Annual Meeting — With a Twist
The Friends took things up a notch this year! On the day of our Annual Meeting, which featured speaker Ted Reinstein, we also held a Holiday Book Sale and Raffle. Westford residents and those from surrounding towns alike enjoyed the many offerings.
Book Sale and Raffle
Book Sale and Raffle
The Holiday Book Sale included holiday-themed books and media, high quality and unique items suitable for gift giving, and the ever-popular “blind date with a book” and “blind date with a puzzle.” The Raffle contained nearly 50 prizes from local businesses. Patrons had a chance to win gift cards to area restaurants, passes to nearby attractions, and household and handmade goods.
“I love book sales,” said Lorna Synan, a Groton resident who was shopping for books for her three children. “I’m excited to get some good deals.”
Pat Maestranzi of Westford said she was there for the raffles. The blue “Save the Date” bookmark she picked up at the library, along with the librarians’ enthusiasm for the event, drew her in. “I don’t need any more books,” Pat said, “but the raffles sounded really good!”
Pat said she uses the library all the time and often takes advantage of the museum passes. Her book group relies on library staff to help get copies of its book selections. “I don’t want the library to go away,” she said. “I’m glad we still have a place to go.”
The idea for the sale came from Book Sale Deputy Sally Rosenthal. “We wanted to do something fun for the community while also raising money to support library programs and events,” she said. “While the library is under construction and off-site, we’re taking that as an opportunity to try out some new ideas for Friends’ fundraising events.”
Board member Tricia Garcia-Dergay helped solicit many of the raffle prizes. “People were just generous,” she said. “It was amazing how many people and businesses answered the call. It was heart warming.” When asked about the genesis of the raffle, Tricia explained that with the library under construction, the Friends were looking for some new ways to fundraise. “Most people don't realize that most of the programming, museum passes, and online resources at the library are actually funded through the Friends, not the town,” she said. “We want to be able to keep paying for those things.”
Ted Talk
The Fellowship Hall at First Parish Church United was an ideal venue for this year’s annual meeting. Chronicle journalist and author Ted Reinstein drew our largest crowd to date.
“With the renovation of the library, we had to find a new place to hold the meeting,” said event organizer and board member Margie Berenson. “We were so fortunate to be able to use the space at the church. I can’t say enough about how helpful, patient, and friendly the staff were every step of the way.”
Margie said the planning committee was “thrilled” when Ted agreed to come to Westford and that his presentation was “fantastic” and exceeded their expectations.
Audience members Joe and Barbara travelled from Tewksbury to hear Ted speak. “We watch Chronicle every night,” Joe said, as they were waiting for the talk to begin. “We enjoy it. It will be neat to see him in person.” The couple saw a flyer about the event at Paul’s Diner while having breakfast with their daughter and son-in-law.
Attendee Nancie Long-Manning of Westford said she loves the library and has been going there for many years. “Now that I’m retired, I have more time to be involved in the community,” she said.
Ted shared a selection of stories from his latest book, Travels Through The Heart and Soul of New England. The book highlights the memorable people he has met during his decades of reporting in the region – people that he says he is still in touch with 30 years later.
In a nod to the audience, Ted said: “Libraries, like diners, general stores, and walking trails, are community gathering places. We lose them at our peril.”
Ted called diners “the single most democratic place you can eat,” because everyone goes there. He said his love of diners has nothing to do with the food. “They are a great place to find stories,” he said.
The subtitle of Ted’s book is “stories of struggle, resilience, and triumph.” He led the audience through a series of examples of people who have overcome struggles, developed resilience, and ultimately triumphed. His delivery of these encouraging tales had listeners at intervals laughing and tearing up.
His description of the reinvention of a series of once-abandoned mill buildings in Biddeford, Maine resonated with Westford resident Nancy Bissell, who has been involved with trying to repurpose the vacant mill building at 12 North Main Street for years. “You gave me encouragement,” said Nancy, who was part of a task force from 2014-2022 and who is still working to improve conditions at the property. “Buildings don’t save themselves,” Ted remarked. “The will to save them has to be there.”
Other stories Ted shared included:
The struggle to preserve a way of life in the fishing town of Gloucester, MA
The development of the Black Heritage Trail of NH by a Jamaican immigrant
The preservation of a popular one-woman-owned-and-run diner in Windsor, VT
The creation of a non-profit ski area in the impoverished town of East Corinth, VT
The triumph of a Fitzwilliam, NH man whose extreme hiking helped him overcome addiction and go on to help others
The development of the Good Night Lights program in Providence, RI as a way for the city to connect with young cancer patients at Hasbro Children’s Hospital
The Friends look forward to welcoming Ted back to speak in the new building when it reopens!
Business Meeting
The Friends held a brief business meeting prior to Ted’s presentation.
Friends’ President and Foundation Co-Chair Mary Anne Seraphin thanked all the volunteers who made the day's events possible. She said the Friends plan to continue to fund the programs and services they always have, while also reaching their goal of raising $1.5 million towards the new building.
She mentioned that the Friends have been out in the community extensively this year, sponsoring booths at events like the Roudendbush Spring, Summer, and Fall Markets, the Acton-Westford Pride Festival, Westfest, and the Rotary Ball Drop at Kimball Farm. The one constant throughout, she said, was “pure, unadulterated library joy.” That enthusiasm, she noted, “makes all our hard work worthwhile.”
Library Director Ellen Rainville, who Mary Anne called “unflappable,” gave an update on the building project. She said they are 25 percent of the way through their 550 day timeline, and, if all continues to go well, can expect construction to be complete at the end of 2026. “The construction on Boston Road should be done by that time too,” she said. “We’ll have a lot to celebrate.”