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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (June 6, 2012)
Page 4 The INDEPENDENT, June 6, 2012 EPA awards $200k for Vernonia Brownfield cleanup SEATTLE – State and local governments in Oregon will re- ceive over $2.1 million in EPA Brownfields funding to help breathe new life into contami- nated properties and revitalize former industrial sites. EPA Brownfields Grants fund site assessments and site cleanups, supporting local ef- forts to clean up contamination or otherwise make land use- able for housing, community space or commercial develop- ment. EPA also provides often cash-strapped communities a much-needed boost to bring abandoned lands back into productive use. City of Vernonia will receive a $200,000 Community-wide Assessment grant which will be used to inventory Brownfield sites throughout the city, per- form environmental site as- sessments, and conduct com- munity outreach. Contact: William Haack, 503-429-5291. City of Eugene will receive a $680,200 Brownfields As- sessment Coalition grant that will be used to establish a coalition with the City of Spring- field and Lane County to devel- op a Brownfields inventory and conduct environmental site as- sessments within their three ju- risdictions. Northeast Oregon Economic Development District will re- ceive a $400,000 Community- wide Assessment Grant to in- ventory and prioritize brown- field sites and conduct environ- mental site assessments on properties located throughout Baker, Union, and Wallowa Counties in northeastern Ore- gon. This project will include community outreach and cleanup planning activities. City of Troutdale will receive a $200,000 grant to perform an environmental site assessment and conduct community out- reach and cleanup planning ac- tivities at the Troutdale River- front Redevelopment property at 302 NW 257th Way. The site, which sits on the bank of the Sandy River, operated as a slaughterhouse and rendering plant from 1901 to the late 1960s. See list of all awarded Brownfields grants by state: http://cfpub.epa.gov/bf_fact- sheets/ Job hunt harder for older workers by Chris Thomas, Oregon News Service PENDLETON, Ore. – A new report from the General Ac- counting Office (GAO) focuses on the challenges of job-hunt- ing for people over age 55, and how longer periods of unem- ployment and lower wages upon re-employment affect old- er workers’ retirement security. Its findings aren’t surprising to Scot Jacobsen, who directs the Pendleton-based Senior Community Service Employ- ment Program for Morrow and Umatilla counties. He says part of his job is to help rebuild the confidence of older workers who have been discouraged by their job-hunt, “They feel worth- less. It’s interesting, because when we go back over their re- sumes, they’re very impres- sive. A lot of times, they forget all the good things they’ve done over the years. We take those skills, try to sharpen ‘em up and send ‘em back out there.” Companies are reluctant to hire people over 55, the report says, because employers as- sume their health insurance costs will rise and that older See Hunt on page 17 Jobs rate stays flat in county Columbia County’s season- ally adjusted unemployment rate was 9.4 percent in April, essentially unchanged from the previous month (9.3%), but lower than the year before (10.4%). The rate was higher than the statewide rate (8.5%) and the national rate (8.1%). Total employment rose by 121 to 22,529 and the number of unemployed people fell by 194 to 2,349. Total employment this April was 260 more than one year before and there were 151 fewer people unemployed this year. The Portland metro area’s seasonally adjusted unemploy- ment rate was 7.9 percent in April. 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., WGS 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 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 Comm. Learning Center 1st Wednesday 5:00 p.m., VCLC 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 Library Board 1st Wednesday 9:00 a.m., Sept-June, Library 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. 3rd 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 7:30 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. 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.