City of Columbia City

RECENT COUGAR SIGHTINGS COLUMBIA CITY

Residents have reported recent sightings of a mature cougar in the residential area around Third and "L" Streets. If you see the cougar, please contact the following agencies immediately:

·Oregon State Police - (503) 397-3131

·C-COM (Dispatch) - (503) 397-1521

·Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife - (503) 621-3488.

After the sighting, please leave paw prints and other signs undisturbed if possible.

Identifying characteristics: Adults of both sexes have light tan coats and long black-tipped tails, with black coloration on the backs of their ears. Adult males may exceed 8 feet in length, from nose to the end of their very long tail, and weigh between 130 and 170 pounds. Adult females can be 7 feet long and weigh between 75 and 105 pounds.

Safety precautions: The potential for human/cougar interactions has increased in recent years. However, more people are injured or killed by deer, bees, dogs and spiders than by cougars. If you are concerned about safety, familiarize yourself with the signs of cougar and their habitat and follow these suggestions:

· Keep an eye on your children. Don't let your children play unattended in the backyard, especially when cougars are known to be in the area. You also want to keep your children away from dense brush, which the cougar may use for cover.

· Be cautious at dusk and dawn. Contrary to popular belief, most predators are most active at dusk and dawn. This is a time to be especially cautious.

· Don't leave food or garbage outside. The strong smell of food or garbage may attract a cougar into your yard.

· Keep your pets indoors. While you may have left your pet in the backyard in the past, you may want to start bringing it indoors with a cougar in the area. Cougars can easily kill the largest dog and leaving your pet out may prompt an attack. Don't feed pets outside as this can attract cougars and their prey.

· Don't feed wildlife. By feeding deer, raccoons or other wildlife in your yard, you may inadvertently attract cougars, which prey on them as a food source.

· Do not hike alone. Go in groups, with adults supervising children.

· Do not approach a cougar. Most cougars will try to avoid a confrontation. Give them a way to escape.

· Do not run from a cougar. Running may stimulate the instinct to chase. Stand and face the animal. Make eye contact. If you have small children with you, pick them up so they don't panic and run. Try to pick them up without bending over or turning away from the cougar.

· Do all you can to appear larger. Raise your arms, open your jacket, and throw stones or whatever you can without crouching or turning your back. Wave your arms slowly and speak in a firm, loud voice. Fight back if attacked, and remain standing and face the attacking animal. Use rocks, sticks, jackets, garden tools, camping gear and your hands to fend off the attack.

CELEBRATION 2007

Mark your calendar and join us for the Columbia City Celebration on Saturday, September 8, 2007!

We'll start the day with a Strawberry Pancake Breakfast, served in the Knapp Social Center, 1925 First Street. The breakfast will include pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream, ham, scrambled eggs, juice, tea and coffee. Tickets may be purchased at City Hall ahead of time, or at the door. Ticket prices are $5.00 for an adult $3.50 for children 10 and under.

The silent and oral auctions will be held in the Community Hall, 1850 Second Street. The highest silent bidders will be awarded following the oral auction.

The City was able to put together five great raffle prizes this year!

1st place: Columbia Gorge Getaway

($699 value)

Gift certificates to Skamania Lodge, Mt. Hood Railroad, Sternwheeler Columbia Gorge,

Maryhill Winery, Oak Grove Restaurant,

Maryhill Museum, and Chevron Gasoline

2nd place: Flat Panel Monitor

($185 value)

ViewSonic 19" Wide DVI LCD $185 value

5ms 700:1 300 cd/m²1440 x 900 WXGA+ Integrated Stereo Speakers Energy Star Qualified

3rd, 4th and 5th places:

$75, $50 and $25 Gift Certificates

for Chevron Gasoline

The Friends of the Library will hold a book and bake sale in the Community Hall, The Caples House Museum and store will be open, and the historical book, “Columbia City Days,” and Columbia City T-shirts will be on sale.

All of the proceeds from the Celebration are used to operate the Columbia City Community Library. We hope to make this the biggest and best Celebration ever!

We need volunteer help with the breakfast, the auctions, and the raffle. The Friends of the Library need help with their book and bake sales. Please, call City Hall to sign up for the job you want. This is a fun time to volunteer and help the Community Library!

PLANNING COMMISSION VACANCY

The City is currently accepting applications to serve on the Planning Commission. Members must reside within the City or the City's Urban Growth Boundary. The term is for a period of four years, and the Commission's regular meeting date is the second Tuesday of each month. The Planning Commission makes recommendations and decisions about current and long-range planning and development issues within the City.

CITY COUNCIL MOVES TOWARDS APPROVING ANNEXATION AND REZONE

Following a recommendation from the Planning Commission, the City Council held a public hearing regarding an application for the annexation and rezoning of 15.5 acres of vacant property. The property is generally located to the north of Ninth Street and west of "H" Street, and to the south of "E" Street and west of Sixth Street. The applicant is Bright Haven Builders. Following the hearing, the City Council took action to dispense with an election and completed the first reading of an ordinance approving the annexation and rezoning of the property.

The second reading of the annexation ordinance is scheduled for the August 2, 2007, City Council Meeting. If approved, the ordinance will become effective September 2, 2007.

BENCHES ADDED TO PARKS

Two memorial benches have been added to Jim Bundy Memorial Park - one in memory of John R. Walker, and the other in memory of Gary A. Hudson. Girl Scout Troop #2041 has also purchased a new bench in the park. In Harvard Park, three new park benches were recently added near the playground equipment in response to citizen requests.

COLUMBIA CITY T-SHIRTS

New Columbia City Community Library T-shirts are available in child and adult sizes. They are short sleeve, natural in color, with a color Library logo on the front center.

Children sizes:

Small - Large: $10

Adult sizes:

Small - X-Large: $11

2X: $12

3X: $13

4X: $14

Columbia City T-shirts are still available for purchase. They are white and available in short or long sleeve with the black and white City logo on left pocket area and a color City logo on rear center.

Short sleeve:

Small - X-Large: $10

XX-Large: $11

XXX-Large $13

XXXX-Large $14

Long sleeve:

Small - X-Large: $15

XX-Large: $17

All T-shirts may be purchased at City Hall and during the Columbia City Celebration.

COLUMBIA CITY COMMUNITY LIBRARY

This is an exciting time of the year for the Library as our summer reading program is in full swing. Our treasure chest is overflowing with books our children have read! It is not too late to join in – story time is every Monday at 11:00 for the younger kids, and the older ones can still contribute coins for our treasure chest!

We are also busy planning for the Columbia City Celebration, our primary source of income to support the Library. Call the Library if you are interested in donating books. We need volunteers to help with the book sale. Stop by if you are interested in signing up.

This year as a new addition to the Columbia City Celebration, we are planning to do a bake sale. Not just any bake sale, this one will be based on books in the Library. How about Strong-Arm Cookies or All-American Deep-Dish Apple Pie from Dark Tort by Dianne Mott Davidson? This is a mystery wrapped around food. Another author who writes food-based mysteries is Joanne Fluke. Lemon Meringue Pie Murder contains the aforementioned Lemon Meringue Pie, as well as another half dozen recipes. How does she get any detecting done with all that baking to do? We also have some great cookbooks such as Cookies Unlimited, which includes Hazelnut Fingers, Accidental Cookie Dough and Loaded with Chips Chocolate Chip Cookies. We’ll display the books alongside the baked goods. Come browse our selection of cookbooks and novels, and bake something yourself for our bake sale!

The Library has the Planet Earth series on CD available for checkout, one disk at a time. It is a documentary done by BBC on the Discovery Channel. We also have resume software available for checkout.

We have the new Janet Evanovich book in at the library, Lean Mean Thirteen. We also have the new Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Thank you for your timely donations!

We are starting to switch out our videotape collection in favor of DVDs. If you have any current adult movies or children’s movies on DVD, please consider donating them.

Staffed Library Hours:

Monday and Saturday, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Wednesday, 4 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Thursday, 2 p.m. – 6 p.m.

Phone: (503) 366-8020 Address: 205 "I" Street

E-mail: cclibrary@opusnet.com

Story Time: 11 a.m. every Monday

Friends of the Library Meeting: August 20, 7 p.m.

Novel Quilters Meeting: August 15, 6:30 p.m.

THANK YOU

We'd like to extend a very special thank you to:

v Bernie Albertine, Marian Calnon, Gloria Chinell, Nell Harrison, Betty Jensen, Phyllis Moss, Phyllis Rowley and Vonnie Walker for helping with the newsletter and utility billing in June.

v Sally Ann Marson, Marian Calnon and Nell Harrison for pulling weeds in Jim Bundy Memorial Park.

PLANNING COMMISSION NEWS

The Planning Commission will conduct a public hearing on August 14, 2007, at 7:00 p.m. regarding an application for a variance to development standards. The applicant wants to add an addition to an existing non-conforming structure that encroaches on setbacks. The applicant is Charles T. Ramsdell and the property is located at 1655 Second Street.

SUMMER TREE CARE

This information was provided by Michael Branch of the Oregon Department of Forestry

Conscientious tree care required during dog days of summer. As Oregon reaches its apex of scorching summertime misery, residents are sometimes faced with overwhelming triple-digit temperatures. While heat-exhaustion, sunburn, and other weather-related concerns threaten our wellbeing, it’s also important for the people of Oregon’s urban areas to put extra care into the welfare of Oregon’s greatest resource: our trees.

By now everyone knows the benefits of having trees in our yards and neighborhoods: providing a natural air filter, cooling and shading our homes, and making our communities more attractive. Unfortunately, however, trees cannot always be entirely self-sufficient, especially in extremely warm climates.

Water deeply. If you have trees five years or younger growing on your property, remember to practice deep watering. Deep watering is a method of getting water deep down into the soil surrounding a tree, and is especially essential when caring for trees during the first five years after planting. The objective is to saturate the soil within the “dripline” (the outer edges of the tree’s branches) by slowly dispersing water throughout the area. The desired effect is that the water eventually gets deep down through the soil reaching all the tree’s roots.

Don’t forget to put a two to three inch “donut” of bark/ woodchip mulch around the base of the tree, to keep in moisture and keep away mowers and string weeders. When spreading mulch around small trees, the donut should spread out beyond the dripline; for other trees, mulch should be two to four feet out from the base of the tree. Also, a gardening tip: if the mulch is laid down in the shape of an eye or diamond, it is easier to mow around.

However, knowing the exact amount of water to reach the roots may be difficult. Fortunately, there is a method to more accurately assess the quantity of water needed for smaller and medium-sized trees. Ten gallons of water per inch of trunk diameter is advised. Small trees (one to three inches in diameter) should be watered once a week, medium trees (four to eight inches in diameter) three times a month, and big trees (ten inches or more in diameter) twice a month at a rate of 15 gallons of water per inch of trunk diameter.

Be sure to water consistently through the dry season, which can last until the end of October.

Another Suggestion: “Although flowers are a time-honored summer tradition,” says Kristin Ramstad, urban forester with the Oregon Department of Forestry, “it is recommended that one refrain from planting them around the base of a tree.” That’s because flowers will compete for water, and digging around the base of a young tree can also harm feeder roots and introduce disease into the root zone of the tree.

Wait until fall to plant. While new trees are always a welcomed sight in Oregon, summertime is not a good time to plant trees. The harsh warm climate is not conducive to the survival of young, newly planted trees. Instead, folks who would like to plant a tree should use summer as a time to consider the type of tree they want to plant in the fall, or spring.

Knowing the basic essentials of good tree care denotes responsible individuals who realize that trees also benefit from a little extra attention during the hot, drier months of summer and fall.

POLICE REPORT - 06/25/07 TO 07/25/07

06/25/07 Attempt to locate on a traffic complaint in Columbia City.

06/25/07 Incomplete 911 call investigated at the Columbia City Estates Mobile Home Park.

06/26/07 Traffic complaint reported near “E” Street and The Strand.

06/26/07 Trespass complaint reported near “E” Street and The Strand.

06/26/07 Welfare check conducted in the 3100 block of Fifth Street.

06/26/07 Domestic dispute reported in the 1700 block of Second Street.

06/27/07 Civil (non criminal) situation reported in the 300 block of Tahoma Court.

06/27/07 Civil (non criminal) situation reported in the Columbia City Estates Mobile Home Park.

06/27/07 Animal complaint reported in the 300 block of “M” Street.

06/27/07 Harassment reported in the 1800 block of Fourth Street.

06/27/07 Parking complaint reported near “E” Street and The Strand.

06/28/07 Animal complaint reported in the 600 block of Calvin Street.

06/28/07 Traffic related complaint reported on Hwy. 30 near milepost 30.

06/29/07 Audible alarm reported in the 600 block of “K” Street.

06/29/07 Assistance provided to outside agency in 1800 block of Fifth Street.

06/29/07 Animal complaint at West Oregon Wood Products.

06/29/07 Parking complaint reported near “E” Street and The Strand.

06/29/07 Traffic complaint reported in 300 block of “A” Street.

06/30/07 Report of small blue station wagon in the 1800 block of Eighth Street. Occupant possibly going through mailboxes. Officer checked and believed it to be an Oregonian representative.

06/30/07 Intoxicated person reported near Third and “H” Streets.

07/01/04 Trespass reported on Port property near “E” Street and The Strand.

07/01/07 Intoxicated person reported near the Mini Mart.

07/02/07 Possible intoxicated driver reported on Hwy. 30 near Chimes Crest.

07/02/07 Animal complaint reported in the 2100 block of Second Street.

07/02/07 Parking complaint reported in the area of “E” Street and The Strand.

07/02/07 Disturbance reported in the 3600 block of Tahoma Street.

07/03/07 Animal complaint reported near Fifth and “I” Streets.

07/03/07 Animal complaint reported in the 2900 block of Sixth Street.

07/03/07 Animal complaint reported in the 2400 block of Seventh Street.

07/03/07 Animal complaint reported in the 2400 block of Fifth Street.

07/04/07 Premise/vacation checks conducted.

07/04/07 Parking complaint near “E” Street and The Strand.

07/05/07 Premise/vacation checks conducted.

07/08/07 Suspicious person reported in area of Hwy. 30 and Pacific Street.

07/08/07 Parking violation reported near “E” Street and The Strand.

07/08/07 Parking complaint in 100 block of “E” Street.

07/09/07 Audible alarm reported in the 2100 block of The Strand.

07/09/07 Harassment reported near the Mini Mart.

07/09/07 Citizen assist in the 2300 block of Fifth Street.

07/09/07 Suspicious circumstances reported at Pixie Park.

07/09/07 Prowler reported in the 1700 block of Seventh Street. Mistaken identity, turned out to be yard worker for the neighbor.

07/10/07 Civil (non criminal) situation reported in the Columbia City Estates Mobile Home Park.

07/10/07 Minor in possession of alcohol reported near Dixieline Lumber.

07/11/07 Found property at Dixieline Lumber.

07/13/07 Assault call in the 2600 block of Sixth Street.

07/13/07 Traffic complaint near Hwy, 30 and “E” Street.

07/13/07 Suspicious person reported at the Mini Mart.

07/14/07 Theft reported in the 1200 block of Second Street.

07/14/07 Incomplete 911 call in the 1700 block of Sixth Street.

07/15/07 Suspicious person reported near “E” Street and The Strand.

07/15/07 Disabled vehicle on Hwy. 30 near “A” Street.

07/15/07 Disabled vehicle on Hwy. 30 near “G” Street.

07/15/07 Citizen assisted on Hwy. 30 near Chimes Crest.

07/15/07 Traffic complaint reported in the 2100 block of Second Street.

07/15/07 Parking complaint near “E” Street and The Strand.

07/16/07 Welfare check at a residence in the Columbia City Estates Mobile Park.

07/16/07 Suspicious circumstances reported in the 400 block of Belle Court.

07/16/07 Traffic complaint in the 400 block of “E” Street.

07/16/07 Citizen assisted at the Mini Mart.

07/17/07 Traffic complaint on Hwy. 30 near milepost 31.5.

07/17/07 Parking complaint near “E” Street and The Strand.

07/19/07 Audible alarm at the Sports & Recreation Club on “A” Street.

07/20/07 Abandoned vehicle in the 3600 block of Park Drive.

07/20/07 Animal complaint near Park Drive and Mattie Street.

07/22/07 Outside agency assisted in the 2500 block of Fifth Street.

07/22/07 Noise complaint near Third and “I” Streets.

07/22/07 Disturbance reported in the 1900 block of Third Street.

07/25/07 Animal complaint in the 400 block of “A” Street.

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