Dashing to the Walk

We're so glad to be participating in Kiel's second annual Christmas Walk on Dec. 1 & 2. There will be wonderful events and decorations at all four of this year's Walk locations (Stoelting House, Kiel Community Center, Kiel Historical Center and the library), but we're especially pleased with the way plans are shaping up at the library. Among new developments:

• Throughout the two days of the Walk (4-8 on Friday, 12 to 7 on Saturday) the library will display all the student art entries in the Chamber of Commerce-sponsored contest. Turns out 172 local children answered the call to create a poster depicting Christmas celebrations of long ago. (The specific assignment was for the children to interview a grandparent to find out how they celebrated the holidays). We feel privileged to get to display all these charming, creative, and utterly amazing samples of local talent. Do come and see how local children are interpreting their elders' memories.
• We're honored to be able to give away two framed vintage photographs of historic Kiel, thanks (once again) to the generosity of our good friend Ed Majkrzak. These are valuable photographs that we would normally display in the Edwin J. Majkrzak Historical Research Center. One is a hand-colored street scene of downtown Kiel in 1905, in a beautiful white wooden frame. The other is the infamous Kiel men's baseball team from 1909, the one that's on the mugs we sold to guests at the April, 2006 dedication of the Center. The free drawing is our way of thanking the community for its great support all these years. We also hope it attracts folks to visit our local history collection, especially if they've never seen it. Mr. Majkrzak has filled nearly 100 notebooks with photographs, original documents, newspaper clippins and other information dating back more than 150 years. You really have to see it to believe it, and the Christmas Walk is a great time to do that.
• We've secured the talents of local harpist Paula Settle for play a mix of Christmas and Celtic music in the main reading room of the library Friday and Saturday afternoons. Settle performs regularly at the Wednesday "Irish nights" at the 52 Stafford in Plymouth, in addition to several local venues. We're pleased to welcome Ms. Settle, and can't wait to hear her music.
• The library's Junior Advisory Board members and friends will present Readers Theater performances throughout both days in the downstairs meeting room. These talented teens have been planning this event ever since last year's Christmas Walk. If you like dramatic interpretation, this is the place to be.
• Those who like to mix their art with their tastebuds will get a chance to show off their creativity at our cookie-decorating table in the Youth Department. We've ordered several dozen of Roeck's Bakery's finest cookies, along with several flavors of frosting and a whole slew of sprinkles. Last year this activity drew just as many parents (dads in particular) as kids, which is fine with us, as long as participants leave some cookies for everyone else.
• Friends of the Library-Kiel have already hung the beautiful snowflake covered garlands they secured for us last year. Whether or not we actually have a lighted upstairs tree (a small detail we're still trying to work out), there will be plenty of holiday atmosphere for everyone who walks through our doors.
• Punch, coffee, apple cider, bars, cupcakes ... did we mention cookies? Yes, there will be plenty of refreshments to nibble on at the library, upstairs and down.
• Don't forget, we are a library. That means our shelves are stocked with books, movies, music, magazines, and photographs celebrating Christmas, Hanukka, Kwanza, Solstice and anything else remotely related to these next few weeks. Great titles you can peruse here, or checkout for up to three weeks. Like we always say, your library card is one of the best deals in town.