The INDEPENDENT, August 15, 2001
Bstwsen the Bookends
By Nancy Burch, Librarian
Vernonia Public Library
WHEW!!!!!!
This exclamation expresses astonishment,
dismay, and relief...and is exactly the word to
use at the conclusion of another Summer Read
ing program. After planning and implementing
the program, a big feeling of relief is always felt.
As the programs and activities progress, aston
ishment at the number of participants and the
fun they are having follows. Sometimes dismay
accompanies this as the number of youngsters
varies and plans go awry or are adjusted.
Attendance varied from over 100 to around
20. Taking that into consideration, most parents
attending with their children were recruited to
help with the activities. The latter activities fea
tured music at Anderson Park with Alice Brock,
her family and Mr. Isted, as well as a Native
American presentation by Bill White Eagle Wil
son. Claudia Ryan and Vernonia Police Chief
Jim Walters registered bicycles and gave infor
mation about bicycle safety. Joe (Avery’s dad)
assumed the role of storyteller/reader as did City
Clerk Kathy Morrison. Orissa Burghard and Hei
di Burch assisted with nearly every activity and
Dylan Burch and Travis Baker were exceptional
ly helpful also. Errold created the “covered wag
on” float and Jeff, once again, saw that it was in
place to begin the parade and drove it through
the parade route with the loan of a City truck
(My family always seems to get recruited.).
Randy of Sentry Market donated candy for the
parade participants.
Again, a great big WHEW!...and thank you to
everyone who helped make this summer’s pro
gram a success.
One idea for summer reading entertainment
is Close to Shore, Michael Capuzzo’s historical
account of the summer of 1916, when a rogue
great white shark attacked swimmers along the
Lattsrs ta the Editor
New Jersey shore, triggering mass hysteria and
launching the most extensive shark hunt in his
tory. Capuzzo has presented a vivid, portrait of
the era, interwoven with traits of sharks and of
the characters involved with the attacks, to cre
ate a nonfiction thriller.
Other new acquisitions and recommenda
tions include The Blue Nowhere by Jeffery
Deaver and Desperate Measures by Kate Wil
helm. Deaver, the author of The Empty Chair
and The Bone Collector, again demonstrates
that he is “the master of ticking-bomb suspense”
(People), in a stunning cyberspace mystery. Wil
helm's latest novel of legal suspense once again
takes place in and near her home of Eugene,
Oregon. When it becomes obvious that a bril
liant, but disfigured young man is going to be ac
cused of killing his neighbor, Barbara Holloway
agrees to represent him. Complications arise
when another suspect and a client of Barbara’s
father, Frank, dies under mysterious circum
stances. The courtroom battle is the highlight of
the novel and the ending of the book is even
more satisfactory than a not guilty verdict would
have been. Wilhelm commands and holds the
reader’s interest without gratuitous sex or vio
lence and never fails to surround her gutsy, in
telligent and articulate main character, Barbara
Holloway, with an equally interesting cast of car-
acters.
If the hot weather is making you go...
WHEW!!, come on in to your wonderful air-con
ditioned library. Choose a book or magazine,
get comfortable, relax and say, WHEW!!
Vernonia Library 701 Weed Avenue
Hours: Mon., Wed., Fri. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Tues., Thur. 2 p.m.-7 p.m.
Sat. 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Preschool Story Time, Mondays. 10:30 a.m.
Phone: {503)429-1818
—
Editor.
Women’s Center says
thanks for the help
To the Editor:
Thank You just doesn’t
seem to be enough for all the
hours of work put in by the
many volunteers for the United
Way of Columbia County’s first
ever Days of Caring held at
Women’s Resource Center in
St. Helens. After being open for
two years and having hundreds
of people come through their
doors seeking help. They
needed some major mainte
nance and repair work done.
The Day of Caring grew into
a whole week of caring and in
volved over 24 different busi-
nesses. We recorded over 380
hours of volunteer labor during
the week and we know that
many Georgia Pacific employ
ees spent many unrecorded
hours before and after the pro
ject doing prep work and some
last minute replacements be
cause supplies didn’t arrive. Of
course, I am sure there were
several volunteers who didn’t
sign in so we weren’t able to
count their hours.
The Women’s Resource
Shelter shut down for one
week, July 23 through July 27,
and got a complete going over.
Volunteers from Georgia Pacif
ic, PGE, Fred Meyer, Les
Schwab, Columbia County
:
1
BBS
Youth Corps, Bank of America,
RSVP, E. C. Auto Sales of Kel
so and many other community
volunteers swarmed over the
building inside and out. Doors
were replaced and repaired,
walls were repaired and paint
ed, floors, windows and out
side of the building were-
washed and repaired.
Discounts on merchandise,
grants to purchase needed
supplies and direct donations
of supplies were received from
Georgia Pacific, Ace Hardware
in St. Helens, Ferrell Lumber in
Longview, Lumbermens in
Longview, Columbia County
Transfer Station, PGE, and
Boise Cascade.
Accidents, fires keep emergency crews very busy
From page 1
(State Avenue) by a north
bound vehicle driven by Robert
W. Hohlfeld, 45, of Buxton.
Page 3
Cosnett is in serious condi
tion at Emanuel Hospital in
Portland, with broken bones
and internal injuries.
Hohlfeld was cited for dri
ving with a suspended license
and for driving uninsured. His
vehicle was towed.
Donations of plants and
bark dust to landscape the out
side areas were received from
Hi-School Pharmacy, Means
Nursery, and Chinook Bark
Dust. Food, beverages, and all
the trimmings to feed these
hardy volunteers were donated
by Sunshine Pizza, Papa Mur
phy’s Pizza, Bank of America,
PGE, Subway, Safeway, and
Fred Meyer.
This was a truly fantastic
Days of Caring and is a re
minder to all that we are very
lucky to live in this county and
have such dedicated and car
ing people to help when there
is a need. By working together,
an impossible task became a
dream come true.
Again, thank you all for mak
ing the first DAYS of CARING
in Columbia County an out
standing success.
Kathye Beck
Executive Director
Columbia County
Women’s Resource Center
Another successful
kids’ fishing derby
To the Editor:
This year’s fish derby was
one of the best ever. We had
around 90 kids entered. There
were many prizes and every
kid got one.
A big thanks to all of our
sponsors. Chuck Cradit of
Bridge St. Bait & Tackle was a
great help at getting the prizes.
In addition, Steve Lynch donat
ed lots of fishing tackle. Also,
Paul and Becky Young and
The Independent for their do
nations. Without them, we
would not have had as many
prizes. Thanks to Greg
Schaumburg for the P.A. sys
tem. It helped a lot.
It takes many people to han
dle this many fisherkids.
Thanks to Don Doane, Mag
gie Peyton, Dennis Nelson,
DeDe Webb, Dale Webb, Don
na Gerhke, Kathy Brekken and
our auctioneer, Bill Yoe. These
people did a great job of keep
ing the derby going smooth.
I don’t know who has the
most fun, the kids or those of
us who put it on.
Thanks to all of you and I
hope we can do it again next
year.
Don Webb
Fish derby chair
Izaak Walton League
Vernonia
New play equipment
is very impressive
Much to the amusement of visitors and locals, Vernonia Mayor Mario Leonetti made sure the
ribbon was thoroughly cut at the dedication of Anderson Park improvements on Aug. 1.
To the Editor:
A big thanks to the City of
Vernonia for the wonderfully
impressive play equipment at
Anderson Park! This is a much
welcomed and needed addi
tion to our community. Thank
you, guys!!
There are so many young
children who need this kind of
physical development and this
is an awesome way of getting
it. The new play structure has
been fully taken advantage of
daily by many parents, includ
ing me. I have heard nothing
but great comments and
thought I’d make sure you
heard them too.
If you haven’t visited the
new play structure yet, I highly
recommend it. Our new library
is also another fabulous place
to visit.
Thank you.
Dawn Boyce
Vernonia
Thanks to our great
public works crew
To the Editor:
I wish to thank Robyn and
her crew, Jeff, John, Jim and
Scott, for the great job they do
in keeping our city running.
They do an excellent job all
year round, but they really put
themselves out before the
Jamboree, working long hours
to complete projects. Anderson
Park and the new fence around
the Shay look terrific.
I know they are very helpful
to Vernonia Pride. They are al
ways very congenial when
asked to hang flower baskets
and dig holes for new trees and
shrubs, no matter how busy
they may be.
They also come out on our
annual “Clean Up Day” to do a
project or help others with
theirs.
Thanks again to a great
group. You are truly appreciat
ed.
DeDe Webb
Vernonia
Glad to live in loving,
caring community
To the Editor:
I just want to say I am hap
py my family and I live in this
community. I can count on oth
ers to look out for my boys. It’s
nice to know that if anything
were to happen to my family or
me, there would be love and
support from this community.
Some people complain
about our high electric costs,
water and sewer increases and
that there is nothing for our
youth to do, being so far from
“the city." This is a tradeoff our
family was ready to make
eleven years ago, when we
moved here. Witnessing this
community coming together
time after time, in good times
and bad, has reaffirmed my
gratitude to be part of Vernon
ia.
I am unable to name all the
people who make this a livable
community, but I would like to
mention one person, Waylon
Buchan. I don’t know him, but if
you are lucky enough to have
him as a friend, you have found
gold. My hat is off to you.
Thanks for being part of this
community.
We just never know how
many lives our lives will touch
in our lifetime - Robbie and
Zack, we will miss you!
A grateful community mem
ber.
Carla Strand
Vernonia