Library hosts National Library Workers Day
Karen Valley, director of Westbrook’s Walker Memorial Library, did a beautiful job of organizing an open house for National Library Workers Day. From 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on April 4, there was tea and refreshments in the first floor of the library, with 200 guests present. There were crackers and cheese, cookies, brownies, breads and a pretty white frosted cake with blue lettering.
“Library Workers Day is a great time to learn about the type of jobs held by library employees, if people are interested in a second career,” Valley said. “We want people to know that we work at your library and we love and take pride in what we do.”
Among the guests were Mayor Bruce Chuluda and his wife, Vickie, Library Trustee Marion Broaddus and her husband, Sam; Wendy, Kathy and Karyn, librarians from the Warren Library; Deb Locke, Julie Blackmore, Jina Garner, and Jane Cote, librarians from Westbrook High School; Angela and Irina Wilson; Jane Mailhot; Audrey Hawxwell, Michele Diroux; John Switzer, whose wife Virginia is an assistant librarian in the Walker Children’s Room; Diane McGinley; Tina Crellin, Westbrook human resources director, and her assistant, Brenda Bergeron; Michelle Mecteaux, the mayor’s administrative aide; and the City Administrator, Jerre Bryant.
It was a very enjoyable party.
Tour of St. Hyacinth’s museum collection
At the April meeting of the Westbrook Historical Society, President Rob Smith conducted the meeting, with reports by Secretary Susan Norton and Treasurer Nancy Curran.
At the interesting program, Phil LaViolet gave members a video presentation of a tour of the museum collection of St. Hyacinth Parish, with facts about its pastors and church history.
There were eight pastors there in a span of 50 years. He showed us many pictures of the priests. We saw handsome and ornate vestments, which were hung in closets. He also displayed many ornate and precious chalices; original World War II posters; banners and flags from Scout troops and graduation pictures of parochial school pupils. The school closed in 1950. The school had a drum corps, hockey and baseball teams, and dances for young people.
He pointed out many books, including cookbooks in French, and others about Rudy Vallee, as well as albums of Rudy’s music.
We were also interested in the soapstone he showed us (to heat the beds in winter).
A visit to the museum would be worthwhile. They have a vast and fascinating collection.
The May 3 meeting of the Westbrook Historical Society will have Rhea Cote Robbins as the speaker. She is the founder and executive director of L’Institut des Femmes Franco-Americaine, The Franco-American Women’s Institute, in Brewer.
Society members are urged to bring guests. The meeting starts at 1:30 p.m. at the society’s headquarters on the second floor of the Dunn Street Legion Hall.
DaPonte Quartet’s concert
The Noonday concert on April 6 at Portland’s First Parish Church drew a large crowd. The DaPonte String Quartet was a popular attraction, playing Franz Schubert’s String Quartet No. 4 in D minor, “Death and the Maiden.”
The quartet members are Ferdinand Liva, violin, Lydia Forbes, violin; Mark Preston, viola, and Myles Jordan, cello. In 1991, Jordan became founding cellist of the DaPonte String Quartet.
The four movements were allegro; Andente con Molto; Scherzo, Allegro Molto Trio; and Presto.
I always enjoy the Andante movements, and this was an interesting one. The cellist was fun to watch, having a busy time, with much pizzicato activity (plucking the strings).
Liva told the audience that Schubert (1797-1828) unfortunately never heard this quartet played, as he died before it had been performed. I read in “The International Encyclopedia of Music and Musicians” that Schubert composed it in 1824 and it was published in 1831. The article said “This D Minor Quartet was destined to be the most popular he ever wrote.”
We were sorry to read of his early death, at 31 years old. He was not in good health, and was often impoverished. The Britannica article about Schubert says: “A succession of masterpieces marks the last year of his life. Early in the year he composed the greatest of his piano duets, the Fantasia in F minor, D. 940. The “great” C-major Symphony was concluded in March, as was also the cantata Miriams Siegesgesang. In September and October a series of songs, and his last three sonatas were concluded, and the great String Quintet in C major – the swan song of the classical era in music.”
Just think how famous and beloved his music is today. Our Portland audience certainly enjoyed his Quartet in D Minor, and called the DaPonte players back on the stage twice, with constant applause.
Parliamentarians meet at Walker Memorial Library
The Thomas B. Reed unit of Parliamentarians met April 6 at Westbrook’s Walker Memorial Library, with President Colleen Reed presiding. Jayne Flanagan, President of the Maine Association and Secretary-Treasurer of the Thomas B. Reed unit,Vice-President Dolores Ellis and Bertha Rideout of the membership committee gave reports. That meeting was a rehearsal for the April 22 MAP meeting workshop in Scarborough.
The workshop meeting will be held April 22, from 10 a.m., to noon in the Scarborough Public Library. It is sponsored by the Maine Association of Parliamentarians. The subject will be “How to Prepare and Run a Meeting.” The new book, “Robert’s Rules of Order In Brief” will be available for sale at this free workshop.
The workshop meeting is open to the public.
RECIPE
Today’s recipe is from “The Sephardic Cooks,” Compiled and published by Congregation Vershalom Sisterhood, Atlanta, Ga., 1992.
EASY RICE DELIGHT
1/4 lb. margarine
2-1/2 cups water
1 pkg. onion soup mix
1 can mushrooms, drained or fresh, sliced
1 cup long grain rice
Combine all ingredients; stir and cover. Bake for 1 hour without opening at 350 degrees. Serves 6 to 8.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
