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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (May 16, 2012)
Page 8 The INDEPENDENT, May 16, 2012 Between the Bookends by Nancy Burch, Librarian Vernonia Public Library With tentative approval of its proposed 2012-2013 budg- et, library staff should be able to provide a level of service to the community comparable to previous years. There is always a feeling of relief and gratefulness when budget fig- ures show the likelihood that the quality and quantity of services will be available to the community. A comparison of library services including programs offered to the com- munity, staffing, circulation, funding, etc., may be found on the Oregon State Library home page, under Library Devel- opment Services and public library statistics. I encourage you to look at these figures and see how our library compares to others serving ap- proximately the same number of patrons. Saturday’s conversation project, “Life After War”, presented by photojournalist Jim Lommasson, was amazingly informational and poignant. His interviews with returning ‘soldiers’ allowed those of us who have not seen war first-hand to have a better understanding of the tribulations faced by these men and women. Plans for this year’s Summer Reading program are taking shape. The theme, “Dream Big, READ!” presents the opportunity for a myriad of exciting activities. Jennifer Moloney is currently requesting donations to provide incentives for young- sters meeting their reading goals. Sign-up sheets will soon be available in the li- brary for youngsters who will be taking part in this summer’s activities, which will include tie-dying, learning about owls, and a puppet presentation. The microfilm of Vernonia’s newspapers has all been converted to digital format and may be searched on the library’s computers. We are very pleased with the quality of these reproductions which can be searched by keywords and dates. The public is encouraged to utilize this resource, which was made possible by a grant from the Meyer Memorial Trust. New acquisitions are varied in setting and time frame. Hard Country, by Michael McGarrity, takes place from just after the Civil War until the early 1900s in the wild New Mexico territory. This is an historical western family saga that has been com- pared to Lonesome Dove. The title of Madeleine Albright’s Prague Winter: A Per- sonal Story of Remembrance and War, 1937-1948, is a remarkable story of adven- ture and passion, tragedy and courage set against the backdrop of occupied Czechoslovakia and World War II. James Patterson’s latest in the Women’s Mur- der Club series, 11th Hour, and Charlaine Harris’ latest Sookie Stackhouse novel Deadlocked, (even though it involves vampires) take place in the present. Many of the newest books for young readers are futuristic; including Insurgent by Veronica Roth, Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore, and Book Three of the Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan entitled The Serpent’s Shadow. These are just some examples of the range of reading materials one might find in our library. The novels of local author Heather Sharfeddin have become some of my latest favorites. These include The Windless Summer, Damaged Goods, and Sweetwa- ter Burning. The Windless Summer takes place on the Washington side of the Co- lumbia River in the fictional town of Rocket, a summer playground for windsurfers and tourists. When a windless summer ignites fear as businesses and residents move away, patrons of one room in Tom Jemmet’s Rocket Motel seem to suffer ex- tremely good or extremely bad luck. Is this coincidence, fate, or something super- natural caused by Tom’s autistic daughter? In Damaged Goods, set in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, auctioneer Hershel Swift suffers memory lapses following a car accident. When he rescues drifter Silvie Thorne from a roadside breakdown, the two confront their troubled pasts and mis- takes and Swift discovers how the values a man gives something can potentially lead to murder. In Sweetwater Burning, Chas McPherson tends his blackbelly sheep in the small Idaho town of Sweetwater. As Chas tries to make room for home-care nurse Mattie Holden and his terminally ill father, in a house haunted by the past, Sweetwater is set on edge by an act of arson—and Chas is the suspect. The hardscrabble ranch becomes the setting for both love and violence as this novel builds toward a shattering conclusion. Sharfeddin’s novels are not all sweet- ness and light, nor are her characters perfect, but she captures the essence of hu- manity—people and their motivations and decisions. Hillary Jordan’s When She Woke will be the topic for Book Discussion on Tues- day, May 29 at 5:30 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 There’s still time to get your space in Vernonia’s community garden by Bill Langmaid Amidst the chaos of this summer’s school deconstruc- tion project, Vernonia’s com- munity garden will be growing like crazy thanks to a generous donation from Bamboo Gar- dens of North Plains. Following the completion of the new downtown park, the community garden will move just east of the new school’s parking lot at the end of Missouri Ave. 503-901-1705 Thanks go to both the city and the school district for their co- operation in making the com- munity garden a priority in both this year and the future. Penny Costley and Allison McLeod are leading the organ- ization this summer, and are ready to accept reservations for space in the garden. This year’s garden will be based in containers, rather than in- ground planting. The maximum size plot available is 3’ by 21’, or 27 containers, and smaller sizes are available. Full sized plots are $20 this season, and are pro-rated based on the size of the plot and ability to pay. Please call Penny (429-0196) or stop by the Vernonia Phar- macy and speak with Phil Dar- rah to pick up an application. The garden will be open for members starting on June 1. New members can show up with their own seeds or veg- etable starts and tools, or can obtain starts and seeds from the Master Gardeners on hand for the grand opening. Every- one, no matter their skill level, is encouraged to participate if they want to garden. Costley added, “We're setting up class- es and workshops to meet the needs of our members.” The volunteer staff will also be demonstrating a rain barrel with a solar powered pump, and helping people set up their new garden plots. According to Costley, “The main advantage to the commu- nity is the Master Gardener knowledge base. We have over 20 Master Gardeners in Ver- nonia, and all are ready to help the community learn about gar- dening. We want to teach the practical skills, as well as the benefits. There is nothing tasti- er than a fresh ripe tomato eat- en warm right off the plant.” The garden is projected to hold 400 lineal feet of growing space, which will all be planted. Any food produced in excess of that claimed by participants will be distributed to Vernonia Cares and other organizations that provide nutritious food to those in need. The garden is a collaboration between the Ford Family Foundation, City of Ver- nonia, Vernonia School District, Vernonia Health Board, Ver- nonia Cares, and Kiwanis Inter- national. Columbia County Domestic Abuse Mental Health 800-294-5211 Hotline 503-397-6161 ----------------- or Suicide Hotline 1-800- 866-397-6161 784-2433 or Military Helpline 1-800-273- TALK(8255) ----------------- 888-HLP-4-VET (888-457-4838)