I took these pictures on Sunday, September 28 when Clif and I were out for our morning bike ride. The progress with the library addition is slow but steady and still very exciting to those of us who have worked hard on this project.
By spring, the new addition should be done. By spring, the library will have breathing room. I can almost hear old Bailey saying, “Ahhh!”
Last night, Clif and I went to a Winthrop Food Pantry supper for volunteers. Clif has taken pictures for the food pantry, and I have volunteered in various ways since 1997. Seventeen years! A long time, and I think there was only one other volunteer—Lee Gilman—who has been at the pantry longer than I have.
There was a good turnout—about thirty came to the supper. Unfortunately, the batteries in my camera went, and I didn’t think to bring extra batteries. Therefore, I only got a few shots of the event. Ah, well!
After we ate sandwiches, salad, and soups, JoEllen Cottrell, the executive director, and Mike Sienko, the president, spoke about the food pantry. Naturally, they thanked everyone for their hard work, which, astonishingly has come to 2,360 hours so far this year. (The food pantry has about fifty volunteers, and there is a sign up sheet so that the hours can be tracked.)
But there were more astonishing numbers to come. When JoEllen took over as executive director in 2011, there were about forty families per month that came to the food pantry. The sessions were leisurely, and often the volunteers had time to sit and chat between taking people around.
In three years, that number has tripled, and on average, 120 families come to the food pantry each month. The volunteers no longer sit and chat, and often the pantry stays open long past its closing time of 2:30 p.m.
As far as I know, there has been no increased publicity or effort to encourage more people to come to the food pantry, and it’s my guess that more people are coming because it has become increasingly difficult to make ends meet after the Great Recession. In Maine, good paying jobs are far and few between, and many people are still looking for work. While it’s great that the food pantry is around to help people in need, it’s sad that there are so many more people that need the help.
And here’s another number: Rick Dorey and his wife Sheila get food for the pantry at the Good Shepherd Food Bank in Auburn. Last year, they brought 70, 000 pounds of food to the Winthrop Food Pantry, and Rick told me that he expects to exceed that number this year.
The Winthrop Food Pantry provides food for Winthrop (population 6,200) and Wayne (population 1,189). Wayne is a more affluent community than Winthrop, but neither is what you would consider poor. Yet so many people qualify for receiving food from the food pantry. (The food pantry uses the federal guidelines.)
Numbers are one way of telling a story, and the numbers at the Winthrop Food Pantry certainly tell a compelling story of our times.
The concrete has been poured, and the blue is gone.
Last night, the library expansion team gave a farewell party for Lisa Jepson Wahlstrom. She is the founder and principal of Ovation Fundraising Counsel, an organization that works “with nonprofit organizations throughout Maine helping them to increase their fundraising capacity, engage their constituencies, and strengthen their volunteer base.”
For the past few years, Lisa has worked with us on the library’s expansion campaign, and it’s no exaggeration to state that we couldn’t have run a successful expansion campaign without Lisa’s expertise, organization, firm guidance, and good cheer. We have had our ups and downs, but Lisa was always upbeat and encouraging, patiently leading us toward our goal—the addition.
However, the time has come for the expansion team to strike out on its own. As Lisa put it last night, we have about $150,000 left to raise, and we know what to do—more grant writing, more fundraising events, more appeals for donations. We also have a wonderful campaign team, and as we said our sad goodbyes to Lisa, I got a strong sense from the other team members that they would continue to help with the campaign, and a good thing, too. We certainly need them.
Where there is a party, there is food, of course, and the campaign team not only loves libraries but tasty food as well. We put on a pretty good spread, if I do say so myself, and there were lots of yummy tidbits—deviled eggs, artichoke squares, spinach balls, a hot cheese dip, and other good things to eat. I brought my homemade crackers and a rosemary-olive cream cheese spread.
Joan and Bill Wing generously agreed to host the party at their home overlooking the lake. They have a large living room with a lovely view of the water, and while we ate and talked, the water rippled and sparkled as the sun set.
Naturally, the conversation revolved around libraries—their importance in today’s society despite the dominance of computers, big and small. As I mentioned in a previous post, people are still reading books. The love of story runs deep in our species, and while I hope paper books endure—nothing can replace their feel and smell—I have no doubt that as long as there are people, there will be stories.
And there will be libraries—the repositories of information, ideas, and stories—available to all who live in a town, area, or city. You don’t have to be rich to have a library card. You don’t have to come from a prominent family. Libraries are for everyone, and as such they couldn’t be more vital to our society.
The picture for this post was taken on Sunday, September 14. With all the blue, the library’s new addition reminds me of a huge, very deep pool.
I’ll be biking into town today to do several errands, and one of them will be stopping by the library to see how the addition is progressing. If there are any changes, I’ll take pictures and post them in a day or two.
Last night, I went to book group, where we discussed Louise Erdrich’s The Round House, a story about Joe, a young Native-American teenager, and how he deals with his mother’s rape. (For readers who haven’t read this book, I don’t want to give too much away, but I do want to note that there was a lively discussion about Joe’s solution.)
There were eighteen (or so) of us at book group, and for an hour and a half, we discussed The Round House. There was some disagreement, especially with me as I argued that I thought Joe and his friends were too young to do some of things they did. This was hotly contested by those in the group who have sons. Even though I remained unconvinced, it was fascinating to hear the various points of view.
Also, what a thrill that so many people read The Round House and came to book group. Another example of the power of story and books, which despite what some people might think, have not gone the way of the dodo. Despite all the distractions of modern life, people are still reading books. Last Sunday, on NPR’s Weekend Edition, there was even a piece about the millennial generation—those under thirty—and their love of reading. Here’s how the story, by Lynn Neary, starts: “As it turns out, the generation that has grown up in the age of technology has a fondness for a very old-fashioned habit – reading.” A story to warm my heart, that’s for sure.
But back to book group…the leader—Shane-Malcolm Billings, the adult services librarian at Bailey—is also very important. Shane sets the tone, giving background information about the author, making sure that everyone has a chance to talk about the book, and generally keeping the group on track. His love of books is so strong that it just shines forth, warming everyone in the group.
Last night was the fourth anniversary of book group, and I have been a part of this group from the beginning. Shane compiled a list of all the books we have read in the past four years, and what an impressive list! The titles include The Lonely Polygamist, Cutting for Stone, Great House, Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand, When We Were the Kennedys, Home, and The Good Lord Bird.
Many thanks to Shane for leading this group, for all his hard work, and especially for his deep love of books.
For the past three years, I have been working on the library expansion campaign whose goal is to build a much-needed addition for our cramped, little library. The ground breaking commenced a couple of weeks ago, and the project is expected to be done by April. Or so.
It is both wonderful and exciting to see this project become real, with dirt being dug and walls being built. For the next six months I’ll periodically be posting pictures of the progress.
Yesterday, as I was taking pictures, I met Phil Locashio, the very talented architect who is overseeing the expansion. We spoke about how moving it is to be involved with a project that will benefit Winthrop residents long after we are gone. As a rule, only wealthy people are involved with such projects. Everyday people, not so much.
Later, I biked to Joan Wing’s house, and I told her about our conversation. “It gives me goosebumps to think about it,” she said.
Me, too.
Yesterday was a banner day for the Charles M. Bailey Library. There was a ground breaking for the new addition, which if everything goes well, will be completed in April of 2015. It was a day of joy for all of us who have worked so hard on this project—six years for some and three years for me.
As I’ve written previously, there have been low points as well as high points in this expansion campaign. In a town the size of Winthrop—6,200—it is not easy to raise a million dollars (or so!). But we are getting closer to our goal, and thanks to the town council, which approved a bond for us, we are able to get started now. We have wonderful support from the community, and we also have a terrific group of volunteers who will help us continue with the fundraising we need to do to complete the project. And, I expect new volunteers will join us as time goes by.
So, allow me to blow the celebratory horn. Hooray for Winthrop, hooray for the library, and hooray for all who have helped make this project a reality!
We are heading toward mid-August, that sweetest, saddest time of the year when the crickets sing, and summer is winding down. Now it is dark at 8:00 p.m. rather than at 9:00, and to borrow from the writer Susan Cooper, the dark is rising. All around Winthrop, people are rushing to squeeze as much as they can out of the last weeks of summer. Family and friends from away come to visit. Barbecues are planned. Ditto for bike rides, boat rides, hikes, and swimming.
Little Winthrop, population circa 6,200, has an action-packed weekend coming up. On Saturday, there will be the annual Winthrop Art Fair, and Clif and I have a spot selling photographs and cards. After the fair the Winthrop Rotary will host its annual Family Barbecue & Gumbo to End Hunger. (The proceeds go to various agencies, including the Winthrop Food Pantry.) Clif and I went the year before last, and the food was fantastic. If we’re not too zonked after the Art Fair, then we’ll go this year, too.
On Sunday, the Feather Lungs, a rock band, will be performing at lovely Norcross Point at 2:00 p.m., and featured on bass will be none other than our library director, Richard Fortin. Clif and I are hoping to go to that, too.
In my own backyard, the gardens are starting to look a little tattered, the way they always do this time of year. However, the flox are coming into bloom, and because I am so flower obsessed, I just had to take a picture of them.
I also caught a picture of this woodpecker, and although it is not what you would call a really good photo, it’s not too bad, given I took it with my little Cannon.
My three main obsessions seem to be flowers, food, and birds, and the Narrows—and indeed nature—could be considered my muses. As always, I can’t help but think how lucky I am to live in Winthrop, with the glittering Narrows just down the road, flowers all around, and the backyard aflutter with birds and insects.
In the next few weeks, as August winds down, I’ll be trying to squeeze as much as I can out of this most lovely month.
Finally, on the eighth day of August, we have weather that is so sunny, fine, and dry—hot but not too hot—that it makes you glad you are in Maine and nowhere else. The past two two days have been rumbly, rainy days, clearing the way, apparently, for this glorious weather, which is supposed to be with us for the entire weekend.
Just seeing the bright, blue sky energized me, and a good thing, too, because the weekend is full of busy plans—a picnic where I get to meet a darling baby for the first time; a bake sale for the library addition; and a meal to celebrate Shannon and Mike’s fourth wedding anniversary.
Yesterday, I felt dragged down by all these plans, but today, by gum, I am raring to go. And in keeping with this fine day, we had a delivery of wood, five cords, and that alone would have been enough to lift my spirits. Yes, stacking and hauling wood is hard work, but it means we will be toasty this winter, and we won’t be facing $600 a month heating bills, as we did last winter. (And that was with the thermostat set at 60 degrees.)
As I happily surveyed the wood, I glanced at the front yard, which seemed suitably perky on this lovely day. (It helps that at a distance I couldn’t see the holes and shredded leaves left by the munching slugs and snails.)
This afternoon, I’ll be roasting some of Farmer Kev’s beets to go on the salad I’m bringing to the picnic. (The salad also will have lettuce, feta cheese, roasted walnuts, and a homemade vinaigrette.) After the beets are roasted, I’ll be making raspberry squares for the library bake sale.
Shopping for Shannon and Mike’s anniversary meal will have to wait until Clif comes home from work tonight, and I can use the car. The anniversary meal menu: Fruit, nuts, and grilled bread for appetizers; red potatoes, corn on the cob, and grilled steak for the main meal; and cake for dessert.
Here are some lines, written by my friend Burni, who sends regular dispatches from Down East, and they express exactly how I feel. Today she plans to go to the dump, pick green beans, and scrub the attic floor: “You know me well enough by now that you shouldn’t be shocked to learn that mundane as these tasks might appear, I find today’s prospects very pleasing. So I’m easy to please. ”
That, to me, is the secret to a happy life—enjoying mundane tasks. Because let’s face it, most of us have days filled with mundane tasks, and if we don’t take some kind of pleasure in them, then life is very dreary indeed.
Last but certainly not least—in keeping with the notion of enjoying mundane chores—it is a great day for hanging laundry, which I did earlier. What a pleasure to see the laundry flapping on the line as it dries in the warm breeze.
Last night, the Winthrop Town Council gave its official approval for the bid of the construction of the Bailey Library addition. Hooray, hooray! Work will begin in the next month or two.
To say I am thrilled does not adequately describe how I feel. Along with many other hard-working volunteers, I’ve been working on this project for several years. We all firmly believe that Winthrop will benefit greatly from having a larger library. The current one is stuffed full with books, and it is so cramped for space that it is difficult to hold events at the library. Whenever I go to Bailey, it is busy, busy, busy, thus disproving the notion that in this age of electronic reading devices, libraries are a thing of the past. Not in Winthrop they aren’t! And if they are relevant in Winthrop—which is a macaroni and cheese kind of town—then they are relevant everywhere.
This project has had its ups and downs, and most of the problems have revolved around money. Winthrop, like many other Maine towns, has suffered during the recession, and unfortunately the state government made the situation worse by cutting the amount of revenue it gave to the town. Understandably, there was great concern in Winthrop about the cost of this project and whether taxpayers would be footing the bill. The campaign team spent a great deal of time reassuring the community that the money for the addition would come from donations and grants.
By the time we had our kick-off celebration this May, it was obvious that most of the fears had been quelled and that there was huge support for the addition. Since then, the project has taken on a happy momentum as one milestone after another has been reached, with the latest being the bid approval by the town council. They didn’t even need to discuss it, and the motion passed without discussion.
On a personal note, I have to add that I can’t imagine what I would do without the library. Our modest budget does not allow for the purchase of many books, but thanks to the Bailey Library and interlibrary loan, my intellectual life is well nourished. From the library, I get a steady supply of books and DVDs, ten or more every month. Some of the books I read from beginning to end. With others I only read a few chapters before deciding the book is not for me. The library gives me the freedom to do this, to take a chance on a book, to sample it before deciding whether I want to finish the book.
I know there are many others in town who are like me—readers on a modest budget. They are one of the reasons why I have worked so hard on this project (although admittedly not as hard as some people have).
Then there is my rather high-blown concept of libraries—that they are a force for good, that they represent everything that is fine about our species. Libraries encourage thought, speculation, creativity, and freedom. They are a town or city’s most precious asset, and they are open to all residents. Repressive regimes almost always target libraries, and sometimes they are literally burnt to the ground. Then there are the brave souls who anticipate this and hide most of the books before the terrible deed can be done.
Anyway, long live libraries in general and Bailey Library in specific!
Notes From the Hinterland 