Did You Know...

03-02-06 Even though we are starting another wet period the recent nice weather has increased the bicycle traffic through town. Everyone needs to remember that bicycles, skateboards, rollerblades, etc. are prohibited by City Ordinance on the sidewalks along Bridge St. from City Hall to California Ave. and on Jefferson & Maple Ave. from Bridge to Maple St. Since last fall the VPD has cited or referred six people and warned many others for violating this ordinance. You can be fined up to $50 for riding on the sidewalk and $84 for riding without a helmet. The VPD continues to participate in DUII and Safety Belt Grant programs which provide funding for enhanced enforcement on the roadways. February 6th through 19th was the first 3-Flags Safety Belt Blitz for Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. Vernonia's Pre-Blitz seatbelt use survey was 90% and the Post-Blitz survey was 92%. This is slightly below the state average of 94%. Enhanced DUII and Safety Belt patrols will continue throughout the year. As a pet owner this last topic is very serious and disturbing to me. In the last week two separate citizens have approached me with concerns that their family pets had been poisoned. Neither citizen knew the other nor lived in the same area of town but both told me they believed that their animals could have been poisoned. Hopefully they are two isolated incidents and were not deliberate malicious acts of poisoning. All pet owners should abide by city, county and state laws by keeping your animals on your property and respecting others property. That said, the malicious act of intentionally poisoning a domestic animal is considered a Class C Felony in Oregon Law (ORS 167.322). If you have information about animal poisonings or believe your animal was poisoned you can contact the police or Columbia County Animal Control at 503-397-3935.