The INDEPENDENT, December 20, 2007
Page 3
Thank You…
Coastal Farm and Ranch, at
3865 Baseline Road in Cor-
nelius, has been most gener-
ous with their donations and
also have two huge tubs col-
lecting donations from the pub-
lic.
Rock Creek Kennels, at
9735 Old Cornelius Pass Road,
is also collecting items and has
donated the use of their cargo
van for my many trips to pick up
donations.
A big thank you to them and
all who have helped.
Carol Davis
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We would like to thank all
the volunteers who brought
special needed items to our
home, and to all the people
who supplied them. Thank you
to the churches, Red Cross,
City, State and Government for
providing all the necessities to
us. We are grateful and
blessed.
Happy Holidays to all.
Virginia Kepner
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Thank You:
I would like to send a thank
you out to everyone whose ef-
forts helped to bring my dog
home safely. It was amazing
the help we received from the
Vernonia community. People
who had much more to worry
about than my missing dog,
were taking time out of their
days to help find her. Neighbors
and friends searched for days,
people put food outside and
kept their dogs put up in an ef-
fort to coax her in. County in-
mates searched for her, as they
sorted through the wreckage of
the devastating flood through-
out the town. A group from the
Rock Creek Kennel spent time
helping us look.
I admire the people who had
so much empathy for us, when
they themselves had lost so
much so recently. Doobie, my
dog, had been missing for six
Between the Bookends
By Nancy Burch, Librarian
Vernonia Public Library
How does one even be-
gin an article about the li-
brary when it is intact from
flooding but is within sight
of one of the most de-
pressing events possi-
ble—truck after truck un-
loading prized household
possessions that are now
rubbish to be hauled away? Extended hours for
Internet use, children’s activities, and daycare
have been and are yet being offered at the li-
brary, and the hope is that this will be a place to
come, be warm, read and have a respite from
the turmoil surrounding most everyone in the
community. The Polar Express will be shown on
Saturday, December 22 at 6:30 p.m. Families
are encouraged to enjoy this movie together and
hopefully revive a little holiday spirit. Movies will
also be shown on Friday December 28th and Fri-
day, January 4th at 6:30 p.m.
Current overdue materials have been listed
with all materials being renewed and related
fines being forgiven. Library materials should not
be a concern at this time. When some sort of
normalcy has resumed we will try to evaluate the
extent of destroyed items and maybe receive
some compensation for replacement, but please
do return library materials that are not damaged
as you come across them.
The library will be keeping regular hours un-
less some flood-related event interferes. For
anyone desiring temporary escape from the cur-
rent clean-up and rebuilding please come in and
see what is offered in the library in the way of a
good movie or book.
The absolute best book I’ve read in quite
some time is Lottery by Patricia Wood. Perry L.
Crandall has an IQ of 76, but he would like you
to know he is not retarded because his IQ would
need to be 75 or less for that. Thirty-two-old Per-
ry has worked at the same marine supply store
for half his life and has lived with his wisecrack-
ing grandmother, whose gems of wisdom have
helped him along. When Gram dies, Perry’s self-
ish, money-grabbing cousin/brothers and mother
swindle him out of the proceeds of Gram’s house
and then Perry wins the Washington State
Lottery of $12 million. From that point on the
reader is constantly waiting for something horri-
ble to happen to Perry as he must learn to distin-
guish friends from leeches. By remembering
Gram’s words of wisdom, Perry holds his own
and discovers abilities he didn’t know he had.
This book is funny and poignant with a surpris-
ingly satisfying ending.
I would like to encourage anyone with books
to donate to wait awhile. The meeting room is
being used for childcare, which is eliminating
storage in that room and the workroom is about
full to capacity at this time. The Friends of the Li-
brary will be having a March sale. Be sure and
watch for times when donations will again be ac-
cepted and for the date of the upcoming sale.
The past few weeks have been so hard for
most in our community, but we are blessed not to
have had any lives lost and for the help that has
arrived in so many appreciated ways. It certainly
makes one look at things differently when some-
thing like this takes place. I feel so grateful to be
part of this community and hope with all my heart
that something like normalcy returns for each
and all. It seems frivolous even to wish Happy
Holidays to people here, but the following quote
by Peg Bracker might be an appropriate one at
this time— Gifts of time and love are surely the
basic ingredients of Christmas . If this is the case,
we have been and will be celebrating Christmas
for a long time.
Vernonia Public Library: 701 Weed Ave.
Hours: Mon., Wed., Fri. 10 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Tues., Thur. 1:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Sat. 10 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Preschool Story Time: Mondays, 10:30
a.m., when school is in session.
Phone: 503-429-1818
days in the cold, and rainy
weather.
A group of inmates were
working at a farm area just out
of town, off Mist Drive, when we
received the phone call saying
Doobie was seen. Just minutes
after getting the call, my mom’s
boyfriend, Barney Hayes,
called and told us to quit pray-
ing because Doobie was safe
in his arms.
I would like to thank Judy
who called and gave us our
hope back, after five days of
our dog being lost. There was a
couple from St. Helens who did
not know us, but in the moment
we met said they had been
praying and put an ad online,
we thank you. Thank you to all
our friends and neighbors for all
of your help.
Most of all I would like to
thank the inmates, whose
names I don’t know, for making
my Christmas. I wish you all
happy holidays. I hope you
know how much you have truly
made a difference not only for
me and my family, but for all the
families that you have selfless-
ly helped in the past couple of
weeks. We wish you a merry
Christmas, a happy new year.
Thank you from the bottom of
our hearts.
With regards,
Kelly Mickey and Family
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Thank you to Christina Mc-
Cord for her caring and con-
cern (you know when).
Rebecca McGaugh
Letters
I’m not there, but my
heart is with Vernonia
To The Editor:
To the wonderful People of
Vernonia; I have been thinking
about the many fine people of
Vernonia, who I met and pro-
vided healthcare to during my
four years working at the Com-
munity Clinic, over the last sev-
eral months. Now I am thinking
about you more than ever. I
have continued to feel such a
deep connection to the com-
munity and each of you.
I know that you have en-
dured a tremendous blow with
the recent flooding. It has
brought with it loss, economic
and emotional challenges for
everyone along with the memo-
ries of the flooding in ‘96. I
have always felt that the beau-
ty of Vernonia is not only its
setting and physical surround-
ings. The truly amazing part is
the strength and spirit of the
community and the ability of
everyone to pull together to
help an individual in need or
the town in a crisis such as you
are experiencing now.
I may not have been able to
be physically present but my
heart, spirit and thoughts have
been with you each and every
day. I have been blessed with
the incredible experience
which includes many memories
and friendships in the commu-
nity which I hold dear to this
day. All your cards, letters and
invitations over the last year to
visit, share a meal or just stay-
ing in touch with me have been
so appreciated.
I will continue to be involved
by writing for The Independent
and staying in touch. I will be
able to see more of everyone in
2008 as I begin work on my
masters in Public Health.
My goal is to do my commu-
nity project in Vernonia. In the
meantime, I will help out any-
way I can as the Community re-
covers from the flood. Thank
you all for your strength,
courage and for touching my
life in such a way that I am a
better person for the experi-
ence.
Take care.
Judy Hargis, P.A.
Cornelius
Policy on Letters
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sonal attacks on private citizens. Because of space limitations,
preference will be given to brief letters, 300 words or less.
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