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It was a day that changed everything. It had been simmering for weeks, but on March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a worldwide pandemic.
In some ways, it feels like eons ago, in others like yesterday. Some hallmarks of the era have stayed with us – working from home at least occasionally, virtual gatherings, masks, nasal swabs and curbside delivery.
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Our very own PCL, freshly opened in September 2019, closed with other businesses and services that March. Yet the library not only survived, we became a lifeline through craft bags, books delivered to the trunks of cars, programs offered in your living room through the magic of Zoom and more.
We gave away all of our puzzles and hundreds of books. We even offered a murder mystery to solve in installments via email. Who would have guessed that one kind and loving PCL staff member would murder another – all fictional fun, of course.
It was in so many ways a dark and lonely time, but as always, community in new and innovative ways got us through. Today, PCL is as vibrant as ever with programs, collections and offerings to please all! Come on in! We are always here for you!
(Editor’s Note: And let’s not forget the ever-popular “Library Lost at Sea” series in the Gazette! Vicki Shurly and her husband Bob were on a cruise in the South Pacific when Covid-19 made its way into our world. Gazette readers followed their ocean adventures as they tried to get home and were turned away at port after port, which Vicki graciously shared with us in nine parts. We were all so happy they finally made it home at the end of March. Her cheery-despite-the-circumstances installments were some of our most-read stories of that year. -jb)
Library Happenings
Michigan Movie Mania. Join us for a series of movies set in the Great Lakes State! 3/27 Marqueetown, a documentary, is the true story of a Michigan man’s efforts to restore the U.P. theater of his youth to its glory. Local filmmakers Joe Beyer and Beth Milligan join us! 4/24 Anatomy of a Murder, based on a true crime story in the U.P. 5/22 Bitter Harvest, about a Michigan farmer racing to identify a chemical killing his cows and sickening his child. All at 6:30 pm.
The Gift of Life. PCL partners with VERSITI for a blood drive 3/19 from noon-5. Blood collected stays in Michigan. Register here.
Books @ the Boathouse. We are SOLD out! Thanks to all who purchased tickets for this fundraising event. Hugs to Doug and Erin Kosch, and the Boathouse Crew!
Body Safety. In support of Child Abuse Prevention Month, Jenna Baker and Henry the therapy dog join us at 11 a.m. April 2 for a preschool story hour on what is okay and what is not when it comes to our bodies. Jenna is Prevention Coordinator with the Traverse Bay Children’s Advocacy Center. Attendees leave with a toolkit for kids and adults.
Frozen World. Tom Dalluge offers a travelogue on Antarctica 4/7 @ 6:30 p.m., mixed with info on what’s happening environmentally with the glaciers and the history of the Wilkes expedition.
Quilts for Kids. Join Kellie Chase to transform fabrics into patchwork quilts for kids facing serious trauma. Quilts for Kids is a non-profit organization. Materials provided. RSVP to join us 4/8, 7/8, 10/14, 10 a.m. to noon.
BFFs! We LOVE the Friends of PCL! A Children’s Teddy Bear Tea will be held 4/12 from 11-12:30. Information is on our website. General membership meeting 4/16 at 1:30 p.m. Volunteer for the Bayshore Marathon Aid Station 4/24. Email Julie at [email protected].
The Regulars.
- Peninsula Insights meets with speakers of interest at 7 p.m. on the 3rd Wednesday of the month.
- Story Stew for preschoolers is offered the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month at 11.
- Local History Talks with Tim Carroll – the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays at 2 p.m.
- Reading Dogs listen to kids on Tuesdays from 3:30 – 5 pm.
- Threads meets Mondays 10 – noon Bring a project, work among friends!
- Gentle Yoga with Tina Livingston happens on Thursdays at 9:30 a.m. for a small fee.
- Pageturners meets on the 3rd Thursday at 6:30 pm. Books available on a first come basis.
- Wing Watchers Birding Group meets April-September on the 1st Monday at 6:30 p.m.
- Practice Spanish at our Spanish Meetup, on the 3rd Saturday at 10:30 am.
- Takeout craft bags are available for kids the 1st full week of the month. Adult craft bags seasonally. While supplies last!
- New for little ones on the 1st Mondays of the month for a small fee, we offer Fox’s Fiesta, My Person & Me Movement Class with Stirling Saur, a pediatric speech-language pathologist and certified yoga instructor!
At Your Service. PCL offers a Library of Things, a Seed Library, books, movies, puzzles, games, Explorer Bags, STEM kits, large print books, a Children’s Garden with a play village and more. Little Free Libraries have books for the taking. Stay Sharp Kits are available for adult patrons in memory care. Printing, faxing, copying & laptops available onsite. Wireless service accessible in the parking lot 24/7. Limited notary service available by appointment.
I have been asked to share this important information from our township:
New Agricultural Preservation Selection Round Opens
Peninsula Township has announced the opening of another application round of its Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) program for owners of agricultural land within the Agricultural Preservation Area. Landowners can apply for the option to sell a conservation easement on their land to the township. Land in the program is permanently preserved for agricultural uses and cannot be developed for residential use, except as agreed to and as specifically limited by the easement.
The program is voluntary and payment amounts are based on appraised value of the specific develop rights. Applications in the current round are continuing and, will be prioritized. The new application period shall run from March 24th through April 21st. Applications are available on the township web site, Purchase of Development Rights – Peninsula Township, and by request to the township planner, Elise Loud at [email protected].
Note that there are two applications. For new properties seeking to apply, choose the “Purchase of Development Rights Application.” For properties already under easement that are interested in relinquishing any previously retained rights, choose the “Purchase of Retained Development Rights Application.” Contact the township planner to learn more.
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We all have stories to tell. As we remember those whose lives were lost or changed drastically five years ago, we need to keep in our hearts that where there is love and caring, we cannot go wrong.
Shannon Alder wrote, “Carve your name on hearts, not tombstones. A legacy is etched into the minds of others and the stories they share about you.” The stories of those we love will always be a part of who we are. Today, we remember those we loved who didn’t make it through. Their memory lives on in our hearts and our own stories!
-Vicki Shurly, PCL Director
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SUPPORT YOUR INDEPENDENT LOCAL NEWSPAPER: I started Old Mission Gazette in 2015 because I felt a calling to provide the Old Mission Peninsula community with local news. After decades of writing for newspapers and magazines like the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Family Circle and Ladies' Home Journal, I really just wanted to write about my own community where I grew up on a cherry farm and raised my own family. So I started my own newspaper.
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