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NEWS FROM THE LIBRARY

Julia Larke, Librarian

Looking back, 2014 has been a busy year: full of

changes, wonderful programs, increased patronage,

hardworking volunteers, and much, much more. A

few deserve special mention as year 2015 begins.

We have a new County Librarian, Wally Clark. Wally

worked as Branch Manager of the Fort Bragg Library

before becoming Interim Director in March of 2014

when Mindy Kittay left the position. He has a good

feeling for the Mendocino County libraries and a

progressive attitude about making our library

system the best it can be.

Mendocino County has a new logo that was chosen

from entries sent in from all over the county. The

design is by Tai Evans, a school teacher in Laytonville.

Internet access has been vastly improved as a result

of the DeNovo Group's Google grant for Rural

Broadband. Further Reach, a project of the DeNovo

Group, is providing the library's public internet

service for free and we're seeing download speeds

ranging from 20 to 40 Mbps on laptops. We've had

a huge amount of positive feedback from our

computer users regarding the new system. Thank

you, Yahel Ben David and the Further Reach Team!

The new 70” flatscreen TV monitor is being put to

good use by the Adult Ed Great Courses series on

the arts and sciences and by people giving

powerpoint programs in the Community Room.

Other improvements in décor are the comfortable

easy chairs in the adult reading area and in the

children's room. The Friends of the Library

purchased the chairs with funds from donations and

book sales. Thanks go out, not only to the Friends,

but to the entire South Coast Community and

others who support this community public library.

Zip Books, a statewide project for rural libraries that

is testing a vendor to requester inter-library loan

methods. It's free and works like this: current

library card holders can fill out a request (on-line or

at your library) for any book that costs $35.00 or

less.

After the item is ordered by library staff it is

delivered directly to you home/address; when you

are finished you take it to the library where it is

either kept for the library's collection or donated to

the Friends book sale. This grant funded project is

managed by the Califa Group, in partnership with

the California State Library. Our library will

participate until the end of June, 2015.

SUNDAY @ THE LIBRARY PROGRAMS in Winter 2014 by Julia Larke

During November, we had two great programs in the Sunday @ the

Library series. The first was Handmade Boxes with Lena Bullamore.

Lena makes the beautiful, one of a kind, little boxes using only recycled

paper from old calendar photos and magazines. She uses the boxes to

package small items for shoppers at her iconic Point Arena boutique,

Everything Under the Sun, where she has sold Fair Trade items from

around the world for over 25 years.

The second program was Hiking the Inca Trail and Sailing the

Galapagos Islands with Nancy and Nik Epanchin of Irish Beach. They

shared photos and stories of their South American travels to two

World Heritage sites. In Peru, they hiked the rugged Inca Trail to

Machu Picchu and they sailed the Galapagos Islands off Ecuador for

sixteen days. Nancy highly recommended Turn right at Machu

Picchu: rediscovering the lost city one step at a time by Mark Adams.

The Epanchins also presented very professional travel photo books

of Nik’s terrific photographs.

In December, Kathy Silva gave another of her very popular Origami

Workshops. There was hardly room for all of us in the Community

Room, and, one of these days, Kathy will need a bull horn to give

instructions. We folded Tico stars, a simple design that results in very

beautiful star pattern. www.goorigami.com/diagrams/tico-star.

Beth Knoche, Publicity Chair for the Friends, organized a Holiday Sing-

A-Long and Storytelling program for December 21st. Loretta Healey

entertained us with a fairytale, Mimi Dallas played piano and Jamie Erwin played guitar. The Friend’s

monthly Book Sale was also in progress on this day. The newly rejuvenated team of Bea's Bakers provided a

wonderful array of holiday cookies, breads, and sweets. Thank you, Beth, for doing such a good job with

programming.

UPCOMING 2015 SUNDAY @ THE LIBRARY PROGRAMS by Beth Knoche

Sunday @ the Library starts the New Year with a January 18 talk by Laura Schatzberg, former Peace Corps

volunteer, who recently returned from the Ukraine where she worked as an English Teacher. She has many

photos and personal experiences to share.

For the origami enthusiasts there will be a Valentine Origami workshop on Sunday February 8 with Kathy

Silva and friends. We’ll be folding a heart card, a little valentine bunny and a surprise heart pattern. As

always, all supplies are free.

On Sunday February 22 at 2 p.m. Dr. Don Nason and his wife Judy, who volunteer with the Alternatives to

Violence Project (AVP) in the California prison system, will share their many fascinating experiences. Don

organizes 3-day workshops for volunteer inmates in three prisons. He and Judy both participate as leaders

along with inmates who have trained in the program. This talk promises to be an exciting look into what is

being done to help men and women inmates who wish to transform their lives for good.

The once a month Sunday@ the Library includes a variety of topics, from personal stories, travelogues, to

craft workshops. If you have a story to tell, a trip to share, a craft to teach, please contact Beth Knoche at

bethknoche@gmail.com or Julia Larke at the Library.

BOOK CLUB AT THE LIBRARY

Jinx McCombs, Scribe

Coast Community Library hosts a book group that

meets in the Community Room at 4 p.m. on the third

Wednesday of each month (with breaks in summer

and in December). The group chooses a wide range

of books by mutual agreement. One of the

advantages of the group is that we read things we

might not ordinarily choose. We may not all love

every book we read-but we do have interesting and

divergent discussions.

The next meeting is be January 21. The book for

discussion is The Bookseller of Kabul by Asne

Seierstadt, nonfiction. For February 18, we’ll be

reading one of the earlier novels of Canadian author

Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale. The group

is open to any who want to join. Participation is open

and flexible. If you want to, you can just show up

for a meeting. Questions? Contact Jinx McCombs

<pnord@mcn.org

STORY TIME WITH MARILYN

Marilyn Alderson’s Story Time for toddlers took a

winter break and resumed its regular schedule on

Tuesday, January 6th at 11:00 am. Our children’s

collection is curated by Marilyn and she does an

excellent job. She is a retired Children’s Librarian

from the Stanislaus County Public Library in Modesto.

Marilyn is shown below preparing for her Big Book

Extravaganza program, the final story time of 2014.

ADULT EDUCATION

Beth Knoche, Coordinator

The new series of college-level Great Courses DVD

classes begin January 8. These DVD lectures are

well attended by dedicated South Coast learners

and led by knowledgeable and dedicated

facilitators. The Great Course programs are

frequently donated to the library after completion

of the classes.

New Adult Education Classes for the New Year

The Art of the Northern Renaissance, taught by

Professor Catherine Scallen of Case Western

Reserve University, will be facilitated by library

volunteer, Larry Riddle. Riddle, who has a

background in art history, has hosted two other art

history DVD classes.

The library’s new 70 inch monitor is the perfect

way to view the images of paintings, woodcuts,

engravings, etching, sculptures and drawings by

artists who include Jan van Eyck, Rogier van der

Weyden, Albrecht Durer, Hans Holbein,

Hieronymus Bosch, and Pieter Bruegel. Professor

Scalen not only discusses the art, she places it in its

social and artistic context, exploring a wide range

of historical issues. This class will be held Thursdays

at 2 p.m. from January 8 through May 7.

Your Best Brain, taught by Professor John Medina

and facilitated by Karl Mellander explores five key

aspects of modern research for an enhanced

brain and the optimized brain. This is the fourth

“brain” class retired astrophysicist Mellander has

offered, each a part of his own personal search for

understanding a dynamic universe. This class

begins on January 8 at 4 p.m. and continues every

Thursday through March 26.

The Thirty Greatest Orchestral Works DVD Course

by Dr. Robert Greenberg continues with Bob

Schwein facilitating as part of the winter series.

This is the sixth presentation of music courses from

The Great Courses which we began presenting in

2008. Dr. Greenberg is a wonderful, humorous

presenter and the class has been captivated by the

mix of lecture and listening. The class meets

Thursdays at 11:00 am.

Intriguing New Ideas for Adult Education Classes

A survey seeking input on the Library’s Adult

Education classes was distributed last fall to course

attendees. It was also available at the circulation

desk. Although the response was limited, several

great ideas were generated.

One idea was to utilize our new 70 inch monitor,

which is linked to the internet, to offer TED lectures

(www.ted.com/talk). TED Talks are videos that

present a great idea in 18 minutes or less. Their goal

is to share ideas worth spreading in fields like

science, technology, business, culture, art and design

around the world. We need folks who are interested

in making TED lectures a reality for our Adult Ed

program to contact Beth Knoche at

bethknoche@gmail.com.

The library board recently authorized a new

surround sound audio system for the Community

Room. Tim Balambao, our local electronics

expert, selected and procured an appropriate set of

components and speakers. Bob Schwein spent five

days installing, wiring, testing and calibrating the

system. We conducted the first class with the system

on December 11 - what an improvement from the TV

speakers! Many thanks to Beth Knoche for

spearheading the effort.

Still Learning

Our Adult Education DVD courses got their start as a

direct result of Beth Knoche’s interview of an early

library volunteer, Stan Stillman, for the Spring 2007

edition of the Redwood Coast Review. That story

was titled “Still Learning”. In the interview Stan told

Beth, “I take a lot of Teaching Company

courses….once a week my friend Michael comes to

dinner, and we listen to Teaching Company CDs or

DVDs.”

Beth suggested Stan share these lectures at the

library with other lifelong learners, and Stan agreed.

As a pilot course he began with “The Foundations of

Western Civilization” on Thursday, April 12, 2007, at

10 a.m. in the Community Room. He named the

program “Continuing Education” and was in charge

for several years. No doubt, Stan would be pleased

and surprised at the range and breadth of the

courses being offered now and the numbers of

people faithfully attending, not to mention our

state of the art technology. We're still learning!

Stan Stillman

VISIT OUR WEBSITE

Mindy Eisman , Web Master

The Coast Community Library website plays a vital

role in our communications with the Friends of the

Library and the community at large. Visit

http://www.coastcommunitylibrary.org to find

schedules, times, dates, locations for all our

regularly scheduled events as well as for

information on special events and upcoming

programs. In addition to the time and date

information, you will find descriptions of the

happenings, programs, and events.

Our hope is, that by using the web page, which can

be updated, modified, changed at a moment's

notice, we will better serve all of you who use the

library and those of you who just aren't sure what

all is available. Through our website you can link to

the Mendocino County Library site as well as to

many other interesting resources for readers.

FAVORITES (movie and book picks)

Wild Swans, by Jung Chang. The true story of three

generations of three Chinese women starting with

the author's grandmother who was born in

1909. The book is banned in China probably

because of the author's personal account of the

Cultural Revolution. The grandmother had her feet

bound as a baby and at age fifteen was sold to a

war lord as a concubine. She did not live with the

other concubines so when her daughter (the

author's mother) was born they were able to

escape. Later, during and after WWll, mother and

daughter became loyal and enthusiastic

communists. But during the Cultural Revolution they

were mistreated and became disenchanted with

communism. The author married and moved to

England. The story is mostly from the memories of

the author's mother. This is one of the best books

I've read and I recommend it to all. – Jack Miller

The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by

Elizabeth Kolbert. My pick for best non-fiction book

of 2104 is a must read for all who live on planet

Earth and can read! Kolbert, an award-winning

science writer for The New Yorker, continues in the

footsteps of another great New Yorker writer, John

McPhee. The Sixth Extinction looks at how humans

came to understand evolution, the fossil record, and

the concept of extinctions. Kolbert then examines

the current mass extinctions taking place by

interviewing researchers whose studies include work

with the Panamanian golden frog (already extinct in

the wild), reef-building corals (gone by 2050 if

current trends in ocean acidification and

temperature rise continue), and North American

hibernating bats (the devastating white-nose fungal

disease is killing millions of these insect-eating bats

in 25 states and five Canadian provinces, to date).

Kolbert makes this depressing topic interesting and

the intelligence and ingenuity of the people she

interviews gives hope that human caused mass

extinctions can be turned around. – Julia Larke

Still Mine, 2013 Film

This film is a piercing and poignant depiction of life

as it undergoes the shifts and changes and

heartbreaks of losing one's beloved to the rages of

dementia. The main character, Craig Morrison,

played by James Cromwell, is an 87 year old New

Brunswick farmer determined to build by himself a

more navigable home on his own land for himself

and his cherished wife of 61 years, Irene (Genevieve

Bujold) who is inexorably sliding into dementia. It

thoughtfully and deliberately presents both the pride

and perils of aging embedded in a story of a battle of

wills between an ordinary, principled man vs. the

system. “Still Mine” will not only resonate with

seniors who loyally support films that feature their

peers in starring roles and tell relatable stories, but

will also speak to those with aging parents. – Leslie

Harrison

Wild, 2014 Film

Going on a pilgrimage or enduring an ordeal are

ancient traditions for transforming one’s

life. Suffering is expected, transcendence is hoped

for. The 2014 film “Wild” tells a story of that kind

of journey, based on the real experiences of Cheryl

Strayed, who chose to face the precipitous crash of

her life hopes by setting out, minimally prepared

and all alone, to hike the Pacific Crest Trail from

Mexico to Canada.

We went to the film expecting glorious

cinematography of the backcountry, and there is

some of that. But the film focuses on the interior

human landscape more than the exterior

vistas. Thanks to a deeply authentic presence by

Reese Witherspoon as Cheryl, and a script that

provides just what is needed, no more, we join

Cheryl in her solitude and uncertainty. Subtle

subliminal flashes of Cheryl’s thoughts and

memories (many unexplained) add to the sense of

identity with her.

“Wild” should be showing up at Arena Theater in

coming weeks. It’s based on Cheryl Strayed’s

memoir Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific

Crest Trail. I haven’t read her book, but friends who

had tell me that this is one of the rare movies that

is even better for having read the book first. The

film was directed by Jean-Marc Vallee (“The Young

Victoria” and “Dallas Buyers Club”), and screenplay

was by Nick Hornby (who wrote the novel About a

Boy). – Jinx McCombs

FOCCL BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Friends News – Alix Levine

Pearl Watts has become our new Hospitality Chair.

Their reactivation under Pearl's leadership provided

the tasty treats at the party on Nov. 8, celebrating

the 10th anniversary of moving in to our lovely

library building.

Good News! In coming months necessary repair

work on the facade of the library will be performed.

Space is being prepared for installation of the

Afterschool Edge computer for youngsters and a

workspace for projects, crafts, and homework. The

AWE station is funded by a Community Foundation

grant.

Members of FOCCL Board will be attending a

teleconferencing series of workshops on Building

Better Boards, starting Jan 13, lasting 6 months.

We’re excited about the prospect of making our

Board of Directors more effective and efficient.

Attrition has reduced the membership of many of

the volunteer committees that do so much to help

the library. The Board is working on a plan to restore

active membership on the various committees and

will be recruiting volunteers soon.

Upcoming Board Sponsored Events – John Bastian

The Scrabble Tournament will be held in March to

coincide with the Daffodil Festival in Point Arena.

Only one tournament is planned for 2015.

The spring book sale will be at the end of February.

Tutor trainings for the One on One Literacy Program

began in December and will continue into January.

As we plan on matching tutors with students we will

need many more tutors than students. Please

contact Mary Alice Bastian @ 882-2731 if you are

interested in helping adults expand their reading,

writing and understanding of English.

Bea's Bakers, Carrying on a Tradition – Pearl Watts

Several years ago, Bea Aker took on the role of

FOCCL hostess and did a marvelous job. She often

tailored her goodie spread to match the event she

was hosting. Each spread of home made goods was

cleverly holiday-appropriate or event oriented. Her

imagination was brought to reality by the collection

of volunteers who joined what was referred to as

"Bea's Bakers".

What a fantastic group they were! After Bea died,

the group faded into the background. Pearl Watts

felt that the group should be restored to its former

glory, both in memory of Bea and to provide a way

for eager volunteers who love the library and love to

cook to show off their skills. People know that,

regardless of what the event might be, the food

itself makes it worth attending. And so, Bea's

Bakers is alive and well again. Look forward to the

next event and show up because refreshments

WILL be served! If you would like to join the ranks

of Bea's Bakers, call Pearl Watts, 884-3057.

INPUT FROM THE EDITOR

Leslie Harrison

Once again, I would like to thank all of you who

have contributed time, information, and

photographs for this edition of NOTES. I encourage

anyone who has ideas or thoughts or wishes

regarding NOTES to be in touch with me at

(rockisleldh@cvcca.com). As we head into the New

Year, I give thanks for our extraordinary little library

and for all the people who keep it moving forward.

Turn the page. You are like the slowest reader ever!

Join the Friends! New members are welcome.

FRIENDS OF COAST COMMUNITY LIBRARY

225 Main Street PO Box 808

Point Arena, CA 95468

(707) 882-3114