INFORMATION RELEASE            

Media Contact: Heather O'Connell

(239) 461-2924 or hoconnell@leegov.com

Pine Island Public Library 45th Anniversary Celebration Wednesday, November 14

Fort Myers, FL; November 8, 2007 – Enjoy this free celebration presented by The Friends of Pine Island Public Library, Wednesday, November 14 from Noon – 7 p.m. at the Pine Island Public Library.

 

Schedule

 

Free activities include: Kids Crafts and light refreshments.  From noon – 2 p.m. the Mullet Wagon will be selling Mullet sandwich meals (an Island tradition) $5.  Local authors will be on hand throughout the day.

Noon- 2 p.m.  - Dennis Havlin


2:30 p.m.  - Celebration Ceremony and Reception

3-5 p.m.  - Roothee Gabay, Fran Thomas

5-7 p.m.  - Wendy Howell Mills, Marty Ambrose and Kirsten Haffner

 

About the Library and its Friends

People sometimes expect libraries to have a stuffy, overly serious feel. But this Island library draws people in with the same playful welcome of its neighbors: a park, pool and tennis courts. People often stop in on a break from riding along the bicycle path that runs the length of the island, or fresh from the slides and swings of the nearby playground.


Islanders can expect relaxed, personal service from people who remember your stories of summer adventures and winter guests. They’re long-time friends who know what you enjoy reading and what your personal interests are. Their thoughtful recommendations come as easily as their genuine smiles, and they walk with you to the books or CDs and movies you’re looking for as you share your latest experiences and anticipate the season’s happenings.   

 

It’s no wonder the location has a loyal group of supporters: “Friends of the Pine Island Public Library” who hold book sales to support the library by providing funding for some of the events and outreach to the community. The Friends recently helped a newly established literacy program at the Pink Citrus Trailer Park. The group provided children’s books for free kids’ activities while parents attend classes in English as a Second Language.  

The Friends also fund celebrations like Wednesday’s event and provide new items for the library. Their most recent purchase was new furniture for the children’s section.

”The old furniture looked like scaled down adult chairs,“ says Friends group president, Dianne Higgins.  

”So we purchased some up-to-date children’s furniture. They seem to like that a great deal; it’s very bright and appeals to children. We also purchased a storytime rug for the children to sit on. The rug serves a second purpose; the colorful pattern on the rug demonstrates how to use the Dewey decimal system,” Higgins said.

Like the rug, Wednesday’s Anniversary party serves a dual purpose. It’s not only the 45th anniversary of the library; it’s also a landmark year for the Friends organization.

”The Friends were chartered in 1982, so this is our 25th anniversary,“ Higgins said, adding that everyone’s invited.

“We’re very proud of our library and our community. We welcome anyone who would like to come out and help us celebrate both of these milestones, and how things have changed. “

The original county sponsored library was located in the building next door, and is now the Museum of the Islands. The museum will also be open from 1-5 p.m. so people will be able to see the original location and take self-guided tours.

 

Expect Wednesday’s celebration to be fun, but easy going. There are no fancy presentations or hurried schedules; no rush to be the first to get a slice of cake. The authors aren’t holding your attention with any formal speeches or sales pitches; they’re just sitting casually for peaceful one-on-one chats with anyone who wants to find out more about their books, their inspirations, or their experiences on the Island. Of course, they’ll have their books beside them for signing and the possible sale, but there’s no pressure or expectation, just easy conversation.

The authors all live on Pine Island or Matlacha. Fran Thomas works at the library as a page, shelving books, including her own title - You're Not the Boss of Me: Empowerment Strategies for an Imperfect Workplace. She laughingly swears it’s inspired by another time and place.

Roothee Gabay took her inspiration from her own back yard for I-land: at the End of Civilization

Near the modern islands of Sanibel, Useppa, and Boca Grande, a newly widowed and injured Gracie is stranded on a primitive island where she encounters the remnants of the ancient Calusa, who have hidden in the Everglades for over four hundred years. In their midst, not only does Gracie find love but a new way of life, and safety from cataclysm. – from the book summary

 

Dennis Havlin combines humor and suspense in The Hangin’ Oak: a Ghost Story
Imagine being skeptical of the existence of ghosts, only to find they are real and that by accident you've carried two unwanted spirits home. In the novel, The Hangin' Oak, a happy prosperous couple finds their lives and futures upended under the influence of two apparitions thrust forward in time one hundred forty years. Forced to cope with the reality posed by each other, the fortunes of humans and specters lead them to forge a relationship to help solve both their sets of problems. - Amazon

Wendy Howell Mills has authored several book series featuring female detectives. Heroine Callie McKinley is featured in the Outerbanks Mysteries, set in North Carolina, while teacher turned sleuth Sabrina Dunsweeney solves crimes in Florida’s fictional Comico Island in Island Intrigue and its sequel Island Blues.
Both tourism and the death rate rise when an odd organization, Hummers International Inc., comes to Comico for a retreat. The Hummers “hear the Hum”, which is the “voice of the Universe”, explains Hummers president Michael Siderius. But perhaps Hummer spokesman Gilbert Kane, found floating face down in the marina, heard too much. – Publishers’ Weekly


Marty Ambrose chairs the English Department at Edison College and is a full-time English professor. She has been a long standing member of Southwest Florida Romance Writers and her titles reflect these diverse interests. Racing to Love - a romance novel, and Grammar connection: guidelines for CLAST success. She is now working on mysteries and has a series out to Avalon and St. Martin's Press.

 

Kirsten Haffner is a local teen, who made her writing debut at the age of 13, with her children’s book Born to Be Free.
A woman who studies the behaviors of wild horses comes across a girl living with these animals in Nevada’s Snake Canyon. “Kristi” is on a quest to become a real horse to fulfill a prophecy and save her mother. – Amazon

 

Haven’t been out to the Island? It’s a peaceful ride along a stretch of roadway lined by grass, trees and mangroves.  Brightly hand-painted telephone poles let you know you’re nearing someplace fun, relaxed and never too serious. Soon, the road is bordered by simple waterfront stores, homes and restaurants. Roadside art galleries provide a playful peek at the personality of the people living here. It’s an invitation to slip into your flip-flops, relax and just enjoy.

So make a day of it, exploring the Calusa artifacts at the neighboring museum, enjoying the art and restaurants, or casting a line from “the world’s fishingest bridge” and remember the Pine Island Library the next time you’d like to make a brief escape from life’s hurries.

 

The Pine Island Public Library is located at 10700 Russell Road NW, Bokeelia. For more information, call (239) 479-INFO or visit the Lee County Library System website at www.lee-county.com/library

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