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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (March 4, 2010)
Page 10 The INDEPENDENT, March 4, 2010 Between the Bookends By Susan Cackler, Library Assistant Banks Public Library Have you been looking for a reason to use a Cultural pass from the library? Local resident Jo Ann Pari-Mueller is sharing her collection of over 230 ex libris, or book- plates, with the Washington County Muse- um. This comprehensive exhibit takes a look at the history of ex libris and the tech- niques used to create them. In addition, it highlights several popular topics, artists and famous collectors, as well as exploring why this art form is popular with collectors. Pari-Mueller’s collection in- cludes beautiful, intricate plates dating from as long ago as the 1400s. The exhibit will run through March 31. The museum, locat- ed on Springville Road, is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information, check out their website at www.wash ingtoncountymuseum.org. Spring is a great time to visit the Chinese and Japanese Gar- dens, too. Call the library to reserve a Cultural Pass. To use the pass, your card must be in good standing. Reservations are sug- gested and the pass must be returned promptly after use. Join us for craft night and enjoy some lively conversation while you work on your favorite craft. Come and meet some new friends or visit with old ones while using the library’s work space and en- joying some light snacks. Join the Friends of the Banks Public Li- brary on Wednesday, March 10, 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. in the commu- nity room. The Friends of the Banks Public Library Annual Plant Book Garden and Art Sale is just around the corner. Mark your calen- dars for Friday and Saturday, May 7 and 8 and plan to buy a pres- ent for Mother’s Day at the sale. As it was last year, the sale will be held at Schlegel Hall, allowing for a huge sale and comfortable, indoor browsing. If you would like to donate plants or books for the sale, contact the library. Do you have a youngster who needs something to do on Wednesday mornings? Story time at the library could be the an- swer to what to do. Our reader, Miss Cathy, picks a few stories around a theme each week and shares these stories with the chil- dren in an entertaining, engaging way. Join us for Preschool Sto- ry Time on Wednesdays at 10:15 a.m. in the community room of the library. Story Time is designed for children aged three to six, but younger siblings are welcome. February’s themes are the fol- lowing: March 3: Sheep March 10: Moon Tales March 17: Ducks March 24: no story time – spring break March 31: Bunnies! If the weather is snowy or icy, be sure to call the library at 503 324-1382 before you come to make sure we’re open. Remember, most items can be renewed over the phone or via the internet. If SAVE up to 50% Gre a t Sa ving s ! you are unable to return items on time because of weather condi- tions, be sure to let the library know. The Friends of the Banks Public Library can always use your support. You can make a tax deductible donation, become a mem- ber, or volunteer. Money that the Friends raise helps the library purchase Cultural Passes, upgrade equipment and purchase books and movies. Also, we take donations of books that are in good condition. On the shelf: Noah’s Compass by Anne Tyler. Tyler has created another compassionate novel about an individual who is no longer looking for too much out of life. Liam Pennywell has been forced to retire from teaching at age 61. He is downsizing and simplifying and coming to terms with the final phase of his life. But he soon finds himself on an unexpected detour. Instead of being alone, his teen- age daughter is moving in and he finds himself getting involved with a younger woman. Liam has to decide how much solitude means to him and how much he wants to be a part of other peo- ple’s lives. Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah. Meredith and Nina Whitson are sisters who followed different paths: One stayed home to raise children and manage the family business, the other travels the world as a photojournalist. But when their father falls ill, both girls return home and find themselves dealing with their difficult moth- er. On his deathbed, their father makes their mother promise she will tell the story of her life. The story is a captivating, mysterious love story that spans more than 60 years and moves from Leningrad to Alaska. As Nina delves into their mother’s past, she discovers shocking secrets that change the way the daughters think of family. The novel is both an epic love story and an intimate portrait of women at the crossroads of life. Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde. Fforde’s books are hard to define. Part fantasy, part fiction, maybe a little bit of mystery and entirely thought-provoking. In Shades of Grey, the world is or- dered by a rigid hierarchy of color. Eddie Russett wants to move up. He has better-than-average red perception and wants to mar- ry into the Oxblood family. But then he meets an intriguing Grey named Jane and she opens his eyes to the cruel regime behind the colorful façade. In this world, questions are rude and answers are in short supply. Eddie treads a fine line between total conform- ity and an instinctive curiosity that leads him into trouble. Secrets of Eden by Chris Bohjalian. This novel is both a haunt- ing literary thriller and a testament to the inner complexities that mark everyone’s life. Bohjalian has written another page-turner in which nothing is precisely what it seems. As one character re- marks, “Believe no one. Trust no one. Assume all of our stories are suspect.” The story centers around a husband- wife, murder- suicide and Reverend Stephen Drew, who baptized the wife short- ly before she is killed by her husband. He feels his faith slipping away and then the state’s attorney begins to suspect that the hus- band may not have killed himself. Banks Public Library: 111 Market Street. Hours: Mon., Fri., Sat., 11 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Tues., Wed., Thurs., 11 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. Preschool Story Time: Wednesdays, 10:15 a.m. Phone: 503-324-1382 for information Internet: www.wccls.org Browse library resources, reserve or renew materials online. Call for information. Insurance available for all kids now Save on Hundreds of Items for Birds, Fish, Reptiles, Dogs, Cats + Governor Ted Kulongoski announced, on February 5, that all Oregon children now have access to high-quality, compre- hensive health care under the state’s Healthy Kids plan, real- izing one of his top priorities since taking office. Healthy Kids was passed by the legislature during the 2009 session and has been imple- mented in phases over the last six months. This week, the Oregon Department of Human Services began providing cov- erage to families under Healthy KidsConnect, the final phase of Healthy Kids. The Governor was joined by families and their children who now have access to health care because of Healthy Kids. All families who need insur- ance for their children are urged to enroll. Healthy Kids provides ac- cess to health care in three ways: 1) No-cost option through the Oregon Health Plan (OHP); 2) Low-cost op- tions through cost-share mod- els; and 3) Full-cost options through newly-created state- sponsored private insurance plans – depending on family in- come. • No Cost: The plan provides free coverage through the Ore- gon Health Plan for children in families with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level ($44,100 for a family of four). • Low-Cost: The program offers a cost-share model to assist Oregon’s middle-class families earning between 200 - 300 percent of the federal poverty level (between $44,100 – $66,000 a year for a family of four). These families earn too much to qualify for the Oregon Health Plan, but too lit- tle to purchase private insur- ance on their own. On a sliding scale, these families share the cost with the state or can re- ceive a subsidy to help pay for their child’s coverage through an employer-sponsored insur- ance plan. • Full Cost: For children in families with incomes above 300 percent of the federal poverty level ($66,000 for a family of four), the program provides access to new state- sponsored private insurance plans collectively called Healthy KidsConnect. These families pay the full premium. To date, the state has en- rolled more than 30,000 chil- dren in Healthy Kids. The goal is to enroll 80,000 children by the end of this year. “The parents of these chil- dren now feel more secure knowing that their children will get the health care they need, when they need it,” said the Governor. “But we are just get- ting started. We can’t stop until we have finished the job and reached our goal of enrolling 80,000 children by the end of the year. The health of our chil- dren and the future of our state depend on our success.” Parents can learn more about Healthy Kids and apply online at www.oregonhealthy kids.gov or by calling 1-877- 314-5678.