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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 15, 2005)
The INDEPENDENT, December 15, 2005 Page 3 Letters Essay on patriotism was outstanding To the Editor: It is my sincere hope that I am joining many Independent readers who want to say “Thank you” to Dalen Lee for the essay he wrote entitled “Pa- triotism.” It’s on page 11 in the Dec. 1 issue. Congratulations to you; this essay is proudly written with intelligence and much wisdom, with a whole lot of thought, which makes it a real joy to know it’s being shared with so many. Dalan, this is the best defini- tion of the word I’ve heard ex- pressed about our country in a long time. It made me feel proud again; remembering back to America’s youths and their reactions to World War II patriotism. Thank you, Dalan, so much. Isabelle McDaniel Vernonia Lighted truck parade small and enjoyable To the Editor: First, I would like to thank those two log trucks that lighted up our street on our third annu- al Lighted Log Truck Parade. I personally want to thank Weller & Sons Trucking and their driv- er, Matt Poetter, and Bob Baker for his beautiful log truck. If I had trophies, you both would be tied for 1st place. I also want to thank our city person, Jeff Burch, who lighted up the snowplow that lit the way for Mr. and Mrs. Claus. They had a pretty nifty taxi, as well, driven by Bill Sword. I also want to thank Curl’s Transportation and Joann Beamish for the lighted school bus and Penny for Jazzercise’s contribution to our parade. I also want to thank our Police Department for starting the parade and following be- hind, to end it, we are truly blessed that they support our efforts to bring fun and enjoy- ment to our fair city. I must admit I was a little dis- appointed in our log truck turn out, this was a chance to have your truck in the spotlight. This Between the Bookends By Nancy Burch, Librarian Vernonia Public Library The poinsettia, with more than 50 million sold each year, is one of the most recognizable sym- bols of the Christmas sea- son. Don’t make the mis- take of calling the bright blooms flowers, because the large colorful “petals” are actually leaves called bracts, with the small berry-like clusters in the middle of the bracts be- ing the true flowers. The plant is named for Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first U.S. ambassador to Mexico, who introduced the poinsettia to the United States. The December/January issue of Birds & Blooms contains this and other informa- tion about this much-admired Christmas plant. This year, once again, the library has been the recipient of one of these lovely plants to be en- joyed by library patrons, thanks to the Ricker family. Other indications of the fast-approaching hol- iday are the fragrant tree in the entry-way (deco- rated entirely with handmade ornaments), the ever-changing displays of holiday materials to be checked out, the table with the books that may be adopted (purchased as gifts) for the library, and, of course, the holiday greetings that are wished as the season progresses. Almost like a gift, the library has recently been the recipient of a really good deal (price) on 40 large print books. This selection includes The M i l l i o n a i r e s by Brad Meltzer, M o n s t e r b y Jonathan Kellerman, Not a Day Goes By by E. Lynn Harris and The Cat Who Smelled a Rat by Lilian Jackson Braun. Be sure to check out this Large Print collection. Other new acquisitions include When Christ - mas Comes by Debbie Macomber, Forever Odd by Dean Koontz, The Lighthouse by P. D. James and The Tenth Edition of Fishing in Oregon by Madelynne Sheehan. New books on audio in- clude Bitterroot by James Lee Burke, Mary, Mary by James Patterson, Standoff by Sandra Brown, and School Days by Robert Parker. Some of these are cassette format and some are CDs. After the hustle and bustle has abated, the li- brary will be holding Family Movie Night on Tuesday, December 27th at 7:00 p.m. The Polar Express will be shown and to make it a true “movie night”, fresh popcorn will be available. Mark this event on your calendar and enjoy a low-key family night out. Another event to help entertain youngsters during the Christmas break from school will be an hour of Bedtime Stories/Activities led by Camrin Eyrrick on Thursday, December 29th at 7:00 p.m. The next scheduled meeting of The Friends of the Library will be January 3rd at 6:30. This is the best time to join to take advantage of member- ships that run from January through December. Dues for this organization, whose only purpose is to provide support through materials and pro- grams for the library, are only $5.00 for individu- als and $10.00 for families. January 21st will be the first Chautauqua of- fering of the year and will feature Curtis Yehnert relating Coyote Tales. This will be on a Saturday at 2:00 p.m. As reflected in this article, the library is a source of many forms of entertainment for the community—reading, listening, and viewing ma- terials for in-home use, as well as activities which take place in the library. It is a direct reflec- tion of the interest and support of a community that so many wonderful services are available. You have made and continue to make these things possible. Thank you for your support and have a wonderful holiday season. 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. - 4 p.m. Preschool Story Time: Mondays, 10:30 a.m., when school is in session. Phone: (503 ) 429-1818 is a logging community. Where was the Fire Department? Where was Metro West? What we wanted was everyone to have a good time. I must apologize to the many Vernonia people who braved the cold to see our community parade, a comment that came back was “I sneezed and total- ly missed the event.” I do have a few ideas to help make this the event our town can be proud of, maybe we should make this a lighted “Big Rig” Parade. Invite out of towners to join in. Have trophies, have en- try fees, the ideas are endless. I pledge that I will put in even more time than the six weeks I worked on it. Whatever the combination is that is needed to make this the winter event to look forward to, I will try. I pledge to do my part if you con- tinue to support our fair city. I guess I need to find out where the local log truck drivers hang out is and hang out to get them involved. The good thing is I have 12 months and it can only get better and better. Merry Christmas to all, Carolyn Velasco Vernonia Clean logged area prevented damage To the Editor: This is really a letter to Mike Pihl and his logging crew. Tuesday night (Nov. 29) I was driving home from work when I lost control of my car on black ice. I went “roundy round” a few times, coming to rest next to a dirt bank. Mr. Pihl’s logged area was so clean that I had no fear of being hurt or harm to my c a r. I wish the other newly logged areas were as clean and neat. I truly appreciate that this crew did such a good job. Sincerely, Judi Owens Vernonia ly collected 1055 pounds of food for Vernonia Cares. Thank you to Sandy Welch and her crew at Vernonia Cares for coming in and weighing and sorting all the donations. Also, thank you to all the Scouting families that participated and will help to make a difference in the food pantry at Ve r n o n i a Cares. Remember anybody can make a donation, any time of the year, or help out monetarily if they choose. Have a wonder- ful holiday and thanks again everyone! Kinnell Steward, Leader Webelos Den 9 Pack 201 Vernonia Thanks for support, but shop must close To the Editor: SAD BUT TRUE!! Morning Mist Gifts says Goodbye. I want to thank each and every one of you who support- ed, loved and believed in Morn- ing Mist Gifts and me. I want to say thank you to each and every one of you for your love, loyalty, friendships, and for al- lowing me the opportunity to live my dream for the past three years. Morning Mist Gifts was suc- cessful because of you, the great people of Vernonia and surrounding areas. I was truly blessed to have been able to live my dream. T H A N K Y O U everyone for this. I wish for each and every one of you the best of holidays with your family and friends and the greatest of New Ye a r s ahead. I look forward to all the cof- fee and lunch dates in the New Year ahead. BIG Christmas hugs and much love!!! Dixie M. Palmer Vernonia More Letters on page 26 Thanks for support of Scouting for Food NOTICE To the Editor: We would like to send out a HUGE THANK YOU to the community and everyone that supported our Scouting for Food campaign on Saturday, December 3. Yes, we did beat last year’s total and successful- Because there will be three weeks before the next issue of The INDEPENDENT , the o ffice will be closed until M o nday, December 26. The deadline for the Janu- ary 5, 2006, issue is Decem- ber 30, 2005.