ColumnsTalk of the Town: Life is too short!
By Regina FordSeveral years ago bestselling author Shirley Conran (ex-wife of British designer, restaurateur, retailer and writer Sir Terence Conran, and mother of designers, Sebastian Conran and Jasper Conran) noted that “life’s too short to stuff a mushroom.” Ain’t it the truth, baby! My own personal list grows longer every day. Here’s a few of my own thoughts. Life’s too short to: I’d go on, but life is too short! How exciting for the residents at La Posada at Park Centre. They have just celebrated the arrival of new volunteer librarian, Elaine Bailey Hathaway, after sadly saying goodbye to longtime librarian, Georgia Ryder. After 11 years as La Posada librarian at La Vista, a party was held in Georgia’s honor last week to bid her goodbye, but not so long. Georgia is a very busy lady. She is also one of the founding members of Valley Players and she’s still a member! A Green Valley resident since 1980, Georgia moved into a lovely garden home at La Posada in 1996. Georgia attended library school at San Jos/ State University and received her masters degree in a liberal arts. She later went on to work for the Santa Clara County Library, the IBM library, worked on Library of Congress catalogs and spent time as a librarian in both high school and elementary schools. Georgia recalls that when she first started as the La Posada librarian, the facility itself was a small “closet-like” room, where if more than four people entered, it “would be very crowded.” “I started begging for a new place and I guess I yelled loud enough, because it happened,” she said. “Now, we have spacious rooms with great lighting and lots of seating????, making it very inviting and well-organized.” The library now boasts approximately 4,500 books, a computer, a puzzle table, six newspapers, and reference books to help residents research a variety of subjects. As a tribute to Georgia, La Posada CEO and President Lisa Israel and her assistant, Hope Gastelum, wrote a poem in her honor, titled, “A Library Legend.” There once was a lady—G. Ryder A good book could never get by her Lisa would know when Georgia would hum That some grand idea was likely to come That wouldn’t take “no” for an answer. Now, more of this woman named Georgia If she liked ya, she really adored ya She changed the library with Dan, Mark and Jerry As Lisa cried, “We can’t afford ya!” Of course, there’s the humor and wit That all hope never will quit Georgia lifts any party with a laugh that is hearty While not shirking her duties one bit. Now, we come to say thanks to our friend Whose reign over books does now end We hope she’ll be nice ‘cause we need her advice as others her legacy tend. She’s a star as bright as they come and Georgia’s work has been very well done A positive force She sure changed our coarse Now she gets to rest and have fun! New La Posada librarian Elaine Hathaway earned her master of arts degree in library science from the University of Minnesota and then became the librarian at the high school in Chaska, Minn. where she worked for the next 12 years. She later worked for three years as an elementary school librarian in Chanhassen, Minn. Always an avid reader, Elaine says she loved her job as a librarian and continued to practice its skills when she and her husband, Ray retired to Green Valley in 1993. The Hathaways have been residents at La Posada for less than four months and Elaine says she is “delighted at the prospect of working in the library at La Vista.” She was a volunteer at Joyner-Green Valley Library, her local church library, and with the Tubac Historical Society. “I liked it right from the start,” Elaine says. “I enjoy being able to curl up on one of the comfortable chairs, in a sunny corner of the library, reading away while our apartment is being cleaned.” Elaine says she is particularly pleased with the library’s collection that seems to do its best to reflect the needs of the residents. She referred specifically to the many books for the vision-impaired. She is also impressed by the number of capable volunteers who enable the library to stay open and welcoming 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week. One last little Elaine anecdote: Her mother was a librarian, back in the days when women retired when they got married, and the would-be “flapper,” like her mother, cut off all her long hair. Then along came the 60s with television, computers and media generalists. Now, she is proud to say, her youngest son, Ted, is also a librarian at the Minneapolis Public Library, heading the Inform (pay-for-service) department which has a worldwide clientele. Ted’s degree, making him a third generation librarian, is in information sciences, with a heavy emphasis on computers. So here she is, still loving to curl up with a good book. She still insists she can’t hope to replace Georgia, but she will do her best to serve the residents of La Posada well! rford@gvnews.com | 547-9740
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