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.