Applegater Summer 2015
15
— Ruch Library —
— Applegate Library —
Summer is upon us  and what a
great time to be at the library! “Summer
Reading” will begin on June 12 at 2 pm.
Reading is a great activity during the
summer.  We have books on camping,
hiking, water safety, planting—you name
it, we can find something for you! 
But first, great news! The new Library
District has approved a  Nonresident
Library card effective July 1, 2015. 
Here is a look at what is happening at
Applegate Library this summer:
June 1 3. “Superfoods” with
nutritionist  Barrett Gifford, 2 - 3 pm.
Informative talk on healthy foods.
June 19. Weaving with Thalia
Truesdell, 3 - 5 pm. Come and learn
how to weave natural materials into great
masterpieces. 
June 23. Map it Out, 2 to 5 pm. Be
creative with maps. Arts/craft.
July 10. Face painting with local
artist Angela, 2 to 6 pm.
July 10. Book talk with Anna
Monders, 3 to 5 pm. Book talk and recycle
craft fun, ages 10 and up.
July 15. Firefighter Randi Ann
Martin and Smokey Bear, 12 to 1 pm.
Applegate student follows her dreams to
become a firefighter. Encouragement for
boys and girls to find and follow the hero
within. Enjoy a visit by Smokey Bear.
July 24. “Aquaman” with John
Jackson, 2:30 to 3:30 pm. This program
highlights seashells, plant life, and
preserved animal life and features sea
life coloring pages, real seashell souvenirs,
and take-home guides.
July 28. Rich Glauber, 2 to 3
pm. Music educator who specializes in
creating interactive musical experiences
for participants of all ages.
August 4. Recycled
t-shirt  capes, 4 to 5 pm. Enjoy the
afternoon  transforming  t-shirts into
superhero capes.
Storytime is every Saturday at 10
am with a craft following, and Game Night
is on the last Friday of the month at 5 pm.
Jackson County Library Director Kim
Wolfe retired on April 30. It was a
pleasure to work with Kim—she taught me
courage, confidence and patience. Thanks
for believing in me, Kim! 
Come enjoy the fun!
For more information, contact branch
manager Lisa Martin at 541-846-7346 or
lmartin@jcls.org.
Ruch Library is gearing up for an
exciting summer of programs, story times,
and air conditioning, and we hope to see
you often.
Preschool story times are Tuesdays at
11:30 am. Babies and Wobblers story time
for children three and younger is Thursdays
at 4 pm with lots of movement and rhyme
to cultivate early literacy. The Summer
Reading Program, “Every Hero Has a
Story,” begins June 6 and offers incentives,
activities, prizes, and fun for all ages! 
We also have several fun and
educational programs this summer:
Saturday, June 13, 1 to 2 pm:
“Beneficial Insects, the Heroes of the
Garden” with Gail Saito. Create seed balls
to toss (plant) to grow plants that attract
these beneficial insects. For all ages; sign-
up required.
Thursday, June 18, 2 to 3
pm: “Heroes Among Us: Volunteer
Firefighting.” Meet Randi Ann Martin,
Applegate’s youngest firefighter, and learn
what it is like to be in the fire department
as a woman, teenager, and student. Randi
Ann will have activities for all ages.
Thursday, June 25, 2 to 3 pm:
“Real Heroes Don’t Wear Capes!” with
Amber Bishop. Children ages three and
up will explore the concept of “heroes”
with a simple but engaging discussion of
everyday heroes—from doctors and search-
and-rescue dogs to adoptive pet owners and
political activists. Children will also make
an upcycled flower pot and plant a tree to
take home and nurture as a reminder of
their hero potential.
Thursday, July 2, 2 to 4 pm: Anna
Monders will present a mini book talk
coupled with a craft project: “Found Object
Animals: Create Your Own Creature from
Everyday Materials,” for ages 10 and up.
Saturday, July 25, 1 to 3 pm:
“Robots!” Create a cardboard robot (and
give it pretend superpowers). For all ages.
Tuesday, July 28, 11:30 am
to 12:30 pm: “Music in Action.” Rich
Glauber, a gifted troubadour/music
educator, specializes in creating interactive
musical experiences for participants of all
ages. His performance is an upbeat mix of
songs, creative movement, storytelling and
comedy, all imbued with a healthy dose of
good, clean fun.
Saturday, August 1, 2 to 4 pm:
“Folk Heroes who Shaped World History.”
Join members of the Applegate community
as they present songs, live dioramas, stories,
and skits about famous and infamous folk
heroes throughout history. Learn the truth
(?) about Billy the Kid, Pocahontas, Robin
Hood, and more. For all ages.
Thursday, August 6, 1:30 to 2:30
pm: Bats with John Jackson. It’s all about
these flying mammals and their important
role in the ecosystem.
The  program  features preserved bat
specimens as well as a bat skeleton and
bat echolocation sounds. The audience
receives instructions on building a bat
house, bat identification sheets,  and  bat
coloring pages. 
For more information, contact branch
manager Thalia Truesdell at 541-899-7438
or ttruesdell@jcls.org.
Friends of Ruch Library
— Williams Branch Library — seeks program ideas and volunteers
Free summer fun for the family
Adopt-an-Hour Success.
Williams Friends of the Library’s third
annual Yard Sale Fundraiser was a huge
success! Thank you, community, for
raising $1,970 towards the Adopt-an-Hour
Program, and thank you, Herb Pharm, for
matching the community’s contribution.
The Adopt-an-Hour Program guarantees
that our library will remain open three
extended hours per week for another year
(12 hours per week). Anyone interested
in contributing to the Adopt-an-Hour
Program, please visit josephinelibrary.org
to make a secure online donation, or stop
by the Williams branch library.
Williams Friends of the Library meets
the last Tuesday of each month at noon.
Everyone is welcome to this informal
group. Opportunities include helping with
programs, events, and tasks to keep our
branch vibrant and strong.
Summer Reading Program.
The children’s Summer Reading Program
begins June 20 and runs through August
1. Children are rewarded for reading
with weekly prizes. Crafts and gardening
projects are also offered. Keep those
reading skills sharp through the summer!
Sign-up begins in June.
Literacy in the Garden. Our
library has joined with Williams Elementary
School to share the wonderful garden
located right behind the library. Garden
classes, workshops with special guests,
craft projects, and more are offered free of
charge to families throughout the growing
season. This program combines library
resources, including books and research
databases, with hands-on experiences
for children of all ages. Volunteers share
their unique skills while working with
Jade enjoys craft time in the garden.
the children in the garden. For more
information, contact Danielle Schreck at
dschreck@josephinelibrary.org or call the
Williams branch at 541-846-7020.
Preschool Storytime is an
ongoing program held on Tuesdays at 1:30
pm, with stories followed by a craft project.
Volunteers are always needed
and appreciated. We are currently in
need of volunteers to work the front desk
and to help with the children’s Summer
Reading Program, Literacy in the Garden,
book sales, and other events.
To join Friends of the Library,
volunteer, or share your skills with local
children, please stop by the library.
The Williams branch library is open
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays from
1 to 5 pm. The Wi-Fi hotspot is free 24/7.
For more information, contact branch
manager Danielle Schreck at dschreck@
josephinelibrary.org or call the Williams
branch at 541-846-7020.
It isn’t Ruch’s best-kept secret, but
there is a good chance you have never been
to visit the A-frame Bookstore. It is next
to the Ruch Library and has some of the
best book bargains in Jackson County. A
dollar and a half will get you a hardback,
including recent best sellers; a dollar
provides access to a wide selection of trade
paperbacks. Children’s books are less. CDs
and DVDs are also available.
Saving money on a great book
bargain is only the beginning of the story,
however. The Friends of the Ruch Library
(FORL) operates the A-frame. The money
people spend on books goes toward helping
the library. For a while, when Jackson
County’s budget was extremely tight, these
funds, plus generous donations from the
community of Ruch, played a vital role in
keeping the library open.
“ We owe a deep vote
of gratitude to the volunteers and
community members who gave so much
during the hard times,” said Peggy
Mekemson, the newly elected president
of FORL (and my wife). “Fortunately,
the recent creation of the Jackson County
Library District guarantees continued
funding for the library. We are now free
to return to FORL’s 32-
year history of providing
programs and other types
of support that enrich the
contributions the library
offers the people of Ruch
and the surrounding
community.”
FORL’s officers and
board members have
jumped into planning
programs for the coming
year. In addition to Peggy,
officers include Kaye Clayton as vice
president, Cynthia Cheney as secretary,
and Bryan della Santina as treasurer. Board
meetings are held on the first Thursday
of each month in the Ruch Library
Community Room from 6:30 to 8 pm.
Agendas are posted on the library bulletin
board and on FORL’s Facebook page.
Public input is always welcome.
The meeting on June 4 will be
focused on planning library programs for
the coming year. “We would love to hear
from members of the community about
the type of programs they would like to
see,” Peggy noted. “Come by, meet the new
board, and share your ideas,” she urged.
“Refreshments will be served.”
Another opportunity to meet FORL
volunteers, and buy books, is at Buncom
Day on Saturday, May 30, from 10 am to
3 pm in the old Buncom post office.
“Our ability to serve the library
and the community is totally dependent
on volunteer support and donations,”
Peggy said. “Opportunities to help include
serving two-hour shifts at the A-frame,
donating books to be sold, volunteering for
community events such as Buncom Day
and our seasonal book sales, and making
financial donations for
the ongoing support
of the organization.
Memberships in FORL
are also available.”
The A-frame
Bookstore is open
Tuesdays from 12 to 4
pm, Thursdays from 1 to
5 pm, and Saturdays from
12 to 4 pm.
Curtis Mekemson
curtandpeg@aol.com