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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 18, 2012)
Page 8 The INDEPENDENT, January 18, 2012 Between the Bookends by Nancy Burch, Librarian Vernonia Public Library A Japanese proverb quoted in Country Extra this month says, “One kind word can warm three winter months.” This seems so appropri- ate as we experience the current wintry weather, but the library also has some activities and ma- terials that might be of help in lifting your spirits through these somewhat dreary months. Columbia County libraries recognize that pa- trons might need a “pick me up” at this time of year and have joined in offering the first annual “Columbia County Reads”. A Western theme was chosen with activities relevant to this topic taking place during the months of January and February. Along with encouraging county resi- dents to read the chosen books (Hearts of Hors- es by Molly Gloss, The Devil’s Paintbox by Vic- toria McKernan, and The Captain’s Dog by Roland Smith), activities such as singalongs, leather carving, an antique quilt show, and west- ern movies will be offered at the various li- braries. The culmination of this year’s events in Vernonia will take place February 27, with au- thor Molly Gloss visiting with community mem- bers to discuss her book, Hearts of Horses. It’s quite exciting to hear that at least one class in Washington Grade School will be read- ing The Captain’s Dog as a novel study, and that a couple of other teachers are planning to read the book aloud to their classes. It’s also exciting to know that county libraries, schools, and VPC will be cooperating to make these events suc- cessful. Brochures listing all of these county- wide events are now available in the library as well as copies of the selected books. Join your friends and neighbors in Columbia County as they enjoy these books and events. After reading the books, visit the online “Our Community Reads” blogs to join discussions of the books at http://thedevilspaintboxdiscussi on.blogspotcom/ and http://theheartsofhorses discussion.blogspot.com/ To warm your stomach, be sure and check out current magazines for hearty winter meals including tangy bean soup, wintertime braised beef stew, and curried sweet potato soup, in cur- rent issues of Family Circle and Country Extra magazines. Cozy up to a glowing fire with a light mystery such as Maggie Sefton’s A Killer Stitch, Spencer Quinn’s Thereby Hangs a Tail, or Josie Kilpack’s Lemon Tart. If you are looking for a touch of inspiration, the Chicken Soup books might be worth re-reading. How about Huck, a remarkable true story of how one lost puppy taught a family and a whole town about hope and happy endings? Movie lovers looking for in- spirational stories cannot go wrong with Re- member the Titans, The Perfect Game, or Rudy. If you are looking for a place that is warm in both temperature and in ambiance, the library is here for you. If you would like to sit and read, use a computer, visit with other patrons, take part in a book discussion, or watch a movie with friends, check out your library and see if that doesn’t make you feel warmer AND don’t forget the warmth that a few kind words will bring to those around you. January’s events include movie night on Thursday, January 26 at 6:30, and book discus- sion on Monday, January 30 at 5:30. The movie will be a western—chosen by those in atten- dance and the book to be discussed will be Ad- dition, by Toni Jordan. 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 Multi-tasking can be dangerous 503-901-1705 Older adults may put them- selves at risk by talking on cell phones while crossing the street, researchers report in a new study. They found that adults aged 59 to 81 took sig- nificantly longer than college students to cross a simulated street while talking on a mobile phone, and their heightened cautiousness in initiating cross- ing did nothing to improve their safety. Older adults on cell phones also were more likely to fail to cross in the time allotted for the task. In the study, 18 undergradu- ate students (aged 18 to 26 years) and 18 older adults crossed simulated streets of varying difficulty while either undistracted, listening to music or conversing on a hands-free cell phone. The older adults were significantly impaired on the most challenging street- crossing tasks while also en- gaged in a second activity. They showed the most pro- nounced impairment during cell phone conversations. The young adults showed no impairment on dual-task performance. It should be not- ed that we have previously found that younger adults show similar performance decre- ments, but under much more challenging crossing condi- tions. The current findings suggest that while all pedestrians should exercise caution when attempting to cross a street while conversing on a cell phone, older adults should be particularly careful. Source: Mark Neider, University of Illinois, Psychology and Aging Five Wildlife Areas now require a parking permit As of Jan. 1, anglers, wildlife viewers and others headed for any of five ODFW Wildlife Ar- eas must have a parking permit displayed on their vehicle’s dashboard. Daily permits cost $7 and annual permits are $22. They may be purchased online, at one of the ODFW offices that sells licenses, or at a local li- cense sales agent. Wildlife Ar- eas in the parking permit pro- gram are: Denman, Central Point; E.E. Wilson, Monmouth; Ladd Marsh, La Grande; Sum- mer Lake, Summer Lake; Sauvie Island, Portland. Park- ing permits cannot be pur- chased at Wildlife Areas. Parking permits are trans- ferrable between cars, but each vehicle must have a per- mit while parked at the wildlife area. A free Parking Permit will be included with an annual Ore- gon hunting license; combina- tion fishing and hunting license; and Sports Pac. This is be- cause operation and mainte- nance of ODFW wildlife areas are funded primarily by hunters, through federal excise taxes on sporting arms and ammunition, and hunting li- cense fees. Revenue from the Parking Permit program will be used to improve habitat and infrastruc- ture and to enhance wildlife viewing opportunities at wildlife areas. For more information visit ODFW’s website, http://www. d f w. s t a t e . o r. u s / o n l i n e _ l i cense_sales/parking.asp . Columbia County Mental Health Domestic Abuse 800-294-5211 ----------------- Suicide Hotline 1-800- 784-2433 or 503-397-6161 1-800-273- TALK(8255) Hotline or 866-397-6161 ----------------- Military Helpline 888-HLP-4-VET (888-457-4838)