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The INDEPENDENT, April 21, 2011
Between the Bookends
by Nancy Burch, Librarian
Vernonia Public Library
Two years ago the Oregon Library As-
sociation encouraged all libraries in the
state to participate in “Oregon Reads” by
promoting Stubborn Twin, the factual ac-
count of three generations of a Japanese-
American family living in the Pacific North-
west. Since then, libraries have been en-
couraged
to
choose
“Community
Reads”—endorsing a chosen book and
planning some activity associated with that
book. Vernonia readers have chosen Robin Cody’s Another Way
the River Has: Taut True Tales from the Northwest, as our “Com-
munity Reads” for 2011. Of the 24 stories contained in this book,
nine are new, nine previously appeared in The Oregonian and
several more appeared in Portland Magazine and other publica-
tions. In this book are gyppo loggers, rodeo cowboys, outlaw Indi-
an fishermen, special-education children, umpires, delinquent ju-
veniles, and even deaf basketball players — all with nothing and
everything to do with Cody’s passion for the waters of the North-
west. The river has a way, in this collection, of inspiring us to con-
sider unexpected possibilities and new ways of looking at our en-
vironment.
Cody’s first book, Voyage of a Summer Sun, relates his 82 day
journey in a canoe from the headwaters of the Columbia to its
mouth — the Pacific Ocean. This is not a book about just a canoe
trip; it tells realistic stories of the people he meets while introduc-
ing all the issues that embroil the Columbia — from nuclear
wastes to logging to salmon to treaties. His second book, Ricochet
River, is the fictional story of three high school students coming of
age in the 1960s.
Having read all three of Cody’s books, I can honestly say that I
cannot think of another author who has captured and depicted is-
sues concerning nature and the environment of Oregon, as well as
the spirit of Oregonians, in such an honest, down-to-earth and
thought-provoking manner. All of Robin Cody’s books are promi-
nently displayed in the library with the expectation that many in the
community will read them and wish to discuss them on Wednes-
day, May 10th at 7:00 p.m. when Mr. Cody and his wife will be at
the library. Copies of Another Way the River Has may be pur-
chased at the library prior to this visit with autographing to take
place following event..
New acquisitions include Crunch Time by Diane Mott Davidson,
Mystery by Jonathan Kellerman, Dead by Midnight by Carolyn
Vernonia
Veterinary
Clinic
Formerly Midway Veterinary Clinic
Monday, Wednesday & Saturday
700 Weed Avenue
Vernonia
Hart, The Land of Painted Caves by Jean Auel, Gideon’s Sword
by Preston & Child, Live Wire by Harlan Coben, Cold Wind by C.
J. Box, I’ll Walk Alone by Mary Higgins Clark, and Night Road by
Kristen Hannah. Most of the selections chosen as 2012 Young
Reader’s Choice Awards have been purchased and will be on
prominent display shortly.
Book discussion will take place on Monday, April 25 at 5:30
p.m. with Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand by Helen Simonson being
the subject matter for the month.
Movie night for this month will be Thursday, April 28th. Morning
Glory, starring Harrison Ford, Rachel McAdams and Diane
Keaton, will be shown at 6:30 p.m
Vernonia Public Library: 701 Weed Avenue
Hours: Mon., Wed., Fri. 10 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Tues., Thu. 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
Give Screen-Free Week a chance
by Chris Thomas, Oregon
News Service
Can Modern Folks Learn to
Appreciate “Real” Tweets…
from Birds?
This is “Screen-Free Week,”
an annual event to prompt peo-
ple to turn off computers, televi-
sion sets, video games and
those communication devices
many of us carry everywhere –
and actually converse with
each other. But how many Ore-
gonians would consider that
punishment instead of personal
progress?
Screen-Free Week is also
an effort to encourage families
to get outdoors for fitness and
recreation. And Rob Klavins, a
wildlands advocate who coordi-
nates the hiking program for
Oregon Wild, says nature is not
so bad – once you get used to
it, “Folks can be used to being
overstimulated by all those toys
and gizmos, but really, I think
there’s a deep-seated part of
us that wants to connect with
wild places and wildlife. And so,
I think that being out on the
trail, being away from the TV,
can be a good thing for every-
body, whether you’re a kid or a
kid at heart.”
Oregon Wild schedules na-
ture walks and hiking trips
throughout the state, as well as
Happy
Easter
bike trips. They’re free, and
many are for families and be-
ginners. (Find the schedule at
www.oregonwild.org.)
Klavins, who also leads
some of the hikes, has learned
that even those kids who show
up at the trailhead with ear-
buds, iPods and cell phones
come around eventually, “I
think people are surprised to
find out just how much they en-
joy it. You know, I personally
find myself often forgetting until
I actually get out there on the
trail, how great it is to be in a
place like Oregon.”
Dana Friedman, president of
the Early Years Institute, says
while the focus of Screen-Free
Week is children, it’s up to par-
ents to set an example to pre-
vent families from turning into
couch potatoes with no social
skills, “We’ve all had the expe-
rience of walking into a restau-
rant and seeing Mom on her
BlackBerry, texting, and Dad on
the cell phone, and each of the
kids has some electronic de-
vice now. They sit down at the
meal and nobody talks to each
other.”
Friedman says Screen-Free
Week aims to help young peo-
ple balance their interest in
technology with getting out and
spending time with others. And
even if you can’t go completely
“screen-free” this week, the
goal is to make people more
aware of the time they spend
physically inactive, staring at
screens.
More about Screen-Free
Week is at http://www.commer-
cialfreechildhood.org/screen-
freeweek/index.html.
Don’t kiss the
Easter chicks
With spring here and the
Easter holiday approaching,
Oregon Public Health officials
are urging parents to protect
their children from potential
Salmonella infection caused by
handling baby poultry, such as
chicks and ducklings. Baby
chicks are cute, soft and cud-
dly. Handling them, however,
could cause illness.
“I know baby chicks and
ducklings are cute and you
may want to pick them up.
Never nuzzle or kiss chicks or
ducklings. Salmonella bacteria
are easily spread from birds to
humans,” said Emilio DeBess,
D.V.M., M.P.V.M., state public
health veterinarian for the Ore-
gon Public Health Division,
Oregon Health Authority.
“Chicks and ducklings may not
be an appropriate gift for chil-
dren younger than five, or for
people with weakened immune
systems,” he said.
A recent case of salmonel-
losis in a child in Deschutes
County has been linked to
baby chicks that had been kept
inside a home, which led to
cross-contamination.
Many chicks carry Salmo-
nella bacteria in their intestinal
tract and can shed these bac-
teria in their feces. Salmonella
bacteria may not cause any ill-
ness in chicks, but can cause
serious illness in people, espe-
cially children and immune-
compromised people.
Most Salmonella infections
in humans result in a mild, self-
limiting illness characterized by
diarrhea, fever and abdominal
cramps. However, the infection
can spread to the bloodstream,
leading to severe and some-
times fatal illness.
To prevent the spread of
Salmonella bacteria from baby
birds, people should take the
following precautions:
• Always wash your hands
with hot, soapy water after
handling cages, equipment
and the stool of birds.
• Keep the birds outside.
• Do not eat, drink or smoke
while handling birds, cages or
bird equipment.
• Follow instructions from
your veterinarian concerning
proper diet and environment
for your chicks. Healthy chicks
and ducklings living in proper
environments are less likely to
shed Salmonella bacteria.