COEXISTING WITH COYOTES
Coyotes are frequently spotted
in Columbia City. Seeing a coyote cross
a field, backyard, or road does not necessarily constitute a problem or
dangerous situation, either for humans or domestic animals. Coyotes will be
more active and more visible in late winter/early spring during their breeding
season. Most coyotes are harmless; their goal is to eat more natural foods such
as mice and rabbits.
However, coyotes are opportunistic. If coyotes see
easy food – such as open garbage – and aren’t afraid, they may take advantage.
That puts them in direct line for a confrontation with pets.
Some tips on living near coyotes:
·
Don’t feed any wild animals
such as raccoons or deer, which encourages coyotes as well. Garbage should be
stored in secure containers. Do not put meat scraps in compost piles.
·
Remove bird feeders and outside
pet food containers. Coyotes will prey upon small mammals that are attracted to
birdseed and pet food.
·
Don’t allow pets to run free
and keep a watchful eye on them. Walk dogs on a leash, especially at night.
Keep cats indoors at all times. Do not let pets out at night unless accompanied
by a person. Don’t leave cat or dog food outside.
·
Provide secure shelters for
poultry, rabbits, or other outside pets.
·
Clear woodpiles, brush piles
and other potential cover for coyotes.
Secure garbage in areas where coyotes can’t access it; keep yards clean of
refuse and brush.
·
Don’t leave small children
outside unattended.
·
Reinforce the coyotes' natural
fear of humans by turning on outside lights, making loud noises, throwing rocks
and so forth. Be aggressive in your actions. Although the response may not be
immediate, eventually the coyotes will flee.
A LOCAL
SHOWCASE FOR TRILLIUM
From March through June, large-flowered trilliums
bloom gracefully on the forest floor throughout Jim Bundy Memorial Park. The
trillium has a large, often white, three-petaled flower above three broad
leaves. Along with its three sepals, it's easy to see where trillium got its
name. The plants are 8 - 18 inches high with a stem bearing a 2 - 4 inch
flower. The white flowers turn pink
with age. They grow in rich wooded areas, and trillium is often the first
wildflower noticed by casual walkers as other spring wildflowers are much less
apparent.
Trillium
flowers should never be picked. In fact, it is illegal to pick trilliums in
Oregon, Washington, New York, Michigan and British Columbia. The three leaves
below the flower are the plant's only food source and a picked trillium may die
or take many years to recover. Trillium plants take 6 years to grow from seeds
to flowers.
Trillium
is one of many plants whose seeds are spread by ants and mice. Trillium seeds
have a fleshy organ called an elaiosome that attracts ants. The ants take the
seeds to their nest, where they eat the elaiosomes and put the seeds in their
garbage, where they are protected until they germinate. They also get the added
bonus of growing in a medium made richer by the ant garbage.
IT'S TIME TO MOW WEEDS AND GRASSES
Between April 15th and September 30th
of any year, weeds and grass cannot exceed 10 inches in height within the City
limits. Blackberry bushes cannot extend across property lines or into the
City’s right-of-way, including streets, alleys and sidewalks. Property owners
or other persons in charge of the property must keep weeds, grass and other
noxious growth, such as poison oak, cut and maintained to prevent them from
becoming unsightly and a fire hazard, and to prevent them from maturing and
going to seed. Violators may be cited
into Municipal Court, or the City may abate the nuisance and lien the property
for the costs. To report violations, please contact City Hall.
THANK YOU
We'd
like to extend a very special "thank you" to:
·
Judy Anderson, Karen Bates, Sheila Bauer, Gloria Chinell,
Nell Harrison, Betty Jensen, Barbara Jones, Jean Lord and Vonnie Walker for
helping with the newsletter and utility billing in February.
·
Jim Carlson for the donation of 24 flowering cherry trees
to the City Parks.
LIBRARY
NEWS
Get
rid of it at our big Rummage Sale
during Spring Clean-Up day! The Friends
of the Library will be hosting a Rummage Sale (and used book sale) at the
Community Hall during the Spring Clean-Up taking place in Columbia City on
Saturday, April 26, from 10 am to 4 pm.
Come get a bargain!
Space rental is only $10 plus $5 for an 8’ table if
needed. Reserve your space now! All
rental fees benefit the Friends of the Library. Sign up at the library or call (503) 366-8020 for more details.
Novel Quilters will reveal their quilts based on The Maltese Falcon this April 16 at
6:30. Come and see what we’ve done,
even if you aren’t a quilter! We will
find out our next book as well.
http://www.freewebs.com/cccomlibrary/index.htm is our new website for the Library. It is up and running, and we will be adding
more content to it over time.
We
are still looking for more volunteers to fill our Thursday and Saturday
schedules. Training takes about an
hour, and the work isn’t hard, it’s fun!
Contact Cathy Lundberg, (503) 556-1958 or the Library for more
information.
New at the Library…We have a lot of current best sellers in at the
Library, including In Defense of Food and
The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael
Pollan. I read The Omnivore’s Dilemma last week and The Botany of Desire by him several years ago. Both books are thought provoking and
interesting for those who like science-based writing. I am now more keenly interested in how to integrate my chickens and
my gardening!
Also
just in: The Appeal by John Grisham and 7th
Heaven by James Patterson. We also
had some recent donations that filled in much of the fiction bestseller list
from the last few months. Stop in and
see our display of current best sellers!
Library Hours:
Monday 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Wednesday 4 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Thursday 2 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Saturday 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Story Time:
Every Monday at 11:00 a.m.
Friends of the Library Meeting:
Monday, April 21 at 7:00 p.m.
Novel Quilters Meeting:
Wednesday April 16 at 6:30 p.m.
Columbia City Community Library
205 "I" Street
PO Box 189
Columbia City, OR 97018
(503)
366-8020
PLANNING COMMISSION NEWS
The Columbia City Planning
Commission will meet on Tuesday, April 8, 2008, at 7:00 p.m. to review and act
on an application for a 23-lot subdivision.
The subject property is identified
on Columbia County Tax Maps 5128-024-00100 and 5128-024-00200. The property is generally described as 15.5 acres of vacant
property in two parcels, a portion being north of Ninth Street and a portion
being west of Sixth Street. If approved, the applicant will be allowed to
create a subdivision, subject to the standards in Columbia City Development
Code.
This decision is a limited land
use decision by the Planning Commission. A limited land use decision does not
require an interpretation or the exercise of policy or legal judgment. There is no public hearing. All comments regarding this subdivision
must be submitted in writing and must be received at City Hall by 5:00 p.m. on
Tuesday, April 8, 2008.
Additional information about the
application may be obtained at City Hall.
CAPLES HOUSE MUSEUM
The Caples House Museum needs
your help - they are looking for docents.
If you might be interested, please attend a planning/organizational meeting
on April 2, 2008, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Caples House Museum. A light lunch will be served. This will be fun - things are happening at
the Caples House Museum!
COLUMBIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER ASSOCIATION’S
12TH ANNUAL SPRING GARDEN FAIR
Don’t
miss the Columbia County Master
Gardener™ Association’s 12th annual fair on April 26th at St.
Helens High School, inside the Commons and outside in the courtyard. The sale starts at 9:00 a.m. and ends at
4:00 p.m. 
Admission and parking are free.
Master
Gardeners will offer over 5,000 plants from 50 varieties of standard and
heirloom tomatoes, still only $1.00 per plant.
Come early for the best selection.
We will also have certified members on hand to provide general gardening
information at the Education table and tomato-specific information 
at the tomato sale.
Of
course, we will also have our raffle, with tickets on sale for $1.00 each and
hourly prizes. Raffle tickets are on
sale now and can be purchased from many Columbia County Master Gardeners and at
the OSU Extension Service in St. Helens. You don’t need to be present to win.
Over
30 local vendors will be offering garden-related items such as trellises,
containers, ceramics, shrubs, annuals, perennials, vegetables, herbs,
fertilizers, hanging baskets, trees and more.
New this year is the Oregon Department of Forestry
with information to help you implement a wildfire protection plan for your home and
garden.
Visit the Columbia County Master Gardeners website, www.ColumbiaCountyMasterGardeners.org See you at the fair!
POLICE
ACTIVITY 02/09/08 - 02/23/08
02/09/08 Death investigation in
the 1900 block of Third Street.
02/10/08 Domestic dispute
reported at a residence on Metlako Way.
02/11/08 Vandalism reported at
the Columbia City Grade School.
02/12/08 Traffic complaint
reported near Highway 30 and Pacific Street.
02/12/08 Theft report taken in
the 1900 block of Third Street.
02/13/08 Citizen assist at the
Post Office.
02/13/08 Suspicious person near
Highway 30 and “I” Street.
02/13/08 Found property (ring of
keys and padlock) near Fourth and “L” Streets.
02/15/08 Premise checks
conducted.
02/15/08 Assist another agency near
Highway 30 and “I” Street.
02/16/08 Premise checks
conducted.
02/16/08 Suspicious vehicle
checked at Pixie Park.
02/16/08 Suspicious vehicle
checked at the Mini Mart.
02/17/08 Traffic complaint near
Skookum Court and Fifth Street.
02/20/08 Assist another agency
in the 1800 block of Second Street.
02/20/08 Public assist in the
1800 block of Second Street.
02/20/08 Warrant service in the
300 block of “L” Street.
02/21/08 Traffic complaint near
Highway 30 and “A” Street.
02/21/08 Public assist in the
1800 block of Second Street.
02/22/08 Hazard reported near
Highway 30 and “A” Street.
02/22/08 Traffic complaint in
the 400 block of Skookum Court
02/22/08 Premise checks
conducted.
02/22/08 Incomplete 911 call in
the 2200 block of The Strand.
02/22/08 Vandalism in the 2200
block of Third Street.
02/23/08 Premise checks
conducted.
02/23/08 Suspicious person
checked near Sixth and “A” Streets.
02/23/08 Harassment reported in
the 1600 block of Seventh Street.
02/23/08 Public assist in the
3000 block of Sixth Street.
02/23/08 Hazard checked in the
2800 block of Sixth Street.
02/23/08
Suspicious person checked near the Columbia City Grade School.
02/23/08 Suspicious person checked near Highway 30 and
Chimes Crest.