Everyone in Willow Creek is there for a reason. They lead very ordinary small village existences. Social life revolves around two institutions, the Willow Creek Inn and the Willow Creek School (grades 1-12).
Sam Pickett, the high school’s English teacher/boys basketball coach, is a good teacher and knows basketball. Unfortunately, he has very little basketball talent to coach, and due to low high school enrollments, his teams rarely have six or seven players. They have not won a game in five years and are 0-93 during Pickett’s coaching tenure. Nevertheless, his players persist, despite broken dreams and personal sorrows. Pickett is about to resign as basketball coach when two new students appear. One is Peter Strong, a basketball guard from Saint Paul’s Central High School whose divorced parents have sent him to live with his eccentric grandmother. The other student is the gawky Olaf Gustafson, a 6’11” foreign exchange student who is staying with a nearby ranching family for the year. Olaf has never held a basketball. What unfolds is an uplifting tale of human decency, romance, and determination that plumbs hidden places in the human heart. All this unfolds with a cast of characters who learn to dream again, characters made so real that they will be with you long after you turn the last page. That’s Stanley Gordon West writing style. It’s a great summer’s read. You can find this book in the Coffman Library. By Carol Van Why, Library Committee Co-Chair
Originally published in the July 2021 issue of the 1666 Coffman Newsletter After five years serving as Library Committee Co-Chair, Katie Weiblen will step down from that position, effective August 31. While remaining on the Committee, this move will allow her to spend more time with family and friends. I am pleased that Katie will continue to be the Library’s liaison to new residents. I am thankful that Faye Herold, who has been a member of the Library Committee since 2019, has agreed to share Chair duties with me. Until recently, Faye has been responsible for evaluating donations for the Library’s book collection. The book sale cart is back in place near the Library’s upper level entrance. New Library Committee member Audrey Estebo is in charge, with Scott Magnuson assisting. Book stock changes frequently, and you’re bound to find something you’ve missed reading. Prices are reasonable, and proceeds all go toward Library book purchases. I am excited to be working with new Library Committee member Eileen Smith on a catalog feasibility study. Eileen has begun to inventory the collection and import catalog records into a database. As work progresses, you’ll notice signs on the shelves that show the specific area Eileen is working with and areas where work has been completed. In the early stages of the study, residents will be unable to search the inventory directly. In the meantime, if you’re wondering if a particular item is in the collection, contact me via email at carolvw65@yahoo.com. Speaking of interesting projects, during the summer Committee members focus on identifying and improving selected areas of the collection. You can be part of this process. Are you aware of highly regarded books not in our library? Let us know about them. Be aware that space and budget constraints prevent us from buying all the books we’d like to. Send your recommendations to me no later than July 19.
Nearby on the 1666 AUTHORS shelf find a book by architect Joe Michels featuring his own work. Maybe you’ll discover which Coffman residents lived in these special places. Like the homes they illustrate, the books themselves are treasures. Sign them out; enjoy them; return them for others to enjoy.
Thanks to everyone for their book donations and to Committee members for their wise book purchases throughout the past year. Special thanks to Catherine Wengler for applying her merchandising savvy to the RECENT AND RELEVANT shelves. Statistics show that residents borrowed 1,301 items from the Library in 2020.
Many thanks to residents for expressing appreciation for the Library via the Long-Range Planning survey. Those sentiments helped justify the Library’s 2021 budget request of $500. Easier access to Coffman’s Wi-Fi is back. With fewer COVID restrictions, we’ve dropped the one-person-at-a-time rule in the Library. We hope that restriction, along with wipes and gloves, are things of the past. Newer residents may not know that before the pandemic, the Library Committee sold surplus books. That effort added between $200 and $300 per year to the Library’s coffers. Watch for the book sales cart to return no later than July 1 to its location just outside the Library’s upper level door. The Library Committee regrets David Klaassen’s permanent move to Michigan. Who knew it would turn into a win-win-win situation? As part of his move, David made unneeded home furnishings/accessories available free to residents. The only condition was that they make a donation to the Library after taking an item. Residents scored some nice home furnishings. David and Anita had fewer possessions to move. Your donations to the Library amounted to a welcome $130. Thank you so much. |
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