Book Fair Report

The annual Pleasant Valley Friends Book Fair was last weekend, and the Friends are prepared to declare it a success.  After expenses the profit reached about $4,355 (including some plant sales that took place after the Fair was over).  The Plant Sale accounted for at least $286 and might have been higher if the late, wet spring had made it more difficult to get all the available plants out of the ground--so wait 'til next year.  Betty Lorentzen, the Bake Sale Queen of Pleasant Valley, made $106.25, helped by generous donations of cookies, brownies, and other treats by various contributors.

Many people helped set up the sale.  I cannot list them all.  Barbara Shapley, as president of the Friends, was the director of the operation, obtaining tables, scheduling everything, and maintaining a constant cheery presence throughout.  Sybil Alderman was another constant presence, and Marilyn Smith, who also helps sort books, was a great help.  A group of eight men from the Mid-Hudson Addiction Recovery Center's Bolger House moved most of the books out of the basement, helped by various other folk from time to time.  Library Trustee Sally Harding provided a trailer that hauled most of the books from the Library to Town Hall--we filled it so full, we nearly broke it I think. Joe Lukaitis ran back and forth with his pickup full of books as well.  Mary Bunch provided most of the plants for the Plant Sale and was present most of the time to advise purchasers on how to deal with their new plants (with me subbing inadequately for Mary for two or three hours in the afternoon).

Sunday was an exciting close to the Fair.  From 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 dozens of customers loaded bags of books for $4 a bag--but we still had books left over.  There were more donated books this year than ever before.  Volunteers from Adriance and Bethel (CT) libraries took as many excellent books as their vehicles would hold.  Sadly, we still had to toss the least popular books into a dumpster.