All Hearts On Deck!

Hearts On Hands Crunch Time...
By now, just about everyone in our community has heard about The Kissing Hand Mitten Project, conceived by our extraordinarily humble neighbor, Kim Piscatelli.

If you are not a knitter but would like to contribute your time, basic sewing skills and heart to the cause, here's one easy way to support the Kissing Hand Project:

Show Your Heart, Sew A Heart
Beginning Monday, January 7, you can pick up one or more mitten/glove kits at the library. Each kit contains a pair of mittens or gloves, felt, a 'kissing hand' heart template for the felt, and yarn. Sew one heart on to each of the mittens or gloves; also use the yarn to connect the pair. Work at the library as a group (we'll make room) or take a few kits home to share with your neighbors.

All completed Kissing Hand kits must be returned to library on Friday, January 11 by 3:00 p.m.

All of the kit components, 50 plus, were donated by local and area residents. Hope to see you Monday and let's get sewing!

Rockfall Foundation Funds Lakeside Buffer Garden

Dateline East Hampton, CT :
Sears Park, Saturday July 31, 2010

Earlier this year, the East Hampton Public Library was awarded a $1,000 grant from the Rockfall Foundation; the Foundation supports environmental education, conservation and planning initiatives in Middlesex County.

Under the grant, which we titled Fribrary Time Goes Green, the library committed to educate 4th and 5th graders on ways to preserve and protect the environment and effect positive change in attitudes and behavior through a year-long series of hands-on, age-appropriate activities.

Core Project : Sears Park/Lake Pocotopaug Buffer Garden
The fundamental project funded by the grant was restoring a buffer strip garden at Sears Park, not far from the shore of Lake Pocotopaug.

Site Preparation and Plant Selection

Thanks to our Parks & Recreation Department, the site was cleared and readied for our core Rockfall Project. Site prep included marking underground utilities for safety's sake (photo above). A diversity of plantings were selected based on their ability to prevent erosion, sediment and nutrients from reaching our lake.

Our (Environmentally) Friendly Garden Crew

Beginning at 9:00 a.m. today, a sturdy crew of 4th and 5th graders set to work in collaboration with parents and members of the East Hampton Belltown Garden Club. By 11:00 a.m., all holes had been dug and plants set in their places.

Along the way the kids dug, clipped roots, and devised a very efficient 'bucket brigade' from lake to garden. Let us also mention the ease of learning how to un-pot plants, rev the roots and mix in plenty of organic 'safe for the lake' food to get the plantings off to a good start. And of course, who knew how much fun it would be to spread mulch?

More pics of all Team Fribrary/Team Rockfall/Team Garden Club members to come but here's one...

Back Row : Hollye Thomas, Karen Gallmon, Sue Hewes, Karen Terry
Middle Row : Seth Adam Gilman, Rebecca White, Sarah Caramma
Front Row : Jo-Ellen Sajak, Elyse Arcidiacono, Jon Terry

After the Work Comes the Joy

Books 'On the Cheap' In Good and Hard Times

Friends of the East Hampon Library
Bargain hunters, book lovers, and a collector or two, regularly enjoy browsing the hundreds of used adult and children's fiction and nonfiction books in hardcover and paperback available at the Friends Book Store. Most books cost $2 or less; mass market paperbacks sell for a quarter. It's a great place to shop, save, and support the library all at the same time!

If you have ever donated to or purchased a book from the Friends Book Store, you've met any one of 25 volunteers who manage and maintain the enterprise. Book store volunteers include active older adults; moms and dads who work with their children as a way to teach volunteerism, and other folks who just like adding value to library services.

The book store's major movers and shakers are (l to r) Claire Spiess, Kendra Hough, Lucy Blair, and Harriet Nightingale (not pictured). Marlene Karavolis also volunteers her time managing the empty-full-empty-full popular paperback sale rack located in the library's lobby.

Thank a Friend Be a Friend!

Next Up
Summer Reading : a Friendly Kind of Thing