing to run for these offices can file their intention between May 30 and August 28. • Set a Work Session/Spe- cial Meeting, for March 26, at 7:00 p.m. at city hall to discuss the IGA with the school district and new Spencer Park. They also agreed to hold a Work Session to discuss open spaces and the FEMA buyout process, on March 31 from 1-3 p.m., location not yet deter- mined. The next regularly sched- uled city council meeting will be April 2, at 7:00 p.m., at city hall. Total employment dropped by 213 to 22,294 and the number of unemployed people rose by 225 to 2,606. Total employment this January was 444 more than one year before and there were 443 fewer people unem- ployed this year. Vernonia City Update Theft at demolition sites is a crime by Bill Haack, Vernonia City Administrator The City of Vernonia has been informed that Custom Ex- cavating and Trails End Recov- ery will no longer allow people to salvage materials from the houses and businesses that they are demolishing. This decision comes as a re- sult of people in the community who are trespassing and re- moving materials from the buildings without permission and leaving them in unstable condition, which increases their cost to demolish. The City will now provide oversight to these properties, strictly enforcing trespass and theft charges against individu- als found to be on the property without permission and who may also be found to be in pos- session of materials salvaged from these same sites. Community Calendar VERNONIA Alcoholics Anonymous Mondays 6:30 p.m., 410 North Street Alcoholics Anonymous Thursdays (Big Book Study) 7:00 p.m., 410 North Street American Legion Post #119 2nd Tuesday 7:00 p.m., 627 Adams Avenue Booster Club 2nd Wednesday 7:00 p.m., VHS Library Boy Scout Troop 201 Tuesdays 7:00 p.m., Scout Cabin Boy Scout Troop 860 Wednesdays 7:00 p.m., LDS Church Cemetery Beautification Comm. 2nd Thursday 6:30 p.m., Library CERT 4th Wednesday For Info Call 503-429-3018 Chamber of Commerce 2nd Wednesday For Info Call 503-429-6081 Community Coalition 2nd Monday 12:30 p.m. School District Ofc. Cub Scout Pack 201 Scout Cabin For Info Call 503-429-4250 Emerg. Preparedness Comm. 4th Wednesday 6:30 p.m., WOEC Friends of the Library 1st Tuesday 7:00 p.m., Vernonia Library Girl Scouts, Neighborhood 4-2 For Info Call 503-819-0143 Izaak Walton League 3rd Thursday For location call 503-429-7193 Kiwanis Club 2nd & 4th Tuesdays 6:30 p.m., New Hong Kong Lions Club 1st & 3rd Tuesdays 6:30 p.m., New Hong Kong Municipal Airport Committee 1t Wednesday 6:30 p.m., City Hall Pioneer Museum For Info Call 503-429-3713 Upr Nehalem Watershed Council For date call 429-0869 7:00 p.m.,Vernonia Grange Public Works Committee 4th Tuesday 7:00 p.m., City Hall Vernonia Cares Directors For Info call 503-429-1414 Vernonia City Council 1st & 3rd Mondays 7:00 p.m., City Hall Vernonia Community PTA 2nd Wednesday 7:00 p.m., WGS Library Vernonia Garden Club 2nd Tuesday 1:30 p.m., Vernonia Library Vernonia Grange 3rd Monday 7:00 p.m., Grange Hall Vernonia Health Center 3rd Thursday 6:30 p.m., 510 Bridge St. Vernonia Comm. Learning Center 1st Wednesday 5:00 p.m., VCLC Vernonia Parks Committee 3rd Wednesday 6:30 p.m., City Hall Vernonia Planning Comm. 1st & 3rd Thursdays 6:00 p.m., City Hall Vernonia Ridge Riders Last Thursday 7:00 p.m., Senior Center Vernonia RFPD Board 2nd Tuesday 7:00 p.m., Fire Station Vernonia School Board 2nd Thursday 6:00 p.m., District Office Vernonia Sr. Center Board 2nd Friday 10:00 a.m., Senior Center Vernonia Transfer Station 2nd & 4th Saturdays, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Behind VHS Vern. Volunteer Ambulance Assoc. 1st Tuesday 7:00 p.m., Fire Station Vernonia Volunteer Firefighters 2nd Monday 7:00 p.m., Fire Station WOEC Directors 3rd Tuesday 7:00 p.m., WOEC MIST-BIRKENFELD M-BRFPD Board Business Mtg. 2nd Tuesday M-BRFPD Board Workshop 4th Tuesday M-B Ambulance Drill 1st & 2nd Thursdays M-B Fire Drill 1st & 2nd Wednesdays M-B Helping Circle 2nd Monday M-B SAR Drill 3rd Wednesday M-B Volunteer Assoc. 1st Tuesday Natal Grange 2nd Wednesday T.O.P.S. Mondays BANKS Alcoholics Anonymous Alcoholics Anonymous American Legion Post #90 Banks City Council Banks Fire District #13 Banks Library Commission Banks Planning Commission Banks School Board Banks Youth Group Chamber of Commerce CPO 14 Everybody’s Hometown Band Friends of the Library Lions Club Sunset Park Assoc. T.O.P.S. Friday Wednesday 2nd Tuesday 2nd Tuesday 2nd Wednesday 3rd Tuesday Last Tuesday 2nd Monday Sunday, Wednesday 1st Thursday 3rd Monday Tuesdays 2nd Tuesday 1st & 3rd Mondays 3rd Wednesday Wednesday 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station 7:30 p.m., Natal Grange Hall 9:00 a.m., Main Fire Station 7:30 p.m., Methodist Church 7:30 p.m., Methodist Church 7:00 p.m., Main Street Post 7:30 p.m., City Hall 7:00 p.m., Station 13 7:00 p.m., City Library 7:00 p.m., City Hall 7:30 p.m., Jr. High Library 7:00 p.m., UMC Youth Bldg. 12:30 p.m., Fire District Office 7:00 p.m., City Library 7:00 p.m., BHS Music Room 7:00 p.m., City Library 7:00 p.m., Brown Derby 8:00 p.m., Gun Club 7:00 p.m., Administration Bldg. COLUMBIA COUNTY (All meet in St. Helens unless otherwise noted.) Board of Commissioners Wednesday 10:00 a.m., Courthouse Citizens for Senior Justice 2nd Tuesday 7:00 p.m., Sunset Park Church Columbia 9-1-1 Board 3rd Thursday 9:00 a.m., 9-1-1 meeting room Columbia Comm Mental Health 1st Tuesday 5”30 p.m., 58646 McNulty Way Columbia Soil & Water District 3rd Wednesday 7:30 p.m., NRCS , 2514 Sykes County Fair Board 2nd Monday 6:00 p.m., Fairgrounds 4-H Bldg. County Parks Commission 2nd Thursday 4:00 p.m., 1054 Oregon St. Mental Health Advisory Comm. Quarterly For Info call 503-397-7211 Comm. on Children & Families 3rd Thursday 5:30 p.m. OSU Ext., 505 N. Hwy. 30 Local Alcohol & Drug Plann. Comm. Quarterly For Info call 503-397-7211 Organizations and meeting dates not listed may be included by calling 429-9410 or by mail to The INDEPENDENT, 725 Bridge Street, Vernonia, OR 97064.