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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 18, 2018)
6 in other words january18 2018 On the Shelves By Shannon Romtvedt One of the most frequently asked questions at the Library relates to our Out of City Limit fee. Why would I need to pay for a library member- ship if my address says Vernonia? It’s a good question and I want to take some time here to answer it. Shouldn’t Libraries be Free? In general, libraries are funded by a mix of local, county, state, and federal taxes, but the mix is unique for every library. Anyone who uses a specific library is contributing funds to keep that particular building open, staffed, books on the shelves, and providing services. There is no cost to borrow books, dvds, and other items, but only because members pre-pay for the service through their taxes or a membership fee. How is the Vernonia Library Funded? The Vernonia Library is funded spe- cifically by City property taxes. If you live inside of the City limits, you are paying every year for the Library, whether or not you use it. If you live outside the City limits, you pay only if you are interested in a membership. The fee to use the Vernonia Public Library is currently $25 per year, per household. It was reduced from $40 back in March 2016, with approval from City Council, to make the Library more accessible for people who live outside of the city limits. I have never been asked to pay for a Library Membership. If you have moved from out of the area and feel like you have never had to pay for a library before, it’s because a library doesn’t ask for a member- ship fee if the money is coming out of your taxes based on where you live. If you lived anywhere in Washington County for example, you were paying for the library system through your property taxes. The fee is not there to dis- courage people from using the Li- brary. We love welcoming new members. But out of fairness to the people in Vernonia who pay for the Library, we require a membership fee from households outside of the City boundaries. Sponsorship Program and Free Cards for Children For people who have a tight budget and the $25 fee is problematic, the Friends of the Library offer a sponsor- ship program. If you contribute $5 to your membership, the Friends kick in the rest. Just ask staff for a sponsor- ship application when you apply for a card. Youth, under the age of 18, who live within the boundaries of the Vernonia School District are eligible for a free card, with a checkout limit of 1 movie and 10 total items. Oregon Passport Program Being a member of the Vernonia Li- brary means you are also eligible to get a free card at other Libraries that are part of the Oregon Passport pro- gram. If you live outside of the City limits, and the $25 fee applies, you will be able to use that membership to get a free card at the St. Helens Li- brary, Scappoose Library, Washington County Libraries, Multnomah County Libraries, and other Passport libraries. Being a Member of the Vernonia Library As a member of the Vernonia Library you have access to our books, dvds, audiobooks, board games, member- ship passes (OMSI, Hillsboro Aquatic Center, Rice Rock Center, Oregon His- torical Society Museum) and more. Friends of the Vernonia Library The Vernonia Library is supported by a 501(c)(3) organization called the Friends of the Vernonia Library. While taxes go toward Library building, operations, materials, and staffing, the Friends of the Library fund spe- cial projects, programs, services, and equipment. If interested in support- ing the Library outside of a Library membership, consider joining the Friends. More information and mem- bership applications are available at the Library. Questions or Concerns? If you want to know whether or not the membership fee applies to you or if you have any concerns regarding the Out of City Limit fee, please con- tact Shannon Romtvedt shannonr@ vernonia-or.gov. I look forward to talking to you. Upcoming Events Family Movie Night Tuesday, January 23, 6-7:30 pm Featuring: My Neighbor Totoro (G, 88 min.) Free movie and popcorn. Author Night: Brian K. Friesen Thursday, January 25, 6:30 pm Portland author of At the Waterline: Stories from the Columbia River will be coming to the Vernonia Library for a reading, Q & A about his book, and book signing. Sponsored by the Friends of the Vernonia Library. Light refreshments served. Jugglemania! with Rhys Thomas Saturday, February 10, 1 pm Rhys taught himself juggling, comedy, and physics and went from a Seattle street performer to performing inter- nationally. He has opened shows for James Taylor and Weird Al Yankovich and performed at NBA half times. He is also a favorite juggler for libraries in the Pacific Northwest. Program spon- sored by the Vernonia Lions Club. Puppetry Workshop Tuesdays, 4-5 pm January 16-February 27 Students will make their own pup- pets, learn puppetry skills, and work towards a performance of Pete the Cat and His Magic Sunglasses. Pup- pet show is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, February 27, 6:30 pm. For a successful performance, students must plan on attending as many Tues- day classes as possible. Registration is now full for this class. Please contact the Library (503) 429-1818 or shann- onr@vernonia-or.gov if interested in future opportunities. Ongoing Programs Kids Book Group Friday, February 9, 4:30-5:30 pm February Selection: Quinny & Hopper by Adriana Brad Schanen. Meetings once a month, second Friday at 4:30 pm. For kids and families with children grades 3-5, or thereabouts. Copies of books will be available following the meeting. If interested in the book group and want to be on a contact list, email shannonr@vernonia-or.gov or contact the library (503) 429-1818. Book Discussion Group Last Monday of every month, 5:30 pm. Discussion for January 29: Astoria by Peter Stark. Knitting Group Saturday, January 20, 10 am-Noon For knitters with all levels of experi- ence. Contact Caitlin at boylandknit- works@gmail.com if you are new to knitting and need materials or more information. Writer’s Group Thursday, January 18, 6-7:30 pm Third Thursday of the month. For all levels of writing experience. New members always welcome. Storytimes Baby and Toddler Time Mondays, 10:30-11:15 am Songs, short stories, toys, and bub- bles for 0-3. Preschool Storytime Fridays, 10:30-11:15 am (through the end of January) Stories and a craft/activity for up to age 5. Older siblings welcome! February-March the Library will have a Family Storytime on Thursdays, 6:30 pm Did You Know? Ballot Drop Location The Vernonia Library is an official bal- lot drop location. Oregon Special Election Day is Tuesday, January 23. To be counted, ballots are due by 8 pm on Election Day. The Library will be open extra hours on Tuesday, Jan- uary 23, 9 am-8 pm. The Ballot box is just inside the lobby doors of the Li- brary. Featured Titles: Adopt-A-Book Fundraiser The following are a few highlighted titles added to the Library collec- tion through the Adopt-a-Book fun- draiser, sponsored by the Friends of the Library. Thank you to 16 Library patrons for purchasing a book for the children’s collection through this fun- draiser. Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend The Elements Book: A Visual Encyclope- dia of the Periodic Table by DK The Whiz Mob and the Grenadine Kid by Colin Meloy (Portland Author, lead singer of The Decemberists) Peaceable Kingdom Cauldron Quest Cooperative Potions and Spells Game for kids Awesome LEGO Creations with Bricks You Already Have by Sarah Dees How to Talk So Little Kids Will Listen: A Survival Guide to Life with Children Ages 2-7 by Joanna Faber A Boy, a Mouse, and a Spider – The Story of E.B. White by Barbara Herkert Library Closures Monday, February 19 for Presidents’ Day Hours & Contact Info Mon, Wed, Fri 10 am - 5 pm Tues & Thurs 1 pm - 7pm Sat 10 am - 4 pm Closed Sundays Phone: (503) 429-1818 E-mail: library@vernonia-or.gov Report Hunt Results by January 31 and hunting seasons,” said ODFW Game Program Manager Tom Thornton. “We really appreciate hunters taking a few minutes of their time to complete the report, even if they did not hunt or were not successful.” ODFW used to get this data through phone surveys but these became more difficult and expensive as hunt- ers moved or screened their calls. The mandatory reporting program was put in place in 2007. A penalty of $25 was added several years ago because even after several years promoting the program and providing incentives to report, only about 40 percent of tags were being re- ported on time. This rate was too low for ODFW to even use the data. After the penalty was imple- mented for 2012 tags, reporting rates jumped to 80 percent or more. This has continued from page 4 allowed ODFW to phase out big game survey calls; the agency no longer makes these calls. Information from the mandatory surveys about how many hunters went hunting, how many big game animals were taken, antler points and success rates is available at ODFW’s Big Game Hunting Harvest Statistics page, https:// myodfw.com/big-game-hunting-har- vest-statistics. Chance to win special big game tag Hunters that report on time are entered into a drawing to win a spe- cial big game tag. ODFW selects three names each year and the winners can choose a deer, elk, or pronghorn tag. Hunters who win get an expanded hunt area and extended season, similar to auc- tion and raffle tags that hunters can pay thousands for.