The INDEPENDENT, September 20, 2000
Lotters to the Editor:
Between the Bookends
opens in 1919, with Amanda Starkey returning
to her family home in rural Wisconsin. Amanda
is returning because her shame from having
The newest and most eye-catching addition been seduced by a dishonorable married man
to the library is the tile mural in the entryway. has caused her to have a nervous breakdown.
This was done by the Hands On Art Center fol Within a year, her beloved sister Mathilde
lowing the ‘96 flood in Vernonia and colorfully drowns under mysterious circumstances.
depicts feelings and memories of youngsters Mathilde’s husband, Carl, returns from the war
and adults relating to that event. The mural (yet to find his small daughter, Ruth, in Amanda’s
to be framed) is a wonderful work of art and a tenacious grip. Amanda will tell him nothing
great addition to the library.
about the night his wife drowned. The circum
Cataloging is progressing with 4,073 items stances of that fateful night plague Carl, Aman
having been entered in the computer. Since the da and Ruth and keep the reader intrigued to the
process began in June, a total of 150 volunteer final page.
hours have been used to save $975.00 if mini
Winter Range takes place during a hard,
mum wage had been paid for their work, or Montana winter. When Sheriff Ike Parsons,
$1,955.00 if the items had been converted elec hears that rancher, Chas. Stubblefield, has fall
tronically. These volunteers have been doing a en on hard times, he plans to offer assistance.
remarkable job. They remain committed to com When he finds Stubblefield’s cattle starving in
pleting the project as soon as possible, have be the snow or freezing where they stand, he feels
come very adept in entering the materials, and obligated to notify authorities. Stubblefield is the
are to be highly commended for their efforts. heir of an old Montana family, while Ike is a Wis
Latest efforts have been concentrated on the consin native who has come west to marry the
non-fiction for young readers. Try the Athena daughter of another Montana rancher. Ike is
Search on your next library visit.
caught between the law pertaining to humane
A suggestion box will soon be in place in the treatment of animals and the belief that a man’s
library. If there are recommendations for reading land and property are his own to use as he
material, programs you would like to see as part chooses. Starkey presents a vivid description of
of the library’s service to the community, or ranching in Montana, while she develops com
changes (hopefully, positive ones), you will have plex personalities and relationships that make
a place to submit these ideas. All suggestions this novel as fast paced as a thriller.
will be reviewed and utilized, if feasible.
Planned for the near future will be a selection
The Monday morning Pre-School Storytime of materials labeled “Recommendations by Ver
will be conducted by Orissa Burghard and the nonia Library Patrons.” This area will include
aiter school story/craft sessions will resume in books that local readers consider “good reads”
October. These will be Monday afternoons at and that they would like to bring to the attention
3:30 and Orissa will also oversee these ses of other readers. As you read, make note of
sions. Watch for the starting date.
books that you think others might enjoy and ask
Library patrons are being encouraged to re that they be displayed in this section.
turn all overdue materials to the library so others
can use them. Policies regarding fines for over
Vernonia Library 701 Weed Avenue
due materials are under consideration, but no
Hours: Mon., Wed., Fri. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
decisions have been made. Patrons are encour
Tues., Thur. 2 p.m.-7 p.m.
aged to check their status regarding overdue
Sat. 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
materials and to resolve any discrepancies.
Preschool Story Time, Mondays, 10:30 a.m.
My recommendations for the month are
Drowning Ruth by Christine Schwartz and Win
Phone: (503)429-1818
ter Range by Clarie Davis. Drowning Ruth
By Nancy Burch, Librarian
Vernonia Public Library
New PCC multimedia program may be
chance to develop professional career
The digital world has op
portunities
for
people
equipped to take advantage of
them. Portland Community
College has a newly accredit
ed program that aims at arm
ing students with the skills
needed to be multi-faceted en
trepreneurs. PCC’s Multime
dia program is designed to
provide students with the skills
and experience needed to be
a valuable employee in the
professional world of multime
dia. Some of the types of jobs
that await a graduate of the
program include multimedia
associate produces, Web de
signer, Web content creation
specialist, interface designer,
multimedia programmer or au
thoring specialist, digital video
specialist, interactive technical
writer and multimedia project
manager.
The new certificate program
also gives people already in
the multimedia profession on
going skill development to bol
ster their skills. The program
was formally approved by the
Oregon State Board of Educa
tion on Thursday June 15. The
classes for the certificate pro
gram begin this fall, starting
Monday, Sept. 25 at the Cas
cade Campus located at 705
N. Killingsworth Street.
The Multimedia program
was created out of necessity
and quickly became a part
nership between the college
and the industry. Its begin
nings were a PCC faculty task
Peace and beauty out of tragedy
From page 1
hung.
A decision had already been
made to hang the mural in one
of the newly planned municipal
buildings, either the library or
city hall, but they were barely
started. Because wall construc
tion hadn’t started, there was
still opportunity to incorporate
elements in the design that
would make it possible to hang
the heavy ceramic mural on a
wall. The library entryway was
selected, and extra studding
and bracing were incorporated
in the wall’s construction.
Now, in the fall of 2000, the
mural has been hung and
awaits only the finishing touch
of a frame. Dan Brown will de
sign, build and install the
frame. Even without that, how
ever, it is heart-warming to see
the beauty and optimism that
emerged from devastation -
with the help of a cadre of ded
icated volunteers and liberal
applications of hands-on art.
Page 3
force formed in 1996 after a
multimedia conference in Port
land. An advisory committee to
the task force was then
formed, composed of repre
sentatives from a variety of
Portland companies starved
for graduates versed in the
emerging technologies of the
burgeoning multimedia mar
ket. By fall 1998, a complete
multimedia program had been
created.
The one-year Multimedia
certificate requires a total of
60 credit hours, including 45
Multimedia credit hours, and
15 hours of approved elec
tives. Some of the courses
that are included in the Multi-
media program include multi-
media design, graphics, video
and audio, authoring, Internet
building
interactive
Web
pages, digital video editing,
and vector graphics and ani
mation. Students entering the
program need to possess
strong Macintosh or Windows
computer management skills
and should be familiar with es
sential software such as word
processing and draw and pain
programs.
For more information on
this program,
contact Terri
Greenfield, division dean of
Business and Government di
vision, at (503) 978-5235.
Memory Walk 2000
for Alzheimer’s
Dear Friends and Neighbors:
In honor of our many family
members and friends who have
suffered or are suffering from
Alzheimer’s Disease, Rising
River Ranch Retirement Resi
dence, a community resource
since 1993, has formed a team
of volunteers to walk in this
year’s Alzheimer’s Association
Memory Walk. The primary
goal of this walk is to solicit
your contributions to help aid in
the research to find a cure for
this progressive and degenera
tive disease. This disease is in
curable and ultimately fatal.
For your information, Alzhei
mer’s Disease currently affects
nearly 12 million people in the
United States alone, and that
number will rise to over 14 mil
lion by the middle of this centu
ry. It affects nearly one in four
households and it is estimated
that by the year 2020, this dis
ease will become the second
leading cause of death in our
elderly.
Over the past seven years,
Rising River Ranch has taken
care of many of your mothers
and fathers, your grandmoth
ers and grandfathers and sib
lings who have suffered from
this mentally, and ultimately
physically, debilitating disease.
We have worked together to
improve the quality of their de
clining years and we have cried
with one another as the hope
for a cure was not found in time
for your family member.
This year, we have dedicat
ed our walk to Ramona Shirley,
a long time Vernonia resident
who is in the final stages of this
disease. She still resides with
us at the Ranch. We ask that
each and every one of you who
is in a position to help, give
what you can to help find a
cure for this frustrating and de
bilitating disease.
Thank you for your support
and your contribution, which is,
of course, tax deductible.
Please make your checks
payable to the Alzheimer’s As
sociation and return to Rising
River Ranch before October 6,
2000. Your donation will be tab
ulated and given to the Associ
ation as part of the team effort
for Rising River Ranch Vernon
ia, on the day of the walk. God
bless you all for your help and
your contribution.
Don & Donna Foster
Rising River Ranch
16941 Timber Road
Vernonia, OR 97064
Supports Corsiglia
for commissioner
To the Editor:
I have heard some stories
about Joe Corsiglia. Most of
the stories have been positive,
but one story that I heard both
ered me. I was told by an indi
vidual that Joe was hard to
work with. I asked this person
for specifics and I was told that
he did not cooperate well with
the City Council and Mayor.
My comment: “So, this is a
bad thing? Joe is not a yes
man.”
I then asked this person if he
had ever worked with Joe, and
the answer was “no”.
I have known Joe for a num
ber of years and have frequent
ly had the opportunity to work
with him. I have found him to
be a great person to work with
and to be around. Talk to any
one on any board or commis
sion that Joe has served on or
overseen, and they will tell you
that he is a real gentleman. He
is a listener, creative, innova
tive and sensitive to the needs
of others. Joe is the sort of per
son who has put public needs
before his own, and has logged
in hundreds of hours of donat
ed community service. He was
very much appreciated when
he served on the Library board,
and is now very much appreci
ated for the work that he is do
ing with the City Parks Board.
He is good at getting a City
Council’s attention, particularly
when they want to remain inat
tentive. Joe can be a hard per
son to ignore.
Joe has a vision for our
county, and it is a vision that we
all can share in. Joe will listen.
Joe is concerned, and it is just
not lip service, Joe really cares.
People may tell stories, but
Joe’s actions go beyond just
stories. He really does care. I
am supporting Joe Corsiglia in
his race for County Commis
sioner, and I would like to en
courage others to support him
as well.
Bill Eagle
St. Helens
You will pay for tim-
berland tax break
To the Editor:
Taxes are like weeds - you
do not really want them, but
they keep on growing. Your
property taxes may grow this
tax year. Your assessment will
probably go up and thus, your
rate will go up.
For example, last year Ver
nonia Fire District had a tax
rate of .9535, just under a dol
lar per thousand [of assessed
value]. But you did not pay that
much because there was an
“offset” of .1018, the spread-
out amount paid in taxes by
timber. This year, Vernonia Fire
Department’s rate is still .9535
(that number is set by law, by
one of the silly initiatives
passed in recent years). But
you, the property owner, get to
pay all of it. There is no more
“offset", because the Oregon
legislature changed the way
taxes on timber are collected
and distributed.
So, when you get your tax
bill in a month or two, don’t
howl at the Fire Department,
the schools, etc. We did not do
it. Don’t complain to the county
assessor - he’s just following
the law. If your tax bill hurts,
talk to your elected representa
tives about why they felt they
had to give millions of dollars of
tax relief to timberland owners,
at the expense of house own
ers.
Members of the Board
of Directors of the
Vernonia Rural Fire
Protection District