The INDEPENDENT, March 21, 2012
Governor seeks individuals to
serve on medical policy board
Oregon passed historic
health care legislation, this past
legislative session, to move for-
ward with its health insurance
exchange and to begin trans-
forming and improving care un-
der the Oregon Health Plan.
Our continued success in the
implementation of state and
federal health reform will con-
tinue to require strong public
participation. To that end, Gov-
ernor Kitzhaber is calling for
nominations of people to partic-
ipate in a process to help de-
fine the state’s essential health
benefits.
As part of the Affordable
Care Act, the federal govern-
ment proposes that essential
health benefits are defined us-
ing a benchmark where states
have the flexibility to select a
benchmark plan that reflects
the scope of services offered
by a “typical employer plan.” If
Oregon does not select a
benchmark, the federal govern-
ment intends to propose a pre-
determined default benchmark.
To help Oregon select its es-
sential health benefit bench-
mark, the Governor will be ap-
pointing individuals to serve on
a jointly chartered Oregon
Health Policy Board and Ore-
gon Health Insurance Ex-
change Board workgroup.
Deadline for application is 4
p.m. tomorrow, Thursday,
March 22.
For information on how to
apply, go to http://governor.ore-
gon.gov/Gov/boards.shtml#
How_to_Apply.
Attendance was low at the recent
Johnson/Witt Town Hall
State Senator Betsy John-
son and Representative Brad
Witt held a Town Hall in Ver-
nonia on March 10. Though not
well attended, with only five cit-
izens and City Councilor Randy
Parrow present, the discussion
was lively and covered a vari-
ety of topics.
Starting with a short over-
view of the latest legislative
session, the first full session in
an even numbered year, they
discussed using last year’s
state budget holdback of
$340,000 to fill this year’s
budget in order to prevent ma-
jor cuts in programs or a large
release of prisoners. Other
business of this session includ-
ed help for struggling home-
owners, employment, unem-
ployment, underemployment
and a ban on discrimination
against the currently unem-
ployed.
They were very happy to
discuss the $4.5 million set
aside for schools, as $4 million
of that amount will come to Ver-
nonia as part of a grant/loan
package to help finish the new
school. Witt said, “While we did
this as a team, in the final
analysis, it took the goodwill of
all legislators to come out and
say ‘There will be a school for
these kids in 2012’.” Johnson
added, “As far as I’m con-
cerned, that’s the biggest deal
of the session, I think its a
measure of us, as Oregonians,
that this bill passed.”
Comments from the audi-
ence ranged from concerns
over removing senior citizens
property tax deferrals and the
effect on their home mort-
gages, to the need to get rural
status for Vernonia in order to
make it easier for healthcare
providers to locate here.
Page 5
Between the Bookends
by Nancy Burch, Librarian
Vernonia Public Library
As the featured items
on the library display
table recently changed
from those promoting
Columbia County Reads,
to others promoting Ver-
nonia’s
Community
Reads, patrons have
been a little confused.
Last fall, the Friends
of the Library applied for a grant from the Co-
lumbia County Cultural Coalition to expand Ver-
nonia’s Community Reads. The Cultural Coali-
tion, in partnership with Oregon Cultural Trust,
approved the grant request.
Matched by funds from the Friends of the
Vernonia Library, this grant allows events and/or
activities – for youngsters, young adults and
adults – that are associated with books chosen
for each age group. The new display features
this year’s selected books—The Rain Stomper
by Addie Boswell, The Hunger Games by
Suzanne Collins, and The Sky Fisherman by
Craig Lesley. Also on display are other books by
these authors, suggestions of similar
authors/subjects, and brochures listing the activ-
ities associated with each of the books. High-
lights of the events will be a discussion of The
Hunger Games on Thursday March 22 begin-
ning at 5:30 p.m., An interactive art activity relat-
ed to The Rain Stomper on April 10 at 3:30 p.m.,
and a visit by Craig Lesley on Saturday, April 14
at 4:00 p.m. All of these events are free and will
take place in the library. This will be Vernonia’s
Community Reads for 2012.
After the application had been made for this
grant, the Columbia County librarians decided to
have a Columbia County Reads. Books with
western themes were chosen for the county ac-
tivity, which recently culminated with a visit from
Below; only five community
members and one city coun-
cilor attended the March 10
Town Hall with Senator Betsy
Johnson and Representative
Brad Witt in Vernonia. There
are eight people sitting in the
audience, but one is from
this paper and another was
from Brad Witt’s office.
the author of Hearts of Horses, Molly Gloss. So,
this year, Vernonia residents will be participating
in two Reads. Your participation and input was
appreciated in the recently concluded events
and is encouraged in the current activities.
Appreciation is also expressed for those who
donated, organized, sold, and bought books at
the recent sale sponsored by the Friends of the
Library. This organization is instrumental in sup-
plementing library materials and services. Ex-
amples include the family pass to OMSI, annual
movie licensing, lodging and gas for authors,
books—especially for children, snacks for the
after-school program, the “tree” addition to the
children’s area, publicity and refreshments for
presentations held in the library, and other
needs as they arise. The next meeting of the
Friends of the Library will be Tuesday, April 3 at
6:30 p.m. in the library. New members and ideas
are always welcomed.
Library staff continues to try to provide mate-
rials by authors and on topics relevant to the in-
terests of the library patrons. New acquisitions
include Victim by Jonathan Kellerman, Cinna-
mon Roll Murder by Joanne Fluke, Bossy Pants
by Tina Fey, The Lorax by Theodor Seuss
Geisel, Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult, The Night
She Disappeared by April Henry, Bridge of Scar-
let Leaves by Kristina McMorris, Force of Nature
by C. J. Box, Stay Close by Harlan Coben, and
Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver. Recommenda-
tions from patrons are appreciated.
Book discussion will take place Monday,
March 26 at 5:30 with Hillary Jordan’s Mud-
bound, being discussed.
Vernonia Public Library: 701 Weed Avenue
Hours: Mon., Wed., Fri. 10 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Tues., Thu. 1:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Sat. 10 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Preschool Story Time: Mondays, 10:30 a.m
when school is in session.
Phone: 503-429-1818
Water rates set to go up in June
for all Vernonia customers
From page 1
$102.00 for all services.
The new water rates dis-
cussed after the many meet-
ings, then approved at the
March 19 city council meeting
will be based on water meter
size. Most residential and busi-
ness customers (835 of the to-
tal 874 users) have either 3/4
of 5/8 inch meters. Both of
those meter sizes will be billed
at $36.00 for the new base rate
and $4.25 for each 1,000 gal-
lons over the 2,000 included in
the base rate. For a home us-
ing 3,000 gallons of water, this
change will mean a bill of
$40.25 instead of the current
$36.25.
Users with larger meters will
pay a higher base rate, but will
get a larger allowance of water
included before the $4.25 con-
sumption rate kicks in. The
EDU (Equivalent Dwelling Unit)
system currently in place that
affected a few places, such as
the Vernonia Inn, and set a
base rate per room will be re-
moved.
Council directed City Admin-
istrator Bill Haack to work with
Tice to “develop a new water
rate” based on the $36 base
rate and $4.25 consumption
rate, with Councilor Donna
Webb voting against the new
rates. Council will put the new
rates in place and re-evaluate
them in one year. The new
rates will go into affect in June,
showing up on the billing due in
July.