Mary Claiborne | Director for Marketing Knox Public Library | Jan 10th

The final count on who gets the money was decided at the board meeting last week. We also decided to make them attend a meeting to receive their check. I think that’s only fair, we put a lot of effort into getting the money and we want to see a grateful face! I didn’t write down the breakdown of who gets what, but you’ll have an opportunity to hear that at the meeting. Lisa Nichols who is the inspiration behind Stockings from US is becoming an associate member.

We also voted to continue with the St. Patrick’s Day social. This is not a fund raiser, just a casual “get together”. The date is March 11 at the foundry.

Next week:  Glen Jacobs who is a candidate for mayor is coming to tell us why we should vote for him. Now I’m not a fan but I understand he got his start in wrestling under the name Cane – some of you may remember him. He is now a businessman and sells insurance.  Bring a friend, should be fun.

Mary Claiborne, Assistant Director for Marketing, was our speaker last week and even though I have belonged since grammar school, I learned a lot. Frist off I always wondered where the name came from; it was named after his daughter! The first library was built in 1886 and McGhee donated the land! We were the first library in the county and possible the first in the state to be integrated.  Along with a well-stocked library they also offer tutoring, citizenship courses in Spanish, test prep on line.  The library hosts the Dolly Parton Imagination Library and this month will be mailing out 26,000 books in Knox County and 2.5 million across the state. They also supply books for home bound persons who cannot physically come to the library.  All of this is paid for from our wheel tax – I had no idea.  I grew up without television, so reading was and is my all-time favorite pastime. I tried to pass this along to my children and have traveled the world over – in a book.

Housekeeping: Bob Rentenbach read the prayer, Al Gill led the pledge. Al finally made it back and brought his daughter (or she brought him) Nancy Wilson.  Either way, we’re glad he’s back.  Matt Hall was the winner in the grid pick for last week.