JUNE 2001 NEWSLETTER

ROSE FESTIVAL SHIPS

The Canadian and Coast Guard ships will sail by the City on June 6th and are estimated to arrive around noon. The Navy ships are estimated to arrive in Columbia City the following day, June 7th, between 10:00 a.m. and noon. Traditionally, the DAR members have celebrated the Rose Festival Ships with a Fleet Day lunch of hot dogs, chips, drinks and desserts. Because of illness, it is uncertain if the DAR members will be able to prepare for Fleet Day. If you are planning to watch the ships, stop by the Knapp Social Center to see if there is activity and, if so, have lunch!

We have two street projects planned in June that will require temporary street closures and traffic detours. We apologize for any inconvenience these projects may cause you, and thank you for your patience and cooperation. Please watch for detour signs to reduce the inconvenience these projects may cause you, and contact City Hall for a schedule update or additional details.

Sixth Street Seal Coating: The portion of Sixth Street between "A" and Calvin Streets will be seal coated in June. This project will be completed in two sections. The following is a tentative schedule for the Sixth Street work:

• June 4th: Sixth Street between "A" and Penn Streets may be closed.

• June 5th: Sixth Street between Penn and Calvin Street may be closed.

Please note that this work can only be performed in warm weather. Therefore, this schedule is subject to change.

Fifth and "J" Street Reconstruction: Reconstruction of the corner of Fifth and "J" Streets will be completed. During the project, all through traffic will be detoured to "E" Street. However, local access will be provided to residents on "I" and Fifth Streets. Specific construction dates for this project are not available at this time.

CITY COUNCIL NEWS

City Council public hearings - June 7th at 7:30 p.m.:

• Public hearing to discuss the proposed use of State Revenue Sharing during the 2001-02 budget year.

• Public hearing to discuss the budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2001 as approved by the Columbia City Budget Committee.

• Public hearing to discuss the imposition of an "in lieu of franchise fees" on the water and sewer enterprise operations.

City Council public hearings - June 21st at 7:30 p.m.:

• Public hearing to gather testimony relating to a proposed structural and mechanical permit fee increase, and a proposal to adopt the current ICBO valuation schedule for structures.

A joint meeting of the Planning Commission and the Citizen Advisory Committee was held in April to review the draft Vision Statement, draft Guiding Principles, and draft Buildable Lands Inventory and Needs Analysis as prepared by land use planners with the planning consulting firm, Cogan Owens Cogan, LLC. During the meeting, results from the Community Visioning Workshop, were discussed. The meeting was well attended by many interested citizens, including representatives from the Port of St. Helens and Port property tenants.

In May, the final draft Buildable Lands Inventory and Needs Analysis was presented to the Planning Commission. The report provides options for addressing the land needs for the City during the next 20-year planning period. The options include adding land to the Urban Growth Boundary, increasing residential density, redeveloping existing land within the City, changing the population forecast, and a combination of some or all of the options.

The draft Vision Statement, Guiding Principles, and a summary of the Buildable Lands Inventory and Needs Analysis are available on the City's web site. All of these documents, including a copy of the Building Lands Inventory and Needs Analysis, are available for public inspection at the City Hall. This project was funded in part by a grant from the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development.

The next steps in this long range planning process consist of the adoption of the Buildable Lands Inventory and Needs Analysis by the Planning Commission and City Council as a policy document, and the identification and selection of the preferred alternative for meeting the City's land needs. The City will proceed with applying for another grant to revise the Comprehensive Plan, Development Code, and Urban Growth Boundary this summer.

The City completed drawdown testing for the new groundwater well located at Ninth and "K" Streets. Preliminary reports indicate that the well is capable of producing 220 gallons per minute. The City is currently in the process of completing the required water quality tests in order to use the water in a public water system. We are also investigating how to temporarily connect the well to our water system to supplement our water supply from St. Helens during the hot summer months. We are making every effort to avoid instituting mandatory water conservation measures this summer!

As you start up your sprinklers, it’s an ideal time to do a little inspection and maintenance of your irrigation system. Following are a few items to check:

• Make sure sprinkler heads aren’t choked by grass or obstructed by vegetation, including branches that block spray patterns. If you have a spray system in a mature shrub area, it may be difficult to clear all obstructions. If so, consider converting that area to drip irrigation.

• Confirm sprinklers are spraying the right distance and direction. Making a few simple adjustments can significantly improve the effectiveness of your irrigation, as well as preventing water damage to areas not intended to be irrigated.

• Verify that drip emitters are still functioning properly. If emitters and tubing are difficult to locate, run the system for awhile. Then look or feel for wet spots around plants. Uncover buried emitters and/or ends of tubing. They will be easier to find in the future and won’t be as likely to become clogged.

• If plants have grown much since drip emitters were installed, consider increasing the number and/or size of emitters to serve the larger plants. If you currently only have one emitter per plant, adding emitters can also be beneficial by better distributing water around the root zone, along with reducing the chance of a plant dying due to a single clogged emitter.

• Clean out filters. You may not even be aware that you have a filter, but a properly installed drip system will have a wye filter, and other systems may as well. While regular cleaning of filters is more important if the water source is untreated irrigation water, occasionally cleaning filters is a good idea.

• Many irrigation controllers have battery backups to keep irrigation programs from being lost during power outages. Regular batteries generally should be changed yearly, while rechargeable batteries may last up to three years.

• Set an irrigation schedule that is appropriate for the time of year. And encourage deep rooting by not watering too frequently, but using multiple short cycles.

During the summer, each of us uses about 250 gallons of water daily - that's more than twice what we use in the winter. Research suggests much of that extra use is simply wasted. Water conservation today saves you money on your next water bill, reduces the cost for developing new supplies, and leaves more water in the rivers for fish and habitat. When the heat of summer is upon us, we tend to water our yards and lawns more frequently. With increased outdoor water usage comes an increased water bill. Here are a few tips to help you conserve water outdoors.

• When landscaping, choose plants that are low-water users.

• Consider replacing turf with ground covers such as junipers or heathers.

• Group high-water plants and water them together by area.

• Avoid oscillating sprinklers - they tend to over-water at the ends when they reverse direction. Instead, choose a good stationary sprinkler or soil soaker that will water a large area evenly.

• Check hoses for leaks and replace washers in hose connectors.

• Keep your lawn in good shape. Keep weeds down as they rob your lawn and plants of nutrients and water.

• Mow you lawn regularly to the height recommended for the type of grass you have. Leave the clippings on the lawn as mulch if they aren't thick and matted.

• Cultivate the soil in planted beds regularly so water can penetrate and develop a good root system.

• Use mulch in rows and around plants to maintain moisture.

• It's better to water about once a week and provide 1 to 1-1/2 inches of water.

• Water before 10:00 a.m. Watering in the heat of the day allows the water to evaporate and watering late in the day may promote fungus and other lawn diseases.

Down By The Riverside: Thanks to our volunteers, Harvard Anderson, John Burdett, Jim and Sandy Bundy, Monica Cannon, Steve and Betsy Conklin, Jeff and JoAnn Hughes, and Dede Jensen, the "Down By The Riverside" project was a great success! Volunteers gathered at Pixie Park on Saturday, May 19th, and removed approximately 25 pounds of trash and 2,000 pounds of blackberries, weeds and other debris from Pixie Park. The project was made possible with a grant from SOLV, a non-profit agency working to preserve this treasure called Oregon. We'd like to extend a very special thank you to everyone who donated their time to this project.

Spring Cleanup: The City's annual "Spring Clean-Up" was a huge success, thanks to our sponsors and volunteers! The site was manned by members of the Kiwanis Club (Steve Reed, Jay and Lyn Tappan, Finos Lunsford, Bill Mallory, Cindy Stockton and her husband Jeremy), citizen volunteers Richard Ziglinski and Buddy Rivers, and City staff. Deputy Reeves of the Columbia County Sheriff's Office also provided us with two community service workers, and Jason Hudson from Hudson Garbage and Dave Huber from Waste Management also assisted us throughout the day. Special thanks to all of our sponsors for making this community event possible:

• Hudson Garbage

• Waste Management

• Les Schwab Tire Center

• Columbia County

• St. Helens Kiwanis Club

• Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP)

• Beaver Bark

• Columbia City Grade School

• Stan's Refrigeration and Appliance Service

• Columbia County Sheriff's Office

To report violations, please contact City Hall at (503) 397-4010 with the address of the property.

Summer hours - June 18th - September 1st:

Monday 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Wednesday 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

June 4th: Dave Carn will read a bedtime story.

June 18th: Registration for the reading program. Children (ages 3 to 12) will set a reading goal, collect stamps for books read and enter a prize drawing with each checkout. When the goal has been met, the child will receive a certificate and an invitation to an ice cream party.

June 18th: Friends of the Library Meeting at 7:00 p.m.

Storybook parties are scheduled for 10:30 a.m. on:

• June 25th: Clifford, The Big Red Dog

• July 9th: Amelia Bedelia

• July 23rd: The Magic School Bus: In The Time of the Dinosaurs

• August 6th: Where the Wild Things Are

• August 20th: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Parties include a story and a craft. A $2.00 donation per child is being requested to cover the cost of supplies. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Alice Barchus, Laura Flynn, Helen Sandstrom, Phyllis Rowley, Amy West and Claudia Yoes helped with the December newsletter and utility billings.

Rosin and Cameron Ebrahimi, Bailey and Frank Harkins, and Jentzy and Zachary Jennings helped cleanup Harvard Park by picking up litter.

Dick Simpson provided a delicious cherry pie for City staff.

There are currently vacancies on the Street and the Water Committees. If you are interested in serving, please stop by or call City Hall to make arrangements to fill out an application. The City Council will appoint volunteers to these vacancies.

Sally Ann Marson has been appointed to fill the vacancy on the Budget Committee. Her willingness to volunteer is appreciated. Thank you Sally and welcome!

Report bee swarms to City Hall and we will arrange for someone to take care of them.

The house at 2040 The Strand has changed little really from what it was in 1871 when it was built. Its history, though, is rich and full, and even though I haven’t been inside, I’m sure the walls resound with the lives of the people who have occupied it since then. I always marvel at those panes of glass still moving and rippled after all these years.

The picture I have of it, taken in the late 1880s, shows it perched on the riverbank as so many of our "Riverview" houses of today do. Along with a covered porch, the only difference I see in this picture is an open stairway built on its north side leading to the top floor where the family of the storekeepers lived. You see, the house was built initially as a store selling groceries to the townsfolk and with its own boat dock, the only one in Columbia City, a stopping place for steamships and others to refuel with the "cordwood" sold there. By 1891, the building was also used as a Post Office.

It had several owners before being bought by Elijah McVey, J.D. Wharton and E.M. Wharton, and in about 1890, was owned entirely by McVey, because there apparently was not enough business for them all to share. In the writings here at the Caples House, McVey’s expenses and profits in 1892 are stated, "paid 75 cents a cord for wood, 60 cents for hauling it and sold it at $2.25 per cord. 32# sack of flour sold for $1.30, 7½# of sugar for 50 cents, eggs 25 cents a dozen, and bacon 12½ cents a pound."

Elijah McVey owned the store until 1916, when he sold the inventory to Herbert Wharton and kept the building, which became the home of his son, John McVey.

Using that inventory, Wharton built a new store and renamed it Columbia City Grocery and Post Office. He ran it until 1924, when it was sold to William P. Maclay and his daughter, Nora. In about 1939, it was moved to its present location.

The Wharton and McVey families were related by marriage to the founders of Columbia City, Joseph Caples and his sons, Dr. Charles G. Caples and Hezikiah Caples.

I hope you’re enjoying these glimpses into Columbia City’s past as much as I enjoy bringing them to you. I would love to hear about your historic home. Have a great summer! Until next time....

The City will celebrate its 75th anniversary of incorporation during the Annual Columbia City Celebration on Saturday, September 8, 2001. The following is a tentative Celebration schedule:

This year the parade will feature a special lawn mower contest category. Make plans now to decorate your lawn mower for the parade, and win a local gift certificate!

Booth and parade registration forms are currently available at the City Hall. Please join us for this special Celebration!

Cancel all credit cards. Have the toll-free numbers and credit card numbers handy so you know whom to call.

File a Police report immediately in the jurisdiction where the purse or wallet was stolen. This proves to credit providers you were diligent.

Call the three national credit-reporting organizations and Social Security fraud line immediately to place a fraud alert on your name and social security number. The alert means any company that checks your credit knows your information was stolen and they have to contact you by phone to authorize new credit. The numbers are:

• Equifax 1-800-525-6285

• Experian (formerly TRW) 1-800-301-7195

• Trans Union 1-800-680-7289

• Social Security Fraud Line 1-800-269-0271

03/16 Window shot out in garage door at a residence on Park Drive.

03/16 Harassment reported on Second Street.

03/17 Animal complaint by anonymous caller in the 1400 block of Fourth Street.

03/19 Found property in area of "E" Street and The Strand; returned to owner.

03/20 Dog Complaint in 2000 block of Third Street.

03/20 Assisted County Animal Control Officer.

03/20 Assisted Sheriff’s Office on call.

03/20 Assisted Oregon State Police on call.

03/21 Citizen assist in area of Park and Sixth Street.

03/21 Assisted Parole and Probation Department on arrest for probation violation.

03/22 Motor vehicle accident at Highway 30 and the trestle involving semi-truck and deer.

03/23 Animal complaint in 300 block of Spinnaker Way.

03/23 Possible sex abuse. Investigation ongoing.

03/23 Dog at large. Brown and white boxer loose in the 400 block of "L" Street.

03/23 Motor vehicle accident involving log truck and train at Dixieline Lumber entrance.

03/23 Dog at large again in the 400 block of "L" Street.

03/23 Missing child from 1700 block of Seventh Street. Found in St. Helens.

03/23 Ordinance violation in the 800 block of "I" Street.

03/24 Traffic complaint of drunk driver; unable to locate.

03/26 Alarm checked at the Four Square Church on Second Street. Member of church set off alarm.

03/26 Dog complaint. Check on condition of dog in the 1600 block of Fourth Street. Found okay.

03/26 Citizen assisted in the area of Highway 30 and Pacific Street.

03/29 Male subject arrested for probation violation in the area of Highway 30 and "L" Street.

03/31 Suspicious persons contacted in the area of Second and "I" Streets.

03/31 Suspicious vehicle in the area of CJ’s Market. Parked late at night with nobody around. Business checked and found okay.

03/31 Suspicious vehicle parked in the parking lot of the Racquetball Club late at night with nobody around. Business checked and found okay.

03/31 Assisted Sheriff’s Office on call.

04/02 Traffic hazard at Highway 30 and "A" Street.

04/02 Abandoned vehicle at Highway 30 and "A" Street.

04/06 Animal complaint at The Strand and "F" Street.

04/07 Debris found in the roadway creating a hazard near 300 block of "A" Street.

04/10 Citizen assist at Highway 30 and "L" Street.

04/10 Traffic complaint on Sixth Street.

04/11 Attempted burglary reported; address unavailable.

04/11 Vandalism reported at "A" Street and Highway 30.

04/11 Second report of vandalism at "A" Street and Highway 30. Appears to be related to previous entry.

04/11 Loose dog found and returned to owner.

04/12 Report of three girls and two boys harassing other kids at Harvard Park. Kids were throwing rocks at, pushing around and intimidating other kids.

04/12 Animal Complaint in 1500 block of Second Street.

04/13 Assisted St. Helens Police on a call.

04/17 Assisted a citizen in the area of Smith Road.

04/18 Assisted a citizen in the 600 block of "A" Street.

04/18 Vehicle impounded after a traffic stop.

04/18 Assisted Sheriff’s Office on a call.

04/18 Juvenile problem in 1800 block of Sixth Street.

04/18 Citizen assist at "B" and Sixth Streets.

04/19 Traffic complaint at Highway 30 and Pacific Street.

04/19 Attempt to locate an elderly male missing from outside the City. Man was found in St. Helens.

04/19 Disabled vehicle in 200 block of "L" Street.

04/20 Domestic dispute in 1500 block of Third Street.

04/20 Dispute in 2000 block of First Street.

04/20 Animal neglect reported in 2500 block of Sixth Street. Checked okay.

04/20 Noise complaint in area of Tahoma Court. No noise found.

04/20 Traffic complaint in 3500 block of Tahoma Street.

04/21 Complaint of skateboard ramps being placed in the alleyway between Franklin and Penn Streets.

04/21 Noise complaint in 1800 block of Sixth Street.

04/21 Assist St. Helens Police on a call.

04/21 Assist Sheriff’s Office on a call.

04/22 Citizen assist in the 100 block of "G" Street.

04/22 Citizen assist in the 600 block of "A" Street.

04/24 Citizen assist at Highway 30 and "G" Street.

04/25 Citizen assist on Highway 30 at milepost 30.5.

04/27 Theft report of items from the trunk of a car. Victim unsure where this occurred.

04/27 Nuisance complaint in 600 block of Franklin Street.

04/27 Complaint of someone urinating in public in the 300 block of "M" Street.

04/27 Traffic Hazard at Highway 30 and "A" Street.

05/03 Vandalism reported in the 1300 block of Second Street.

05/04 Noise complaint. Band playing in the 2000 block of Third Street.

05/04 Noise complaint in the 2000 block of Third Street. 05/07 Burglary reported in the 3200 block of Park Drive.

05/07 Noise complaint. Band playing 400 block of "D" Street.

05/07 Report of City ordinance violation relating to garbage. Garbage cleaned up before arrival.

05/10 Vandalism in the 200 block of Spinnaker Way. Window shot out with BB gun.

05/10 Animal at large in the 2000 block of Third Street.

05/11 Trespassing complaint at Dixieline Lumber.

05/14 Citizen assist at Highway 30 and "I" Street.

05/14 Traffic complaint in the 3300 block of Park Drive.

05/14 Traffic complaint southbound on Highway 30.

05/16 Theft report in the 2300 block of Sixth Street.

05/16 Subpoena served in a Columbia City Municipal Court case.

05/17 Juvenile problem. Assisted with problem at Columbia City Grade school.

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