The INDEPENDENT, January 2, 2002
Page 3
B atw ssn the Bookends
By Cindy Stanley, Library Assistant
Banks Public Library
Library representatives delivered an outstand
ing presentation November 13th to the Banks
City Council, reviewing the library’s history, fund
ing and programs. Presenters were Banks Li
brary Commission Chairperson Jacque Her-
mens, Library Administrator Denise Holmes, Li
brary Commissioner Laurie Schlegel, and Ann
Krutsinger, president of the Friends of the Banks
Public Library. The Library’s story is a fascinating
one that is far too lengthy to cover here, howev
er, one major point stands out. The steps that
brought the library from humble beginnings in
the WCCLS bookmobile to its current facility
demonstrate enormous amounts of hard work
and dedication by a relatively small, core group
of people. Without them, we might not be here
today. Special thanks go to Sheila Day - our un
official historian - who spent hours working with
Denise and Judy to create a photo history dis
play that may be viewed at the library.
The library will host a free presentation by sto
ryteller and singer Anne-Louse Sterry on Satur
day, January 12th, from 1-2 p.m. This delightful
performer entertained children during the sum
mer reading program and we've invited her back
for a program for both young and old. This pre
sentation is sponsored by the Regional Arts and
Culture Council, the National Endowment for the
Arts and the Washington County Cooperative Li
brary-Services.
January 12th is also Recycling Saturday,
sponsored by the Friends of the Banks Library.
Bring all those holiday wrappings (and more)
down to the Swatco Service Yard on Sellers
Road just south of Hwy. 26, between 9:00 a.m.
and 3:00 p.m. Recycle Saturday is held on the
second Saturday of each month.
New books have been rolling in! More than
200 volumes of new juvenile and young adult
non-fiction materials have been received during
the past month and the library staff is working
Letton to tbs Editor
Does “KKK” have
any other meaning?
To the Editor:
Being new to Vernonia has
many benefits for me. Small
town feeling, pretty parks and
friendly people. But, I saw
something here the other day
that makes me questions the
validity of these benefits.
Please support the
advertisers who
make yo u r free
com m unity
newspaper
possible.
W ith o u t them,
there could be no
newspaper.
favorite, <www.americanwhite-
wa ter.org>. The gauge is the
one listed as being near Ver
nonia. Good boating levels ap
pear to be 5-6.5 feet. This
gauge will also provide data for
making important water usage
decisions in the future.
Now that water levels have
dropped down to boatable lev
els in local streams, you can
expect to see my friends and
me in our kayaks. This year is
shaping up to be a good one to
boat Rock Creek and the upper
Nehalem. Caution should be
exercised until you ascertain
the whereabouts of new strain
ers and log jams created by re
cent high winds and water. I
have been told that there has
been some landslide activity
just south of Vernonia, causing
a boating obstruction. It is still
unclear if this hazard has
cleared at this time. I will up
date river hazards as soon as I
get some paddle time.
Speaking of paddle time,
where does a bored kayaker
who’s not a hair boater go
when the rivers are flooded? To
Tualatin Hills Park & Recre
ation swim center on Walker
road! For seven bucks, you and
your boat can enjoy two hours
of warm water in which to prac
tice all your latest moves. I find
it much more enjoyable to
brush up on my roll wearing
only swim trunks and spray
skirt. Helpful tips can be picked
up from other boaters or help
given to beginners doing their
first roll. I have come a long
way on my roll since I started
How New Year is said going to the pool. I now have a
bomb proof roll off both sides
around the world...
and even did my first hand rolls
(look Mom, no paddle). I even
Chinese: Chu Shen Tan
have a funky roll holding the
Dutch: Gullukkig Niuw very end of my paddle. I don’t
know when I would use it, but it
Jaar
sure does look weird.
Pool times are Sundays from
Finnish: Onnellista Uutta
10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Call
Vuotta
503-645-7454 to be sure the
pool is not scheduled for anoth
French: Bonne Annee
er event. Also, clean your boat
thoroughly
before going to the
German: Prosit Neujahr
pool. Leaving a mud slick be
Polish:
Szczesliwego hind is not tolerated.
Have a happy New Year!
Nowego Roku
like crazy to catalog these items and put them on From page 2
the shelves. Our goal is to meet the academic consequences if this biological
needs of our youth, and eliminate the delay that ly unsupported cow harvest
occurs when resources must be brought in from continues. There has also been
a shift in hunter success to the
other libraries.
For the big kids, we also have a variety of new first season, 2000 = 16-percent
books, including The Best Loved Poems of in the first season, versus 9-
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Smoke Jumper by percent in the second season.
Nicolas Evans and Black House by Stephen It seemed to happen again this
King. Also available are several new books cov year, but we will have to wait for
ering issues of terrorism, biological weapons, confirmation from the hunter
and the Taliban. Whether you want information, survey results. In the past,
entertainment or comfort, the Banks Public Li hunter success rates have run
just about even, with the excep
brary can meet your needs.
This reader has enjoyed two new books re tion of a few years with bad
cently that warrant mention. First is Never weather. This concern is run
Change by Elizabeth Berg. This is a beautiful ning opposite of what conven
and touching story of a visiting nurse whose new tional wisdom would have
charge just happens to be her high school heart- been, since the first season
throb, who is dying of a brain tumor. Berg writes hunter numbers have been sig
about levels of emotion that we seldom allow nificantly cut, which should
ourselves to feel, much less express out loud. have meant that more bulls
The second book is The Summer House by Jude should have survived into the
Devereaux. Since I was expecting a comfort second season. The only plau
able, light-hearted love story, I was pleasantly sible answer is that there were
surprised by an exciting twist of fantasy in the fewer bulls available to begin
form of time travel. What if we could go back, with. Only time will tell on this
knowing what we know now, and alter our des issue.
Please read the 2002 hunt
tiny?
As part of our program to meet the needs of ing and fishing regulations very,
our community, Preschool Story Time is held very carefully. This may save
every Wednesday that school is in session, at you some grief. While I noticed
10:15 a.m. Library materials can also be re few changes for the coming
served electronically by patrons with Internet ac year, please read them for
cess. Browse the library resources by going to yourself.
Upper Nehalem River users
www.WILI net.wccls.lib.or.us
now have a new tool to mea
Banks Public Library: 111 Market Street.
sure water depth for fishing and
Hours: Tues., Wed., Thurs., 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.;
boating. A new stream gauge
Fri. and S at 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
has been installed down
stream from the confluence
Preschool Story Time, Weds., 10:15 a.m.
with Clear Creek, next to Tim
Phone: (503 ) 324-1382
Internet: www.WILInet.wccls.tlb.or.us.
ber Road. The gauge data is
also available on-line from ei
ther the USGS web page or my
» » M is
While taking a walk at the
lake, I stopped to read the bill
board. There is a chronological
list of historical development
that occurred here as Vernonia
grew. Item 20 on this list was
the shocker for me. It reads,
“First KKK organized 1922”.
Assuming “KKK” stands for
the obvious and not the Kolum-
bia Kounty Kommission or
something else, I wondered. Is
this really necessary to be on a
list for visitors and residents to
read?
Granted, this is a historical
fact, but is this an item worthy
of being displayed as an ac
complishment in this communi
ty? Does the majority still favor
the ideals of the KKK?
If this were true, then why
not list the first lynching or
some other crime against peo
ple?
In this day and age, are
these the values we want to
teach our children?
Vernonia, will you join with
me to help correct this embar
rassment and continue to have
a positive environment in which
to raise our children?
Thank you.
M. Silverman
Vernonia
POLICY ON LETTERS
The INDEPENDENT welcomes readers’ letters and will pub
lish as many as possible. All letters must be signed, including
those sent by fax, and Include a verifiable address and tele
phone number, which will not be printed except at the writer’s
request. Unsigned letters will not be published.
Portuguese:
Novo
Feliz Ano
Russian: S Novim Godom
Irish (Gaelic): Bliain nua
fe mhaise dhuit
Italian: Buon Capodanno
Izaak Walton League
Nehalem Valley Chapter
meetings are on the third
Thursday of each month at
7:00 p.m. The public is
welcome.
For meeting location, call
(503) 429-7193.