The INDEPENDENT, October 7, 2004
Upcoming Pacific Univ. events
Bits & Bites
By Jacqueline Ramsay
Well, I
guess
Vernonia
is
that
town in
t h e
woods
where
even the
highway
doesn’t
really count – Why do I say this
– Have you been through
Banks of late – their street
(highway) was started much
later than ours and is the same
as finished. Cross street joins,
centerline, crosswalks and it all
looks well put together. Us – we
still have spray paint notes –
patchy side street joins and no
arc lights on the O-A Hill
curves. I hope no one falls on
the path after dusk – no one
would ever see them.
Yes, I took my concerns to
the City Council and they did
listen and agreed with several
points of concern and they are
being addressed. So – don’t be
a side line griper – Come to a
Council meeting and find out
what’s cookin’.
While I’m at it – why is the 25
mile sign still up at the foot of
O-A Hill as you come to Wash-
ington
Grade
School???
Shouldn't there be a 20 mph
post at the foot of the hill??
There is one across from the
Mini-Mart.
Did you keep up with the do-
ings in town on the 1st and 2nd
– Good food and fun and see-
ing old friends.
How long has it been since
you just sat at the lake and
stared at the sky?? I got a stiff
neck the other sunny day trying
to locate the “Call of the Wild
Goose.” Finally found them just
before they faded from view.
The way they form and float
from one “V” into five or six
smaller ones is awe inspiring.
Also – have you noticed the
parking lot turning “green.” I
was not aware that dead dirt
and pavement could harbor
dormant seed for that many
years. Another of God’s won-
ders, unless someone scat-
tered grass seed.
Now – the Senior Center
needs HELP. If you have an
empty pickup or van, a free af-
ternoon or morning and wish to
go somewhere (say to Good
Will in Forest Grove) and want
to donate your time and gas –
they need folks to haul out all
the excess clothing and etc.
that folks bring in here for sale.
They can’t keep everything. A
note of interest, a gent from
Manzanita brought in a pickup
load one day and Waste Man-
agement thinks it has problems
with out of towners, ho, ho.
Please, help us help you.
Enjoy the sunshine, fall is
here and cold nights are com-
ing.
Next Literary Arts Series scheduled
Chris Chester, an electron-
ics technician and writer from
Portland, will read from his
book, Providence of a Sparrow,
Wednesday, October 20 at
7:00 p.m., in the Columbia
Center Auditorium, St. Helens.
He will sign books following the
reading.
When B fell twenty-five feet
from his nest into the life of
Chris Chester, the encounter
was providential for both of
them. They spent hours togeth-
er, playing games, learning
“words” in each other’s vocabu-
laries and much more. Chester
Page 9
ended up turning part of his
house into an aviary and ad-
justing his social life to meet B’s
demands. This was a small
price to pay, though, for the
trust and comfort of a twenty-
five-gram friend who brought
joy and wonder into his life.
Along the way Chester
learned a great deal about the
natural history of birds, and
even more about that maligned
avian species, the House Spar-
row. Through B and the rest of
this unorthodox family, Chester
has discovered a renewed ca-
pacity for joy and wonder, and
an expanded realization of the
consciousness and intelligence
in living things. Chris Chester’s
beautiful meditation on life with
B is filled with acerbic wit, fre-
quent references to literature
both high and low, and genuine
reverence for the life around
him.
Columbia Center is located
at 375 S. 18th St. in St. Helens.
For more information on the Lit-
erary Arts Series, call the St.
Helens Public Library at 503-
397-4544, or St. Helens Book
Shop at 503-397-4917. The Lit-
erary Arts Series is a collabora-
tion of St. Helens Public Li-
brary, Friends of the St. Helens
Public Library, St. Helens Book
Shop, Historical Society of Co-
lumbia County and the Colum-
bia Learning Center. All events
are free to the public.
October performances and
exhibits at Pacific University
will include;
• “Glamour Girls”, an exhibit
of paintings by Jessica Plattner
at the Cawein Gallery through
October 28.
According to Plattner, the
“Glamour Girl” paintings “are
about young women faced with
contradictory expectations from
society.”
The gallery is open Monday
through Friday from 8:00 a.m.
to 5:00 p.m. and on Saturdays
from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Admission is free.
• Pacific University’s Cham-
ber Singers and Symphonic
Band will perform a concert on
October 15 at 7:30 p.m. in Mc-
Cready Hall in the Taylor-
Meade Performing Arts Center.
The Chamber Singers will
start with excerpts from Morten
Lauridsen’s “Les Chansons
des Roses.” At least three oth-
er works will be performed be-
fore the closing piece “Dirat-
On,” which has found favor with
audiences worldwide.
British composer Gordon Ja-
cob’s “Original Suite for Band”
will be the opening piece from
the Symphonic Band followed
by four other works.
Following the program of the
Symphonic Band, the band and
the singers will combine to per-
form “America, the Dream
Goes On” by former Boston
Pops conductor John Williams.
Tickets are $5 for adults and
$3 for seniors and students.
Tickets will be available at the
door or can be reserved by call-
ing the box office at 503-352-
2918.
Haunted House
meeting Oct. 12
Interested in helping Ver-
nonia put together a Haunted
House for Halloween? A meet-
ing of those interested in turn-
ing the Grange Hall into a
Haunted House will be held
Tuesday, October 12 at 7:00
p.m. at the Grange Hall.
Both groups and individuals
are encouraged to participate
in this community event.
Computer Counselors
Doug Tesdal and Glenda Delemos
•
•
•
•
•
New Systems, Upgrades and Desktop Support
Virus Prevention & Protection
Digital Camera Support and Operation
Applications for both Home and Business
DSL and Wireless Network Set Up
503-429-4074 503-522-9663
E-mail: dougtez@comcast.net
E-mail: glendade@peoplepc.com
RE-Elect
TONY HYDE
COLUMBIA COUNTY
COMMISSIONER ★ POSITION 3
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Vernonia, Oregon 503-830-6057
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