Burbank Community Library

From the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin / August 22, 2009

WEST NILE VIRUS FOUND IN BURBANK BIRD
By Sheila Hagar of the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin

WALLA WALLA — West Nile virus is closer to the city of Walla Walla, as the crow flies. Or, to be more accurate, a red-tailed hawk.

The hawk, discovered dead near Burbank, is the first identification of West Nile virus in a bird in Walla Walla County, said Harvey Crowder, administrator for Walla Walla County Public Health Department.

Officials with the state Department of Health reported the positive bird to his office today, he said. “It’s not surprising to find a positive bird here in Walla Walla County. There have been positive mosquitoes, birds, horses — and potentially people — in Benton and Umatilla counties. It was only a matter of time before we found the virus here.” ……

County residents are encouraged to continue submitting dead birds for testing so officials can track the spread of West Nile in Walla Walla County, as well as take precautions to protect themselves against mosquito bites.

For more information go to www.co.walla-walla.wa.us/departments/phd/index.shtml.

See the full article here and the U-B’s previous coverage here. See the Tri-City Herald’s coverage here and here.

Update: The Columbia Mosquito Control District (located at 912 W. Humorist Rd in Burbank) has sent out a mailing to all area residents about the West Nile virus. It reads, in part:

For the first time we do have West Nile virus (WNV) in Burbank and all the areas that surround us. We have been aggressive with out adulticiding to keep the number of adult mosquitoes to a minimum; however we cannot kill them all. Although the weather is cooling, this is not the time to stop taking precautions against mosquito bites. We know the virus is active in our district and the risk of WNV infection in people traditionally increases around September. Please take this serious[ly] and protect yourself from WNV.

…… If you find a bird that has been dead less than 48 hours and has no apparent reason for dying, call the Columbia Mosquito Control District (CMCD) or the Health Department. Do not touch or move the bird. It is very uncommon for the virus to affect any pets or animals other than horses. If you have horses, you need to take them to your veterinarian and have them vaccinated for the WNV as soon as possible. They will need the original shot and a booster about 4 to 6 weeks later. They can still contract the virus up to 4-6 weeks after the booster. An annual booster should be given every year. Please contact your veterinarian for more information.

…… Things you can do to avoid mosquito bites:

• Use an effective mosquito repellent and follow label instructions; repellents with DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, or IR3535 are recommended.
• Plan outdoor activities away from dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are active.
• Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants when in mosquito infested areas.
• Make sure the screens on all doors and windows work properly.

The phone number for CMCD is 509-547-4994. The phone number for the Walla Walla County Public Health Department is 509-524-2650 and the website is here.

On August 20, 2009, KNDO-KNDU ran a short clip about Burbank resident Don Ohman and his plans to donate his converted roofing truck turned log cabin museum to the Deer Lodge State Prison in Montana at the end of September. (The prison has its own car museum.) The truck/museum is filled with “old advertisements and music collectibles”. Before it is donated, Don said that he and his friends will have some “Going to Prison” parties where they’ll sing songs and read poetry from its back porch.

The video clip is here.

The Burbank Library’s Summer Reading Program is almost over! If you haven’t done so already, visit the Burbank Library to return your reading log and collect your prizes.

Here is the line-up of events for the Week of August 17:

• Game day — Drop-in anytime to play our Nintendo Wii. (Monday, August 17 — TODAY!)
• ART SHOW — Come see all the art entered in our summer contests. Grape juice and cheese & crackers will be served! (Wednesday, August 19, at 6 p.m.)
• Drop-in craft: Marshmallow sculptures! (Friday, August 7, from 12 noon to 4 p.m.)
• END OF SUMMER LUAU! — This is our big end-of-summer party! We’ll have a potluck dinner, food from Huli Huli Hawaiian restaurant in Pasco, hula dancers, a “learn to hula” class, open mic performances, activities for kids (including crafts, face painting, and water games — so kids should wear a swimsuit!), palm reading, door prizes, Summer Reading Program grand prize winners, and more! All ages welcome. Visit or call the library to sign-up to bring a dish to the potluck and to perform during the open mic. See this post for additional details. (Saturday, August 22, from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.)
• DEADLINE for entering our Summer Reading Program! — You must turn in your reading log by today to qualify for a grand prize! (Saturday, August 22)

See you at the library!

The Burbank Library will be hosting a luau on Saturday, August 22, to celebrate the end of the summer and to acknowledge everyone who participated in our Summer Reading Program!

The event will run from 3 p.m. until 8 p.m. and it should be a lot of fun, so please spread the word. Here’s the line-up of entertainment and activities:

• 3:00-3:30 — Water games! (Kids, wear your swimsuits!)
• 3:30-4:30 — Crafts (make your own hula skirt and lei), face painting, and palm reading!
• 4:30-5:00 — Learn to Hula!
• 5:00 — Dinner (potluck and Hawaiian food from Huli Huli in Pasco)
• 5:00-6:30 — Open mic (get up and perform!)
• 6:30-7:00 — Hula dancers! (a group of dancers will perform several traditional dances)
• 7:00 — Announcement of Summer Reading Program grand prize winners and door prizes!

This timeline may change as we add new activities. All ages welcome. Please call or visit the library to sign-up to bring a dish to the potluck dinner or to perform during the open mic. Our promotional flyer (pdf) is here.

Thanks to the Friends of the Burbank Library for their generous support of this event.

It’s been a few days since I’ve been able to update this blog, so I’m going to combine several different Burbank and Wallula news items into one post. Here goes:

• “Officials say it now appears a reported robbery at the Burbank Sun Mart in April was a setup staged by a man previously apprehended and a man who was working as a clerk at the convenience store.” Here’s coverage from the Herald and the U-B.
• Four people were injured in a Wallula Junction crash on Tuesday, August 11.
• “Columbia (Burbank) High School class of 1999’s 10-year reunion is from noon to 4 p.m. Aug 15. For more information, contact meshayle via email at justus3mae@hotmail.com.”
• The Three Rivers Children’s Museum has found a new home.
• Here are updates on the 16th Legislative District race from the Herald and the U-B.
• The Walla Walla Public Library hosted an Early Learning Fair on Saturday, August 8.
• The McNary Wildlife Refuge hosted a demonstration of calling and retrieving waterfowl on Saturday, August 8. The event was sponsored by Ducks Unlimited.
• The public is invited to comment on the McNary-Lake Wallula Shoreline Management Plan (pdf).

From KNDO-KNDU / August 4, 2009

BURBANK VIETNAM VETERAN EXCITED FOR CHANCE TO GET HOMECOMING

BURBANK, Wash. — When former Navy sailor Dennis Jonker first found out about possibly getting the homecoming from war he never had, he cried. He says the culture and attitudes were different when Vietnam vets came home forty years ago.

But he will be getting to have his own homecoming in Kentucky later this month, along with current members of the 101st Airborne. When the 101st comes back from active duty on August 16 at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, they will also be welcoming any Vietnam veteran who wishes to have a proper homecoming. Jonker says he can’t wait to see happy, smiling faces, as well as get some recognition he feels he deserves.

If you are interested in attending the Vietnam Veterans Welcome Home Celebration on August 16th at Fort Campbell Kentucky, please visit the 101st Airborne website, www.screamingeagle.org.

See the full article (including video) here.

Update: From KNDO-KNDU / August 22, 2009

LOCAL VET RETURNS FROM VIETNAM HOMECOMING

BURBANK, Wash. — With memories to last a lifetime, one local retired serviceman got his homecoming from Vietnam, even if it was forty years later.

See the full article (including video) here.

The Burbank Library’s Summer Reading Program is cruising along! If you haven’t done so already, visit the Burbank Library to register for the program.

Here is the line-up of events for the Week of August 10:

• MOVIES — This one at 1pm and this one at 5pm. We’ll supply the popcorn. (Monday, August 10)
• For kids: Drop-in hunt — We’ve already searched for fish, toast, falcons, and ice cream cones. Come see what’s next. (All day on Tuesday, August 11)
• Art with Meghan — Make a collage! (Wednesday, August 12, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.)
• For teens: SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS! (Thursday, August 13, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.)
• Drop-in craft: Lots of colorful art! (Friday, August 14, from 12 noon to 4 p.m.) and Read to Shasta! at 3 p.m.
• For kids: POETRY WORKSHOP! (Saturday, August 15, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.)
• DEADLINE for entering our bookmark, poster and logo design contests! — See our previous post for details. (Saturday, August 15)

Also, art by local artist (and library employee) Meghan Johns is currently on display.

And watch for these events next week:

• Game day — Drop-in anytime to play our Nintendo Wii. All ages welcome. (Monday, August 17)
• ART SHOW — Come see all the art entered in our summer contests. Grape juice and cheese & crackers will be served! (Wednesday, August 19, at 6 p.m.)
• Drop-in craft: Marshmallow sculptures! — Shaved ice will be served! (Friday, August 7, from 12 noon to 4 p.m.)
• END OF SUMMER LUAU! — This is our big end-of-summer party! We’ll have a potluck dinner, food from Huli Huli Hawaiian restaurant in Pasco, hula dancers, a “learn to hula” class, open mic performers, activities for kids (including crafts, face painting, and water games — so kids should wear a swimsuit!), palm reading, door prizes, Summer Reading Program grand prize winners, and more! All ages welcome. Visit or call the library to sign-up to bring a dish to the potluck and to perform during the open mic. More details to follow. (Saturday, August 22, from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.)
• DEADLINE for entering our Summer Reading Program! — You must turn in your reading log by today to qualify for a grand prize! (Saturday, August 22)

See you at the library!

On Thursday, August 6, our neighbor Jim Lott of Applegate Orchards will bring two (or 3 or 4) of his falcons to the library for a 6 p.m. presentation. Mr. Lott will explain how he came to acquire over 70 aplomado falcons and he’ll describe how he trains the birds to patrol his blueberry fields. The discussion will last about 45 minutes (inside the library) and then Mr. Lott will take the falcons outside and let them fly a bit. There will also be an opportunity for the audience to ask questions.

Back in June, the Tri-City Herald had a front-page story about Mr. Lott and his falcons. The photo below is one of several in a Herald photo gallery that accompanied the story. See our previous post for details.

All ages are welcome. We hope to see you on Thursday!

The new edition (August 1, 2009) of the Columbia School District Newsletter has the following:

This summer Andrew Kramer, our Technology Director, has been making several changes in district technology. The district website will be changing to www.csd400.org. The old site will continue to work for now, but soon will change. Our email addresses are also new. Everyone’s new email will be firstname.lastname@csd400.org (example: andrew.kramer@csd400.org). All staff emails are available on the district website under Contact Us. (Email sent to our old address will continue to work until further notice.)

And this:

SCHOOL SUPPLIES — School supply lists are available for pick up at the administration office or can be found online at www.csd400.org. Click on your school link, then the Resources link, and then the school supply list link.

Here are direct links to school supply lists by school:

• Elementary School (pdf)
• Middle School (pdf)
• High School (pdf)

The first day of school (for 1st through 12th grade) is September 2 and the full academic calendar for 2009-2010 is here (pdf). It’s coming up quick!

The Burbank Library’s Summer Reading Program is cruising along! If you haven’t done so already, visit the Burbank Library to register for the program.

Here is the line-up of events for the Week of August 3:

• Game day — Drop-in anytime to play our Nintendo Wii. All ages welcome. (Monday, August 3 – TODAY!)
• Art with Meghan — Chalk on black paper. (Wednesday, August 5, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.)
• FALCONS AT THE LIBRARY! Come meet our neighbor, Jim Lott, and a few of his falcons. (Thursday, August 6, at 6 p.m.)
• Drop-in craft: Make a book! (Friday, August 7, from 12 noon to 4 p.m.)

And watch for these events next week:

• MOVIES — This one at 1pm and this one at 5pm. We’ll supply the popcorn. (Monday, August 10)
• For kids: Drop-in hunt — We’ve already searched for fish, toast, falcons, and ice cream cones. Come see what’s next. (All day on Tuesday, August 11)
• Art with Meghan — Make a collage! (Wednesday, August 12, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.)
• For teens: SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS! (Thursday, August 13, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.)
• Drop-in craft: Lots of colorful art! (Friday, August 14, from 12 noon to 4 p.m.) and Read to Shasta! at 3 p.m.
• For kids: POETRY WORKSHOP! (Saturday, August 15, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.)

Don’t forget to return your reading log to receive your prize. See you at the library!