Rendition of new library

Rendition of new library
The New Point Roberts Library Out of the Old Julius Firehall

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Outdoor Movies Move Us

Last Saturday night's movie in Brewsters' back yard was a big success.  Not just the movie, but the food, the games, the sociability of it all and, also important, we added just a short of $1,000 for the new library.  What more could we ask for?  We can certainly thank Judith Wolfman (who put the fine evening together with Joan Roberts' aid) and Judith's great crew: Louise and Darryl Cassidy, Maxine and Ron Clark, Liz Otwell and Stephen Falk, Margot Griffiths, Vyna Restell, Melissa Meyer, Don Falk, Peter Laritt, Sarah Wolfman, Aliya Virani, and Ania Tersakian.  And the 100 or so folks who came and enjoyed and contributed in every way to the evening.  And especially the many, many kids!

One of the features was having your picture taken with ET (thanks to the wonders of photoshopping), which was also, of course, the movie being shown.  Here's one of those.

This week (Saturday, 3rd, 7:30 p.m.) you get another chance to join us for an evening of midsummer night's entertainment, including a photo op with Goldie Hawn, I imagine, as well as terrific food, more games, and a showing of "Overboard" with Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell.  The last outdoor movie, Saturday, August 17th, will be "Field of Dreams," which surely is the appropriate symbol for our (or any) library fundraising project.  Maybe we should have a photo of everyone saying to everyone else, "Good Job!"  Bring a chair and a blanket; it gets cool after sundown.

"And how are we doing?" people often ask.  The answer:  the community that is raising/donating funds for this new library is doing well...$220,000.  But we need another $80,000 by the end of the year.  Please help if you can.  It really will take all of us working together to build this new library.


Thursday, July 18, 2013

Summer Sun

The sun is shining upon us here in July.  Both on our daily lives and on our fundraising.  We got a check from $3,000 from Neilson's Building Center as part of their $10,000 pledge for this year.  Checks from Igive.com, from the Maple Beach Property Owners Association ($500), from local residents and visitors, as well as many $20 gifts for the "Stand and Be Counted" campaign. (Almost 300 of them so far so if you haven't made the $20 contribution this summer, we would be very happy to have you join those 300 people and remember it will be doubled: those 300 twenties have turned into $6,000 plus $6,000 doubling for a total increase of $12,000.)  The Saturday Market Library Funding folks have talked to many people to explain what we're doing and to encourage them to participate.

Market visitors have also been delighted to see the terrific book sculpture by Tor Baxter, Judson Meraw, Jack Lubzinski, and Bob Struthers.  There are five books in the stack now, but Tor says there will be 15 when we've gathered up all the money needed for the new library.  We're picking the 10 titles to come now, so if you've got a title you'd really, really like to see on one of those books, let us know (the titles are generic, of course).

We've also benefitted from Heidi Baxter's wonderful produce cart at the Saturday Market.  We have been getting all kinds of plants, greens, herbs, and flowers from our generous residents (mostly FOPRL members!).  Craig and Carole's strawberries and mint, Dorothy's striped iris, Shirley's and Rhiannon's lovely fresh lettuces and chard and kale.  I'm forgetting some folks here, because I don't always see who is bringing edibles and flowers in, but we don't forget you in our thanks for helping this produce cart work.  I particularly like it because it is such a cooperative effort.  And we will continue to need that cooperation throughout the summer.

We have raised over $215,000 by this date (July 18) and are looking to find another $85,000 by the end of the year.  We will be needing everyones' help to get there.  And what would that help be?

Obviously, direct donations by check are very welcome.  But we also have three Midsummer Fun Nights at Brewsters (July 27, August 3, and August 17).  These evenings are designed for adults AND kids.  There will be fancy hotdogs for supper, snacks, drinks, games for kids, games for adults, followed by a movie at sundown-ish.  You want to bring a chair and/or a blanket.  Entry is by donation, but all proceeds will go to the Library Building Fund.  Fundraising committee member Judith Wolfman has been working like someone on a mission to make these into memorable summer evenings.  Come, have a good time, and then we'll all look back on these summer evenings this winter and think about those good times and the library that will grow out of them.  The first movie (July 27) will be "ET."

We'll be at the Arts and Music Festival (August 3, 4) at Lighthouse Park with all the regulars plus a nice selection of quilts and quilted goods that have been donated to the library fundraising campaign.  All proceeds to the building fund.  That will include the quilt we are currently raffling ("Night Watcher," 45"x62": a free ticket to anyone who donates at least $20 this summer; drawing at the end of summer.  If you gave $20 earlier, before we began this quilt raffle, you can get a ticket on this quilt for $5.00.)

Also, on August 18, Lucy Williams is putting together a jazz concert in the church garden as a library fundraising benefit.  It will star Jafelin Helten and Locura.  Helten is a singer from Venezuela who specializes in Latina music; Locura is a Vancouver-based jazz trio that frequently performs with her.  Their website is locura.ca.  For this outdoor event, bring a chair, bring a picnic if you'd like, and bring a donation for the library.  We'll be there in the garden from 2-4, and we hope you'll be joining us there.

Lots happening; hope to see you all whenever you can join us.

Judy Ross for Friends of the Point Roberts Library



Friday, July 5, 2013

The Book Sculpture

It was indeed up (by hours) by July 4th, thanks to its intrepid makers, Tor Baxter, Judson Meraw, and Jack Lubzinski.  As you can see, there are currently five books and as we raise more money, more books will appear until the books get up to the top of the sign.
The plan is to have this be used as a way to advertise the way the fundraising is going and then, when we have finished fundraising and have the new library built, to use this as a community sculpture in side the library or maybe in the patio.

And here's a photo of the crew putting it together at the end.  It's in front of the Julius Firehall, the site of the new library, so take a look when you go by.


Thanks, guys, for all the work you've done and for the work still to come.  I'm thinking we might need some big flower pots to set it off?