Did You Know...

07-20-06 Everyone is invited to "Vernonia Night Out" (formerly National Night Out) on August 22nd at Anderson Park. I am tentatively planning to have a BBQ, music, raffles, as well as police & fire first responder demonstrations. Last year almost 500 people attended and had a great time showing criminals what we think of them and how strong our community is. Watch for more details in future Independent's. If you are a business or individual and would like to donate to fund Vernonia Night Out please contact Chief Mathew Workman at the police department. A common complaint or question we receive at the police department is how long you can park a car, truck, motorcycle, boat, RV, trailer, etc. on the street. Vernonia City Ordinance #745 Section 13 states that you cannot store any of these items on a public street for more then 24 hours. Section 17 prohibits parking in an alley unless loading and unloading but for no more them 20 consecutive minutes. Section 18 prohibits parking on a street or any public right-of-way for the principal purpose of; displaying for sale, repairing or servicing (except emergency), advertising from vehicle, or selling merchandise (except when authorized). Section 19 addresses "heavy vehicle parking" which is prohibited unless delivering items or if a permit is obtained from City Hall (State, Rose, Elm, & Knott Streets are exempt). I often get asked if a daycare or scout troop can take a tour of the department. The answer is absolutely "yes". The police department is a central part of our community and I feel it is very important for our youth groups and even adult groups to be comfortable and knowledgeable about our organization. We frequently present our police station to groups in a form of a tour. Though our department is not large we are always glad to conduct a tour followed by a description of how the department functions and some of the equipment we use. If you have a group interested in a tour you can call Chief Mathew Workman at the station (503) 429-7335.