The INDEPENDENT, May 20, 2004
Page 3
Letters
Doug Tesdal is right
about arts education
To the Editor:
Having just received May 6
Independent and reading it
nearly cover to cover I return to
page 3 and re-read Doug
Tesdal’s letter to the editor –
Oh, he is so right!! A teacher
that has the sensitivity and
knowledge that Mr. Tesdal has
displayed during the time he
has been our schools’ art
Between the Bookends
By Nancy Burch, Librarian
Vernonia Public Library
Only positive remarks concerning Paul
Linnman’s presentation at the library in late April
were heard from the approximately forty people
in attendance. As was
expected by those of us
who have seen him on tel-
evision, listened to him on
the radio, or read his
book, he was completely
down-to-earth, humorous
and compassionate. His
re-telling the story of Art
Pease, the developmen-
tally delayed runner from
Milton-Freewater, who ran the Portland
Marathon by mistake and went on to complete
twenty-six more marathons (on purpose),
absolutely made my evening. The library has a
copy of his delightful book, The Exploding Whale
and other Remarkable Stories from the Evening
News, available to check out. The Friends of the
Library also purchased an autographed copy to
be raffled during the Jamboree book sale.
The Silver Tea hosted by Vernonia Study Club
on May 12th was another recent pleasurable
event. These ladies always decorate the library
with lovely flowers while serving tasty refresh-
ments from “real” silver service sets and glass
punch bowls and cups. Madeleine Gendron’s
string orchestra group again provided enjoyable
music. Donations received during this annual
event are used to benefit the library in some
manner. Items purchased from proceeds of pre-
vious teas include a laminating machine, a
speaker system and a display unit for
audio/videos. It’s very rewarding to see that this
organization continues to support the library as it
has since the early 1920s, when it was originally
formed with the express purpose of raising
money for worthy projects, including a library in
Vernonia.
With school soon coming to an end, the
Monday afternoon Reading Enrichment activities
are winding down, while planning is being com-
pleted for the summer reading program. This
summer’s theme will be “Discover New Trails @
Your Library.” Activities under the direction of
Linda Johnston and Camrin Eyrrick will involve
“trails.” Two presentations by Washington
County’s Mobile Museum and a visit by Anne
Louise Sterry as she relates the untold story of
Lena, an Italian girl and her part in the Lewis and
Clark expedition, will also be part of the summer
fun. Schedules and registration forms will be
available soon in the library.
Recent acquisitions include Memorial Day by
Vince Flynn, The Sacrifice by Beverly Lewis, The
Art of Mending by Elizabeth Berg, Just One Look
by Harlan Coben, The Enemy by Lee Child, Plan
of Attack by Dale Brown, His Mother’s Son by
Cai Emmons, Hidden Prey by John Sandford, A
B l e s s e d
Event by Jean
Reynolds
Page, Ernie’s
Ark by Monica
Wood
and
Eventide by
Kent Haruf.
To date, I’ve
had a chance
to read only
the last three
in this list. A
B l e s s e d
Event tells of
a rare friend-
ship between
Darla and Jo.
Paul Linnman
Darla, unable
to bear children, wants one badly enough that
she asks Jo to conceive and carry a baby for her.
When Jo is in a car accident that makes life sup-
port necessary for her and leaves the baby’s fate
in the balance, Darla searches for and discovers
truths that hide in her marriage and in a past that
has suddenly reemerged.
Ernie’s Ark weaves nine tales into this book
set in Abbott Falls, Maine, a town where a strike
has been going on for eight months at the paper
mill. At the heart of the story is Ernie Whitten, a
pipe fitter, who was three weeks from a pension-
secured retirement when the strike began. With
his wife, Marie, seriously ill, Ernie decides to
build a giant ark in his backyard. As Ernie builds
and Marie watches, the ark takes shape while
the rest of the town carries on. This is just a nice
little book about everyday people with hopes and
dreams like all of us.
In Eventide, Kent Haruf continues the saga of
the McPheron brothers and Victoria Robideaux
of Holt County, Colorado, that he began in
Plainsong. As Victoria leaves for college taking
her daughter, Katie, with her and leaving the
McPherons once again by themselves, new
community members are woven into the plot.
These include Luther and Betty Wallace, mental-
ly troubled parents, DJ Gephardt, a young
orphan who must take care of his aging grandfa-
ther and Mary Wells, a woman whose husband
has left her and her two little girls. There are kind
people in this book, people willing to help one
another and wanting to make things a little better
for a little while. The feeling one gets is that if
only these people could connect, things would
be okay. I highly recommend this book.
Vernonia Public Library: 701 Weed Ave.
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., when school is in session.
Phone: (503 ) 429-1818
instructor should be listened to.
He knows first hand from his
experience in the teaching field
that communication through art
is not only a powerful tool but
an added stepping stone to a
broader learning process.
Without art and music we are
depriving our students of this
opportunity for them to acquire
mature thinking and expres-
sion. A place in a larger society
is more than “just” cultural
growth. The arts develop a
sense of well-being for each
student.
Early on, when Hands on Art
was just beginning, Doug
Tesdal found time after his
school day to help us. He fired
the children’s pottery – we did-
n’t have a kiln. Mr. Tesdal has
always given the “extra” to sup-
port his beliefs for his commu-
nity and for his students. I say
again, Thank you. Let’s listen to
what he is saying – Turn to
page 3, in the May 6 issue of
The Independent, and try the
paragraph starting with “I’m
sending out this invitation to the
community to…”
Isabelle McDaniel
Vernonia
You are needed for
community success
To the Editor:
We’ve all talked about how
great the Jamboree has been
in the past, and how more peo-
ple need to get involved for its
future success. Now we have
the opportunity to stop talking
and start acting.
I believe your commitment
and relationship to our commu-
nity is very much like mine.
Vernonia is a great place, full of
generous, caring people like
you. Become involved – give
back to the community –
through a financial manner,
through products and/or servic-
es, or by volunteering on one of
the many committees, like cor-
porate sponsorships, oversee-
ing the parade route and/or
participants, or vendor support.
The fact is, it’s all up to you.
If each of us in the community
gets involved, we will be suc-
cessful. What are you going to
do?
If you have any questions or
would like additional informa-
tion, or want to attend our
upcoming Jamboree meeting,
please do not hesitate to con-
tact me at either 503-646-9069
(office)
or
503-429-0703
(home).
Sincerely,
Janet K. Holcomb, Secretary
Jamboree Committee &
Corporate Sponsorship
Chair
Visitor says Vernonia
is “wonderful town”
To the Editor:
People of Vernonia, I just
wanted to congratulate you on
what a wonderful town that you
have here. I’ve been all over
the country and this is by far
one of the nicest communities
I’ve ever been to!
I especially like the Lyon's
Den. The food was excellent
and as for the prices, nobody
could beat them. The owner,
Jay Barber, was a very nice
person and I’ll definitely come
back again.
The people at the hardware
store also (were) very friendly
and getting directions from
strangers made me feel like I
made new friends. Keep up the
good work.
Midge Adams
Pacific City
Thanks for help from
County 150th Bash
To the Editor:
The Columbia Pacific Food
Bank would like to thank
County Commissioner Joe
Corsiglia and all who helped
him, for organizing donations to
the Food Bank during the
Columbia
County
150th
Birthday Bash. The event gen-
erated $500 in cash donations
and 400 pounds of food. We
will distribute the food to our
five emergency pantries in St.
Helens, Scappoose, Vernonia,
Rainier, and Clatskanie. The
monetary donations will help to
pay for fuel for our delivery
truck, running our two walk-in
freezers, additional emergency
food and other essential oper-
ating costs.
Thank you for helping to
feed residents in need in
columbia County, because no
one should be hungry.
Many thanks,
Tracie Smith
Executive Director
Columbia Pacific Food
Bank