The INDEPENDENT, August 5,1998
By Cecelia Sadtler
Volunteer, Banks Library
How are you spending these hot summer
days? Would you like to find a place that’s spa
cious, stimulating, bright and coot? Then, the
Banks Public Library is just the place for you,
with shelves full of interesting books, an exten
sive reference section, convenient copy
machine and friendly assistance.
At the Library you’ll find a great section of
new books including Cuba Libra, a novel set on
the eve of the Spanish-American War, Summer
Sisters by Judy Blume, Low Country by Anne
Rivers Siddons and I Know This Much Is True by
Wally Lamb. Another new book proposes that
people with different blood tyeps have different
dietary needs. It’s titled Eating Right 4 Your
Type. The author, Peter J. D’Adamo, sites many
examples to support his theory and substantiate
his intriguing idea. Fans of John Irving's past
novels, such as The World According to Garp
and The Hotel New Hampshire will want to read
Irving’s new novel A Widow for One Year. You’ll
find this in the Banks Library also.
While you’re in the Library don’t neglect the
reference section because you think reference
books are just dictionaries and encyclopedias.
You’ll be surprised and delighted to find
immense diversity. There’s a new Places Hated
Almanac that contains a wealth of information
about the best places to live in North America.
This handy book includes data about weather,
housing prices, health facilities, airports, muse
ums and much more. You’ll also find a compre
hensive guide to various poisons called Deadly
Doses, a 1998 edition of The Complete Book of
Colleges, a book of Small Business Legal
Forms, and an interesting tome that looks at dai
ly life around the globe titled The 1997-1998
Culturegrams. There are books about how to
start a reading group, a 1998 Videohounds
Golden Movie Retriever book, and a valuable
resource for kids doing reports called Meet the
Authors and Illustrators. Stop by the Banks
Library soon for fascinating references and
some cool summer reading!
Big changes are in store for WILI, the Wash
ington County Inter-Library Information service.
The current text-only system will begin conver
sion on July 31 in a transformation process lead
ing to completely Windows-based software. This
By Julius Dalzell
Vernonia City Councilor
"Time to Get Involved"
No, it's not year-end and the time to review
what has happened. Or is it? In fact, a review is
quite in order. The fall election is just around the
comer and, more significantly, August 26 is the
filing deadline for City positions. Needed to be
filled are the Mayor's position and two City
Council seats. Now is not the time to be indiffer
ent!
Many tasks have been initiated over the past
couple of years requiring management and
oversight through to completion. In many cases,
citizen committees have been given direct
responsibility working with City staff, however
eventually, “the buck stops” at the Council. That
body makes the final decisions and, for that rea
son, needs good and thoughtful representation.
What are the projects? We have talked about
these activities many times, but they are certain
ly worth repeating, at least in part. There’s the
new City Hall-Library construction on the rail
road grade. The day after Jamboree you will
note activity on the site. The designs are in final
modification. Copies are available at City Hall.
Although the work didn’t start this year, the
water system rehabilitation will start early in
1999. That job will indeed be hard to miss!
Downtown will certainly be affected as new
change will bring the library system into the
graphical world of most computers and open
access from home or office through the Inter
net’s World Wide Web. The new software was
developed by Gaylord Information Systems, and
is named Polaris. During the gap time between
the old and the new systems, item status and
patron check-out information will be unavailable,
no holds may be placed, and you will need to
bring your library card or barcode number to
check out materials. When the conversion is
complete, the libraries of the Washington Coun
ty Cooperative will be ready to guide users
through the new world of information available at
your fingertips. Your patience is appreciated dur
ing the transition time.
The Washington County Libraries’ Summer
Reading Program is drawing to a close,
kids.read®libraries was exciting, informative
and fun. If you participated in the program at
Banks it’s time to turn in your completed reading
records. The Library will be accepting records
during the month of August and there’s a free
book waiting for those who’ve met their goal.
And, believe it or not, fall is just around the cor
ner. Forms for Fall Soccer sign-ups are now
available at the Banks Library.
Recycle Day is coming up. Save your recy-
clables and bring them to the SWATCO service
yard located at 15945 NW Sellers Rd. on Satur
day, August 8 between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.
On the second Saturday of each month the
Friends of the Banks Public Library sponsor this
convenient service which benefits the Library
and the entire community.
The Friends of the Library will be participating
in the 53rd annual Banks Bar-B-Q, by sponsor
ing an entry for the grand Parade.
You can see that the Banks Library is an
active place. There are loads of new books, old
favorites, books for sale, reference materials,
flyers and local periodicals (including The
INDEPENDENT) a convenient copy machine
and much, much more! Stop by soon for some
cool entertainment.
Banks Library 111 Market Street
Hours: Tues. and Tburs., T 'p M te Z p.m.;
w
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Phone:
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pipes are laid. Planning has taken longer than
expected, but what’s new when construction is
involved? A similar situation prevails in conjunc
tion with the Rock Creek bridge for the Linear
Trail extension to Vernonia Lake. You try to get
the best deal for the City from bids received,
however, sometimes events just don’t proceed
as planned.
There is the whole venture of planning for
downtown improvements. A number of funded
projects and studies have been rolled together
for maximum leverage of dollars available.
Being lead by the Planning Committee assisted
by additional participants, the idea is to accom
plish physical improvements to achieve a more
attractive and functional downtown for com
merce and services...for all of us!
A lot more needs attention. We could talk
about efforts to bring educational courses to
town, ongoing activities to assist local business
es and concerns about mischief and criminal
activity. These are all “part and parcel” of a com
munity’s life. And all of those issues, tasks,
events, crises and (sometimes) boring details
need to be managed.
Think about a role for yourself or a person
you consider to be a great candidate for Mayor
or Councilor. Vernonia and its future aren’t going
away. Believe it—change will prevail. I can per
sonally attest to that. It’s better to direct change
than have it manage us. Get involved!
Small communities
are the best places
To the Editor:
I am just a w ay-farin’
stranger travel’n thru your
land. Reading in The Oregon
ian concerning trends of
mass-media and big busi
ness—the survival of the
fittest, largest, wealthiest
seems to be avant-garde.
Only those who have
walked in small community
moccasins know the heart
and soul of lives intermingling
with the pulse of the people
they serve. Like so many
local citizens who serve day
to day, helping to preserve
order, safety, uplifting news,
fire prevention, health needs,
moral instruction and integri
ty, schooling and higher edu
cation, running the business
of the community and its
upbuilding, community pride
groups know the neighborly
living by heart.
As one famous writer and
world traveler once said, “I
don’t know if I might not have
been just as well off to have
stayed right here in my own
back yard.”
The key to unlocking life
and living is family: where
your heart is, who you call
neighbor. Disintegration is a
taboo word, when it comes to
family, and the extended
“meaningful others”! Building
up, supporting, reinventing,
congratulating, developing a
kinder, stronger neighbor
hood where you are is tanta
mount to asking the right
questions. Culture and soci
ety are good when we look
for the beauty that so many
times is hidden in recessed
corners, even in our own
back yards. As I heard
recently over a back yard
fence, “I think this is one of
the best places to live".
Now that’s newsworthy!
Merle Ferguson
Kingsburg, CA
Logger
supports
ban on ciearcutting
To the Editor:
As a logger, I hope the For
est Conservation Measure is
voted in this fall.
Mature tim ber to log is
more scarce all the time.
I’d as soon be thinning
younger stands and cutting
brush for paper and chips if
my fam ily could have a
steady income from now on.
Louis Denison
Vernonia
Kindness, support
typical of Vernonia
To the Editor:
Recently losing my pet of
nearly 12 years was very dif
Page 3
ficult. She was a wonderful,
intelligent family dog. Grow
ing up in the suburbs and
moving to the country was a
delight to our friend, but it
also proved fatal, as we
moved across the highway,
and she was en route to
check out her old stomping
grounds when a truck hit her.
I need to express much
thanks from beginning to end.
People en route in their busy
days stopped and offered
assistance. The truck driver
was kind enough to stop and
let me know of the tragedy.
Others stopped. A bike rider
pedaling through gave clear
perspective and aid in getting
my dog into the Volvo, with
genuine kindness for me.
Other truck drivers stopped,
radioed ahead to assure the
vet was in, on the south end
of town, and let them know I
was coming. The vet and
assistant were generous with
understanding and helpful
information as to what was
going on and what to expect
for my dog.
In my grief I received
touches of support and care
every step of the way, even
with a family scheduled to
see the vet, waiting thought
fully while my dog and I were
settled for a drive to Scap
poose. I took Kasha in to
learn she had to have
euthanasia. It was horrible to
say good-bye to Kasha. She
had been there with me dur
ing my early mothering, and
in my kids’ first decade of life.
From the beginning she
showed herself an enthusias
tic family member.
She had really long fur that
toddlers loved to pet. But they
ended up pulling more than
petting. Even when Kasha
was surrounded by a crew of
poking, pulling, petting and
squealing
toddlers,
she
soaked it up. She would not
retreat but push her way into
the middle over and over
again.
Many of us have stories of
pets who offer a quality to life
that sometimes seems magi
cal. They cannot speak as we
do. But theirs is a special
relationship that is engaging
and delightful. I have lost
pets throughout my life, and I
could rarely cry. With the loss
of Kasha I have been able to
cry and my tears were not put
down in this community.
Supporting me in this way
furthers my delight in living in
Vernonia. I knew nothing of
Vernonia two years ago. I feel
, am only beginning to discov
er it. When people are of high
value and honored as such,
as I was in the death of my
dog, the life of community is*
rich and the work of each day
is worthwhile.
Warmly,
Michele Kunkel
Vernonia
Enjoy Community Activities for the Whole Family
Vernonia Friendship Jamboree — Aug. 7-9 • Banks Bar-B-Q
Aug. 13-16