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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (June 21, 2000)
The INDEPENDENT, June 21, 2000 Lotters to the Editor: Between the Bookends dent and library patron, has given a donation to purchase a plant in memory of John. Soon a suitable plant will be chosen and this plant will Yes, the library is open!! The new sidewalk visibly remind us of the friendship and generosi has been completed and within the next two ty of John and Edna Hailey. weeks, Weed Avenue will be paved and more Mark your calenders for this summer’s fun at parking will be available. Until then, please con the library — Summer Reading 2000, Ticket to tinue to do the best you can when searching for Tomorrow. Each of these sessions will be held parking space and try to look to the near future on Wednesday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. Blast Off when once again library parking will be easily with us on June 28 with songs led by Toni, crafts accessed. demonstrated by Jaki, and stories told by Oris The last month has been an interesting and sa. July 5 and 25 will be similar delightful ses exciting time during which the library automation sions featuring “space” themes. Special presen process was initiated. The period from May 15 tations will be July 19 with Anne-Louise Sterry until June 15 saw ten different volunteers work entertaining with her folk stories and songs, ing 60 hours to input library materials for a total “Simply Songs and Stories.” Story teller Tom Mc of 1,406 entries. If these volunteers had been Cormack will be entertaining August 2. McCor paid minimum wage, their efforts would have mack will be using his flute to weave song seg amounted to $390.00, or if we had paid to have ments throughout his stories featuring a variety these same items converted by a retrospective of themes. The Oregon Library Association’s conversion company, the cost would have been. Summer Reading Program Fund is paying for $694.88. Isn’t that impressive? Not only are the his appearance. Other funding for Summer volunteers enjoying themselves while using the Reading 2000 comes from the City of Vernonia new program, they are becoming more familiar and the remainder of the help is made possible with the workings of the library and are saving by volunteers. Because studies reveal that chil the City money in the process. An ongoing ac dren who read during the summer are better count of volunteer time, items entered and mon prepared for school than those who don’t, read ey saved will be included in this article each ing is heartily encouraged as part of this year’s month. Additional volunteers will be accepted at program. The reading of at least 10 books dur any time during the automation process, which ing the summer is encouraged for all participat will be taking place for several months. Since a ing youngsters. The Oregon State Fair is once complete inventory of library materials has nev again providing five pairs of children’s tickets for er been done, it has been estimated that library local libraries to give away during the summer materials total 10,000, so completion time of reading program. These will be awarded during eight to nine months is a conservative estimate a drawing for those who have attended at least for this process. three of the presentations and have read at least The Silver Tea, sponsored by the Vernonia 10 books. There will once again be drawings Study Club in May has been proclaimed a suc each week for T-shirts with the summer reading cess. The ladies decorated the Margaret Thiele logo. There is no admission for these summer Petti Meeting Room and the library entry with programs and all children are invited. beautiful flower arrangements, provided deli New books include After the Fire by Belva cious cookies and punch, proved to be excellent Plain, Cradle and All by James Patterson, Angel hostesses, and collected a substantial sum of Falls, by Kristen Hannah, and Wild Life, by Mol donations from those attending. It has been de ly Gloss. New purchases for youngsters are on cided that these donations will be used to pur the topic of (you guessed it!) space! chase a laminator for the library. This item will be One more wonderful thing to mention about used to laminate patron library cards and other the library this summer...it’s cool! library objects in need of preserving and will be available to laminate items for the public (A Vernonia Library 701 Weed Avenue charge will be determined for this service based Hours: Mon., Wed., Frf. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on the cost of laminating supplies). Tues., Thur. 2 p.m.-7 p.m. Those of us privileged to know her were sad Sat 10 a.m.-2 p.m. dened to hear that shortly after her move to For Preschool Story Time, Mondays, 10:30 a.m. est Grove, Edna Hailey’s husband, John, Phone: (503)429-1818 passed away. Edna, a longtime Vernonia resi- By Nancy Burch, Librarian Vernonia Public Library Letters to the Editor From page 2 Homecoming week and much more, without your support, we wouldn’t have had this great experience and memories that we will never forget. Now it is time for us ex change students to say good bye to Vernonia and to go back home, but I think I speak for every single one of us when I say that this year was a great experience and a time we will never forget! Vernonia became my second home, and that won’t change. I want to give a special thanks to my host family, my mom Candace, my dad Kevin Sr., my sister Nicole and my brother Kevin Swayze, Jr. I can’t put into words how much they mean to me. I thank them so much for everything they did for me. Also, I want to thank Bridget Titus and her family, Kirsten Hyde and family, Colin Plews, Kristin Francis, Shawn Robert son, Lori and Jim Walters, Ja son Busch, Brad Bricker and his family, Casey Weller, the Skinner family, Elena Majbova, Erica Hobart and Woody Bux ton. Thanks to all of you for al ways being there for me and for making this year an unfor gettable experience. I will miss you so very much! Goodbye and Auf Wiedersehen, Anja Militzer German exchange student, 1999-2000 Helen Keller award goes to G. Russell To the Editor: On June 6, 2000, the Ver nonia Lions Club had their an nual dinner at the New Hong Kong restaurant in Vernonia. The food and service were ex cellent. This is a time when spouses are invited. The roster of new officers was read and many awards were given out. One of the highlights of the evening was when President Ray Allen pre sented Gerald Russell with the Helen Keller award. The plaque inscription reads: “Will you not help me hasten the day when there shall be no preventable blindness; no little deaf, blind child untaught; no blind man or woman unaid Page 3 ed?”...Helen Keller This is the second award Gerald Russell has received this year. The Vernonia Lions Club presented Gerald with a plaque “In sincere appreciation and recognition of distin guished service. Loyalty and devotion to the object and fur therance of Lionism Vernonia Lions 1963-1999.” The award was given to Gerald for the 36 years of faith ful service he gave freely to our club. It’s people like Gerald Rus sell who are the backbone of any organization, it’s people like Gerald Russell that send out a beacon to light and guide us on our path to the future. Larry Doppke Vernonia Lions Parade and fireworks for Fourth of July To the Editor: Plans are moving ahead for the 4th of July fireworks display in Vernonia. Donations for the fireworks have been coming in. Thank you. The Vernonia Booster Club will have their usual conces sion stand, and Shelly Clines plans on having her Scouts there with their stand. The parade will be forming at Weed Avenue at 7:00 p.m. Starting time is at 7:30 p.m., following Bridge Street through town to Washington Grade School. We could use some volunteers to help with the pa rade line-up. Fireworks will begin at dusk. See you there. Enid Parrow Vernonia Pride Vernonia? Oregon? Must be a misprint To the Editor: It is almost two years ago since the day I decided that I wanted to be an exchange stu dent. I did everything I was supposed to, and then a letter came from my host parents. They were writing from Ore gon. Oregon? I didn’t have any idea where it was. And Ver nonia? I looked and looked on the map, but couldn’t find it. When I saw in the letter that my new school had 250 kids, I thought it was a misprint and it was supposed to be 2,500. And the weather? Rain almost all year long. I was horrified. I had (in my mind) sunny cities in California, huge schools and rich people in expensive cars when someone said “America." I just pictured myself going everywhere with an umbrella and then gradually turning into a frog. My friends were saying that everything would be fine, then laughing really hard, since they knew how much I “loved” small towns and rain. In August I got here, and Vernonia still seemed very small. Then the school year started and I got to know all the different people in this small but very friendly community. The kids in school were very nice to me and teachers helped me a lot too. Everything was so different from what I was used to, but I liked it. I was also sur prised at how the whole com munity was helping to support kids in sports or different fundraisers. I thought it was great. I was able to earn almost all of the money for the senior trip in different fundraisers. For this, I would like to say “thanks” to all the people that supported and helped us. There were also people that helped me with my senior project, like Judy Gin grich and Shelly Clines. There’s still a lot of people who helped me through the year that I can’t think of now. My biggest “thank you” be longs to my new American fam ily, to my American parents, Don and Nona Skinner, that found a place for me in their hearts and I love them very much for everything they are. After almost 10 months here, Vernonia became my second home, and now I can find it on the map, too. I didn’t turn into a frog, and I got used to this small town. I will leave in about a month, but Vernonia will stay in my mind and heart forever. Yours Sincerely, Elena Majbova ASSE Exchange Student from Slovakia, 1999-2000 Found a home in the middle of nowhere To the Editor: When I first came to Vernon ia, a small town in the middle of nowhere, I never thought that I would like to stay longer after the year. Now, after I spent over 10 months in this small town, I don’t even want to leave any more. Vernonia is my second home. I met so many nice peo ple and found so many new friends. Even though I didn’t do any sports before, I participated in cross country, basketball and track and field. A big surprise was that we were supported by the community in almost every thing we did, for example, the fundraisers for our senior trip, and all the sports events we had during the year. I have never heard so many people cheering for us during a bas ketball game. A big “thank you” belongs to my host parents, Don and Nona Skinner and my sister Elena, to Cathy Ward and fam ily, to Michelle and Tony Gilbertson, the Buxton family and all my friends, everybody in the school and community. This was the first time that I had a sister in my life, and I have to say that I really en joyed Elena as a sister. Elena Majbova was another ex change student from Slovakia staying with the Skinners. Vernonia has its own spot in my heart, and it will stay there forever Johanna (Hanna) Seidel ASSE Exchange Student from Germany, 1999-2000 Students remain at the center of plans From page 1 district. The design of the SIPs places the student at the center of the plan supported by school programs that include schedul ing, teaching strategies and available programs. In turn the administration, the Board ofDi- rectors and the community support school programs. This design supports programs while focusing on the student as the most important element. The Site Councils at WGS and VHS have been instru mental in the development of the plans. They will continue to play a central role in monitoring the implementation of the SIF at each school. These groups meet once a month during the school year and encourage you to attend if you are inter ested in watching the DIP un fold. The DIP is available in the school district office.
