Grand Opening in News Review

Here is Carisa's article in News Review:

Children, adults enthusiastic at Myrtle Creek Library reopening

• CARISA CEGAVSKE Senior Staff Writer The News-Review

Carisa Cegavske

Jul 3, 2017

MYRTLE CREEK — On the Myrtle Creek Library’s reopening day Monday, Tanner Reed, 5, was enthusiastically transforming a Minions T-shirt into a book bag that he could use to take home a pile of books about dinosaurs, unicorns and monsters.

Tanner didn’t like to think about what would happen if the library closed again.

“I’d feel really sad,” he said.

Tanner was one of a dozen kids who turned up for the first day, not just of the library’s summer reading program, but also of its reopening after a three-month closure. Like the other smaller library branches of the former Douglas County Library System, Myrtle Creek’s doors were shut April 1. It’s the fifth to reopen, and it’s operating with an all-volunteer staff.

The kids were thrilled to have books to check out and fun activities like creating their own book bags out of T-shirts and hearing volunteer Karen Rivera read an unusual take on the Three Little Pigs story.

In her version, three piggies from Myrtle Creek went on to have exciting careers while living in different kinds of homes — an adobe house in a Colorado pueblo, a rainbow cottage in California, and a portable teepee for a nomadic lifestyle. The kids had other suggestions, such as an igloo or a castle.

It was a good day for Rivera, who was devastated when she first heard the Myrtle Creek Library would be closing in the spring. On its last day, she wiped away tears as she spoke about its loss with The News-Review.

So how was she feeling Monday?

“Better.”

Derrick Teig attended Monday’s summer reading program with his children Liam, 2, and Ezmea, 4, as well as his wife Jessica Teig.

Ezmea loves doing crafts and getting books. She tries to teach her brother to read, her father said. Liam favors pop-up books.

“I was pretty blown away when I heard they were going to close it down,” Derrick Teig said.
“I remember being a kid, getting my library card and how much fun it was, feeling important,” he said.

Marley Myrhe, 8, was enthusiastic about the anime graphic novel his grandmother was checking out for him — “Maximum Ride” by James Patterson.

His grandmother Laura Hollifield said Marley enjoys reading the novels and then drawing the characters. She was also checking out “The Lego Adventure Book” for him.
She said she enjoyed libraries herself as a kid and then bringing her children, and now her grandchildren to them.

“I don’t want that to get lost,” she said. “The library is so important.”

Hollifield said she’s “so thankful for the volunteers” that have made it possible for the library to reopen.

Behind the scenes, it wasn’t an easy job. Even the book checkouts had to be done by hand.
There’s still a concern about being able to fund raise enough through the year to keep making liability insurance payments.

Rivera said at one point, before the city agreed to allow the library to continue in the building, there was even talk of opening in the old laundromat building at the corner of Oak and Second.

Bob Heilman, a member of the Save Our Libraries PAC that unsuccessfully attempted to get a library district tax passed in November, said at one point the Douglas Education Service District talked about moving in. However, he said they’d have taken a substantial portion of the building and weren’t offering to pay rent.

Heilman said he anticipates it will take between $15,000 and $20,000 a year to keep the library open, including $5,000 for insurance, as well as the costs of internet, telephone and other services.
Nevertheless, on Monday, morale was high.

“This is great,” said summer reading program coordinator Serena Theiss. “We had people here ready to roll when we got here.”

Having the kids back after three months closed is “huge,” she said.

“It’s great to see kids back here in the library. We’ve got people checking out books. We’ve got teenagers on the computer. We’ve got all the ages in here right now,” she said.

The kids were also scheduled to begin creating miniature homes similar to those the three pigs in Rivera’s story built — paper tee-pees, popsicle-stick rainbow houses and adobe homes made of clay.

Volunteers Sheila Johnson and Rindy Hart were working on some rainbow house models Monday morning.

Johnson said the library reopening is a relief. Hart said she came to the library as a child and now she’s helping keep it open for today’s children.

“That’s just full-circle awesomeness right there,” she said.

Volunteer Jeanmarie Kollenkark sported a pig nose,

ears and tail as part of the reopening of

the Myrtle Creek Library on Monday.

  

Summer Reading Program coordinator Serena Theiss,

left, speaks with Hunter Myhre, 10, as she attaches a

reading frog to the wall Monday at the Myrtle Creek Library.

Reporter Carisa Cegavske can be reached at 541-957-4213 or ccegavske@nrtoday.com
pictures taken by  Mike Henneke/The News-Review

Grand Opening Rocks!

Myrtle Creek Library reopens Monday

• CARISA CEGAVSKE Senior Staff Writer The News-Review

Carisa Cegavske

Senior Reporter

published June 30, 2017

Top of Form

Bottom of Form

The Myrtle Creek Library will reopen Monday with an all-volunteer staff, and kick off its summer reading program right away.

Like many of the smaller branches of the former Douglas County Library System, the Myrtle Creek Library has been closed since April 1. Sutherlin, Oakland, Riddle and Reedsport have since reopened their libraries.

The Myrtle Creek Library is unique in the county in that it is now managed not by the local city council, but by the nonprofit Friends of the Myrtle Creek Library.

"We're very excited," said Friends Treasurer Julienne DeMarsh about Monday's opening.

DeMarsh said the group has about 80 people on a list of potential volunteers or donors, with a group of 21 that has passed background checks and plans to volunteer through the summer.

On Friday, DeMarsh said they were working on getting connected to the internet and hope to have that up and running in time for the opening.

She said it's important to note that library patrons will need to re-register to get new library cards.

The 17,000 books and other items in the library's collection will be available for checkout on day one. However, a computer catalog system isn't yet available, so books will be checked out the old-fashioned way, with the patron's name and the item being written down.

DeMarsh said volunteers' enthusiasm wasn't diminished by the holiday weekend opening.

"People are still willing to help us out, so I'm very encouraged by that," she said.

The library building belongs to the city, but it's the Friends group that signed an intergovernmental agreement with the county to take charge of and check out items from the collection.

One of the biggest challenges the Friends face is paying for liability insurance. The main concern, DeMarsh said, is whether the library can continue to raise enough funds to pay for that insurance and keep the library running into the future.

For now, the emphasis is on the summer reading program, which will be held Mondays from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Coordinator Serena Theiss said the activities will follow a math, science and engineering theme adapted to fit the local library. Monday's activity will be a Three Little Pigs theme with kids crafting three different types of houses, a teepee, a rainbow cottage made from popsicle sticks and an adobe house made from a pinch pot. Field trips will also be held to different local businesses, including a visit to a water testing lab at Umpqua Research Company.

The programs are conveniently timed to end just as the local swimming pool opens up the street, Theiss said.

The doors will open at 10 a.m. Monday. Regular hours will be from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays; 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays and 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesdays. The library will be closed Fridays and Sundays.

That gives us more hours/days than when we had first moved in!  We’ve been without a library for just over three months now.  Thanks to the members of the Friends of Myrtle Creek library, we had our grand opening yesterday.  Our kick off was for the summer reading program “Build a Better World”

Children were told to choose a tee shirt which we would turn into a bag so they had a container to put prizes and books in.  I read the story of “The Three Little Pigs” but my three pigs started out life living in Myrtle Creek and each left the state to live in three particular kinds of houses: adobe, stick or tepee.  We then allowed the children to pick which house they would like to build and now have them in the display case at the library.

The grand opening was a huge success.  It is the busiest I have ever seen the library since we moved here just over two years ago,

Carissa had come to cover the story.  She remembered having had interviewed me before.  She didn’t remember my name, but she remembered that I had been sad.  That’s quite impressive from three months back and all the libraries she has covered ever since. 

I am so grateful for having the opportunity of being a part of this historical moment.

Enjoying Riddle

       The school library will be open three times during this summer.  Yesterday morning was the first day and I took Jenna to return the books we already had and trade them for something else. We had also stopped by Soco to have a meeting with the committee for the  Children's Summer Reading Program.  Jenna asked me if I'd take her to the library in Riddle which was also on my agenda, but it does not open until 3:00 on Tuesdays.  We returned home before we went to Riddle.  I took care of some school work.
       Jenna had wanted me to present my Costco card at the library for identification.  I've had it for over seven years.  The picture is of both Jenna and me.  She had really wanted to be in the picture that day, and I was just going to have her stand in front of me, but the man who'd been waiting to take my picture said that we could both be in it.  I like the picture so I keep the card.  Jenna and I both look very different now in real life.

      After we arrived in Riddle and went inside the library, the librarian told us that there was an activity outside.  We went to the pavilion where the drama coach of Riddle High was conducting a session for eight teenagers who had shown for the activity.  Jenna found one of her friends at the activity.  They both seemed to enjoy themselves.  I took a few pictures with my cell phone.  I have cropped out the other kids as I did not ask permission to post them.

pretending to brush her teeth

the instructor had teens pretend they were walking

in various situations

the last two are mirror mirror.  

Jenna had so much fun hanging with her friend after the activity, she forgot about the library or reporting the other books she read.  We may return tomorrow.

Social Media

            I am the administrator of two groups in facebook.  The first is a Relief Society page that I had started for the ward that I'm in as it has been the only not to have a ward or RS page, and I missed it.  The second group Jenna and I had volunteered to get started in April (I believe) after Myrtle Creek Library closed its doors and several library users wanted to form a group in hopes to reopen the library.  The group page has existed for less than three months, but twice as many members and A LOT of contributors.  Though each says she really appreciates the group page, getting other sisters to post their thoughts on the RS page is like pulling teeth.  We have twice as many members in our "Friends" group and thankfully I'm not the only one who has been posting everything.

            We had a meeting last night for the "Friends" group, and I will have another one this morning with the Summer Reading Program committee.  Myrtle Creek does a city wide yard sale each year for four years now.  It will take place in two weeks - which doesn't give our group much time for renting out booths and tables as suggested by one member.  No one in our group has a key to the library nor permission to use facility (although Marilyn often gets her way with the mayor - it's still something that has to be voted on by the council) and so we'll be setting up shop at the old laundry mat (which actually is where the last two meetings were held - it is weird hearing projected voices of the acoustics that are very different from the City Council building or Nazarene church where we used to meet) and so I posted the information last night before I went to bed.  Thus far there have been three shares - one included the Winston Wire (I'm guessing their newspaper) Wow.

            "Friends" caught on like wildfire. Would like to see that with the RS page.   

Bake Sale & Economy

          The tax proposal didn’t pass in November.  It wasn’t so much because people were opposed at having or keeping the library – they’ve just been opposed to paying for it.     On March 30, the Myrtle Creek library closed its doors.  They remain locked as some of us continue to fight for the cause.  I don’t know who is responsible for establishing the group, or just where everybody came from.  It was announced that a group would be forming for a non-profit organization which we had yet to name.

          The first four meetings or so took place at the school part of the Nazarene church.  There were over 30 people who attended.  Where were they when the library was looking for a new board member to replace Marilyn?  The only ones I recognized were those on the library board – and though it appeared some were on this new-founded committee, it didn’t appear that any of the board members were solely in charge.  I know Julienne had contributed to that first meeting but she wasn't the one conducting.  I was impressed by so many people with organizational skills that had brought us together for the same cause - but still felt somewhat confused with where that leadership had even come from.

          We decided to call our organization Friends of the Myrtle Creek Library, but ended up dropping “the”.  Someone had suggested that we have a bake sale not so much to raise money as it was to raise awareness.  The bake sale was on Saturday.  Richard and Jenna had gone to Roseburg and I was without a car until about 2:30 or so.  The bake sale had started at 11:00.  I didn’t arrive until between 2:30 and 3:00.

          Poor little Julienne.  She’d been there all day – or so it appears.  The day started out typical of last month, overcast and cool in the morning and didn’t warm up until 4:00 – which is when the bake sale ended.  I said  Jenna and I could stay if they needed us to.

          Julienne was wrapped in Jeanne’s coat.  She’d been freezing all morning .  Jeanne took Julienne home and Jenna and I stayed with Bob for the last hour of the bake sale.  Jenna was a natural saying “Hi” to each passerby and doing her best to sell the remainder of the baked goods.  Bob and I were talking about my most recent class.

          Funny how when I started my Philosopy class, I thought “eww. . .” and it turned out to be one of my favorite classes.  My economy class has also been a lot more enjoyable than what I had predicted – especially after eight weeks of feeling lost on a foreign language and loathing the teaching methods of and not relating to my instructor at all.

          I had done some research for this week’s topic. thought I would try a new approach for my assignment and had a large variety of references.  I can’t believe how smoothly my thoughts flowed and how I was able to segue one topic into the other.  It was great.  I stopped at 546 words thinking I would finish up sometime today with the other 54 plus. (600 are required) I actually did find a way to finish, but not in a way I would have expected.

          Yesterday, after I walked into the courthouse (as we no longer meet at the Nazarene and I think the city council is just more convenient for everybody involved) Bob handed me a book he had written.  He had even marked a page where I could find reference to go with my topic.  I think it’s really awesome – not only does it add value for my assignment but answers a few more questions about the history of Douglas County - Myrtle Creek in particular.

          Next week this class will be over and I will reveal this week’s two topics and share my posts and assignments.

A Teeny Tiny Taste of Comic Con

            Roland has wanted to take Jenna to Comic Con for several years now - but we can't afford it.  The closest we'd come to it was on Saturday at the Winston Community Center. 

            The Winston Library closed down the same time as all the other libraries in Douglas County.  I had been to four of the 11 libraries, but it wasn't until yesterday that I'd ever been to the Winston Library - housed in the community center.  I should have gone there before.  It is probably the same distance as Canyonville.  I believe that Winston's population is larger than Myrtle Creek, Canyonville and Riddle put together.

            Annette had spent the night, and we took her with us - unfortunately we were not there that long when she got called home.  We ran some errands in Roseburg before returning to Winston for almost an hour and a half.  (Jenna had wanted to stay until 5:00 and Roland wanted to leave at 4:00 - he held out for the final drawings (but not the final which would receive a Harlequin figure)  Jenna was hoping that would be her price, but I was certain Roland wasn't going to stick around until the end.  They both ended up with Avenger comic books the 3rd and 4th editions.

            Jenna had a really great time and wished that Annette could have been with us for the entire event as she probably would have won something, too.

Last Day - With a Rainbow of Promise

(I Thought I Would Need a Sad-Face Icon but Received a Rainbow Instead)

             Thursday was the last day for checking out books.  The library is closed now.  All checked out media is to be returned to the drop box by April 25.

             There was a rumor going around that a film crew would be there interviewing patrons as they have at many other libraries across the nation.  Nobody knew what time.

             Jenna and I left the house just after 12:00 and headed to the library with books and games in hand.  Someone sat at our regular table; she was using the Wi-Fi - I think. The mayor had come with his wife and had taken several pictures before the film crew arrived. 

             As volume in the library seemed to increase, Jenna and I decided to move outside.  The sun was shining in our face as we neared the bench between the parking lot and front door.  I suggested we move across the street from the parking lot and read while sitting on a bench over there.  Quite a gamble as the element switch had been tampered with all day:  pouring rain, no - sun, no - rain, no - sun . . . 

               Jenna saw the camera crew from Serendipity Films pull up and we went back inside.  It was just after 3:00.  Meanwhile, Carisa Cegavske, a reporter from "The News Review" had come to interview the librarian and patrons as well.  She started with our librarian before the film crew was fully set up.  Jenna spotted a man with a glowing blue stick over his belt. 

            "That's a blue mike," she announced.  The technician was quite impressed that she knew that and asked her if she was planning on getting into film.

            Turns out the "mike" he held looked more like a dust mop that had seen its fair share of cleaning. 

             After her conversation with our librarian, Carisa moved on to the mayor's wife.  We were sitting at the table nearby and I could see Jenna's wheels turning.  I literally had to h0ld onto her.  Jenna and I are friends with the mayor and his wife and I was not willing to lose that due to Jenna's silliness and disrespect.

             "Absolutely no photo bombs!"  I loudly whispered.

             The mayor's wife had tons of information.  She has been through this before when Redding closed down its library.  She wasn't going to move to another location unless there was a library.  After she had fulfilled her years being on the library board, I filled out an application and took her place - well sort of.  She's a pro and I'm still trying to get my feet wet.

             I found it amusing that those who were filming decided to incorporate Carisa's interviews into their film.  Perhaps it had been pre-arranged, but it didn't sound like it had.  When Jenna started answering Carisa's questions, the camera immediately turned on us.  Jenna was thrilled.

             It hadn't been my intention to stay at the library all day.  I had to return at 6:00 for the last board meeting - which evidently the film crew knew about and asked to be a part of it - although I had not known that at the time.

            Jenna and I returned to the car.  Just before I was about to pull away, I told Jenna that we had to go back into the library as we had not signed a release form. (I hope Serendipity got a release form from Carisa as well, as I think she was in all the patron shots - or at least her voice was) After we got that taken care of, we returned home to eat.

             The vehicle in which film crew had arrived was still in the parking lot.  Jenna asked if they would be at the meeting too.  I didn't think they would, but they were - along with an additional amount of public which actually doubled our usual attendance.  That was kind of different.

             After the meeting had ended, everyone went outside so the film crew could take one final shot of the librarian closing the doors.  Once we were all outside, we found a rainbow right over the library.  Instead of fading (as rainbows often do) the colors became more vibrant.  It looked to us as though our library was "the pot of gold" at the end of the rainbow.  We all stood outside the parking lot to get pictures.  Unfortunately my camera wasn't able to capture the awe. 

             The Serendipity cameraman was out there filming.  I made a comment that it would make a great ending to their documentary, as for me, the rainbow represented hope.  He then turned the camera on me.  I wasn't expecting that.  I wish I had made the same profound comment.  It was cool to have such an awesome ending to the tears we all felt for that day.

I came home to find Jenna also taking pictures of the rainbow and the sunset - her pictures came out way better than mine

Here is the article found in News Review.

Visiting Salem

                It seems highly possible that we will be moving again within the next 2-3 years.  Roland wants to start a business, and we considered an adult day care in Myrtle Creek - we had even found the most perfect building and location - but the business will need to be open 6-8 months before we can get the benefits for Veteran and Medicare support.  It would be less costly just to take over someone else's business or become a sub company and partner with a business that already has a name; they would be our parent company, I suppose. 

        He has talked to a woman in Taggart who offers adult day care as well as residency.  We are just interested in doing the daycare portion at this time.  Or he is, rather. I have not made it a secret with how I feel about business.  I don't want to get into food.  I think Roland would rather just leave Myrtle Creek and go to where he can not only create a business, but establish cliental - which actually doesn't seem so promising in Myrtle Creek.  Roland will have to educate potential cliental on whatever business he chooses - where some of more populated cities are already in the frame of mind to except (or even accept) whatever kind of business Roland may open.  

         I personally, will have a very hard time leaving this area.  I love the close-knit - pull-together community that we currently live in - not necessarily offered in larger cities.  Roland's always talking about moving to Eugene - which is my opinion seems to resemble Salt Lake City in many ways.  No.  I don't want to live in Lane County.  I'd be willing to move to Polk or Marion County.  I wanted to prove to him that Eugene and Portland are not the only two cities in Oregon with business opportunity.  On Saturday we went to our state's capitol city: Salem. 

        Most of the items I had written on my list for outdoors and the weather was quite overcast and often raining.  The Riverfront Carousel is an indoor carrousel.  It was a two and a half hour drive each way, but I think it was worth it to capture Jenna's smile. 

        We first stopped at a Burger King in Cottage Grove.  We were hungry.  She always asks for a crown.  I think at least two of my boys would do the same, and proudly wear the crown.

        The name of Jenna's horse was Razzle Dazzle.  She noticed the horse's medallion right away.  I don't think I would have noticed.  We thought it to be exceptionally cool.

I thought she should be on the outside  so that she could grab rings out of the fish's mouth.  The person that ends up with the "brass" ring gets another free ride. 

Jenna leaned out to grab the rings.  I think we had seven of them.  Assorted red, white and green.  But there was a heavier ring to represent the brass ring. 

        So Jenna went around again and smiled widely as she collected rings. 

        We took a short walk around the grounds and took a few pictures of the riverfront. 

       

        After Jenna finished with her delight at the children's playground (which she is obviously too big for)

        We headed to the Salem Public Library.  We were allowed to park for free as there was an event going on.  Several tables had been set up by members of the community to advertise places of business - sort of like an indoor fair without the food or rides.

        Jenna loved earning prizes and demonstrated her skills on ukulele. 

        The instructor's were impressed with how quickly she picked up on the fingering, but Uncle Bill had showed how back when we were still living in Utah.

        I have a cousin who lives in Salem.  Unfortunately we have not been able to touch base (except through facebook) since we arrived in this state.

        I had a lot of ideas in my head about what to post and how many new blogs I could create.  It was the weekend and my family became a priority over the keyboard.  Or else I have been tired.

        It snowed on Sunday morning.  Jenna was really happy about that.  We drove to Church in the same conditions we had faced all too often in Salt Lake . . . but it was gone long before Church let out.  Weird.