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Venture to Vernonia
for fun on the Nehalem
By April Bamburg
Vernonia is a
town off the beaten path, with friendly residents, small locally-owned
shops and plenty of things to do, if you know where to look. After
decades of economic reliance on the timber industry, the community
is working to create a broader, more stable and diversified business
base.
The town is small, with a pooulation of about 2,500 and a growth
rate of approximately three percent per year, according to City Administrator,
Robyn Bassett.
Two signs that the town is focusing on improvement are the city hall and
library buildings, both built in 1999. The renovation was a necessity, as
the building that housed both offices did not meet
accessibility standards. The City financed the project with proceeds from
the sale of 80 acres of City-owned timber land , Bassett said. The library
project was also partially funded through grants.
If you ask local residents and business owners, they will give you a number of
reasons they like it here. Dana Roaca, father of three and owner of the Vernonia
Mercantile and Black Bear Coffee shop, moved his family to Vernonia from Hillsboro
in 2000.
“In Hillsboro,” he said, “everyone’s always on the go.
Here, you see more of your friends and neighbors.You can actually borrow
a cup of sugar from a neighbor.”
“There’s more to do here than I thought,” he said. “I
mean, there’s golf, the parks, fossil hunting, the ‘municipal pool’ (a
diversion of the Nehalem River) that gets closed off in the summer—how
old fashioned! You can do it all here.”
Heather Lewis moved to Vernonia from Portland in July 2003, looking for the right
place to open her business, New Day Massage and Bodyworks. What she found was
a place that seemed to invite tourism and a place where she felt welcome.
“We walked down the sidewalk and people stopped us to introduce themselves,
or to ask whether we were moving here or just visiting,” she said. Lewis,
who has gotten involved in community planning and economic improvement, talked
about projects the city is working on. One such project is turning four
downtown alleyways, open to foot traffic, into small, “pocket parks.”
Friendly residents and opportunity for economic growth aren’t the only
reasons people choose to live in Vernonia. Real estate broker Steve Calhoun has
worked for Oregon Realty Company in Vernonia for 15 years. Properties here cost
20-25 percent less than the same type of property in the Tualatin Valley, said
Calhoun. That’s one reason new buyers are attracted to Vernonia. And Oregon
Realty isn’t the only real estate office in Vernonia.
Vernonia Realty has been in business for more than 50 years. Nancy Dailey,
an agent with the compnay since 1979, said the two agencies don’t really compete
for clients. “We sometimes show each other’s listings.”
Dailey said she works with younger buyers, around 25-35 years old. Many are first-time
homebuyers looking for a quiet place to raise children. Some are Vernonia High
School graduates who moved away, then returned to raise families.
“I see people who were raised here returning, and purchasing homes at an
age younger than normal,” she said. Dailey worked with the school
for 26 years and organized the annual senior trip in 1986, to “give
students a chance to see life outside of Vernonia.”
Mary Tolonen and her husband, Arnold, have lived in Vernonia for 35 years.
They moved here from Astoria in response to a newspaper advertisement for
a franchise opening. They’ve owned and operated Western Auto True Value Hardware ever
since. When they moved, Mary said she had never heard of Vernonia and didn’t
know where they were going. Now, however, she, “can’t imagine living
anywhere else.”
Noni Andersen and her husband, Dirk, have published the local newspaper,
The Independent, for 19 years. Andersen said when they arrived here in 1983,
Vernonia was small and not spread out. That hasn’t changed. But one big change,
she said, has come in the town’s government.
“The city handles things in a more professional manner. They’ve worked
hard to do a good job, have done a good job,” Anderson said, “but
that’s a job you never finish.”
Another big change is the Banks-Vernonia Linear Trail, a state park that
runs from Vernonia’s
A nderson
Park to the City of Banks inWashington County. The park has opened up the
community for outdoor recreation, attracting bicyclists, pedestrians and
horseback riders.
The 21-mile path is Oregon’s first rail-to-trail conversion and features
two railroad trestles. The line was originally used to move passengers and freight
from Keasey to Portland and logs and lumber from the Oregon-American lumber mill
in Vernonia, according to the trail guide brochure. Besides hiking or biking
the trail, there are many other things visitors can do for fun in
Vernonia , including kayaking and rafting in the Nehalem River, camping
in the RV Park, riding in the horse arena at Anderson Park, golfing on the 18-hole
course, “hooping” it up at Larry Steele’s Basketball Camp,
and fishing.
Vernonia Lake, stocked with Bass, Bluegill, Crappie and Perch, is edged by
a mile-long paved path for
pedestrians and bicyclists to enjoy.
Cycle Oregon will bring 2,000 cyclists to town on September 16. Riders in
this year’s event will spend a night in Vernonia as they complete the 482-mile
ride from Boardman to Astoria. Cycle Oregon, a non-profit organization maps out
different routes each year; the last time Vernonia was on the route was in 1991.
Vernonia’s role in the event is spearheaded by the Vernonia Chamber
of Commerce. In thanks for the hospitality, Cycle Oregon donates $1,000 to
community organizations. In addition, the Cycle Oregon Fund awards grants
to improve rural communities.
Dan and Heidi Brown, owners of Grey Dawn Gallery, are the local leaders
for the hospitality committee working on behalf of the Vernonia Chamber of
Commerce.
“The [Cycle Oregon] organization has a desire to make an economic impact
on the communities they come through,” said Dan Brown. “Riders and
guests are encouraged to spend time downtown. Hopefully, they will get to know
the community,” he said.
Some 120 volunteers will be needed to make this event run smoothly, Brown
said. Events will be listed in the handbook sent to all cyclists participating.
“The free publicity for the community is big because the book goes out
to all of the riders,” said Brown. For more information, visit
the Cycle Oregon website at www.cycleoregon.com, contact Donna Webb at (503)
429-5201, or the Vernonia Chamber of Commerce at (503) 429-6081.
Vernonia is in the process of reinventing itself, many say. The future will
show what the reinvention brings, but the mood is optimistic.
“Things are definitely on the upswing in Vernonia,” said Heidi Brown.
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Vernonia's Anderson Park |
Confessions
of a Returning Vernonian
Four years ago,
Vernonia made me claustrophobic. I was raised in Vernonia and, as
an adolescent, I couldn’t wait to leave. Nothing ever
seemed to happen and it was an annoyance that the nearest movie theater
or shopping center was in Hillsboro. After moving away and returning,
however, my perspective has changed. Now I see this little town as
a nice place where people are friendly and I no longer feel trapped.
Growing up here, I took the quiet and the calm for granted. The small
town bored me. The lack of privacy drove me crazy. Everyone wanted
to know my business. I didn’t see— then — opportunities in Vernonia that I wouldn’t
have had in a larger community. I wanted out of Vernonia, and I got that wish
in September 2000, when I left to attend college in Eugene.
Eugene was a completely different atmosphere, and, initially, I experienced
a minor bout of culture shock. Vernonia’s population was 2,228. In
Eugene, I joined a community of close to 18,000 college students. Nobody knew
me and few had even heard of Vernonia. Moving to Eugene, I loved my new-found
independence and freedom. I was responsible for my actions and didn’t
have to answer to anyone or explain myself. There always seemed to be something
going on and entertainment options, like movie theaters or shopping, were only
10 to 15 minutes away.
There was more to my experience in Eugene, though, than just proximity to shopping
and a greater number of people. For example, in September 2002, a riot, related
to rowdy partying, erupted not far from my apartment building. CNN reported it;
afterwards, the Eugene Police Department increased their weekend patrols of campus
neighborhoods.
Vernonia is tiny, but it hasn’t always been quiet. Logging has been a vital
part of the economy here since the area was settled. The Oregon American Lumber
Company built the mill at Vernonia Lake in 1924. The mill closed in 1957 and
was burned in 1961, as part of the filming of the movie Ring of Fire. Logging
is still a major part of the town’s economy, with 15 or more logging-related
businesses located here or nearby.
I’ve been back in Vernonia for seven months now, returning after earning
my degree and not finding a job. At first, I wasn’t happy, but my situation
has made me consider new career options, like freelance writing. Since I’ve
returned, I’ve attended football and basketball games and enjoyed the annual
Christmas Bazaar and St. Patrick’s Day parade. People still stop others
to talk in the post office, at the market, or on the sidewalk.
Vernonia has remained the same. I changed. No longer do I feel uncomfortable.
Things that annoyed me when I left don’t bother me now. I’ve realized
that it’s not bad that most of the people in town know who I am and what
goes on in my life. Bonds between community members make Vernonia a welcoming
place, and I’m comfortable here. Living in a larger city can be lonely,
because people aren’t necessarily as friendly as they might be in a town
like Vernonia. The citizens of smaller communities can feel like members of an
extended family. Now that I’ve been away and returned, I realize my hometown
isn’t so bad.
In fact, it’s a nice place to come home to.
April
Bamburg
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Looking for a relaxing way to spend a Saturday with your family?
Vernonia Riverfest might be just the ticket!