|
I love to read. A comfy chair and a good book is all I require to achieve a state of bliss. I choose to read for entertainment and my leisure time is limited, so I'm picky about the books I read. Since I can't stand suspense, I don't read mysteries. I also don't read books that are depressing, violent, scary, stuffy or too real. Life is real—I read to escape. Here are a few books I thoroughly enjoyed reading in 2008.
Twilight by Stephanie Meyers. Twilight, the first book of a four-book series, was recommended to me by Dayton Memorial Library Young Adult Librarian, Heather Sterns. I was skeptical because I generally don't read fantasy, science fiction or vampire genre books. When I finally picked it up, I was completely captivated by the unlikely, or shall I say, impossible romance between Bella, a 17-year-old high school junior and Edward, a 100-year-old immortal vampire who is morally opposed to drinking human blood. The story is set in the Olympic Peninsula in and around Forks, WA, and has Romeo and Juliet overtones. Adults I've recommended this book to have rolled their eyes and politely humored me, but they've LOVED the book. The first book was written for the teen market, but the fan base now includes the mothers of those teens as well.
Broken For You by Stephanie Kallos. Roslyn Edwards, my most reliable source of excellent book recommendations, raved about this book. An elderly, terminally ill woman decides to invite a young 20-something artist to live with her. Her grand old house is dominated by a vast collection of valuable porcelain pieces acquired in Europe by her father in WWII. Other quirky housemates join the mix and the relationships deepen as secrets are uncovered. This book just wound its way into my heart and I was profoundly moved by its conclusion.
Operating Instructions by Anne Lamott. Another Roz Edwards recommendation. Lamott, an unmarried single mother and professional writer, kept a journal during her pregnancy and the first year of her son's life. She writes in first person about the swirl of emotions that she, and most new mothers, experience when adjusting to a new state of being called motherhood. I laughed and cried and found myself reliving all the joy, frustration, confusion, fear and profound love of that first year of motherhood.
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. Fellow Library District Board member, Dawn McGhan, recommended this six-book series. Gabaldon's books are fast paced and full of well-researched historical detail, passion, political intrigue, adventure and romance, all connected by a bit of time travel fantasy. Just days after the end of WWII, an English nurse, Claire Beauchamp, stumbles through a stone hedge-like time portal and finds herself in Scotland in the year 1746. She is caught up immediately in the social and political turmoil of the years leading up to the Scottish rebellion against England, all while trying to find her way back to the stones and home. This is the perfect Calgon book—take me away!
Starbucks Experience by Joseph Michelli. True confession--I like Starbucks—the coffee, the décor, the cups, the service…everything. This book looks at what makes Starbucks so successful and how we can apply many of the same principles to our business or personal life. I don't typically read non-fiction, but I enjoyed this.
River of Doubt by Candice Millard. Dave Schreck, an avid non-fiction reader, recommended this book to me. This is non-fiction that reads like fiction. After losing his bid for re-election, Teddy Roosevelt embarks on a perilous journey down an uncharted tributary of the Amazon River with his son Kermit and a small group of fellow explorers in 1914. They endure unimaginable hardship, some a result of their lack of preparation, and life-threatening challenges almost every day. This book is testimony to the human spirit of adventure and survival.
Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich. Start this fabulous, laugh-out-loud series with One for the Money.
A Salty Piece of Land by Jimmy Buffet (the musician). This is a light-weight fun book about a Wyoming cowboy and his horse who evade an arrest warrant by sailing off to an island in the Caribbean where they start a new life.
If none of the books I've recommended sounds interesting, you should know that the Columbia County Rural Library District has added nearly 2,500 titles to the collection this year. Stop by the library sometime—I'll bet you can't check out just one!
Good reading!
Back to Top
By Charlie Button
Columbia County Health System
One of the major components of the Columbia County Health System is Booker Rest Home. Booker Rest Home was named after Dr. Leon Booker who made a large donation to build the facility in 1990. Booker Rest Home can be viewed as a hidden treasure in Southeast Washington. If you drive, walk or run (in my case) by Columbia County Health System from 3rd street in Dayton, you would not even know that there was a 46-bed nursing home attached to the back of Dayton General Hospital. The placement of this facility is ideal for residents wanting a quiet but also beautiful setting. The campus has several acres of grass and trees and a large fenced common area to enjoy the outdoors.
We have more to be proud of than just the facility. I have the privilege of spending time with our residents and finding out first hand how they view their home. It was a pleasure talking with a current resident, Dale Hutchens. Dale is a long-time resident of the community, as well as a former hospital board member. Dale summed up his view of Booker by saying, "I am one of the lucky ones to be here" and "There is true camaraderie with all of the staff."
Our staff is very proud of our nursing home as well. When asked her first impression, Angie Teal, our new Social Services Representative said, "This is nothing like a typical nursing home…this feels like a true home setting." Employees treat the residents like family here and are constantly going the extra mile. The longstanding philosophy of the staff is, "Our residents do not live in our facility, we work in their home."
The winning ingredient to Booker is the residents that live here. Our residents have made huge contributions to the success of southeast Washington and are the motivating factor for our staff to do their very best. It is always easier to help those that are appreciative of the care being received, and our residents are truly top-notch.
It is always great to receive positive comments on the services that we provide, but we strive to reach a higher standard. We want to continue to improve in areas of resident care, activities and food service, as well as expand our services to meet the changing needs of the community.
We invite you to come check us out. We will be hosting an open house on Saturday, January 17th from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. We would love for you to join us. If you are unable to attend, Please feel free to come see us anytime. Please contact Angie Teal at (509) 382-3212 ext. 227 for more information.
I agree with Dale Hutchens in saying I am "One of the Lucky Ones to be here." That being in Booker or the rest of the community.
Back to Top
By Tim Quigg
Columbia County Sheriff's Office
One of the unique aspects of living in a small rural community such as Dayton is the close ties one develops with people. It often seems that everyone knows your name, who you are and where you live. Living in such a setting can often lead many of us into a complacent lifestyle, where we go to the store leaving our houses unlocked, our cars running out in front, our purses and wallets in our unlocked cars, or that favorite hunting rifle or shotgun hanging in the window rack of the pickup. We're all friends and neighbors, right? We all look out for each other, right?
In a perfect world, this would be the case. Unfortunately, Dayton is no longer the "perfect world" that many believe it to be. Times have changed, and with them so has the innocent, Mayberry-like persona many of us would like to believe Dayton still enjoys. The cold hard facts are that Dayton is experiencing crimes that were unthinkable 20 or 30 years ago. If one logs onto the Internet and checks the Sheriff's Office inmate roster at www.columbiacosheriff.com, you will now see people being housed for such transgressions as adult and juvenile sex crimes, burglary, theft, vehicle prowl, assault, threats to kill, etc. As early as 25 years ago, the Columbia County Jail hardly ever had an inmate. Now it constantly runs at capacity, with additional inmates being housed in nearby Pomeroy and Walla Walla jails.
Unfortunately, people need to realize that Dayton is no longer the naïve, innocent little rural farming town it used to be. Yes, we can still look out for each other, our neighbors and our friends, but we must also use vigilance in order not to become the victims of crime. Lock your cars at night. Don't leave valuables such as purses, wallets, cash or firearms in your vehicle. Don't leave your car running, unlocked and unattended. Advise the Sheriff's Office, family, trusted neighbors or friends when you will be gone so they can watch your house while you are away. Don't wait hours, or even days, to report any suspicious persons, vehicles or activities that you may see. Report such observations to the Sheriff's Office as they are happening. Make an effort to attend one of the Sheriff's Office's Citizens' Academy courses to learn how you can help make the Sheriff's Office's job easier and Dayton a better place to live.
Working together, we can all do our part to make Dayton a better place to live . . . one person, one house, one neighborhood at a time.
Back to Top
|
