Students help kick-off Love Your Library month


Last Friday, classes from Green Meadow School helped kick off Love Your Hampden Library month. Ms. DeSmith and her third grade class, Ms. Babbitt and her kindergarten class, Principal Deb Thompson, teachers aides Kathy Charest and Nancy Ayers and Barbara Stoll of Hampden Reading Club were present for the unveiling of the banner. Reminder submitted photo

By Debbie Gardner

PRIME Editor

HAMPDEN Apparently, there are plenty of children in Hampden who love and miss their library.

And they've put their longings into words for the Friends of the Hampden Free Public Library poetry contest.

"I got over 200 poems [from Green Meadow Elementary School]," Friends Co-President Patty Ehlers told Reminder Publications in a telephone interview on Jan. 26. "The majority said 'please open my library ... pay the taxes'."

Ehlers said students in Green Meadows's second, third and fourth grades, and the fifth graders at Thorton Burgess Middle School, submitted entries to the contest, which closed on Dec. 31.

Ehlers added that she was busy filing the entries into binders in preparation for the Friends Board Meeting on Jan 27, where she said the contest winners will be selected.

"For each of those grades we'll have three winners - a first, second and honorable mention and everyone who entered will receive a 'Love Your Library' vinyl cling bumper sicker as a participation prize," she said.

In each grade, the first place winner will receive a $50 savings bond and free tickets to a Feb. 10 pizza party planned to celebrate the culmination of the contest.

Second and third place winners in each grade will receive a game as their prize.

Ehlers said the pizza party, slated from 6-8 p.m. at the Town Hall on Feb. 10, is open to the public. Advance tickets, available at Pop's Pizza in town, are priced at $3/person for children 5-9 years of age, and $5/person for ages 10 and up. Children under 5 are free. There will also be tickets, priced slightly higher, available at the door.

February book swap

The monthly town Book Swap will take place on Feb. 11 at 10 a.m. at the Hampden Town Hall.

Special entertainment will be provided by mime Robert Rivest, who will present "A to Z Literacy a show for all ages."

The Library

I went to Hampden Public Library

Its doors were locked tight

I went to read and have fun

but I guess I wasn't right.

So since it is closed I traded a book at Hampden Library Book Swap

Now I have made some new friends and the fun never stops

It's time to start reading!

It makes me sad and definitely not glad to see the library closed

It is great to see the people save the library.

by Alexandra, Grade 3