Volunteer Newsletter

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April 2012 Newsletter

Volunteer Program Purpose Statement: Library volunteers help make the library enjoyable and accessible to all members of the community by providing high quality services and programs to our patrons.

Happy Volunteer Anniversary to the following awesome volunteers:

For April:

Karen Pavon (2006)

Please welcome the newest volunteer to join our team:

Laura Grasle

A BIG THANK YOU to the following hardworking volunteers who donated a tremendous gift of 318.5 hours for the month of March!!!

Makayla

Dates to remember:

April is National Poetry Month. At the Circulation Desk you will find a Poem for Your Pocket thanks to Heidi!
Hearing Voices Storytelling Festival Finale. On Saturday, April 14, the North Plains Public Library will host a free storytelling concert featuring four professional storytellers at the Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club for the enjoyment of adults and children ages 6 and up. A reception for the storytellers at 6:00 will precede the program from 6:30-8 p.m. This is an event you won’t want to miss!
You are invited as the guest of honor at the Spaghetti Dinner to recognize the important contribution volunteers make in our community. Hosted by the City of North Plains.
National Volunteer Recognition WeekR12;April 15-21st, Celebrating People in Action. That’s you!
Volunteer Appreciation Reception at the library to honor the many volunteers who share their time, talent and energies to make a difference at North Plains Public Library. This will be an informal time to come in and have desserts and socialize. Hope to see you there! Friday, April 20th from 3:30-5pm.
Library Book Club. On Wednesday, April 25 at 7 p.m. at the Library, Book Club participants will discuss State of Wonder by Ann Patchett. A researcher at a pharmaceutical company travels into the Amazon River delta to determine the fate of a team of researchers that has not been heard from in two years. New members are welcome. Refreshments will be served.
Craft Night. Bring your handicraft projects to the Library on Thursday, April 26 from 5:30-8 p.m. Meet new friends, learn new skills, and enjoy the camaraderie. Craft items are sold at community events throughout the year in order to raise funds for Library materials and programs.
Library Bake Sale, May 5th. Do you like to bake? This is a great way to help the Library. More details to follow…keep the mixing bowl handy!

Volunteer News:

We have several volunteers that haven’t been able to volunteer lately for different reasons, some health related. We miss you and we’re thinking of you!

Many thanks!!
~Carol

March 2012 Newsletter

Happy Volunteer Anniversary to the following awesome volunteers:

For February:

Roni Andrews (2008)
Karen Graham (2008)
Donna Herinckx (2009)
Becky Kennedy (2011)

For March :

Meredith Bach (2007)
Bette Jackson (2009)
Dale Wilhelm (2007)

A BIG THANK YOU to the following hardworking volunteers who donated a tremendous gift of 579.25 hours for the month of February!!! (This includes 279.5 hours from the One Book, One Community Programs!)

Marrina Abeln, Elaine Achtel, Brian Aldrich,Scott Aldrich, Roni Andrews, Bekah Ayers, Meredith Bach, Nicholas Bocanegra, Elena Carbine, Sherrie Cohen, Karen Conklin, Carolynn Dulaney, Lucas Duyck, Tami Duyck, Jean Gard, Cat Gill, Karen Graham, Chelsea Gritz, Jenny Hann, Jacqueline Hermens, Vicki Hurley, Marion Hurt, Lynda Jones, Makayla Kemper, Becky Kennedy, Jennifer Knowles, Chris Lantz, Carolyn Leavitt, Mark Leavitt, Sheila Nelson, Julia Peterson, Cathy Phelps, Quiet Waters Outreach Team ( Elizabeth, Chris, Ben, Shelley, Kyle and Travis), Laurel Schallich, Bridget Sorensen, Mark Susbauer, Pat Susbauer, Jo Ann Tannock, Laura Templin, Nathaniel Trobough, Patti Tyson, Diane Van Grunsven, Ruth Voelker, Karla Wieskamp, Sean Wieskamp, Barbara Wriggle, all the Friends of the Library and the Library Board. THANK YOU!!!…You are the BEST!!!

Dates to remember:

On Wednesday, March 21, meet local Fire Fighters and listen to stories about their jobs and work
Library Book Club.
On Wednesday, March 28 at 7 p.m. at the Library, Book Club participants will discuss The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson. The Pulitzer Prize-winning author chronicles the decades-long migration of almost 6 million black citizens who fled the South for northern and western cities in search of a better life between World War I and the 1970s.
Craft Night. Bring your handicraft projects to the Library on Thursday, March 29 from 5:30-8 p.m. Meet new friends, learn new skills, and enjoy the camaraderie. Craft items are sold at community events throughout the year in order to raise funds for Library materials and programs.
Saturday, March 17. Happy St. Paddy’s Day!!! May the Irish Blessing grace your life!
Super Saturday – The Portland Ballet. Come to the Jessie Mays Community Hall on Saturday, March 31 at 1 p.m. to see members of The Portland Ballet dance a series of short classical works, including from the upcoming production of Paquita. Unbeknownst to the young heroine, Paquita, she is really of noble birth, having been abducted by Gypsies when she was an infant. In the story, she saves the life of a young French officer and subsequently learns of her true identity. This free performance is not to be missed!
Coming in April – A City Wide Volunteer Appreciation Dinner will be the evening of Thursday, April 12 at 6:30pm at Jessie Mays Community Center. Please save the date and allow us to express our appreciation for all that you do.
The 8th Annual Hearing Voices (of inspiration) Storytelling Festival will take place from April 7 – 14 and features four professional storytellers: Tim Tingle (Canyon Lake, TX), Kirk Waller (Oakland, CA), Habiba Addo (Portland, OR and Ghana, West Africa) and Leslie Slape (St. Helens, OR). On the evening of Saturday, April 14, the North Plains Public Library will host the final storytelling concert at the Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club featuring free performances by all four storytellers for the enjoyment of adults and children ages 6 and up.

Volunteer News:

Thank you, OBOC Chair, Diane Van Grunsven, and the OBOC committee of Karen Conklin, Chris Lantz, Carolyn Leavitt, Pat Susbauer, Carol Aldrich, Barbara Wriggle and Lynda Jones!! Kudos for a job well done! Thank you for filling our whole month of February with culturally rich educational and fun events! A special thank you to Carolyn Leavitt for her work in writing and receiving a grant from the Cultural Coalition of Washington County. The Friends of the Library were awarded a $2,000 grant as a result. Great job, everyone!

Chris Lantz always does exceptional work. It is evident in the new banner that will soon grace the space between the City Spires heralding the big county-wide Storytelling Event that our library will be co-hosting with the Banks Library. Chris designed the Storytelling Banner and postcards for the event. Thank you, Chris!

Nicholas Bocanegra has completed a yearlong curriculum with Portland Community College in partnership with North Plains Library as a Library Assistant Intern. Congratulations, Nicholas, and thank you, for all your hard work! We wish you the best in all your new endeavors!

Thank you to Carolyn for the new format for our volunteer e-newsletter!

Many thanks!!
~Carol

January/February 2012 Newsletter

Happy Volunteer Anniversary to the following awesome volunteers:

For December:

Jennifer Knowles (2007)
Jo Ann Tannock (2007)
Karla Wieskamp (2010)
Karla Wieskamp (2010)
Sean Wieskamp (2010)

For January:

Carolyn Leavitt (2003)
Jean Gard (2006)
Becky Cottam (2010)
Marion Hurt (2010)
Nicholas Bocanegra (2011)
Adam Carlson (2011)
Makayla Kemper (2011)
Laura Templin (2011)

Welcome to the latest two volunteers to join our team:

Sherrie Cohen
Carolynn Dulaney (Teen)

KUDOS to the following hardworking volunteers who donated a tremendous gift of 377 ½ hours of service in December and 365 ¾ January!

Marrina Abeln, Elaine Achtel, Brian Aldrich, Roni Andrews, Bekah Ayers, Meredith Bach, Nicholas Bocanegra, Elena Carbine, Brooklyn Chivers, Sherrie Cohen, Karen Conklin, Becky Cottam, Cheryl Fayard, Jean Gard, Cat Gill, Karen Graham, Chelsea Gritz, Jacqueline Hermens, Vicki Hurley, Marion Hurt, Lynda Jones, Makayla Kemper, Becky Kennedy, Jennifer Knowles, Chris Lantz, Carolyn Leavitt, Mark Leavitt, Hli Ly, Sheila Nelson, Julia Peterson, Cathy Phelps, Quiet Waters Outreach Team ( Elizabeth, Becky, Ben, Shelley, Kyle and Travis), Laurel Schallich, Bridget Sorensen, Mark Susbauer, Pat Susbauer, Jo Ann Tannock, Laura Templin, Nathaniel Trobough, Patti Tyson, Diane Van Grunsven, Ruth Voelker, Karla Wieskamp, Sean Wieskamp, Barbara Wriggle, all the Friends of the Library and the Library Board. THANK YOU!!!…You are the BEST!!!

Dates to remember:

“Love Your Library” Contest. February is “Love Your Library” month! Let us know why you love your library in 100 words or less. Enter to win a box of chocolates by leaving your essay at the checkout desk. Drawing on February 29. Must be 18 or older to enter. In addition, The Friends of the Library are selling discounted romance novels for $.25. Look for the cart of selections that reads, “Feel the Love.”
One Book, One Community. This year marks the Library’s fifth annual community reading program and features the novel, Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese. The Friends of the North Plains Public Library, sponsors of the program, are proud to have won a grant from the Cultural Coalition of Washington County to help put on the many events, listed below, all of which are free and open to the public. In conjunction with the program, during the month of February, clean and gently used running shoes will be collected at the Library to be donated to the Ethiopian Shoe Project (http://ethiopiaproject.com/our-story)
Art in Ethiopia. Tonight, Monday, February 13 beginning at 7 p.m. at the Library, guest speaker Daniel Amini will present a program about Ethiopian art. Refreshments will be served.
HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY! The Volunteer candy jar will be loaded with chocolate treats for you for a sweet thank you for all you do!!
Storytime Special Guest. Wednesday, February 15, hear dog stories with Miss Sheila and watch the antics of wonder dog, Fletcher.
Library Board Meeting. Wednesday, February 15, at 7 p.m.
Addiction in Africa. On Thursday, February 16 beginning at 7 p.m. at St. Edward Church in North Plains, the Rev. Steve Newton will speak about addiction in Africa. Rev. Newton has spent many years working in East Africa. As president of the Institute for Central and East African Rehabilitation, he helped develop programs for addiction in Kenya, Uganda, and Zambia. Refreshments will be served.
Women’s Health in Ethiopia. On Saturday, February 18 beginning at 7 p.m. at the Library, Dr. Kaitlin Masarie will present a lecture on current medical conditions in Ethiopia. Refreshments will be served.
Presidents’ Day Holiday. The Library will be closed on Monday, February 20.
Travel in Africa. On Wednesday, February 22 beginning at 7 p.m. at the Library, Teresa Sullivan of Mango Safari Travel will speak about travel adventures in Africa. Refreshments will be served.
Craft Night. Bring your handicraft projects to the Library on Thursday, February 23 from 5:30-8 p.m. Meet new friends, learn new skills, and enjoy the camaraderie. Craft items are sold at community events throughout the year in order to raise funds for Library materials and programs.
African Dance and Percussion. On Saturday, February 25 beginning at 7 p.m. at the Jessie Mays Community Center in North Plains, the African dance and percussion group, Sébé Kan (“Serious Sound”), featuring Derrell Sekou Soumah Walker, will perform. Refreshments will be served.
Book Discussion Groups. There will be two opportunities for participation in book discussions of the One Book, One Community selection, Cutting for Stone. On Wednesday, February 29 beginning at 10 a.m. at the Library, Mike Spooner will lead a discussion, and that evening, beginning at 7 p.m. at the Library, Mark Leavitt will be the discussion leader. Refreshments will be served.
Teen Summer Reading Artwork Contest. The 2012 Washington County Cooperative Library Services (WCCLS) Teen Summer Reading Artwork Contest will consider art which is submitted before Wednesday, February 29, 2012. The winning design will be used for all countywide 2012 WCCLS Teen Summer Reading program materials, such as posters, bookmarks, forms, flyers, etc. The winner also receives a $150 gift certificate from Powell’s Books. For all the contest details and an application form go to: http://www.wccls.org/teens.
Library Board Position Open. Applicants may pick up a form and description of the position in the Library. The term expires on June 30, 2013. This vacancy may be filled by patrons who live outside the city limits but within the Library’s service area. Deadline to apply is March 9.

Volunteer News:

North

Plains

Many thanks!!
~Carol

December 2011 Newsletter

Happy Volunteer Anniversary to the following awesome volunteers:

Jennifer Knowles (2007)
Jo Ann Tannock (2007)
Karla Wieskamp (2010)
Sean Wieskamp (2010)

Welcome to the latest two volunteers to join our team:

Hli Ly
Cat Gill (Teen)

Many thanks to the following volunteers who donated a tremendous gift of hours of service in November!
Marrina Abeln, Elaine Achtel, Roni Andrews, Bekah Ayers, Meredith Bach, Nicholas Bocanegra, Elena Carbine, Brooklyn Chivers, Karen Conklin, Becky Cottam, Cheryl Fayard, Jean Gard, Cat Gill, Karen Graham, Chelsea Gritz, Jacqueline Hermens, Vicki Hurley, Marion Hurt, Makayla Kemper, Becky Kennedy, Jennifer Knowles, Chris Lantz, Carolyn Leavitt, Mark Leavitt, Hli Ly, Sheila Nelson, Julia Peterson, Cathy Phelps, Quiet Waters Outreach Team ( Elizabeth, Ben, Shelley, Kyle and Travis), Laurel Schallich, Mark Susbauer, Pat Susbauer, Jo Ann Tannock, Laura Templin, Nathaniel Trobough, Patti Tyson, Dick and Diane Van Grunsven, Karla Wieskamp, Sean Wieskamp, Barbara Wriggle, all the Friends of the Library and the Library Board.
THANK YOU!!!…We love our Volunteers!!!

Dates to remember:

Wednesday, December 7th –Special Storytime–Miss Marion presents Mother Goose Rhyme Time at the 11:30 Storytime
Monday, December 12th at 7 pm. Friends of the Library–Everyone is welcome to join the Friends and learn more about this fun, active and successful group.
Merry Christmas to All!!! The library will be closed December 25th and December 26th. The library will reopen at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, December 27th.
Wednesday, December 28th at 6:30 pm–Library Book Club. Join members of the North Plains Public Library Book Club for a Potluck Dinner followed by a discussion of book ideas and making selections for the coming year. Everyone is invited to attend!
Thursday, December 29th, 5:30pm – 8pm–Craft Night, Bring your handicraft projects to the Library. Meet new friends and enjoy the camaraderie. Craft items are sold at community events throughout the year in order to raise funds for Library programs and materials. The Holiday Bazaar Library Handicraft Table on Saturday raised $262.25!! Thank you, Everyone!!!

Staff Profile ~ by Julia Peterson

HEIDI FUITEN
Heidi Fuiten is a native Oregonian, born in Corvallis but raised in small rural towns. She spent grades 1 and 2 in a two-room school in Blodgett, and then moved to Philomath for the rest of her school years. Therefore, moving to rural North Plains 11 years ago was not a big change for Heidi. She spent a few years in California, but couldn’t stay away from Oregon. She then moved to Manning which was near one of her brothers, prior to moving into North Plains.

Heidi has a variety of interests and is full of surprises. She is the youngest of eight children and the only girl. And, as the only girl, she learned how to take care of herself commenting “Only on TV do brothers dote on their baby sister.” She has a 911 certificate from PCC and worked as a Metro West Ambulance dispatcher for three years. She admits to being a “huge animal lover.” There are three cats in her household. One is feral and the other two are house cats. She also has four hens and a six month old “now confirmed” rooster. This past summer she lost the “rescue” collie that had been her companion for several years. She missed this dog so much that she decided to find another collie to rescue. Luckily, she found a breeder close by in McMinnville with a litter of collie pups. One that charmed her is a cute little puppy that happens to be blind in one eye. Heidi has now added this little fellow to her animal menagerie.

Her husband, J.D., also happens to be a native Oregonian who is from Forest Grove. Being with J.D. adds a little adventure to her life. They both love to travel, but not by the most usual transportation mode. They fly. He has a pilot’s license and owns a plane. They have flown to Mexico and the Bahamas (one of her favorite destinations). The farthest they have flown is Costa Rica. He wants to fly over the pole to Europe some day. Even Australia might be on a future itinerary. Heidi confesses to keeping her head down and “reading” or even “keeping her eyes shut if the weather is bad.” Still J.D. is a very safe pilot with an inclement weather rating that allows them to search for a wide variety of places to visit.

After her marriage, Heidi was able to go back to school. This time at Pacific University where she graduated with a BA in English Literature and Creative Writing. Heidi started volunteering at the North Plains Library in 2008 and, when a part time position became available, was hired in August, 2010. She supports activities sponsored by the library. For example, Heidi comes to the library craft night regularly. She is learning to knit, and even though she usually creates rectangles, they do eventually become scarves. She even sold a scarf at the North Plains summer handcraft fair and was “glad someone liked her work.” Heidi also likes the Sees peanut brittle bars that are currently sold at the library as a fund raiser. She guiltily admits to buying a bar “probably once a week” for her lunch dessert. Her weakness for chocolate has not affected her ability to stay fit. She keeps a regular schedule at the gym. Heidi keeps herself ready to tackle whatever challenge might present itself no matter where she goes, near or far.

Many thanks!!
~Carol

November 2011 Newsletter

Happy Volunteer Anniversary to the following awesome volunteer:
Nov:

Patti Tyson (2004)
Tyler Lantz (2007)
Chelsea Gritz (2009)
Brooklyn Chivers (2010)
Emmanuel Rodriguez (2010)

Many thanks to the following volunteers who donated a combined a gift of 334.50 hours of service in October!
Marrina Abeln, Elaine Achtel, Roni Andrews, Bekah Ayers, Meredith Bach, Nicholas Bocanegra, Elena Carbine, Karen Conklin, Becky Cottam, Lucas Duyck, Cheryl Fayard, Karen Graham, Chelsea Gritz, Jacqueline Hermens, Vicki Hurley, Marion Hurt, Makayla Kemper, Becky Kennedy, Jennifer Knowles, Carolyn Leavitt, Mark Leavitt, Sheila Nelson, Bill Peterson, Julia Peterson, Cathy Phelps, Quiet Waters Outreach Team ( Elizabeth, Ben, Shelley, Kyle and Travis), Mark Susbauer, Pat Susbauer, Jo Ann Tannock, Laura Templin, Patti Tyson, Diane Van Grunsven, Karla Wieskamp, Sean Wieskamp, Barbara Wriggle, all the Friends of the Library and the Library Board. THANK YOU! If you worked this last month and didn’t see your name above, please e-mail me and let me know so I can correct it.

Dates to remember:

Tomorrow, Wednesday, November 9th at 7:30 pm-Antarctica Presentation– A voyage to Antarctica is one of the most exhilarating adventures the planet offers. Come to the Library on Wednesday, November 9 at 7:30 p.m. and see what to do on this beautiful continent. Diane and Dick VanGrunsven will be sharing a DVD put out by National Geographic and Lindblad expeditions. They will be joined by Don Huffman, a snow hydrologist, who will share his slides and experiences at the Scott Base, Antarctica.
Friday, November 11th, Veterans’ Day Holiday. The library will be closed in honor of all those who have served our country. A BIG THANK YOU, Veterans for your service.
Monday, November 14th, Friends of the Library Everyone is welcome to join the Friends for an informal meeting and no-host lunch at 11:30 a.m. on Monday, November 14 at Krissy’s Koffee and Kones on Glencoe Road in North Plains. Jean Butcher, People For Libraries, will be there to chat with the group.
Wednesday, November 16th, Special Storytime. Bring your little ones in to see Meredith Bach and her spinning wheel and listen to her spin a story.
Thursday, November 17th, Craft Night. Bring your handicraft projects to the library from 5:30-8 p.m. Join us to meet new friends and learn new skills. Craft items made will be sold at the upcoming North Plains Holiday Bazaar on December 3 from 9-4:00 at Jessie Mays Community Hall.
Happy Thanksgiving! We have so much to be thankful for! We are especially thankful we have the wonderful volunteers that we do. The library will close at 5:00 on Wednesday, November 23 and will remain closed Thursday, November 24 and Friday, November 25. The library will reopen at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 26.
Wednesday, November 30th at 7 pm. Library Book Club. Join members of the North Plains Public Library Book Club in welcoming Portland author Brian Doyle on Wednesday, November 30 at 7 p.m. The book group will discuss with him his debut novel, Mink River, published by Oregon State University Press. The story takes place in the fictional village of Neawanaka on the Oregon coast and features a cast of fascinating characters, human and nonhuman, including a crow named Moses. Refreshments will be served.

Volunteer Profile ~ by Julia Peterson

KAREN CONKLIN

Karen Conklin knows North Plains. When she married Van Conklin, 42 years ago, she became a part of the North Plains community. Together they have raised two daughters, who both attended North Plains Elementary, Evergreen Junior High, and Glencoe High School. Then their daughters left the area for college in Washington, one at Washington State and the other at the University of Washington. The oldest daughter, Heidi, returned and is still close by in Forest Heights. The other daughter, Darcy, is in Sacramento and celebrated the birth of her second daughter in October. Shortly after the baby’s birth, Karen spent a week in California helping Darcy with her 21 month old, Jane, and new baby, Clara.

Karen has kept herself busy with volunteer work since her daughters began elementary school. Karen is a Docent at the Portland Art Museum. Her specialty is leading museum tours for the visually impaired. Karen has a teaching background in special education and finds this just another opportunity to “think outside the box.” For example, she has used her artistic skills to create tactile pieces that provide opportunities for museum visitors with limited vision to experience the art in the museum. Karen will be busy from now until January 22nd, leading tours for the one of the new art museum exhibits, “The Artist’s Touch, the Craftsman’s Hand,” which features an overview of the museum’s collection of 2,500 Japanese prints. The exhibit includes roughly 230 pieces dating from 1672 to 2010. In order to prepare herself, Karen has attended art museum lectures that provide the background expertise needed to knowledgeably lead tours for the Japanese print exhibit. Karen’s artistic skills have been nurtured by her interest in floral design, quilt making, and woodcarving. She has made her own designs and created contemporary quilts suitable for wall hangings. Currently, Karen is carving Noah’s ark animals, and has completed a dozen pairs. She comments that she doesn’t really think she has the aptitude because she “can’t peel an apple” but she keeps at it hoping her grandchildren will someday cherish the results of her efforts.

Since the North Plains Library joined the Washington County Cooperative (WCCLS), Karen has been a Friend of the Library, and is a past president of the group. Karen has been actively involved in helping organize books for the annual book sale, the Garlic Festival sale, and the citywide garage sale in the spring. She says it is “so much fun to make people happy when they find a bargain and get something they enjoy reading.” Karen finds time to volunteer at the library weekly, helping check-in reading materials and keeping herself up-to-date on the many library activities. Karen also attends the Library Book Club. The October Book Club selection, Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese, is a story centered in Ethiopia. This will be the featured book for the “One Book-One Community” celebration in February. Karen has been busy with other Friends of the Library testing Ethiopian recipes for the celebration. She has even visited an Ethiopian restaurant in Portland to make sure library patrons will have an authentic taste of the culture as portrayed in the book. Karen is knowledgeable about North Plains and a valued voice on what the community might want to sample.

Upcoming Volunteer Opportunities

Saturday, December 3rd, Holiday Bazaar at Jessie Mays—we are looking for volunteers to be in charge of a table to sell Handicraft items and anyone interested in helping. The Bazaar hours are 9am to 4 pm.
Saturday, December 10thR12;The library has another opportunity from the Knights of Pythias to have a craft and bake sale at their Quilt Show. Let us know if you would like to volunteer to help with this and if you can donate any baked items. Pies, pies and more pies are especially needed!!! Please call me or e-mail if you can help with either of these. Thank you!

Many thanks!!
~Carol

October 2011 Newsletter

Happy Volunteer Anniversary to the following awesome volunteer:

Oct:

Vicki Hurley (2009)

Many thanks to the following volunteers who donated a combined a gift of 307 hours of service in September!
Marrina Abeln, Elaine Achtel, Roni Andrews, Bekah Ayers, Meredith Bach, Nicholas Bocanegra, Elena Carbine, Brooklyn Chivers, Karen Conklin, Becky Cottam, Lucas Duyck, Tami Duyck, Cheryl Fayard, Janet Ford, Karen Graham, Chelsea Gritz, Jenny Hann, Jacqueline Hermens, Vicki Hurley, Marion Hurt, Rebecca Immerman, Makayla Kemper, Becky Kennedy, Jennifer Knowles, Tamara Knowles, Carolyn Leavitt, Mark Leavitt, Sheila Nelson, Julia Peterson, Cathy Phelps, Quiet Waters Outreach Team (Amy, Elizabeth, Ben, Shelley, Kyle and Travis), Bridget Sorensen, Mark Susbauer, Pat Susbauer, Jo Ann Tannock, Laura Templin, Rod Trahan, Sandy Trahan, Patti Tyson, Diane Van Grunsven, Karla Wieskamp, Sean Wieskamp, Barbara Wriggle, all the Friends of the Library and the Library Board. THANK YOU! If you worked this last month and didn’t see your name above, please e-mail me and let me know so I can correct it.

Dates to remember:

Hispanic Heritage Month. From September 15 to October 15 each year, Hispanic culture and heritage in the United States is recognized. The North Plains Public Library is featuring its children’s Spanish language picture book collection and its new juvenile books in Spanish during the weeks of this celebration.
Teen Read Week. October 16-22 is the week designated by the American Library Association for celebrating Teen Read Week, but for all those teens who like to read, like trivia, and like prizes, the North Plains Public Library is celebrating the whole month of October with The Great Scavenger Hunt Contest. Jackie has put together books with questions written up by the authors to spell teen fun!
Storytime. Children ages 0-6 are invited to join us for Storytime every Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. in the children’s section of the Library. On the third Wednesday of each month, Storytime is presented by special guests. Come hear new City Manager Martha DeBry read stories about teddy bears and stuffed animals on October 19.
Friday, October 7th, 6 pm-First Friday Flick-Showing of Spooky Buddies
Monday, October 10th-Friends’ Meeting at the Library at 7 pm. Be sure to come join the camaraderie and fun that this group has every time they meet. All volunteers are welcome!
Wednesday, October 26th at 7 pm-Book Club-The October selection will be the book, Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese. This story centers around twin brothers born to an Indian nun and a British surgeon at a mission hospital in Ethiopia. Each brother shares a fascination with medicine and a love for the same woman. Join us on Wednesday, October 26 at 7 p.m. at the library for a discussion of this engaging work of fiction. Refreshments will be served.
Thursday, October 27th-Craft Night. Bring your handicraft projects to the library from 5:30-8 p.m. Join us to meet new friends and learn new skills.
Monday, October 31st –Halloween Trick or Boo!kmark Treat, 11am-7pm Children are welcome to come to the Library in costume any time on Monday, October 31, to receive a Boo!kmark and a candy treat! If you would like to volunteer to help with this event in costume (or not) please e-mail me or call me to let me know. Thank you!

As you can see from the above listings, we are working hard to bring quality programs and events to enrich our community. We couldn’t do it without all your help! Many thanks!

Staff Profile ~ by Julia Peterson

DONNA MEDICA

Luckily Donna wasn’t planning to move to Oregon during the years when the state motto was “Come visit, but don’t stay.” Donna and her husband, Ralph, married 36 years, moved here ten years ago from Chicago and haven’t looked back. Even though she was born in Chicago, she and her husband knew it wasn’t a good fit for their lifestyle. They even tried living a short time in San Jose, California…too many people. They wanted space to breathe, garden, hike, and bike. After they made the decision to move to Oregon, they still had to find a home. At first considering a place like North Plains or Pumpkin Ridge seemed risky. Were Portland and the familiar urban lifestyle too far away? Donna wasn’t sure. However, a garden in the “Banana Belt,” zone 7, finally was too hard to resist. She was so committed to her new fertile surroundings that one of the first projects was to build a huge 25 by 45 foot green house. She has become a competent gardener, starting seeds for incense cedar and planting 1 ½ acres, not yet ready for market. Donna also starts vegetables and “cold weather” tomatoes. For four years, she has taken her produce to the Cedar Hills Market in May. Buyers return to make sure they get tomato starts from Donna. Any leftovers are returned to Donna’s garden to flourish under her expert care. Donna says, “I love eating out of my own yard.” Donna and her husband have become stewards of their small woodland, making sure invasive species are eliminated and planting natives on the forest floor.

Donna has “always loved libraries and always has books around.” In Chicago, she worked as a teen library volunteer which became a high school job. When she moved to North Plains, it made perfect sense for her to begin volunteering at the North Plains library. Then, 1½ years ago, she began working as a part time Library Clerk at the North Plains library. One of her tasks is inter-library loans (ILLs). She enjoys the contacts made with people from outside the county and sometimes beyond the state. She says, “It’s like a treasure hunt,” looking for an item that is not available in the Washington County Cooperative Library (WCCLS) collection. Donna finds she is constantly busy with special projects, such as fund raising, inventory, and “weeding.” She just can’t get enough of gardening, even at the library where “weeding” means making sure only the best books and media are available for the public. Donna definitely knows how to work with the staff and volunteers to pick the items needed to enhance the NP library collection.

Volunteer Profile ~ by Julia Peterson

LAURA TEMPLIN

After 15 years, Laura knows North Plains very well. So, when Margaret Rey asked Laura to become a Library Board member, Laura had to say “Yes.” Plus, it’s nearly impossible to say “No” to Margaret. That was six years ago and Laura still enjoys her work on the Board. Along with the Board meetings once a month, Laura has also found time to volunteer at the library helping with processing movies. She credits the Library Director, Debbie Brodie, with keeping the Board up-to-date and aware of the Washington County Cooperative expectations. The Board has been involved in setting policies about how the library functions. One of the most recent changes has been the NP Library’s initiation of fines. This was just announced in the Library’s September Newsletter. Another change in the works, but not yet installed at the NP Library is the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system.

Laura has discovered that having only one of her four children still at home, a senior at Glencoe, has not left her with the “empty nest” syndrome. She looks forward to going to the coast with her husband. She especially likes pan fried razor clams. But more important she likes the fact that her husband doesn’t mind cleaning and cooking the clams. She says, “He does all the work, I just wash off the boots, then eat the clams!” Laura’s other children have scattered. She has a daughter in India working on a study abroad program through Lewis and Clark. She also has two step-sons. One just recently moved with his wife and two daughters to Pendleton. The other is in Northern California with his wife and two sons. She keeps in touch with her children and grandchildren on Face Book. Not long ago, Laura had a doting grandmother’s moment when she saw her youngest grandchild “roll over” on Face Book. Laura makes sure she doesn’t miss those special times by putting all of the mementos into scrapbooks.

Recent changes are keeping Laura very busy. In September, she began a new job at Fred Meyer. Plus Laura also makes sure she has time to go see her mother in West Linn. When Laura isn’t busy at work, you might find her out and about with her Australian Shepherd mix, Butch. Butch was a rescue dog she and her husband adopted several years ago. Whenever Laura goes somewhere, Butch eagerly hops into the pick-up. No matter how many activities keep Laura on the go, she plans to continue to have time for the library.

Volunteer Program Opportunity:

Please bring in any extra plastic grocery bags you can spare. They are just the waterproof protection that our materials need when they are checked out during these rainy days. Thank you!
Calling All Scrapbookers: We have several pictures and articles detailing library programs and special events that we would like to assemble into a scrapbook. We have the scrapbook, but we need someone with creativity to put the project together. This is a job that can be done in your home on your own schedule! Please let us know if this interests you. Thank you!

Many thanks!!
~Carol

September/October 2011 Newsletter

Dates to remember in September:

September is Library Card Sign Up Month.
Fines for Overdue Materials. Effective this month, materials belonging to the North Plains Public Library will be subject to overdue fines. The standard fine rate, which includes most materials, is $0.15 per item per day with a maximum fine of $5.00 per item. The DVD/Blu-ray fine rate is $1.00 per item per day with a maximum fine of $5.00 per item. The Cultural Pass fine rate is $10.00 per item day with a maximum fine of $30.00 per item.
Last Thursday Craft Night. Bring your handicraft projects to the library on the last Thursday of each month from 5:30-8 p.m. Join us on September 29 to meet new friends and learn new skills.
Library Book Club. The group’s next selection will be the book, Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand, a true story of Lt. Louis Zamperini, survivor of a 1943 Army Air Forces bomber crash into the Pacific Ocean. Captured by the Japanese, Zamperini is driven to the limits of endurance and responds with ingenuity, hope, resolve, and humor. Join us on Wednesday, October 5 at 7 p.m. at the library for a discussion of this work. Refreshments will be served.

Coming up in October:

Friday, October 7th-First Friday Flick, Spooky Buddies at 6 pm.
Monday, October 10th -Join us for a Friends of the Library meeting at 7 pm at the library.
Monday, October 31st-Celebrate this holiday by bringing your favorite little ones to the Library for our fun “Trick or Boo!kmark” Event. Come in anytime from 11 to 7 pm. Of course, wearing costumes is encouraged!

Happy Volunteer Anniversary to the following awesome volunteers:

Aug:

Diane Van Grunsven (2002)
Marrina Abeln (2010)
Jenny Hann (2010)

Sept:

Laurel Schallich (2006)
Cheryl Fayard (2010)

Volunteer Program Opportunity:

Calling all Scrapbookers: We have several pictures and articles detailing library programs and special events that we would like to assemble into a scrapbook. We have the scrapbook, but we need someone with creativity to put the project together. This is a job that can be done in your home on your own schedule! Please let us know if this interests you. Thank you!

The Timesheet: I have had to check the last month’s schedule day by day when entering everyone’s monthly totals lately because there are several folks not writing down their hours worked. The result is that I may miss some of the time you donated.

We track time for recognition purposes, to provide information for the County and possible financial donors, and for worker’s compensation documentation. If you have forgotten how to enter your time on the timesheet, please ask. I’m happy to help!

Volunteer Profiles ~ by Noelani Yuen
A big thank you to Noelani for our Staff and Volunteer Profiles. Noelani will be leaving next month to take a position as a French teacher. We will miss her and wish her the best and want to thank her for doing such a wonderful job with the interviews. The interviews will continue with Noelani passing the baton to Julia Peterson.

CHERYL FAYARD

Cheryl Fayard is cute as she industriously serves meals and washes dishes at the Senior Center of North Plains where she lives; but the apron, plastic gloves, and hair net around her long black hair don’t quite capture her whole story.

Cheryl spent her youth in Boston learning about cars from her brother. Together they had a business of restoring GTO’s – “a very fast car . . . one of the fastest cars built . . . zero to sixty in five seconds!” – and they in fact owned both a 1969 and a 1970 GTO.

This experience with cars laid the groundwork for Cheryl’s career. Married and moved to Monterey, California, she became a Maintenance Automotive Technician for the California Highway Patrol, and was ranked second in the state of California for her work.

Widowed, retired, and living at the North Plains Senior Center, she misses her work. But she has found a new passion. She became a finalist for the Clackamas City Gospel Festival. On August 18 she will perform live at KFSH to compete for the first place prize of $300. The original music she composed on the guitar will have lyrics taken from the Book of Psalms.

Cheryl has a son living in Portland and four grandchildren. But she loves living in North Plains, crediting the ubiquitous spirit of people helping people. Inasmuch as she volunteers whenever she can, at the Senior Center and at the North Plains Public Library, people have returned the favor by helping her in her time of need. In North Plains, “if someone needs something, people are always donating their time and resources.”

Staff Profiles ~ by Julia Peterson
DEBBIE BRODIE
On December 31, 2008, Debbie Brodie retired and anticipated well deserved relaxation after 33 years as Library Director for the Hillsboro Library, including the Main Library and the Shute Park Branch. However, circumstances provided a “perfect fit” for Debbie. Her husband, Paul, of 35 years, was still working. Her two children were grown. Her daughter is in Honolulu and her son in Louisiana. So, when the offer came, Debbie left retirement and she began her new post as part time Library Director in North Plains.

Since January 2010, Debbie Brodie has been setting the pace at the North Plains Public Library. She knew she was going to work with a well organized part time staff, as well as, an energetic group of volunteers. Debbie has been busy from day one meeting and greeting the patrons of North Plains. She also attends North Plains City Council meetings, North Plains Library Board meetings, and Washington County Cooperative Library Directors’ meetings. She readily gives credit to her part time staff of seven and approximately 50 volunteers that complete daily tasks and keep the library humming along on a regular weekly schedule. She and her staff meet monthly and also find opportunities to visit other libraries in the Washington County Cooperative Library System (WCCLS). These visits have proved beneficial and the NP Library has been able to spin-off ideas for activities to offer to the NP patrons. Also beneficial was the NP Library inclusion in the WCCLS in 2007, along with access to the automated Polaris check out system. These changes have provided local patrons with a fully functioning library. Even though small, it can function like a much larger library due to the resources available through the WCCLS.

In 1975, Debbie began working as a Library Director in Hillsboro shortly after completing her graduate degree at the U of O. Her first task was to move books from the original Carnegie Library in Hillsboro into the new Shute Park Library. At North Plains she continues this process of “weeding” through the library collection. The North Plains Library is small and contains “only 12,000” items. The collection contains best sellers, fiction/non-fiction, two dozen magazine publications, plus newspapers. Approximately once a year all books and media are evaluated. If items are current and patrons are checking them out, they will remain on the shelf. Those items that don’t remain on the library shelf, are donated to the Friends of the Library to be sold to raise more funds for the library. Debbie credits the Friends of the Library for making it possible for the city of North Plains to have this public library. The Friends continue to be active and creative with ideas to encourage the North Plains community to use the library.

Debbie relishes her part time job. She works with staff and volunteers to make sure the library is running efficiently and meeting the needs of the patrons. Working part time and also being retired provides Debbie the time she needs to get everything done. She can work at home without interruptions. Anyone receiving an email or a phone call from Debbie should not be surprised if it is not during library hours. Debbie is anticipating the next big project at the library when every item will receive Radio Frequency Identification (RFID). After every item in the library collection has been tagged, a scanner will be installed at the front door to insure that all items have been properly checked-out.

Debbie has managed to tear herself away from the library and take a vacation. In August, Debbie, her husband, and daughter “winged” east to Pensacola Naval Air Station for their son’s “Winging Ceremony” when he became an Air Force Navigator. She and her husband were able to spend some time traveling in Georgia before returning to Oregon. She looks forward to Christmas when both of her children will be home for the holidays. Until then she and her husband share their home with the two cats inherited from their children when they left home. A typical scenario for parents with independent children.

Even with all of her duties at the library, Debbie insists she is just one “cog” in a well oiled machine and the staff and community volunteers keep the library running. Consensus seems to be that Debbie is “a perfect fit” for the North Plains Public Library.

Many thanks to the following volunteers who donated a combined hard working total of 371 hours in July!
Marrina Abeln, Elaine Achtel, Roni Andrews, Diana Arends, Bekah Ayers, Meredith Bach, Nicholas Bocanegra, Elena Carbine, Adam Carlson, Karen Conklin, Becky Cottam, Lucas Duyck, Tami Duyck, Cheryl Fayard, Janet Ford, Karen Graham, Chelsea Gritz, Jenny Hann, Jacqueline Hermens, Vicki Hurley, Marion Hurt, Rebecca Immerman, Makayla Kemper, Becky Kennedy, Jennifer Knowles, Tamara Knowles, Chris Lantz, Tyler Lantz, Carolyn Leavitt, Mark Leavitt, Sheila Nelson, Karen Pavon, Julia Peterson, Cathy Phelps, Quiet Waters Outreach Team (Amy, Ben, Marie, Shelley, Kyle and Travis), Bridget Sorensen, Mark Susbauer, Pat Susbauer, Jo Ann Tannock, Laura Templin, Rod Trahan, Sandy Trahan, Nathaniel Trobough, Patti Tyson, Diane Van Grunsven, Karla Wieskamp, Sean Wieskamp, Barbara Wriggle, Noelani Yuen, all the Friends of the Library and the Library Board.
In addition to working regular shifts, July volunteers helped at our Summer Reading Program special events at Jessie Mays. Thank you!!

In August, the weather wasn’t the only thing sizzling! Volunteers put in an incredible amount of hours that literally blew away all previous monthly records. Volunteers making a difference in our community gave a gift of 722 ¼ hours in August. A huge THANK YOU to all of you!!!

Marrina Abeln, Elaine Achtel, Diana Alvarez, Jim Andrews, Roni Andrews, Diana Arends, Bekah Ayers, Meredith Bach, Nicholas Bocanegra, Dessira Buchotz, Brooklyn Chivers, Karen Conklin, Becky Cottam, Lucas Duyck, Tami Duyck, Cheryl Fayard, Janet Ford, Karen Graham, Whitney Graham, Chelsea Gritz, Jenny Hann, Kathryn Hendrix, Jacqueline Hermens, Vicki Hurley, Marion Hurt, Rebecca Immerman, Rich Iwasaki, Makayla Kemper, Becky Kennedy, Jennifer Knowles, Tamara Knowles, Chris Lantz, Tyler Lantz, Carolyn Leavitt, Mark Leavitt, Julie Mason, Sheila Nelson, Karen Pavon, Julia Peterson, Cathy Phelps, Quiet Waters Outreach Team (Amy, Becky, Ben, Marie, Shelley, Kyle and Travis), Bobbie Rodriguez, Emmanuel Rodriguez, Laurel Schallich, Cathie Smith, Mark Susbauer, Pat Susbauer, Janet Takayama, Jo Ann Tannock, Laura Templin, Rod Trahan, Nathaniel Trobough, Sandy Trahan, Patti Tyson, Diane Van Grunsven, Martin Voelker, Ruth Voelker, Karla Wieskamp, Sean Wieskamp, Barbara Wriggle, Noelani Yuen, all the Friends of the Library and the Library Board members.

Many thanks to everyone!!! We couldn’t do it without you!
~Carol

July/August 2011 Newsletter

Date to Remember in July:

Tuesday, July 19thR12;Jugglemania at 2 pm at Jesse Mays
Wednesday, July 27thR12;-Library Book Club’s July selection will be the novel, Caleb’s Crossing, by Geraldine Brooks at 7 pm at the library. Refreshments will be served.
Thursday, July 28thR12;Balloon Animal Workshop, 4th grade and up at 7 pm at Jesse Mays
Thursday, July 28th, Craft NightR12;Bring your handicraft projects to work on with friends at the library from 5:30- 8 pm

Coming up in August:

Book and Craft Sale at the Garlic Festival. The Friends of the Library will hold its annual used book sale in the Jessie Mays Community Center on August 12, 13, and 14. Library Volunteers will be selling handicraft items and quilt raffle tickets. Look for our Teen Library Volunteers in the Garlic Festival Parade on Saturday morning. Join in the Knights of Pythias’ Saturday evening BINGO games to benefit the Library. Please look for the Sign-Up sheets in the Staff Room for each event! Thank you!
Friday, August 19th, Summer Reading Teen Party 5:30pm-7pm
Saturday, August 20th, Children’s Summer Reading Program Celebration of One World, Many Stories, Saturday, August 20th, 1-3 pm at Jesse Mays. Please look for the Sign-Up sheets in the Staff Room to sign up to help. Thank you!
Saturday, August 27th, Second Annual Un-Birthday Party for Volunteers, 1:30- 4pm at the library
It’s not too late to sign-up for the Adult Summer Reading Program, “Novel Destinations.”

Happy Volunteer Anniversary to the following awesome volunteers:

Karen Conklin (2007)
Sandy Trahan (2007)
Rod Trahan (2008)
Jacqueline Hermens (2010)
Noelani Yuen (2010)

A warm welcome to our newest volunteers:

Elena Carbine
Bekah Avery
Nathaniel Trobough
Lucas Duyck
Diana Arends
Tamara Knowles
Tami Duyck

Volunteer Profiles ~ by Noelani Yuen
TYLER LANTZ

Tyler Lantz just graduated from Glencoe, class of 2011. What did she do to become valedictorian? More aptly, what didn’t she do? She held a 4.0 GPA for all four years of high school; played lacrosse and soccer; ran cross country; took advanced honors classes; assistant-directed “Shakespeare in Hollywood”; became a member of the National Honor Society; and volunteered at North Plains Public Library. “It was a little busy,” she confessed.

All of Tyler’s efforts have paid off. Next year she will be attending the University of Oregon under the auspices of the Presidential Scholarship, which covers four years of tuition. She plans on majoring in chemistry while living in the dorm.

Despite Tyler’s brisk schedule, she likes the serenity of her home in Pumpkin Ridge. The quiet allows her to “connect with nature” and read. And, inasmuch as “reading has been one of my favorite pastimes,” working at the library gives her a good idea of what book she wants to read next. How is she going to celebrate her eighteenth birthday in August? “Probably with family and close friends at home.”

Staff Profiles ~by Noelani Yuen
MARGARET REH

Sitting on her warm-toned red and green plaid sofa, Margaret Reh reminisced about growing up in Eugene; her soft, white cat Abigail stretched on the carpet. The third youngest of seven sisters and one brother and an “absolute pool rat,” she started swimming competitively at the age of seven. Having earned one of the initial scholarships for female athletes, she jumped at the opportunity to attend the University of North Dakota. It was her first time away from home, but she made captain of the swim team, and it was a chance for her to be more than just “one of the Claska girls.” Her intention was to become an occupational therapist.

She married Tom Reh in 1983, and in her junior year of college, when she found herself pregnant, she decided to become a full-time mom. Over the next few years, the Rehs lived, studied and worked in various states, including Texas. But she took it as a sign that “every time I went back to school, I got pregnant.”

In 1997, Tom secured a position at Intel, and the Rehs moved to North Plains. Even while busy mothering, Margaret enjoyed volunteering so much that in 2001 she was awarded volunteer of the year.

The cork board in Margaret’s kitchen is a testimony to her busy schedule. Besides working part-time at the library (since its inception) and being elected president of the Friends of North Plains Public Library this July, she is transitioning her two teenage daughters, Stephanie and Jennifer, into adulthood. Margaret and Tom are helping Jenn secure an apartment to live in while she is working her way through Portland State University at WinCo; and Stephanie, just graduated from Glencoe High School, is preparing to attend NW Christian College in Eugene. And, having completed her last radiation treatment for breast cancer two days before Christmas, she is celebrating her six-month remission from cancer with a nice mass of unexpectedly curly hair. “I call it my chemo curl.”

Never ending thanks to the following volunteers who donated a combined amazing total of 469.5 hours in June!!!

Marrina Abeln, Elaine Achtel, Roni Andrews, Diane Arends Meredith Bach, Nicholas Bocanegra, Adam Carlson, Karen Conklin, Becky Cottam, Lucas Duyck, Tami Duyck, Cheryl Fayard, Janet Ford, Karen Graham, Chelsea Gritz, Jenny Hann, Jacqueline Hermens, Marion Hurt, Rebecca Immerman, Makayla Kemper, Becky Kennedy, Jennifer Knowles, Chris Lantz, Tyler Lantz, Carolyn Leavitt, Mark Leavitt, Sheila Nelson, Karen Pavon, Julia Peterson, Cathy Phelps, Quiet Waters Outreach Team (Amy, Ben, Marie, Shelley, Kyle and Travis), Bridget Sorensen, Mark Susbauer, Pat Susbauer, Jo Ann Tannock, Kaitlyn Taylor, Laura Templin, Rod Trahan, Sandy Trahan, Patti Tyson, Diane Van Grunsven, Karla Wieskamp, Sean Wieskamp, Barbara Wriggle, Noelani Yuen, all the Friends of the Library and the Library Board.

May/June 2011 Newsletter

Dates to remember:

Wednesday, June 1st—Summer Reading Program starts today through July 15th. This year will be our first Adult Summer Reading Program and you won’t want to miss signing up for this!! Don’t let the kids have all the summer fun! There are very cool prizes, too! Come to the Library or check out our website for all the details!
Friday, June 3rd—First Friday Flick at 6 pm—Toy Story 3
Tuesday, June 7th—Ice Cream Social at Jesse Mays! This annual event will be held at 6:30 pm
Monday, June 13th—Friends of the Library meeting at 7 pm at the Library
Thursday, June 16th—Crafters’ Night from 6 to 9 pm at the Library
Saturday, June 25th—Handicraft Fair in the Library parking lot

Happy Anniversary to :

May :

Mark Leavitt (2008)

Bridget Sorensen (2006)

June:

Janet Ford (2002)

Sheila Nelson (2003)

Kathryn Hendrix (2010)

Pat Susbauer (2010)

Welcome to the following new Volunteers:

Julia Peterson (Co-Chairman of the Summer Reading Program)

Rebecca Immerman, Teen Volunteer

Kaitlyn Taylor

We are looking forward to working with you!

Volunteer Profiles ~by Noelani Yuen

CHRIS LANTZ

If you received a flyer for Jeff Gere’s storytelling hour, or when you see the logo for the soon-to-be-arriving (in July, we hope) North Plains Farmers’ Market, then you have experienced the work of Chris Lantz.
Originally from Ohio, where she received her BFA in fine arts, Chris has been a little busy since moving to Oregon more than 20 years ago. She has three daughters (ages 10, 13 and 17), runs a graphic design business specializing in handcrafted drawings for flyers, posters and signs, and three mornings a week you might see her slender figure jogging the roads of North Plains with her friends (“so I can eat my cookies and pizza”) and then sipping a caffeine-free Tazo passion herbal infusion iced tea at Krissy’s.
Chris grew up in a community enriched by the philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, whose love for libraries evolved into the community’s passion. Perturbed that her daughters had no nearby library for research and enjoyment in North Plains, she determined to initiate this valuable resource for her community.
So, in 2001, she joined the city organized library steering committee. Through tireless book sales, the Garlic Festival, newsletters, the recruitment of volunteers and donors, and of course, the support of her husband Scott, a temporary library system was set up at Jessie May’s Community Center. In 2002, the Friends of the Library was formed and she helped in securing tax exempt status for the Friends and secure grants.
By spring 2006, her efforts and energy helped to take North Plains Public Library from an idea and a committee to the valuable community hub it is today. And we will always be grateful to her for that.

JACKIE WELCH

Jackie Welch might not catch your eye right away dressed in her typical neutral beiges and whites. But if you talk to her enough and ask just the right questions, you might discover traces of a moonfaced curiosity and innocence.
Jackie got her BA in cultural geography (“It’s kind of like history.”) from Humboldt University in her native California, and her MA in library science from San Jose State University.
Not much of a traveler, Jackie loves to stay at home and read young adult fantasy and graphic novels or watch animated (especially Pixar) films.
She is also a long-time practitioner and teacher of archery, and periodically shoots for fun at the Blue Lake County Park. Her advice to you is that, while both recurves and compound bows are appropriate for target shooting, the latter is much more effective for hunting – if you choose to hunt, which Jackie never does.
Next June will mark Jackie’s second year at North Plains Public Library. She also works part-time at Tualatin Public Library. She likes the idea of being a resource to people who need assistance, and, no surprise, “I love working with young people.”

THANK YOU SO MUCH to the following individuals who took time out of their busy schedules to put in a total of 400.5 volunteer hours at the library in April: Marrina Abeln, Roni Andrews, Meredith Bach, Nicholas Bocanegra, Karen Conklin, Becky Cottam, Karen Graham, Jenny Hann, Jacqueline Hermens, Vicki Hurley, Marion Hurt, Makayla Kemper, Becky Kennedy, Tyler Lantz, Chris Lantz, Carolyn Leavitt, Mark Leavitt, Thurman Miller, Sheila Nelson, Mark Perkins, Cathy Phelps, Margaret Reh, Laurel Schallich, Mark Susbauer, Pat Susbauer, Jo Ann Tannock, Laura Templin, Patti Tyson, Diane van Grunsven, Karla Wieskamp, Sean Wieskamp, Barbara Wriggle, and Noelani Yuen!!!
With warmest thanks for all you do!!

March/April 2011 Newsletter

Dates to Remember:

Monday, April 4thR12;Friends of the Library. The Friends’ mission is “to provide funding and support to the North Plains Public Library.” The next meeting will be on April 4 at 7 p.m. at the Library. New members are welcome.
Monday, April 11thR12;Volunteer Appreciation Reception, 4:30- 7:00 pm You are cordially invited to drop in any time between 4:30 and 7pm to celebrate our appreciation to all of you! There will be cake and beverages and we offer a time to relax and visit.
Wednesday, April 13thR12;Storytelling Festival. On Wednesday, April 13 at 7 p.m., the library will present Jeff Gere, a master storyteller from Hawaii, performing at the Pumpkin Ridge Golf Course in North Plains. In this free show, entitled One Big Bowl O’ Stories, Jeff blends his talents as painter, puppeteer, mime, teacher, and director. Suitable for ages 6 to adult. Refreshments will be served at 6 pm and Jeff plans to be at the Reception before the show.
Thursday, April 14thR12;Tenth Annual North Plains Volunteer Recognition Night Please come join us for a Spaghetti Feed starting at 6:30 pm at Jesse Mays Community Hall, 30975 NW Hillcrest Street in North Plains.

Happy Anniversary! goes out to:
March: Meredith Bach (2007) and Bette Jackson (2009)
April: Dahlia Cadiz (2007) and Karen Pavon (2006)

Congratulations to Nicholas Bocanegra! Nicholas has accepted an internship with Portland Community College. PCC will partner with us to offer training for Nicholas to become a Library Assistant. This means Nicholas will be working alongside all of us for 22 hours each week. His hours aren’t a replacement for any volunteer hours but a supplement to all our regular shifts. It’s nice to have you on board, Nicholas!

Summer Reading Program: I know the weather has been such that it is hard to think summer will ever come….but get the sunscreen and sunglasses handy because it will be here before you know it!
Jackie has worked hard to put together a fabulous Summer Reading Program, with the theme “One World, Many Stories.” The Teen Program will be “You Are Here.” She needs many volunteers to help it be successful. Many positions such as Summer Reading Co-Chairs, and “End of the Summer Reading Program” Carnival Co-Chairs are available. Please sign up for any of the events you can. Tyler Lantz designed and created our beautiful SRP Sign-Up notebook. Great job and thank you, Tyler!
Look for the sign-up notebook on the volunteer shelf at the library. Thank you!

Our newest feature for our newsletter will be highlighting a Volunteer and Staff member each month. (Each month’s interviews are chosen by drawing from all names) Noelani Yuen, will be using her journalistic talent to interview and write up this section of the newsletter. Thank you, Noelani! Following is this month’s edition:

North Plains Public Library hosts of medley of devotees who hail from a wide range of backgrounds – from the established, seasoned and wise to the young, fresh and eager.

A trim, sprightly figure neatly dressed in gray slacks, a white collared shirt and a black cardigan, Jo Ann Tannock has been retired since 1992 and she loves it. She quilts; she is a member of the Grange (a lobbying organization for farmers – she used to be an officer); she is the president of the Washington County Genealogical Society; she is the deacon of Old Scotch Church; and she authored the book “Dixie Mountain Legacies”.

Jo Ann lives by herself on Dixie Mountain on a farm which has been in her late husband’s family for 140 years. The family used to harvest strawberries and Christmas trees. Now they farm forest for timber. After a brief attempt at city living, she found herself drawn back to the picturesque views and the deep quiet of the mountain she has called home for so many years.

She is most proud of her six kids, her six grandchildren, and her 50-year marriage. She volunteers at North Plains Public Library because she loves people – those she works with as well as the library clientele – and books. The key to a fulfilling life, she says, is involvement in your community – and you can start the fulfillment by supporting the Grange, and coming to Dixie Mountain on Father’s Day weekend for their annual strawberry festival!

Sam Ramirez arrived at North Plains Public Library inadvertently. The Cornelius Public Library needed volunteers, and Sam was more than willing to help out. After some time, he heard through the grapevine of a part-time technical support position at North Plains Public Library using exactly the skills he had been trained for.

Sam is neat and professionally dressed on a Monday morning in gray slacks and a pressed light blue linen shirt. He was born in Yakima, Washington and moved to Oregon at the age of thirteen. He grew up bilingual Spanish-English, his parents being from the beautiful, historically rich city of Morelia, in central Mexico.

After graduating from Forest Grove high school, Sam obtained an associate’s degree in Information Technology from ITT Tech. His résumé boasts experience as a parts specialist at an auto parts store and as a project/technical operations manager for a general contracting firm.

Proud of his Mexican heritage, Sam speaks strictly Spanish in the home with his three-year-old son Julian. But, smart as a whip, Julian is quickly picking up English from the culture around him and can already maneuver his way around his dad’s new Blackberry.

In his life, Sam has had the fortune to hone skills and find work that he genuinely loves. “I am proud of having a good job and doing what I like.”

~Noelani M. Yuen

Many thanks to all the volunteers who contributed to setting a February record of 405 volunteer hours! These hours include the Friends hours for the One Book, One Community Event.
THANK YOU ALL so much for not only all your hard work but also for your wonderful attitudes and personalities! You are loved and appreciated!!!

Volunteers who gave a gift of service for February were Marrina Abeln, Roni Andrews, Meredith Bach, Nicholas Bocanegra, Adam Carlson, Brooklyn Chivers, Karen Conklin, Becky Cottam, Cheryl Fayard, Janet Ford, Jean Gard, Karen Graham, Chelsea Gritz, Jenny Hann, Kristyn Helmick, Jacqueline Hermens, Donna Herinckx, Vicki Hurley, Marion Hurt, Makayla Kemper, Becky Kennedy, Jennifer Knowles, Tamara Knowles, Chris Lantz, Carolyn Leavitt, Mark Leavitt, Sheila Nelson, Karen Pavon, Cathy Phelps, Quiet Waters Outreach Team (Amy, Ben, Kyle Marie, Shelley, Marie, Travis and Walker), Laurel Schallich, Mark Susbauer, Pat Susbauer, Jo Ann Tannock, Laura Templin, Diane Van Grunsven, Karla Wieskamp, Sean Wieskamp, Dale Wilhelm, Barbara Wriggle and Noelani Yuen. Also, a big thank you to all the Friends of the Library and Library Board Members!

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