SIUSLAW NEWS | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 17, 2021 | 7A
Library Tidings
Book Review
“Simon the Fiddler”
by Paulette Jiles
In March 1865, the long
and bitter War between the
States is winding down.
Until now, 23-year-old Si-
mon Boudlin has evaded
military duty thanks to his
slight stature, youthful ap-
pearance, and utter lack of
compunction about bend-
ing the truth.
But following a bar-
room brawl in Victoria,
Texas, Simon finds him-
OCHS from page 1A
Thompson said she was
also aware of OCHS and its
past as she contemplated a
career there.
“The board of directors
that was in charge during
the Department of Justice’s
investigation of four years
ago is gone,” she said. “I
have familiarized myself
with the findings and re-
News about the Siuslaw Public Library by Kevin Mittge
self conscripted into the
Confederate Army. Lucki-
ly, his talent with a fiddle
lands him in a regimental
band.
Weeks later, on the eve
of the Confederate surren-
der, Simon and his band
mates are called to play at
a dinner bringing together
officers and their families
from both sides of the con-
flict.
Amid the crowd, the
qu i c k - t h i n k i n g , au d a -
cious
fiddler
notices
the lovely Doris Mary Dil-
lon, the young governess
to a Union colonel’s daugh-
ter.
Simon is smitten by
Doris, but learns that the
18-year-old Irish girl is in-
dentured; by contract she
must finish her three years
of service, remaining with
the colonel’s family where
he is stationed. After
the surrender, Simon and
Doris go their separate
ways.
Yet as he travels around
Texas, seeking fame and
fortune as a musician, Si-
mon cannot forget the fair
Irish maiden, and vows
that someday he will find
her again.
Incandescent in its beau-
ty, told in Paulette Jile’s
trademark spare yet lilting
style, “Simon the Fiddler”
is a captivating, bittersweet
tale of the chances a devot-
ed man will take and the
lengths he will go to fulfill
his heart’s yearning.
Library to Open for
Browsing
With the recent an-
nouncement that Lane
County has moved down
to the moderate risk level
for COVID-19, the library
is pleased to begin offering
browsing at our facilities
in Florence and Mapleton.
Browsing will begin on
Thursday, April 1 — no
joke!
To begin, Siuslaw Public
Library will match its curb-
side pickup and drop-off
hours, so Monday through
Thursday, the hours will be
from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and
on Fridays from 11 a.m. to
6 p.m.
In Mapleton, we will of-
fer a slightly expanded ser-
vice from current curbside
hours, providing browsing
from noon until 5 p.m.
on Thursdays only. Days
open, including weekends,
and the number of hours,
will increase as conditions
allow.
Patrons will continue to
be required to wear masks
inside the library. Appoint-
ments are not necessary.
We have new touch less
check-out stations we en-
courage patrons to use.
There will be no seating
at this time and meeting
rooms are not available.
You can bring your kids
in to select books but toys
are not available and we
cannot accommodate play
groups or meet-ups.
Restrooms will also be
closed to the public.
We will continue to offer
curbside service for those
who wish to pick up their
library materials that way,
though we will be moving
the carts inside the library
proper.
If you applied for a li-
brary card during our
closure, you can pick up
your physical card during
browsing hours once you
have provided photo ID
and proof of your current
street address.
For new library cards, we
will provide applications
to be completed out of the
building, and then you will
return for the card, again
providing photo ID and
proof of address.
We all look forward to
seeing you soon!
quirements from way back
then and they have been re-
solved to the department’s
full satisfaction. That is in
the distant past and we’re
leaving it there; and we
have been moving on ever
since.
“The board also tells me
that other recent matters
with previous employees
have been fully resolved
to everyone’s satisfaction
and are bound by non-dis-
closure agreements. So,
we’re done with that too,”
Thompson
stated.
“I
wouldn’t have applied if I
hadn’t done my research,
and I wouldn’t have been
hired by this hardwork-
ing volunteer board if they
hadn’t done theirs. I think
we are a great match. The
future is bright and promis-
ing. Let’s go there together.”
“We are a great match,”
agreed OCHS Board Presi-
dent Shauna Robbers. “The
board is very excited that
we could hire Elizabeth.
She has a stable and highly
successful work history, and
glowing endorsements by
former employers and oth-
ers. She is a passionate ani-
mal lover and even took one
of our dogs home to foster
during her first week on the
job.”
Thomson has been in-
volved in animal rescue for
18 years. During that time,
she has fostered more than
200 dogs and volunteered
with local rescues and shel-
ters. She also served on the
board for Luvable Rescue
and organized public events
and fundraisers, facilitat-
ed adoptions for animals
in her care, socialized and
trained hundreds of puppies
and adult dogs, and fos-
tered abused animals that
had been removed from
their homes for LCAS while
criminal and civil charges
were being filed.
Robbers added, “Prior to
hiring Elizabeth, our shel-
ter manager Pam Bailey, the
staff and our excellent vol-
unteers have done an out-
standing job, as always, car-
ing for all our residents, our
facility and our thrift store.”
Thompson also detailed
plans for a way forward for
OCHS.
“After extensive conver-
sations with our board, our
compassionate and commit-
ted staff and our priceless
volunteers, this is what our
intended future looks like
and we ask the community
to join us in it,” Thompson
said. “A continued small-
scale remodel to improve
facility flow and function,
a capital campaign for an
important building addi-
tion to house a veterinary
clinic, more low-cost spay/
neuter clinics, more low-
cost microchip clinics, even
better and more immediate
care for animals brought to
the shelter, and more care
for other pets in the region
as our two local vets’ offic-
es are generally unable to
take new clients. They have
stated their support of our
intentions.”
In his letter of recommen-
dation Rick Hammel, pro-
gram manager for LCAS,
wrote, “Elizabeth’s work
with community outreach
has reflected credit on the
department and county. Her
work with volunteers, foster
providers, staff, and numer-
ous local merchants and
community partners, has
created a community team
LCAS has not had until
Elizabeth came on board.”
Thompson, who started
work on March 1, said “I
look forward to meeting our
supporters and community
leaders to build even stron-
ger bridges and discover
what more the community
may need from OCHS.”
For more information,
visit w w w.oregoncoast
humanesociety.org.
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