That the Middletown Senior Center/Library project is near its halfway point toward completion is welcome news to this library volunteer.
Lake County Record-Bee staff reporter Denise Rockenstein reports in Friday”s newspaper that the project is approaching 50-percent completion. She cites Eric Seely, deputy county administrative officer.
I often walk past the construction site of the dual-use facility, which is located at 21256 Washington St. Each time, as I approach the site, I look for a bright-yellow crocheted tag that announces a “New Library.” I am happy that the site”s caretakers have allowed it to remain in place.
From the existing library, I have a clear view of the new Middletown Square Park.
According to Rockenstein”s article, the park is being developed by the Lake County Public Works Department in cooperation with a volunteer park committee.
As stated in the article:
“Seely said the building is expected to be completed this winter and the park is expected to be completed next spring.
“?The western side of the park was completed in time for Middletown Days in June,” Seely said. ?The park and building will provide the community with an attractive gathering place in the center of Middletown.”
“The dual-use facility comprises a total of 12,377 square feet, including 4,400 square feet of senior center space, 5,450 square feet of public library space and 2,527 square feet of common area. Plumbing, electrical, heating and duct work is completed.”
The article states that the cost to construct the building is approximately $3,700,000 and the cost for the park is about $140,000. It cites Seely stating that the bulk of funding comes from the Lake County general fund.
“Additional funding for the building includes a $545,000 Community Development Block Grant; $40,000 in Indian Gaming Mitigation funds; and $50,000 from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Community Facilities Program.”
To this list, add proceeds from the recent Friends of the Gibson Library (FMGL) sale. During Middletown Days I was at the library to shelve but found time to fill a bag with books.
A letter from David Petri, president of FMGL, states that the sale during Middletown Days raised $877.50. “[T]he money will be used for learning materials for the new library, currently under construction.”
According to Rockenstein”s article, additional park funding came from public donations. I”ve seen notices at Hardester”s Market in Middletown inviting shoppers to donate their change for the park. In the article, Seely credits Supervisor Jim Comstock for donating park topsoil.
Read Rockenstein”s article online at http://www.record-bee.com/ci_21016612/senior-center-project-nears-halfway-point.
Cat paintings
Another story by Rockenstein in Friday”s Record-Bee details an exhibit of cat paintings by Sheila Bowen Soderlund at the Art House Gallery in Clearlake.
The Art House Gallery is located at 15210 Lakeshore Drive and is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.The article states that Soderlund, who died in June, was an avid cat lover. The exhibit features 18 portraits of cats:
“?Sheila and her husband never turned away a lost cat and always had six to eight living in their barn and around their home,” Soderlund”s sister, Carolyn Hawley, said. ?While running their antique and collectibles shop for 50 years, she found time to paint and the bulk of her paints were portraits of her beloved cats.””
I can relate to this exhibit because of my own love for cats.
According to the article, a portion of sale proceeds will be directed toward the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in an effort to reduce the cat euthanasia rate in Lake County. For more information, call 994-1716.
Cynthia Parkhill is the focus pages editor for the Record-Bee. She can be contacted at rbinfocus@gmail.com or 263-5636 ext. 39. Follow on Twitter @CynthiaParkhill.
