Did You Know...

04-16-07 The Spring season is upon us with the buds blooming and many of us sprucing up our landscapes. Remember that as of April 1st, you should have removed your studded tires from your vehicle. Studded tires are legal in Oregon from 12:01 am November 1 through 11:59 pm March 31. Remember the base fine for use of studded tires outside the legal dates in $145. The degradation of the roadways can be very serious given the limited resources of the road departments. If you know a student who is interested in criminal justice and will be attending college the Oregon Association Chiefs of Police (OACP) has a scholarship program available. To qualify you should be enrolled as a CJ student at a college, have a desire to enter CJ or law enforcement career, and have a grade point average above 2.5. The scholarship is $1000 per school year per applicant. If you are interested or know someone who is interested you can download the application on the OACP website www.policechief.org under the "scholarship" tab. You can also get an information brochure at the VPD or Vernonia High School though the counselor's office. Once again this year through the donations from local businesses and citizens, the VPD was able to provide safety information and materials to Vernonia youth. The materials were printed by the National Child Safety Council (NCSC) and some were recently presented to the Vernonia School District for distribution. The material given to the school district included a safety manual for ages 6-10 on being a "Safe Walker - Safe Rider" and an "Internet Safety Magazine". Additional NCSC material that are available at the VPD include; a pamphlet for kids on "Dangerous Situations", the companion pamphlet on "Dangerous Situations" for parents, and a very informative brochure called "The First 48 Hours: Steps for finding a missing child." All of these pamphlets and brochures are available free-of-charge at the VPD. A quick reminder that Columbia River Fire & Rescue will be conducting a FREE Child Safety Seat Check Up Clinic on Saturday May 5, 2007 from 10am to 1pm at the St. Helens Wal-Mart (2295 Gable Rd). On average 85% of seats checked need correction. If you or family members utilize a child safety seat or booster seat you should consider stopping by the clinic to have the seat checked and receive helpful advice on proper use. The clinic is free and the information is priceless!