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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (July 20, 2011)
Page 10 The INDEPENDENT, July 20, 2011 Between the Bookends by Nancy Burch, Librarian Vernonia Public Library With only one more craft/story session on Tuesday, July 26, The Knights of Veritas on Thursday, July 28, and the Jamboree parade on Saturday, August 6, the library’s Summer Read- ing programs for young- sters will be completed for another year. Partici- pation has been amazing at both the morning story/activity times and at the evening presenta- tions, due to the efforts of Jennifer Moloney and Linda Johnston. These programs are vital in helping youngsters maintain reading skills dur- ing the summer break from school and in provid- ing a safe environment in which to take part in educational, entertaining activities. The evening entertainment has been made possible by the Ready to Read Grant from the Oregon State Li- brary, The Friends of the Library, and the Ore- gon College Savings Plan, in conjunction with the Oregon State Library and the American Li- brary Association. It is so gratifying to see that entire families are attending and enjoying these programs. The “novel destinations” for adults will contin- ue through August and possibly longer if enough interest is shown. The Scavenger Hunt to some of Vernonia’s historic buildings will begin at the library at 1:00 on Wednesday, July 27. All ages are invited to participate as they follow clues to learn some of Vernonia’s history. Check the schedule in the library and on the City’s website under library events for future activities—for all ages. This site will have the topic, time and date of the monthly book discussion meeting (Narcis- sus Leaves the Pool, Monday July 25, 5:30). It also has the dates and time for the annual Friends of the Library Book Sale—Friday, August 5 from 4-6 and Saturday, August 6 from 9-6. Library staff can now update this site, so it should be up-to-date with library informa- tion. Check it out! New acquisitions for adult readers include Betrayal of Trust—J.A. Jance’s latest mystery featuring detective J.P. Beaumont, and The Silent Girl—Tess Gerritsen’s new thriller featur- ing detective Jane Rizzoli and medical examin- er Dr. Maura Isles. Janet Evanovich’s latest Stephanie Plum (mystery? comedy?), Smokin’ Seventeen, and Linda Castillo’s action-packed novel of suspense, Breaking Silence, are prov- ing to be very popular with Vernonia’s readers. Young adults continue to request books from Erin Hunter’s Warrior Series faster than she can publish them. Several of the books from the Pa- cific NW Young Reader’s Choice List for 2012, including Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick, Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen and Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater, have proven to be fa- vorites this summer. To insure that new materials meet the desires of all ages of readers, new picture books includ- ing My Mom Has X-Ray Vision, The Ice Cream King, and Gilbert Goldfish Wants a Pet, have also been added to the library’s collection. Watch for the “Summer Readers” in the Jam- boree parade as their entry depicts the summer theme of One World, Many Stories. 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 Survey shows fewer uninsured kids Oregon Healthy Kids Pro- gram has added 94,000 chil- dren to care in the last two years. The percentage of children without health care in Oregon has dropped dramatically – from 11.3 percent in 2009 to 5.6 percent in 2011 – according to the Oregon Health Insurance Survey, a statewide survey re- leased by the Oregon Health Authority July 11. This puts Mariolino’s Oregon on the leading edge in the country in bringing health care access to children. “Today over 90,000 more children have affordable health coverage and their families have the peace of mind that an accident on the playground won’t bring financial ruin,” says Cathy Kaufmann, Healthy Kids administrator. “When kids and teens have health coverage, they’re more likely to receive Serving Vernonia for Forty One Years Weekend Specials, Ice Cream Favorites In air conditioned comfort! 721 Madison Ave.,Vernonia • 503-429-5018 preventive and other care when they need it. That means fewer emergency room visits and more peace of mind for families.” Oregon’s Healthy Kids, one of the Oregon Health Authori- ty’s first initiatives, was launched in 2009 to bring af- fordable, quality health insur- ance to all Oregon children in the face of ever increasing health care costs. Healthy Kids offers no-cost and low-cost health coverage for uninsured Oregon children and teens 0-18, providing them with all the care they need, in- cluding preventive care such as regular check-ups, vision and dental care, prescriptions and more. Depending on in- come, working families may pay a portion of the monthly premium, but no family earns too much money to qualify. When the program was launched two years ago, OHA leadership set a goal of bring- ing 80,000 children into care, a goal that has been met and ex- ceeded. “The Healthy Kids Program shows that Oregonians know how to step up and solve the problems in our health care system,” says Bruce Goldberg, M.D., Oregon Health Authority Director. “We’ve made great strides in insuring children and improving the lives of tens of thousands of families. The next step is building a strong health insurance exchange and trans- forming the state’s delivery system for better health and lower costs.” The Oregon Health Insur- ance Survey will be conducted every two years, gathering de- tailed health insurance and health-related information from more than 10,000 Oregonians throughout the state. Oregon families with unin- sured children can apply for Healthy Kids today by calling 1- 877-314-5678 or by visiting www.OregonHealthyKids.go Algae blooms in fresh water can cause illness in people and pets In May many Oregon lake managers started to monitor for cyanobacteria, a signal that al- gae bloom season is on its way. Algae are microscopic or- ganisms that grow naturally in the ocean and fresh waters. Under certain conditions, algae can rapidly grow into a large mass in the water. Most algae are harmless but cyanobacte- ria, or blue-green algae, can produce toxins capable of causing illness in people and animals. When an algae bloom is de- tected and lab results show that cyanobacteria is present, the Oregon Harmful Algae Bloom Surveillance (HABS) program issues a health advi- sory warning people to stay out of affected water to avoid ill- ness. Jennifer Ketterman, HABS program coordinator, empha- sizes that the HABS program does not close lakes, but does issue advisories to inform peo- ple of a potential health risk. People and animals can be exposed to these toxins in sev- eral ways: through contact with bloom-affected water while wading or playing in the water, swallowing affected water when swimming, or inhaling water droplets while enjoying high-speed activities like water- skiing. Exposure can result in a range of symptoms including skin rash, diarrhea, cramps, vomiting, numbness, dizziness and fainting. Children, people with weakened immune sys- tems and pets are most vulner- able to illness. During the past 10 years, Oregon has seen a steady in- crease in the number of algae blooms that triggered the is- suance of a health advisory. In 2005, five such advisories were issued for fresh water bodies in three counties. Last year, the number increased to 22 advi- sories in nine counties. It is not known why there has been an increase. Ketterman cautions, howev- er, that only a fraction of Ore- gon’s fresh waters are moni- tored, and the public won’t al- ways be notified about all harmful algae blooms. “For this reason, people should always be aware of conditions before they go into the water,” she said. “If it is foamy, scummy, and thick like paint and pea- green, blue-green or brownish- red in color, it’s best to stay out.” In 2009 and again in 2010, confirmed dog deaths due to algae toxins were reported to the HABS program. Dogs become exposed when they drink bloom-affected water or when they lick their fur after swimming in the water. Once toxins are in the animals’ system, illness occurs quite rapidly and there is little that can be done beyond providing supportive care. The HABS program made specific efforts last year to reach veterinarians and pet owners, Ketterman said. “We want people to be aware so they know to keep their pets out of potentially dan- gerous water.” The HABS program is fund- ed through a federal grant from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The program relies on local, state and federal agencies that man- age water bodies to alert it when a potentially toxic bloom has been detected. Additional information can be found on the HABS website at www.healthoregon.org/hab or by calling 971-673-0400.