The construction drawings and specifications for the 1.0-million gallon water reservoir project are complete, and the project has gone to bid. Bids will be opened on April 8th at 2:00 p.m. at the City Hall. Construction is expected to begin in May, and should be completed by December.

On Wednesday, April 2, 2003 at 7:00 p.m., a Budget Committee Meeting/Public Forum will be held at the Columbia City School. Judy Valpiani, Columbia City School Principal, sends the following as an invitation.

"I know many of you have read the local newspapers and may have concerns as our school district struggles to find ways to reduce our budget by an additional $1.8 million for the coming year. The St. Helens School Board and the Budget Committee have set a schedule to encourage concerned citizens to come together to share ideas, establish priorities, and develop a plan for insuring the best possible education opportunities for all of our students in kindergarten through graduation. I hope you will be able to join us for the Public Forum at Columbia City School on April 2."

CAN YOU FIND YOUR WATER METER?

If not, chances are the City's meter reader cannot find it either!

Please keep your water meter easily accessible.

• Keep bushes, tress and shrubs trimmed back.

• Don't bury your meter under rocks, sand, bark, yard debris, etc.

• Don't store equipment, lumber, or other items on top of your water meter box.

• Don't park cars, boats, recreational vehicles, riding lawn mowers, etc., over your meter box.

County residents are invited to participate in a countywide planning process to understand the public transportaiton needs of Columbia County. The Columbia County Community Transit Plan (CCCTP), funded through a grant by the Oregon Department of Transportation, will result in a plan to address current and future Columbia County public transportation needs.

A community-wide survey is underway to best understand the mobility needs of Columbia County residents. Surveys can be found in public locations such as the libraries, the Columbia County Courthouse, city halls, senior centers, and online at www.co.columbia.or.us/transit. Surveys must be returned by April 4, 2003.

If you would like more information about the planning process and survey, please visit the CCCTP web site at www.co.columbia.or.us/transit or call the CCCTP Comment Line at 1-888-403-8344.

City residents are invited to submit applications to serve on the Columbia City Water Source and Development Committee. Applications are available at the City Hall, or can be e-mailed upon request. We'd like to thank Jim Gillam, who recently resigned from the Water Committee, for his dedicated service to the Committee during the past few years.

The winning raffle ticket for a Betty Boop quilt will be drawn during the Columbia City Celebration on Saturday, September 6^th at 1:00 p.m., in the Community Hall located at 1850 Second Street. Proceeds will go to the Columbia City School and Community Library for staffing purposes. There are a total of 9,500 tickets available for sale. The quilt's value is estimated at $500. Tickets may be purchased for $1.00 each or 6 for $5.00.

Special thanks to Bernadette Albertine, Laura Flynn, Phyllis Moss, Phyllis Rowley, Helen Sandstrom and Amy West for helping with the March newsletters and utility bills.

Special thanks to the following who participated in the Bundy Park work party on March 15, 2003: Kiwanis members: Stan Mendenhall, Gordon Jarman, Steve Reed, Cindy Tiller, George Dunkle and Bob Dent. Other volunteers were: Terry Waymire, Nell Harrison, Chris Ebrahimi, Bernard Carlton, Jim Shinkle and Marion Calnon. Byron Havens, Public Works Utility Worker, assisted the work party.

Special thanks to Chris Ebrahimi for developing a comprehensive landscape design plan for Bundy Memorial Park.

Special thanks to Richard Ziglinski for keeping City Hall supplied with a bouquet of beautiful flowers throughout the month of March.

A driver who is too tired to drive can be as dangerous as a person under the influence of intoxicants. Motor skills are impaired and reaction time is slower. Weaving over the fog line and into oncoming traffic is common with fatigued drivers. I followed a driver who turned out to be too tired to drive, and who had stopped in the middle of an intersection on a red light causing other traffic to go around him. Just before that and at the same intersection, the driver stopped his car three to four car lengths short of the crosswalk on the red light, and then accelerated into the intersection while the light was still red. This driver was seen driving 55 mph in a 35-mph zone and then as slow as 30 mph in a 45 mph zone.

People have told me that they were just tired. Besides the obvious dangers to themselves, their family that might be with them, and of course, the other motorists driving, the person who is driving while they are just tired can be charged legally with careless driving. Reckless driving is a traffic crime and this can get you to jail just like the person driving under the influence of intoxicants. Please, for everyone's sake, do not drive when you are tired or fatigued. As the old saying goes, "the life you save may be your own."

During the evening of April 8^th at about 7:00 p.m., Coastal St. Helens Chemical will test the County Emergency telephone notification system. The system, called Community Alert Network, can make up to 250 calls simultaneously to alert communities of emergency situations. The system can be used to alert communities to releases of hazardous material from manufacturing facilities, highway and rail accidents. It can also be used to alert neighbors of lost children, criminal activity or extreme weather conditions.

The test at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 8^th will cover the Columbia City area. The message will be as follows: "This is Coastal St. Helens Chemical. We are testing the Community Alert Network call down system. If there was an emergency in your area that might affect your neighborhood, you could be alerted by this call system. This is only a test of the system. Thank you for listening."

It is important to note that households that have unlisted numbers will not receive this call. If you have an unlisted number and wish to be on the notification list, you must call the Chemical Plant and give your permission to have your number included.

A group of 12 volunteers, including several members of the Kiwanis Club, met on Saturday, March 15 to continue work in Bundy Memorial Park. With the help of Byron Havens from Public Works, the volunteers removed ivy, blackberry bushes, weeds, rocks, dead and dying trees, brush and other unwanted debris. Following a landscape design plan prepared by Chris Ebrahimi, the volunteers marked walking paths and moved soil in anticipation of future planting beds.

POLICE REPORT

02/22/03 Citizen complaint. Harassment in the 1800 block of Second Street.

02/22/03 Motorist assist. Loose cargo.

02/24/03 Domestic dispute in the 300 block of Spinnaker Way.

02/24/03 Citizen assist. Dog at large.

02/25/03 Traffic hazard. Wood in roadway at Highway 30 and "G" Street.

02/26/03 Attempt to locate robbery suspect along Sixth Street.

02/26/03 Traffic hazard. Plywood in roadway.

02/28/03 Suicide threat. Unfounded.

02/28/03 Dog complaint in 2500 block of Sixth Street. Solved.

02/28/03 Suspicious person along Highway 30. Unable to locate.

02/28/03 Request to locate individual in the 400 block of Belle Court. Unable to locate.

03/01/03 Noise complaint in the 1500 block of Fourth Place.

03/04/03 Child abuse. Unfounded

03/05/03 Parking complaint in 3200 block of Park Drive.

03/05/03 Traffic hazard at Highway 30 and "L" Street.

03/06/03 Drug activity reported. Ongoing investigation.

03/06/03 Burglary in the 1800 block of Eighth Street.

03/07/03 9-1-1- call on Metlako Way. Checked okay.

03/10/03 Extra patrol requested in the 1800 block of Eighth Street.

03/10/03 Medical assist in the 1800 block of Eighth Street.

03/12/03 Animal complaint in 2100 block of Third Street.

03/12/03 Abandoned vehicle. Referred to Sheriff.

03/14/03 Burglary reported in 2200 block of The Strand.

03/14/03 Welfare check in 400 block of Belle Court.

03/14/03 Suspicious vehicle at Racquetball Club.

03/15/03 Traffic complaint on Pacific Street. Drag racing.

03/17/03 Dog complaint in the 500 block of "A" Street.

03/17/03 Fishing violation on Trestle Beach.

03/17/03 Parking complaint in the 1800 block of Fourth Street. Resolved.

03/17/03 Dog complaint in the 500 block of "A" Street.

03/19/03 Traffic complaint on the new Fifth Street. Unable to locate.

03/22/03 Theft reported in the 2100 block of Fifth Street.

03/22/03 Damaged stop sign near Sixth and James Streets.

April 3 - 7:30 p.m. - City Council regular session

April 8 - 7:00 p.m. - Planning Commission regular session

April 10 - 7:30 p.m. - Municipal Court

April 14 - 7:30 p.m. - Water Committee Meeting

April 17 - 7:30 p.m. - City Council regular session

April 24 - 7:30 p.m. - Municipal Court

April 29 - 7:30 p.m. - Budget Committee Meeting

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