City of Columbia City

HAVE YOU USED THE COLUMBIA COUNTY RIDER?

The Columbia County Rider offers door-to-door dial-a-ride service anywhere within Columbia County, and a fixed route bus service from St. Helens to the Portland Transit Mall. Please take a moment to respond to the following survey about the services they provide.

1. Have you or your family members used the Columbia County Rider services?

[ ] Yes

[ ] No, but we intend to

[ ] No, and we don't plan to

2. If you have used the Columbia County Rider, how many times did you use the service in the last 12 months? ___________

3. For what purpose have you used the service?

[ ] Medical appointments

[ ] Shopping

[ ] Senior Center

[ ] School

[ ] Other:_______________________

4. How would you rate your experience with the Columbia County Rider service?

[ ] Very good

[ ] Good

[ ] Fair

[ ] Poor

Please return your completed survey to City Hall by May 30, 2007. Thank you for participating! For additional information about the Columbia County Rider, please call 1-888-462-6526.

MICAH OLSON MOVES ON

After five years of searching and digging for potable water, replacing sewer lines, pumping septic tanks, repairing streets, working on parks, watching over building developments and a new water reservoir, etc., Micah Olson, our Public Works Superintendent, has been snatched away by the City of Bend with an offer he can't refuse.

Micah, along with his wife, Christine, and their four children, Jeffrey, Curtis, Ethan and Jessica, purchased a home in Redmond, but will maintain their home in this area also because his work and adventures will involve many trips back and forth over the mountain. He also has a large family still here.

Micah and Christine share their family and blessings with foster children, and they all enjoy activities like horseback riding, bicycling, and hiking. Micah and Christine also enjoy traveling to Honduras to help small communities build and/or renovate water systems, churches, schools, etc.

One of Micah's early hobbies when he was first hired by Columbia City was to raise buffalo. Chasing them and rounding them up was part of the fun, until it got a little out of hand ... like the time one of the buffalo jumped the fence and took off after a neighbor. She didn't feel like a buffalo ride at the moment, and Micah was getting much more involved in work and other projects, so he decided to give up raising buffalo.

We will miss the daily interaction with Micah but plan to retain his knowledge and expertise by contracting with him for services we will continue to need here in Columbia City. We want to thank Micah sincerely for his dedication, loyalty, good work, and friendship. We wish him and his family the very best as they continue in their journeys.

CITY COUNCIL

We are pleased to announce that Sally Ann Marson has been appointed to the City Council. Sally Ann and her husband, Leonard, moved to Columbia City in 1998. After retiring from US Bancorp, Sally Ann went to work part-time for the St. Helens Community Federal Credit Union. After five years of part-time work, she retired again. Sally Ann loves to garden, read and paint - especially cats. We are pleased to have her join the City Council.

It is with regret that we report that Tyra Schroeder has resigned from the City Council. We would like to thank Tyra for her dedicated service to the City as City Council Member and Parks Committee Chair since January 2005. We greatly appreciated Tyra's service contributions to the City.

PLANNING COMMISSION

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.

BUDGET COMMITTEE

We'd like to extend a warm welcome to our newest Budget Committee Members.

Robert Jorgensen, Parts Department Manager for the St. Helens Auto Center, has lived in Columbia City for 2 years.

Casey Wheeler is currently the CEO of the St. Helens Community Federal Credit Union, and he moved to Columbia City about a year ago.

We are grateful to citizens like Casey and Robert for their public service, and we look forward to working with them during the budget process.

DOWN BY THE RIVERSIDE CLEANUP

Please join us for the seventh annual "Down By the Riverside" project in Columbia City! We are looking for volunteers to assist us with this project in Pixie Park and Datis Park on Saturday, May 19, 2007, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Volunteers will be removing blackberry bushes, morning glory, ivy and debris, as well as planting, painting, and sprucing up the parks as needed. If you are interested in participating in this project, please contact City Hall, or just show up at one of the parks!

THANK YOU

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

v Columbia County Community Corrections Work Crew for removing the branches from Jim Bundy Memorial Park.

v Jean Carulli, Nell Harrison, Dolores Heinz, Betty Jensen Kathy Keudell, Phyllis Moss and Phyllis Rowley for helping us in March with the utility bills and newsletter.

v Vonnie Walker and her friend for weeding and sprucing up the flower beds at City Hall.

v Norm Jones for mowing Datis Park.

v Oneata and James Bundy for sharing their homemade cake with City Hall.

ROSE FESTIVAL FLEET WEEK BAZAAR

CAPLES HOUSE/KNAPP SOCIAL CENTER

The Daughters of the American Revolution will host a Rose Festival Fleet Week Bazaar at the Caples House Museum/Knapp Social Center on Saturday, June 9, 2007, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Support your local historic museum complex and rent a space, sell your wares, and/or attend the event!

COLUMBIA COUNTY RSVP COMMUNITY MEDIATION SERVICES

Did you know mediation services are available to residents of Columbia County free of charge through the Columbia County RSVP?

Mediation is a peaceful problem solving process in which a neutral third party helps the disputants reach a mutually satisfying solution to their differences. Mediation is voluntary.

A mediator is a neutral third party who helps to open channels of communication and to define the real issues. A mediator does not impose settlements, counsel or give advice, or take a side or assess blame.

The kinds of problems that might be appropriate for mediation are:

*Animals *Neighborhood disputes

*Nuisance *Litter

*Noise *Trespassing

*Property damage *Property maintenance

*Parking *Boundary

*Trees

The process works like this:

1. A person involved in a conflict calls the Columbia County RSVP office.

2. A trained mediator from the community interviews all parties involved in the dispute.

3. If the parties agree to mediate the conflict, the meeting is held at a neutral location.

4. At the mediation meeting, each disputant describes their view of the conflict.

5. The mediator works with all parties to find their own solution.

6. The agreement is then written down by the mediator and then signed by all parties.

To access mediation services, contact:

Columbia County RSVP

219 Columbia Blvd.

St. Helens, OR 97051

Phone: (503) 397-5655

Fax: (503) 397-7196

Email: rsvp@opusnet.com

WATER SYSTEM UPDATE

Well project. The City's well project is progressing smoothly. Recent flow tests on the newest well at the City Shop site revealed a production capacity in excess of 300 gallons per minute (gpm). The City is currently in the process of applying for additional water rights for the well. We are also completing final design work for the construction of a chlorination facility, site piping, drainage facilities and telemetry improvements associated with the project. When the final design work is complete, the project is expected to go to bid in June, with construction commencing in July. We expect to complete the project in November 2007.

Meanwhile, beginning in May we plan to start supplementing the City's water supply with well water from another new groundwater well at the City Shop site. This well yields just 45 gpm, and it will continue to serve as a backup emergency supply after the larger production well is put on-line in November.

Reservoirs. We are pleased to announce that we will be repainting the steel water storage reservoir located at the corner of Ninth and "K" Streets during the months of May and June. The exterior paint will be removed, and the tank will be repainted in a color or colors similar to the larger reservoir on the site. The interior of the tank will also be repainted.

LEASH LAW REMINDER!

Once again we would like to remind residents that we have a leash law in Columbia City. City ordinance requires the owners or keepers of dogs to maintain control of the dogs at all time. It is unlawful to allow any dog to run at large on public streets or private property owned by others. Owners must also pick up after their dogs! Please help us enforce the ordinance by reporting violators to City Hall.

LIBRARY NEWS

The Columbia City Community Library has expanded its hours of operation. It is now staffed and open on Thursdays from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. The United Koffee Shoppe has also expanded its open hours, so self-checkout will be available anytime the coffee shop is open and the library is not staffed.

Thanks to our volunteers at the library. We really appreciate all the time they put into the library. Volunteers account for more than 75% of our staffing. We would not have a community library if it were not for them! Thank you! Contact us if you are interested in being a volunteer.

We are considering other ways to pull more people into the library. Some ideas we want to investigate include computer databases and Playaways, which are digitized audio books. We’d also like to see more children use the library by adding story times or adding activities that will interest older children. Please stop by to talk to us if you have some feedback. We want the library to do what you want it to do!

The Novel Quilters met in April and showed their quilts based on March by Geraldine Brooks. Pictures will be posted on the bulletin board. The next book we will be reading and quilting is Snowflower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See. It is based in China, so we will be able to use all the wonderful Asian prints we have in our stashes! Quite a contrast to the Civil War! We meet next on Wednesday, May 16 at 6:30 p.m. in the library.

Book Reviews:

The Full Cupboard of Life by Alexander McCall Smith continues the wonderful No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series, with the fifth book in the series. Once again we are transported to Gaborone, capital city of Botswana, and into the world of Mma Ramotswe and her friends.

Mma Ramotswe and Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni are still engaged, but with no immediate plans to get married. Mma Ramotswe wonders when a wedding date will be named, but she is anxious to avoid putting pressure on her fiancé. For indeed he has other things on his mind--particularly a frightening request (involving a parachute jump) made by Mma Potokwani, the persuasive matron of the orphan farm. Mma Ramotswe herself has weighty matters on her mind, including a case in which a wealthy woman wonders whether her suitors are interested in her or just her money. Meanwhile, Mma Makutsi--plucky assistant detective and deputy manager of the Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors garage--is moving. Her entrepreneurial venture, the Kalahari Typing School for Men, is thriving and with this new income she has rented two rooms in a house. "Another charmingly gossamer mystery for Botswana's premier detective....As usual in this enchanting series, Mma Ramotswe provides less detection than advice, and wise advice it turns out to be, even when her clients decline to take it." Kirkus Reviews.

Back Roads by Susan Crandall is a first novel that has won four awards. Leigh Mitchell is the sensible, responsible, dedicated sheriff of her rural Indiana county. It's a position that sets her apart in ways she'd never expected. She's facing her thirtieth birthday and feeling restless. On a moonlit night, driven by a desperate need for change, she indulges in an innocent flirtation with an intriguing stranger.

Against all of her well-laid plans, she falls for Will Scott, a man plagued by dangerous secrets. By turns passionate and tender, Will reveals little about his past and less about his future. Yet Leigh takes a leap of faith and lets him into her heart.

When a teenage girl goes missing from this tight-knit community, suspicion immediately falls on Will Scott. Although his very life depends upon remaining unknown and unseen, Will lingers among the accusations and the whispers, even as the wolves are closing in - all because of Leigh.

Seemingly overnight, everything Leigh holds dear, her loyalty to family, devotion to duty and her trust in love are tested to their limits. For the first time in her life, steadfast Leigh must let go of the clear-cut rules that have always guided her and travel the uncertain back roads of the heart.

Story Time: 11 a.m. every Monday

Friends of the Library Meeting: 7 p.m. on May 21

Novel Quilters Meeting: 6:30 p.m. on May 16

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

OFFICER MANSHEIM EARNS AWARD

We are pleased to announce that Officer Jeff Mansheim recently received the Distinguished Service Award for outstanding Reserve Officer of the Year from the American Council of Criminal Justice Training. He received the award for his exceptional accomplishments as a Reserve Officer for Columbia City and Columbia County.

In addition to his duties as a Reserve Sergeant, Officer Mansheim has been in charge of all computer technology and programs as it relates to the Police Department. He recently researched and implemented a new computer records system for the Department.

Officer Mansheim was also instrumental in locating a replacement vehicle and all of the equipment for that vehicle in this last fiscal year, staying within budget constraints and spending hours completing paperwork and making contacts with manufacturers and dealers to make sure the project was completed within specifications.

Officer Mansheim is also a Reserve Sergeant with the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office. His duties there mirror his duties with the City of Columbia City. Officer Mansheim manages to fulfill these duties with the utmost professionalism. He accomplishes all of this in addition to holding down another full time job.

For this kind of dedication and commitment above and beyond what is expected of him, Officer Mansheim has received this well-deserved prestigious award and the gratitude of the City of Columbia City. Congratulations, Officer Mansheim!

BEST SELLERS NOW AT YOUR LIBRARY

NONFICTION:

Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom

Never Have Your Dog Stuffed by Alan Alda

City of Falling Angels by John Berendt

Flags of our Fathers by James Bradley

Running With Scissors by Augusten Burroughs

The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

Blink by Malcolm Gladwell

Marley & Me by John Grogan

The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt

Teacher Man by Frank McCourt

1776 by David McCullough

Dreams From My Father by Barack Obama

The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama

Mayflower by Nathaniel Philbrick

The Places in Between by Rory Stewart

The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls

FICTION:

The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom

For One More Day by Mitch Albom

The Camel Club by David Baldacci

The Collectors by David Baldacci

The Templar Legacy by Steve Berry

The Christmas Thief by Mary Higgins Clark

Predator by Patricia Cornwell

Point Blank by Catherine Coulter

Next by Michael Crichton

Skeleton Coast by Clive Cussler

The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards

Motor Mouth by Janet Evanovich

The Divide by Nicholas Evans

Finding Noel by Richard Paul Evans

Consent to Kill by Vince Flynn

Under Orders by Dick Francis

Gone by Lisa Gardner

What Came Before He Shot Her by Elizabeth George

Vanish by Tess Gerritsen

The Mephisto Club by Tess Gerritsen

S is for Silence by Sue Grafton

The Shape Shifter by Tony Hillerman

Prior Bad Acts by Tami Hoag

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Turning Angel by Greg Iles

On the Run by Iris Johansen

Lisey's Story by Stephen King

Forever Odd by Dean Koontz

The Ambler Warning by Robert Ludlom

Wicked by Gregory Maguire

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Every Breath You Take by Judith McNaught

Mary, Mary by James Patterson

Lifeguard by James Patterson

Judge & Jury by James Patterson

Honeymoon by James Patterson

Step on a Crack by James Patterson

Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult

Morrigan's Cross by Nora Roberts

Dirty Blonde by Lisa Scottoline

At First Sight by Nicholas Sparks

Dear John by Nicholas Sparks

Toxic Bachelors by Danielle Steel

H.R.H. by Danielle Steel

The House by Danielle Steel

Ordinary Heroes by Scott Turow

SMALL PET OWNERS BEWARE!

At least one coyote has been visiting Columbia City on a regular basis. It's been spotted traveling through neighborhoods on both the east and west side of Highway 30, and it was recently seen chasing a cat on First Street. Residents are advised to keep small pets indoors and under their close supervision.

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