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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 21, 2008)
The INDEPENDENT, February 21, 2008 Page 3 Letters Is there a limit to All the Help I Can Stand? To The Editor: All The Help I Can Stand: Ain’t there a limit To what a man can take I’ve been bent clean over And I’m about to break I’m Travel Trailer Trash now About a hundred square feet of hell But I can thank the good Lord I’m alive and well Uncle Sam came to me His top hat in his hand He said, I’m here to help you Restore and save your land If you could only fill out The forms on this hand truck here Then we can get back to you Sometime before the next year He said, “I see you you gotcha a trailer Ain’t that a beauty fer shur Be careful that ya don’t plug in To that receptacle there We’d hav‘ta call it a dwelling And tax you just a little bit more George needs that money For the Iraq War.” Now ain’t there a limit To what a man can take I’ve been bent clean over And I’m about to break I’m Travel Trailer Trash now Even Knott Street wouldn’t have me It’s OK to be homeless As long as they don’t see And so I took a vacation Down to the welfare line Between the Bookends By Nancy Burch, Librarian Vernonia Public Library The latest issue of Reminisce magazine fea- tures an article about the Saturday matinees of the 1940s and ‘50s. This brought back some of my favorite memories, of time spent in the theater where for $.12 one could spend the afternoon watching cowboy shows, cliffhanger serials and cartoons. So – this is something we are going to offer in the library on Saturdays beginning February 23, but without the admission fee and with free pop- corn. Promptly at 3:00 p.m., each Saturday (at least through April) a children’s movie will be shown, then at 7:00 p.m. a family movie will be offered. Family movies will include High Noon, The Wizard of Oz, Grumpy Old Men, Little Women, McLintock, and Cheaper by the Dozen, while youngsters will be choosing from the li- brary’s collection of such titles as Mary Poppins, The Jungle Book, Charlotte’s Web, The Incredi- bles, and Curious George. I’m hoping that a cou- ple hours of relaxation on Saturdays will be something that residents can use at this time and that these movies will be well attended. The next Chautauqua presentation will be Tuesday, March 18, at 7:00 p.m. This program, entitled The Witch’s Garden: The Hidden Meaning of Fairy Tales, is sponsored by the Oregon coun- cil for the Humanities, the Friends of the Library, and the library board and is free to the public. Children’s programs at the library have re- sumed with preschool story time on Mondays at 10:30 a.m. and afternoon story/activities on Mondays at 3:30 p.m. This is the time of year when memberships in the Friends of the Library may be renewed or ini- tiated at $5.00 for an individual or $10.00 for a family membership. All funds received by this or- ganization are used to supplement library pro- grams and materials. There will not be a spring book sale this year because the usual space in the meeting room is not available. Watch for a BIG sale during Jamboree! Books may still be donated to be stored until August. Two of the most popular uses of funds from the Friends have been passes to the Children’s Museum and to OMSI. Be sure and take advantage of these passes. A family of six may visit OMSI free by us- ing this pass. Discounts to OMNI-MAX and to the planetarium are also allowed when using this family pass. These passes will be renewed only if enough use justifies the renewal. The book group will meet Monday, February 25, at 5:30 p.m. with God of Animals by Aryn Kyle being the topic of discussion. New mem- bers are always welcome to join this informal group. New acquisitions include People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks, L.A. Outlaws by T. Jeffer- son Parker, Death Song by Michael McGarrity, Judas Horse by April Smith, The Appeal by John Grisham, Duma Key by Stephen King, Prepared for Rage by Dana Stabenow, Nameless Night by G.M. Ford, The Secret Between Us by Barbara Delinsky, Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah, The First Stone by Judith Kelman, Stolen in the Night by Patricia MacDonald, Every Last Cuckoo by Kate Maloy, and Blue Heaven by C.J. Box. Of these, I’ve just begun Blue Heaven , with siblings Annie and William Taylor, ages 12 and 10, witnessing a murder in the woods outside a small Idaho town, nicknamed Blue Heaven for its abundance of retired LAPD officers. It becomes evident to the reader early in the book that four of these retired policemen were the killers wit- nessed by Annie and William, and who also committed a complicated robbery before moving to Idaho. Pursued by these men, Annie and William take refuge with rancher Jess Rawlins who becomes the only hope for their survival. I’ve enjoyed all of Box’s previous novels with Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett as protago- nist and am anxious to see how this compares. Not always mentioned by title are the newest books for young adults and children. These are usually displayed prominently. Be sure to look for these as well as the library’s extensive selection of audio books, music cds, DVDs, and maga- zines. 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 fying people? I checked every- one who lives on Adams Ave. and in the trailer park at Ander- son. With one exception they all verified NO police notifica- tion. Not even to West Oregon, where the flood water took longer to arrive than it did on my property. I know this be- Now ain’t there a limit cause I was in the raised house To what a man can take next door and watched. I could- I’ve been bent clean over n’t find anyone in the residential And I’m about to break I’m Travel Trailer Trash now area across from the high Even Knott Street wouldn’t school who was notified, either. I’m sure the excuse is “it have me happened so fast.” It did. How- It’s Ok to be homeless ever, had there been sirens like As long as they don’t see I’m Travel Trailer Trash now the one they had here 5 years About a hundred square feet ago, police sirens or SOME- THING, many could have had a of hell But I can thank the good precious hour to save valu- ables, KNOWING that they Lord needed to evacuate. The water That I’m alive and well was about 8 inches when I left And I thank the good Lord to go next door at 10:30. I That I’m alive to tell. talked to Fire about 9:30. There For all the sore backs and could have been some time to broken hearts of Vernonia. God save things. I wasn’t physically bless you. strong enough to save much. Sincerely, December 3 was Shannon’s Kevin Scott Stevens first day working for the City. It’s Vernonia not her fault that there was no one in charge to let her know No notification about there was an emergency. I needing to evacuate heard that the City Manager “works at home in Cornelius” a To The Editor: As I write this, it is 3 a.m. I lot and I am assuming he was- can’t sleep because there is a n’t at work the morning of Dec. flood watch and I am worried 3rd, because he wouldn’t have that I will be asleep when it ar- been able to get out until the rives and not be able to make it next afternoon. City taxpayers out of here. I know from experi- should be better served. Even in the raised house ence neither our 5 policemen, next door the water was getting the County, nor Fire will notify too close for comfort, (about me. This isn’t the first time. I of- 2:30-3 p.m.) so I summoned a ten awaken to see if there is rowboat. I couldn’t get to the flood water in the yard. shelter because Bridge Street You see, the morning of the was totally flooded near the flood I looked at Rock Creek at high school. I don’t know who 8:30 a.m. and it was up to the bank. So I packed some those rowboat heroes were, but clothes, called the City and told I thank them. They did NOT Shannon that I had never been know that there was another through a flood before, and shelter on this side. Contrary to asked if there was an evacua- what I read in The Indepen- tion notice. She said she had a dent , these guys weren’t part of few calls with that inquiry, but the “informed rowboat res- she didn’t know and told me to cuers” and I don’t think they got call Fire or Public Works. I certificates of commendation. called Fire who told me to evac- In any case, I am so grateful to uate immediately! So why did- them, as I am to Ray and Rose n’t someone notify the City? Foster for giving me a place to Why weren’t the police out noti- Please see page14 I filled out a stack of papers They treated me real kind That said that it was a sin The way my family was done Go out and spend some food stamps And have yourself some fun! Policy on Letters The INDEPENDENT will not publish letters that include per- sonal attacks on private citizens. Because of space limitations, preference will be given to brief letters, 300 words or less. All letters must be signed and include a verifiable address or phone number; all letters are subject to editing for clarity or length.