Page 8
The INDEPENDENT, March 7, 2012
Between the Bookends
By Susan Cackler, Library Assistant
Banks Public Library
The Friends of the Banks
Public Library Annual Plant,
Book and Art sale is coming up
soon. If you are interested in
being a vendor or in growing
plants for the library to sell,
now is the time to contact the
library at 503 324-1382. Also,
if you would like to donate
books for the sale, please con-
tact the library. Because of space restraints with the
upcoming renovation, we can’t accept large numbers
of books right now, but if you give us a call, arrange-
ments can be made to get them before the sale. The
sale will be held on Friday and Saturday, May 11 – 12,
at Schlegel Hall in Sunset Park.
The renovation of the Public Works Building is well
underway. Construction should start on the library ren-
ovations in late March or early April and be completed
sometime in June. We have been busy picking out col-
ors and finishes for our much-anticipated renovation.
In preparation for the work, the library is no longer tak-
ing donations of books until after work has been com-
pleted. Also, the community room is no longer avail-
able for rental since the library will be expanding into
that space and it is being used to stage the moving of
books and equipment.
Winter weather can mean roads that are snowy or
icy. If conditions are questionable, call the library at
503 324-1382 to make sure that we have been able to
open. Also, if you are unable to come to the library to
return items because of weather conditions, give us a
call and we will renew them for you. This also applies
if you just don’t have any way to access us – let us
know when you are up and running again and we will
do what we can to help.
Join us for craft night Wednesday, March 14, from
6:00 to 9:00 p.m. in the community room. We may be
surrounded by boxes, but we should be able to find
enough room to craft. 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 enjoying some light snacks.
You may find knitters, scrapbookers, quilters and
maybe even a tatter or two. If you would like to be on
an e-mail reminder list for craft night, call the library
with your name and e-mail. Craft night will be can-
celed if road conditions are bad.
Come to the library for story time on Wednesdays
and let your kids enjoy some great stories. Our read-
er, Miss Cathy, picks a few stories around a theme
each week and shares these stories with the children
in an entertaining, engaging way. Join us for Pre-
school Story Time on Wednesdays at 10:15 a.m. in
the community room of the library. Story Time is de-
signed for children aged three to six, but younger sib-
lings are welcome.
The themes for March are:
March 7:
What is it?
March 14:
Disappearing Dinos
March 21:
Family Ties
March 28:
No story time – spring break
The Friends of the Banks Public Library can always
use your support. You can make a tax deductible do-
nation, become a member, 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:
CCRider bus is for veteran transports
On February 13, the Colum-
bia County Rider Transporta-
tion Department received a re-
furbished vehicle from the Ore-
gon Department of Transporta-
tion, Public Transit Division, will
make it easier for Columbia
County veterans to get around.
The vehicle is handicapped ac-
cessible and will soon be avail-
able to assist local vets in get-
503-901-1705
ting to their appointments in the
region.
Michael Ward, Administrator
for ODOT’s Public Transit Divi-
sion turned over the keys to the
vehicle to the Columbia County
Rider Transit Department.
Ward is involved in veterans
issues through his appointment
to a task force set up by former
Governor Ted Kulongoski, to
find ways of helping veterans
access available services,
transportation in particular. As
a result of a study that was
conducted, Ward said, ODOT
worked with the U.S. Depart-
ment of Veterans Affairs to test
integrating retired vehicles in
public transit fleets.
The vehicle provided to Co-
lumbia County Rider was the
first of 11 buses to be delivered
across the state for veterans
services. The bus was refur-
bished from bumper-to-bumper
before it was donated to
CCRider.
CCRider Director Janet
Wright is working with Commu-
nity Action Team’s Veterans Of-
ficer to develop a transporta-
tion schedule and to locate a
volunteer driver.
Once the details are worked
out, veterans will be able to ac-
cess veteran services, includ-
ing the V.A. Medical Center in
Portland. When the bus is not
being used for service to veter-
ans, it will be available for oth-
er public transit services such
as door-to-door service for eld-
erly/disabled, and general pub-
lic demand-response service.
Columbia County Commis-
sioner Henry Heimuller said a
long-term goal is to allow veter-
ans to work as drivers, as long
as they meet the qualifications.
“There will be the opportunity
for veterans to be trained as
public transit drivers so they
can get job training, and per-
haps it will give them an oppor-
tunity to earn a living driving
the other buses.”
For more information, call
Wright at 503-397-1035.
Cycling in Oregon, published by Hephaestus
Books. This book is a collection of articles of interest
to anyone who bicycles in Oregon. Much of the con-
tent is drawn from familiar sources on the internet, but
now it is conveniently gathered into one book. The first
portion of the book is dedicated to bike trails in Ore-
gon, many of them in the Portland area. The Banks-
Vernonia State Trail is one of the featured trails.
Casey and Kyle So Much for Being on our Best Be-
havior by Will Robertson. Robertson is a local, self-
published author. His work can be found on-line as
well as in his collection of four books. Robertson sums
up the appeal of Casey and Kyle: “It’s a strip about the
fun and chaos of kids.” The strip features two young
brothers who get into various troubles with their moth-
er through the usual mishaps of youth.
Stephen Hawking, An Unfettered Mind by Kitty Fer-
guson. Stephen Hawking is one of the most remark-
able figures of our age. Not only is he a celebrated
theoretical physicist and a bestselling author, but he
also has been an inspiration to many as he exhibits
dignity and grace while coping with devastating dis-
ability. Ferguson conducted in-depth research to bring
to light the story of his childhood, his education, his
ALS diagnosis, his drive to understand the universe
and his international fame. Ferguson also makes the
language of theoretical physics comprehensible to the
average reader, creating an absorbing account of a
brilliant life and mind.
Banks Public Library: 111 Market Street.
Hours: Mon., Fri., Sat., 11 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Tue., Wed., Thur., 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.
Columbia County
Mental Health
800-294-5211
-----------------
Suicide Hotline
Domestic Abuse
1-800-
784-2433
or
1-800-273-
TALK(8255)
-----------------
Hotline
503-397-6161
or
866-397-6161
Military Helpline
888-HLP-4-VET
(888-457-4838)