Page 12
The INDEPENDENT, July 18, 2012
Clatsop razor clamming closed July 15
Chalk Talk
Chalk Talk is a column of information
about Vernonia schools. This column
was provided by Superintendent Dr.
Ken Cox.
I want to thank everyone who came out and helped on Tues-
day, July 10th, for the Big Move. We emptied all of the upstairs of
WGS by noon! It was a sight to see with so much going on. We
had students, parents, community volunteers, Intel volunteers
and twenty inmates from the South Fork Forest Camp, who were
a huge help. At one point there was a whole line of people lining
the fire escape stairs at the back of WGS passing boxes from
classrooms clear out to the waiting trucks. A special thanks to the
Vernonia Lions who made lunch for everyone down at Vernonia
Lake.
This day would not have been the success it was without the
efforts of so many individuals. I’d like to thank Mark Ellsworth of
the Governor’s Office who was able to arrange for the inmates to
come and help on both Tuesday and Wednesday, with some of
them even coming back on Thursday; and to Senator Betsy
Johnson, who helped the Lions serve lunch on a beautiful sunny
day. Thank you to Jeff Ely who arranged for the Intel group to be
here, to Dick Rider of AmSan and his two sons who brought out
a lift truck and moved pallets. A special thank you to Randy Par-
row of Sentry Market for arranging to keep the United Grocers
semitruck in town that day to help move pallets of boxes. And
thanks to Storage Too/U-Haul for their contribution of hand trucks
and dollies for the move and to all of you that brought personal
vehicles and trailers to help with our endeavor.
I would like to thank Barb Carr who worked for months helping
to organize and provide boxes and labels for the teachers and
staff to use to box everything up for the move. Due to her organ-
ization and the help and support of so many of our staff last week,
we were able to get over 90% of the furniture, boxes and equip-
ment up to the new school where it will be stored until we have
permission to occupy the building.
I appreciate living in a community where people are still willing
to lend a helping hand. Thank You!
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CORRECTION
The Vernonia Middle School
4th Quarter Honor Roll press
release, under President’s
Honors, 4.0, should have in-
cluded Annika Johnson.
Razor clamming closed
Sunday, July 15, on the Clat-
sop beaches for the annual
conservation closure to protect
newly-set young clams.
Since 1967 the Oregon De-
partment of Fish and Wildlife
has closed the 18 miles of
beaches in Clatsop County to
razor clam digging, while
young clams establish them-
selves on the beach during the
summer.
“We want to ensure that the
Clatsop beaches continue to
be productive for razor clam
harvesters,” said Matt Hunter,
ing for more than 90 percent of
the total harvest.
Digging for razor clams con-
tinues to be open on other
state beaches. Harvesting bay
clams is open as well. Mussel
harvesting is currently closed
from Tillamook Head south of
Seaside to Heceta Head in
Lane County due to elevated
levels of paralytic shellfish tox-
ins. For the latest shellfish
safety information call the
shellfish safety hotline, before
harvesting, at 1-800-448-2474.
Safely process foods to avoid botulism
The recent case of three
people sickened with botulism
from eating home-canned
beets in Central Oregon is a
good reminder that home-
canned foods can pose a seri-
ous health risk. The only way to
be sure that your home-canned
foods are safe to eat is to follow
USDA tested recipes for
preparing and processing.
The OSU Extension Service
in Columbia County offers in-
formation, classes, and re-
sources to help residents safe-
ly preserve foods from the gar-
den this summer. Here is a list
of services that the extension
service provides:
• Free Printed Publications
and Safe Canning Recipes
• Online Publications and
Recipes: http://extension.ore
gonstate.edu/fch/food-preser
vation.
• Free Pressure Canner
Gauge Testing
• Food Preservation and
Food Safety Hotline at 1-800-
354-7319 from 9:00 a.m. to
2:00 p.m., Monday through
Thursday, from July through
October.
They are also offering a se-
ries of hands-on canning class-
es this summer for both new
and experienced canners.
Classes cost $20 each. Some
scholarships are available.
Space is limited in these class-
es, so call today to reserve
your spot. Pre-registration is
required. All classes are held at
the First Lutheran Church
kitchen in St. Helens from 5:30
p.m. to 8:30 p.m..
• Canning Fruits & Pie Fill-
ings on July 25
• Pressure Canning Vegeta-
bles & Meats on August 8, and
• Canning Pickles, Tomatoes
& Salsas on August 22.
For more information about
the services OSU Extension
Service offers and to register
for classes, please call or visit
our office at OSU Extension
Service, Columbia County, 505
N. Columbia River Hwy, St. He-
lens, 503-397-3462.
Food Safety Hotline is now available to answer
your food preservation and canning questions
If you like to preserve the
bounty of your garden, but
have questions about doing it
safely, the OSU Extension Ser-
vice Food Safety/Preservation
Hotline has the answers you
need. Call 1-800-354-7319
from now to October 12, Mon-
days, Tuesdays, Thursdays,
and Fridays, from 9:00 a.m. to
4:00 p.m. and Wednesdays
from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. (exclud-
ing holidays).
Vernonia
Veterinary
Clinic
Formerly Midway Veterinary Clinic
Monday, Wednesday & Saturday
Mariolino’s
721 Madison Ave., Vernonia
503-429-5018
700 Weed Avenue
Vernonia
ODFW’s Shellfish and Phyto-
plankton Project Leader. “By
not disturbing the young razor
clams it increases the chance
of good recruitment.”
For many years the Clatsop
closure went from July 15 to
August 31. It was extended in
1997 to September 31.
This period is a busy one for
ODFW shellfish biologists who
conduct razor clam stock as-
sessments to determine the
health of the population.
The Clatsop beaches are
the most productive razor clam
beaches in the state, account-
Check out
Our Daily Breakfast
& Lunch Specials
We Have Wi Fi Access &
Air Conditioned Comfort
The hotline is staffed by
OSU Extension Master Food
Preserver volunteers and OSU
Extension staff.
Party to be held
for Eagle Scout
Vernonia Boy Scout Troop
201 is inviting those interested
to an Eagle Court of Honor on
behalf
of
Mason-James
Roberts. Roberts’ Eagle project
was done in cooperation with
the cemetery society and in-
cluded cataloging over 270
names in two pioneer cemeter-
ies, with submission to a ge-
nealogical library.
The Court will be held Tues-
day, July 31, starting at 7:00
p.m. at the Scout Cabin. It will
be a potluck dinner with drinks
and dessert provided.