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.