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DECEMBER 2000

MESSAGE FROM THE MAYOR

The Year 2000 is nearing its end and will soon be a part of history. We are preparing for, and looking forward to, the Year 2001. In one way, it is somewhat unnerving to know we’ve reached the future referred to as "2001 – A Space Odyssey." We have accomplished many things and faced trials along the way. The future, to some degree, is still a mystery. With this transition of time, especially during the holiday season, I find myself reflecting on things to be thankful for and looking for meaningful gifts I can give to others.

I am thankful for the individuals I work with who have dedicated their time and talents to benefit the City. I appreciate my co-councilors, City staff, volunteers, friends and family. I love Columbia City and appreciate the opportunity to serve as Mayor. I have always tried to do my best and represent our citizens in a fair and equitable way, although I am sure I have stepped on a few toes along the way in performing my duties.

I am thankful for Councilor Harkins contributions during her term in office, especially our two City park projects she successfully completed. I look forward to working with Councilor-elect Marian Calnon. I am thankful Officer Tucker has returned safely to his family and us and welcome him back.

I am thankful that we are coming closer to fulfilling our long-time dream of a supplemental water source. I am thankful we were able to have a celebration this year. I appreciate our continuing association and partnership with Columbia City Grade School and am pleased we were able to help the library.

Space does not allow me to list everything, but I did want to offer my thanks to everyone who has helped Columbia City in any way. I also extend my best wishes for this holiday season. May you be blessed with good health, peace and happiness.

Cheryl A. Young, Mayor

SEVERAL NEW FACES ADDED TO CITY STAFF

We'd like to extend a warm welcome to the following new additions to our City staff:

Jeff Anderson was recently hired as a full-time Public Works Utility Worker. Jeff began working for the City in late October.

Jim Carlson was hired as a temporary part-time Police Officer. Officer Carlson is filling in during Officer Greisen's extended absence due to surgery.

Ed Popham joined us in October as a part-time Police Officer. Officer Popham is also a full-time Deputy with the Columbia County Sheriff's Office.

We are pleased to have these employees join our City staff.

COLUMBIA CITY ELECTION RESULTS

Columbia City had two City Council seats to fill during the General Election held on November 7th. Four candidates ran for the two positions, and the following votes were tallied and certified by the Columbia County Clerk:

                    Marian Calnon                    284

                    Don Cass                            255

                    M. Bridgett Harkins            224

                    Bill Guy                                462

We would like to extend a warm welcome to Marian Calnon, who will join us in January to begin a four-year term on the City Council. We also look forward to continuing to work with Councilor Guy who will serve his third four-year term on the City Council starting in January. Lastly, we would like to extend our sincere appreciation to Councilor Harkins for her past four years of dedicated service on the City Council.

CHRISTMAS FLEET

The 2000 Columbia River Fleet is scheduled to be at the St. Helens docks at 5:00 p.m. on December 16th. Estimated time of arrival in Columbia City is 5:15 p.m. The decorated boats may be viewed from Pixie Park and along the river, but please be respectful of the rights of private property owners.

COLUMBIA CITY BEGINS

COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND

URBAN GROWTH BOUNDARY REVIEW

Columbia City residents are asked to participate in a long-range planning process. Residents will soon be asked how the City should grow over the next twenty years. The answers will determine whether or not there is a need to increase the size of the Columbia City urban growth boundary.

Using a combination of local funds and a grant from the State of Oregon, the City is evaluating its long-range land use plan for compliance with Statewide Planning Goals. The objective is to develop a revised land use plan by the end of June 2001. The project includes a technical evaluation of buildable land that is currently available inside the urban growth boundary and how much land is needed for housing, commercial, and industrial uses over the next twenty years. The process will also include a public "Visioning Workshop." The workshop will provide an opportunity for citizens to ask questions about development trends and to express their opinion about how the City should develop in the future.

The study is being conducted by Cogan Owens Cogan, LLC of Portland. Working with the consultant team is a Citizen Advisory Committee whose role will be to review the analysis and help the consultants develop alternatives for public review. The advisory committee will begin meeting in December.

The Visioning Workshop will occur in mid-January. The date will be announced in future public notices. At the workshop, participants will learn how much land is inside the City's existing urban growth boundary and how it might be developed. Citizens will be asked to help design what the community should look like in the future through a series of goal setting and visual planning exercises. The consultants will also work with local schools as part of the visioning process.

When asked how much buildable land is available, City Planner Jim Holycross said, "Under current rules, determining the buildable land supply is part art and part science. Adding up the acres is the science part. Deciding the kind of growth we want for our community is where the art comes in and where the public will have a role in deciding how and when we might expand the urban growth boundary."

Another big question looming over the City is the effect of Ballot Measure 7 on the plan. The ballot measure requires that compensation be paid to property owners whose property values are reduced by state and local government regulations. The measure may change the notion of an urban growth boundary. "Regardless of what the courts decide about Measure 7, we still need to plan for the City's future, so we are going to proceed with the study," said City Administrator/Recorder Leahnette Rivers.

For more information about the planning project, contact Leahnette Rivers at the City Hall, (503) 397-4010. Future public notices relating to this project will be sent to the local news media, posted on bulletin boards within Columbia City, posted on the City's Web site at www.columbia-center.org/colcity/, and e-mailed to interested citizens upon request.

COMMUNITY LIBRARY ACTIVITIES

On December 9th the Columbia City School/Community Library will present "Wrap It Up," a unique and stylish way to wrap special gifts. The demonstration is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and will teach bow making and creative trimmings. You will also make your own handmade paper gift tags.

The Library will also offer bedtime stories at 7 p.m. on the first Monday of each month, read by special guests. The next guest reader will be Cindy Tiller of the Kiwanis Club, scheduled for December 4th. Pajamas may be worn, and teddy bears and other special friends are encouraged to attend!

Library hours are Monday and Wednesday, 4 to 8 p.m. and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

PLANNING COMMISSION NEWS

The Planning Commission recently approved a lottery sign for CJ's Grocery and Gas.

There will be one vacancy on the Planning Commission beginning in January. A Planning Commissioner serves a term of four years, and meetings are held the second Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. Serving on the Planning Commission is an excellent way to be involved with the City and your community. Members must reside within the City or the City's urban growth boundary. Anyone interested in serving on the Planning Commission should contact City Hall.

GREAT OPPORUNITY FOR NEW MEMBERSHIP TO THE SPORTS CENTER!

The City will accept sealed bids for the purchase of a new one-year family membership to the Columbia City Sports and Recreation Club. The membership is valued at $780.00. The Sports and Recreation Club donated this membership to the City to sell during the auction at the recent Columbia City Celebration. However, we had no takers in the audience during the auction. All proceeds from the sale of this membership will be used to staff the Columbia City School/Community Library.

Join the Sports Club! Submit your sealed bid today! Sealed bids must be received at City Hall no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, December 29, 2000. Minimum bid: $350.00.

THANK YOU FOR CONSERVING WATER

The Mayor, City Council and City staff would like to thank all of the Columbia City water users who observed the odd/even watering days and made other efforts to conserve water usage. The valve at the intersection Second and "E" Streets was closed in September, and our water meets all required treatment regulations. We appreciate everyone’s efforts to help with the water situation this year, and thank you for your patience and understanding. The City is working diligently to improve the water system in order to avoid mandatory conservation measures in the future.

POWER OUTAGES

What to do if your power goes out:

Most power outages last only about an hour, but it pays to be prepared for a longer period of time. Make an emergency kit now and keep it in a convenient spot:

Around the house:

Staying warm:

In the car:

Keep the gas tank full and include:

PLEASE FOLLOW PROPER

OPEN BURNING RULES

Improper burning techniques can cause a great amount of discomfort for your neighbors. Please be respectful of your neighbor's quality of life and the environment and carefully follow these basic rules for proper open burning:

To report open burning violations, contact the St. Helens Fire Department at (503) 397-2990.

THANK YOU!

QWEST "BUSY SIGNAL" FEATURE CAN BE REMOVED

In the last newsletter, we printed an article regarding the Qwest busy signal message, "The line is busy. For an additional 75 cents, Qwest can keep dialing this number and call you back when the line is no longer busy. Press...."

The number to remove this "feature" from your telephone line is the Qwest residential repair at 1-800-573-1311. Several residents reported that this number was incorrect. After calling the number, we were told the number was correct, or you could call the repair number for residences 1-800-244-1111. You are requesting a new service to deny the continuous redial feature. It will take approximately three business days to complete. If you are dialing the first number, be prepared to select from a menu of options before you can talk to a person.

CANDLE SAFETY

OREGON VETERANS' HOME

RESIDENT OF THE MONTH - BILL BEEMAN

Written by Penny Deurwaarder, Volunteer Coordinator at the Oregon Veterans’ Home in The Dalles:

Just ask, and Bill Beeman will tell you he never met a person he didn’t like. It is apparent to the staff, residents, and visitors that Bill is a very friendly fellow and has become a welcome addition to the Oregon Veterans’ Home. Bill came to the Home in January of 2000 from Columbia City, Oregon, where he still owns a home.

Bill was born in Hornby, Pennsylvania, on May 25, 1919. He was born in the same house as his father on the family farm and had two brothers and three sisters. Growing up on the farm, he became an expert at milking cows and everyone knew about his skill. At the tender age of 11, Bill left his home and became a working boy, milking cows for various farmers. He eventually moved back with his family when they moved to North East, PA, where he graduated from high school.

Bill was drafted into the Army, and after basic training he was shipped to Whitehorse in the Yukon Territory, where he spent the next 39 months. Bill was involved with the construction of the Alaska-Canadian Highway, better known as the Alcan Highway. He ran heavy equipment and eventually reached the rank of Tech Sergeant and was giving the orders. Bill also provided "safe driver" classes to those who would be driving on the Alcan Highway. As he would put it, "not bad for a farm boy." He also met the love of his life in Whitehorse. She served him coffee, and that was all it took to capture his heart.

Bill and Zoanna were married for 42 years and had one daughter and one son. He also has six grandchildren. For most of his working career, Bill was involved in construction of one kind or another. He eventually retired as an Operations Engineer. Since moving to the Oregon Veterans’ Home, Bill has been active in the outings, visiting with other residents and playing bingo and cards. So, if you are in the area, stop by and visit with Bill, as he has some very interesting stories and is glad to tell them.

Note: The City staff misses Bill’s visits and we're glad he is doing well in his new home.

SHOPPING SAFELY WITH YOUR CHILD

No matter how watchful and careful we are, there are times when children can get distracted, wander off, or accidentally get separated from us while shopping. The best thing to do is to make sure your children know what to do if they should get lost.

The next time you and your child go shopping, make a game of seeing how many people you can find who work at a store. Have your child look for name badges and people behind counters and cash registers.

Try role-playing: Pretend you are the child who gets lost and let your child be the parent. Have your child tell you what you should do if you get lost at the mall.

RASH OF VANDALISM AND

THEFTS FROM VEHICLES

Columbia City Police Officers have responded to an unusually high number of thefts from vehicles and vandalism problems in the northern part of the City. Chief Reedy recommends residents lock their parked cars, avoid storing valuables in parked cars, and park cars in lighted areas whenever possible. Residents are asked to take extra precautions to avoid becoming the victim of a theft, and to please immediately report any suspicious activity.

HOLIDAY SAFETY TIPS

Christmas trees: Purchase fresh trees that have not begun dropping needles. Water the tree often. Dispose of the tree as soon as possible after the holidays. Keep all heating sources away from the tree.

Lights: Make sure all lights are UL approved. Make sure you have good connections at all outlets. Make sure cords are in good shape.

Never dispose of Christmas trees or wrapping paper in your woodstove. Make sure your home has working smoke detectors outside of each sleeping area and on each level. Have a home escape plan for your family and practice it.

YOU CAN'T HAVE YOUR CANDY AND EAT IT TOO!

The following article appeared in the November 2000 issue of the Local Focus, a newsletter prepared by the League of Oregon Cities. It was written by Christy Monson of the League staff.

Having been on staff for about a month, I volunteered to visit Mrs. Gutierrez’s and Mrs. Martinez’s second grade classes at Kennedy Elementary School in Keizer to talk to them about cities and governance. Knowing that the intricacies of wastewater management and municipal law can barely keep the interest of even the most well-meaning and well-educated legislator, I focused on presenting two ideas to these students: 1) What is a city? and 2) What is democracy and how does it affect you?

In order to talk about the first idea, we first discussed what the kids believed a city was. And just like some of our well-seasoned city planners, the kids focused their attention on...you guessed it...roads. To them, a city was the network of roads which connected their houses to each other. We then expanded their ideas of a city a little bit by talking about stores, water, libraries, houses and schools.

Having established this framework, I moved on to discussing how city decisions are made. In order to allow the children to experience the true effects of their decisions, we created a fictitious city in our little classroom. And in true Oregonian spirit, their first lesson was in direct democracy – they voted on a name for their new city. Thus, our classroom city was dubbed "Oregonia." (The fact that I was the one who initially suggested this name could have improperly influenced some of our voters, but I prefer to think that they were more independent-minded than that. However, I wonder now if I should have been off the clock during this discussion.)

Having established a city, we now needed some issues upon which we could vote. Mrs. Gutierrez assisted me in creating the proper incentives for class participation in this exercise by providing the students with a choice: they could vote to have either an extra five minutes of recess or a piece of Jolly Rancher candy. As our own city councilors know, these types of win-win situations can sometimes be the most difficult decisions to make. The constituents were keenly interested and somewhat divided: 70 percent of them wanted the Jolly Rancher, about 20 percent wanted the recess, and a forlorn looking group in the middle of the classroom were the 10 percent undecided. However, this lesson was in representative democracy and we needed some city councilors.

After hearing the stump speeches (all of which, interestingly enough, focused on the issues, were positive, and truthful!!), the class voted for three fine students. The citizen-students then had a chance to talk to the group and argue for their point of view at Oregonia’s first council meeting. Their comments were hard-hitting and persuasive: arguments against the evils of sugar were countered by arguments that our constituents may fall down and get hurt during those last five dangerous minutes of recess. A teacher’s aid offered expert testimony before our esteemed council that, in her opinion, some of the students may not be able to resist opening their candy until after school and would then be subject to appropriate disciplinary measures.

In the end, the vote came down to a lone council member who, despite intense public opinion and pressure, chose to vote her conscience. With 70 percent of her hungry constituents standing on one side of the room lobbying for the candy, she allowed her concern for their dental welfare to dominate and voted for the recess. (The dentist’s lobby claims it had no influence in this vote. Our city constituents, however, remained skeptical and disappointed.)

In fact, Oregonia’s collective resentment of their city council was palpable and their distrust of representative government, I feared, growing by the minute. That sparkling, colorful candy jar stood on the teacher’s desk and fueled their resentment – an unattainable entitlement thwarted by government once again.

What was I to do? How was I to sing the praises of democracy and representative government now? Was I in the midst of creating, somewhere in my impressionable young audience, a burgeoning Bill Sizemore? In the end, I did what all true democrats (with a small "d") do: I told the children that they, too, could run for office! Backing out of the room, waving and saying my good-byes to the dismayed and candyless second graders, I thought that I would leave the discussion on campaign finance reform for another day.

PROTECT YOURSELF THIS HOLIDAY SEASON!

When shopping, cover items left in your vehicle from prior purchases and hang onto your purse or wallet – never leave valuables in a shopping cart while shopping. When walking to or from your car, be aware of your surroundings. Be alert and look around – do not give anyone an opportunity to follow you. Try to park under or near street lamps and avoid parking in poorly lit areas.

When leaving your home for any reason, make it look like someone is still inside – leave on a few lights or maybe even a television or radio. If you’re going on vacation or leaving for an extended period of time, tell a trusted neighbor when you will be gone and when you will return. Be suspicious! If someone or something doesn’t look right to you, call the police.

POLICE LOG

(September 16 through November 15, 2000)

9/16 Alarm at residence on Sixth Street. Front door found unlocked. House checked and secured.

9/16 Resident reported receiving harassing phone calls. Investigation pending.

9/18 Barking dog complaint - "I" Street area. Owners contacted.

9/19 Bicycle found on School grounds.

9/22 Abandoned vehicle - 1500 block of Third. Owner contacted and will remove it.

9/22 Report of abandoned vehicle near Fifth and "I" - unable to locate.

9/22 Barking dog complaint - Fifth and "I" Street area. Owners contacted.

9/22 Report of speeding vehicle on Tahoma Street - vehicle found but unable to locate driver.

9/24 Report of wanted subject 1500 block of Fourth - unable to locate.

9/25 Burglary - Fourth Street area. Son broke into home and took rifle. Son has warrants outstanding. Investigation pending.

9/25 Attempted theft - resident reported that someone had tried to steal his vehicle. Unknown person had taken the steering column apart.

9/26 Stolen property - cell phone stolen from vehicle. Investigation pending.

9/26 Civil problem - dispute over vehicles. Threats were made. Kept the peace and advised that the issue was civil.

9/26 Request for extra patrol by citizen concerned that grandson would break into house.

9/29 Bicycle found.

10/2 Bicycle found.

10/3 Domestic dispute Park Drive area.

10/4 Loose dog found at CJ's Grocery and Gas - black lab mix taken to pound.

10/5 Agency assist - assisted St. Helens Police Department (SHPD) on restraining order violation and warrant arrest.

10/5 Agency assist - assisted SHPD on warrant arrest of a dangerous subject with a gun.

10/6 Abandoned vehicle on Highway 30 near "A" Street - vehicle tagged and owner notified.

10/10 Noise complaint on Spinnaker Way - unable to locate.

10/11 Reported speeding on Tahoma Street and occupants being disrespectful after being told to slow down - white Mercury Sable and brown Ford pickup.

10/16 Dog complaint - ongoing problem with dogs running at large on Tahoma Street. Situation taken care of through the court system.

10/16 Dog at large in area of Ninth Street.

10/16 Burglary in Park Drive area. After reporting incident, suspect was identified and problem taken care of.

10/18 Vehicle impounded after traffic stop due to suspended driver - vehicle towed and impounded.

10/21 Agency assist - assisted SHPD looking for suspect on foot pursuit - suspect was caught.

10/22 Agency assist - assisted SHPD on possible DUII at Chimes Crest.

10/23 Noise complaint - report of 6 gun shots fired in area of Highway 30 and "E" Street - found to be a vehicle that was backfiring.

10/24 Arrest - subject stopped and arrested on probation violation as ordered by St. Helens judge.

10/26 Complaint of loose dog in Third Street area. Unable to locate.

10/26 Local citizen contacted in regards to a civil problem.

10/27 Criminal mischief - resident on Tahoma Street reported having screen door slashed during the night.

11/01 Loose dog complaint. Owners contacted and problem taken care of.

11/02 Two thefts from vehicles reported in the 2000 block of Sixth Street.

11/3 Resident reported receiving harassing telephone calls - suspect is known.

11/7 Trespassing - subject reported trespassing in 1800 block of First Street. Suspect later apprehended and charged with two counts of criminal trespass, three counts of criminal mischief II, harassment, and menacing. Same subject also involved in phone harassment incident of 11/3.

11/9 Theft from vehicle - tools stolen from vehicle in 1800 block of Sixth Street during the night.

11/10 Hazard - report of someone rolling tires down hills into local resident yards. No damage reported to date; tires still have wheels in them.

11/10 Theft from vehicle - report of purses stolen from vehicle on Pacific Street.

11/10 Identity theft - local citizen reported someone using her name and Social Security Number to obtain credit cards.

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