6
in other words
december19
2019
On the Shelves
By Shannon Romtvedt
Over the past five years
working for the Library, I’ve had
many conversations with staff and
volunteers about space: open area
for seating, fewer stored items in the
meeting space, more room in the
staff area, less clutter in the Janitor’s
closet. I’ve been told many times
that what the Library needs is an
outdoor shed.
Thanks to Cory Colburn
and Fall Creek Woodworking, City
staff, and a few amazing community
members, we now have a shed at the
Library. And what a beauty it is!
The shed was built off-site at
the Keasey Mill, loaded on a trailer,
and put in place with the help of
Public Works staff and equipment. It
has an 8 in 12 roof pitch, based on
the style of bunkhouses made for
O-A Logging. Cory pointed out that
traditionally these bunkhouses had
a cedar shake roof. The Library’s shed
has a comp roof to match the style of
our main building.
Four types of wood are
weaved into the shed’s construction,
all from local trees. The subfloor
and siding is Western Red Cedar,
built from a load of logs hauled out
of Airport Park by Weller and Sons
Trucking. The timber was purchased
from the City of Vernonia.
The stair is Ash, also from the
Airport Park load of logs. Door jams,
sheathing, rafters, and studs are
Douglas Fir, timber that came from
Cory’s property up Keasey Road.
The exterior door trim is
Cedar of Lebanon. Cedar of Lebanon
is not a native tree, but it’s a true
cedar and a commonly found
ornamental. It came from Kennedy
Ragsdale of Vernonia, planted by Tim
Enyart’s grandpa. The same timber
was used to build the Vernonia
School benches.
The shed is locally built, with
all local wood, and will be easily
modified for future use. Cory says
it’s important for the shed to be
adaptable. You can add windows,
shelves, paint, covered entryway,
skylight, whatever is needed. That’s
not something you get when you
buy a prefabricated shed.
For more information about
the construction of the Library shed,
contact Fall Creek Woodworking
(503) 429-4351.
Upcoming Events
Documentary Night
Tuesday, January 21, 6:30 pm
3 rd Tuesday of every month, 6:30 pm.
Title for January: TBA
Writer’s Group
Thursday, December 19, 6-7:30 pm
Thursday, January 2, 6-7:30 pm
Now the 1 st and 3 rd Thursday of every
month, 6-7:30 pm. For writers with
all levels of experience.
Book Discussion Group
Last Monday of every month,
5:30 pm. No Meeting in December.
Discussion for January 27: Voices
from the Mill Pond Vol. 1
Storytimes
Library Playgroup
Wednesdays, 10:30-11:30 am
Activity stations designed for young
children, birth - preschool. Drop-in
and play or stay the whole time.
Preschool Storytime
Fridays, 10:30-11:15 am
Stories, activities, and a craft for
children up through age 6.
Did You Know:
For Kids at the Library
We realize that it’s hard to
get to the Library when we have
storytimes and special programs,
so we offer things to do during all
open hours. We have a craft table
and rotate out crafts weekly. We
also have coloring pages and activity
sheets. Our children’s area has toys,
puzzles, Legos, and Magnatiles, and a
growing selection of board games to
borrow or play in the Library. Come
to the Library with your family and
friends over winter break! It’s a fun
place to spend time.
Featured Titles at the
Library: Voices from the
Mill Pond Vol. 1
Hands on Art and Vernonia’s
Voice held a book release at the
Library on December 5 for the newly
published title: Voices from the Mill
Pond Vol.1 Stories, Poems, Artwork,
and Photographs from Vernonia,
Oregon. Over 60 people came to
the Library to celebrate the new
book. Copies are on sale at the
Vernonia Library for $20. Cash or
checks payable to Vernonia’s Voice.
Make sure to get your copy of this
beautiful book. Thank you to Diana
Peach, Hands on Art, and Vernonia’s
Voice for all your hard work on this
project!
Library Closures
December 24 and 25 for Christmas
Holiday
December 31 and January 1 for New
Year’s Holiday
Hours & Contact Info
Mon, Wed, Fri 10 am - 5 pm
Tues & Thurs 12 pm - 7 pm
Sat 12 pm - 5 pm
Closed Sundays
Phone: (503) 429-1818
E-mail: library@vernonia-or.gov
Website: www.vernonia-or.gov/
departments/library/
Go Green, Don’t Be a Grinch – Holiday Waste Reduction
By Hannah Scholes
December is flush with potlucks,
parties, and social gatherings of every
imaginable sort. While the gift-giving
and good cheer can be contagious, so
can the waste! Did you know that dur-
ing the holidays, Americans throw away
25% more trash and waste 33% more
food?
But don’t worry, you don’t need
to be a Grinch to be green during the
holidays! Here are a few tips to keep in
mind as you plan for gifts, potlucks, and
decorations this season.
When it comes to gifts, there are
many ways to rethink and reduce. Try
FOR TOWING EMERGENCIES
IN AND AROUND THE
VERNONIA AREA
Police and County personnel are required
to use a rotation of available providers,
UNLESS YOU SPECIFICALLY ASK
for a service by name.
REQUEST TOWING SERVICE FROM
gifting experiences, rather than things, to
avoid waste. It’s the perfect opportunity
to try something new with your loved
ones – wine tasting, a new restaurant, a
ball game, or pottery class. The options
are endless.
Whatever your gift, our #1
waste reduction tip is to wrap presents
with re-used materials like newspaper or
last year’s gift bags and bows. When you
can’t reduce or reuse, make sure Recycle
Right. Almost all wrapping paper can be
recycled. The exception is paper with a
plastic coating or metallic finish. Bows
and ribbons cannot be recycled, so save
them for next year. If they’re not in reus-
able condition, toss them in the garbage.
Another way to go green dur-
ing the holidays is to avoid food waste.
Holiday feasts can lead to extra food, so
encourage dinner guests to bring a reus-
able container to take home leftovers.
Freezing leftovers is also a great option.
For food scraps that can’t be salvaged,
make sure to compost to help our local
soils stay healthy!
Finally, remember to be envi-
ronmentally conscious when it comes
to holiday lights and decorations. As al-
ways, the first step is to reduce and reuse
as much as possible! Get creative with
a home-made wreath or ornaments. Buy
energy-efficient LED light strands that
are wired in parallel so, if one goes bad,
TOO BUSY?
Call your LOCAL bookkeeper
R
Y
OLL
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Edi Sheldon 503-429-1819
the others will still work, and you can
avoid throwing away the whole strand.
Once it’s time to retire a strand
of lights, they must be disposed of prop-
erly, which is to say, NOT in your recy-
cling cart! (This is important and worth
repeating: Holiday lights cannot be recy-
cled in your curbside cart!) Light strands
cause problems at recycling centers
because they tangle around recycling
equipment and create hazards for work-
ers. Holiday lights are okay to place in
your garbage cart when they no longer
work, but recycling holiday lights can
still be an option. Check out a few mail-
in programs that will ensure that the ma-
terials that make up your holiday lights
get another lease on life.
HolidayLEDS - https://www.holiday-
leds.com/christmas-light-recycling-pro-
gram.aspx
Christmas Light Source - https://www.
christmas-light-source.com/Christmas-
Lights-Recycling-Program_c_210.html
Here’s to a green holiday season
filled with fun and good cheer!
Hannah Scholes is Waste Management’s
Recycling Education and Outreach
Manager. Not sure what goes in your
recycle bin? Find out more at wmnorth-
west.com/oregon.
edisheldon@gmail.com
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Vernonia’s Voice is
published twice each month
on the 1 st and 3 rd Thursday.
Look for our next issue
on January 2, 2020!