Brunswick R.O.C.K.S.

Project: LEARN was awarded a United Way grant to offer summer workshops for parents to better prepare their kindergarten-aged children for school. Brunswick R.O.C.K.S. (Reading Opportunities Create Kindergarten Success) is a partnership between United Way, the Brunswick Library, Brunswick City School staff,Trinity Lutheran Church, and Project: LEARN. Katie Lehky, Brunswick preschool/kindergarten teacher developed activities that encourage parents to take advantage of a car ride to point out letters and words, play rhyming word games, and effectively share a picture book. Parents listened to speakers on ways to combine movement with reading readiness, how to use music to help kids learn, and ways to interact with schools and staff to achieve the desired results. Approximately 32 children and 40 parents or caregivers participated in each of the workshops. The culminating activity will be a family literacy fair at Brunswick Library on September 22. There will be informational booths along with games and authors to promote the fun of reading as a family affair.

Over 200 people joined Project: LEARN to take part in the first Match Wits Medina County in March. The competition was fierce between teams from Medina County Library; the Medina County Auditor’s Office; Barbera, Gedrock & Racik; Lodi General Hospital; Westfield Insurance; Polaris Career Center; Western Reserve Bank; Verantis; and Project: LEARN.

Each team brought its own fan base to cheer it on and help if the team used one of its shout-outs. Following an “Academic Challenge” format, the questions were trivia-like in nature and covered topics such as math, science, movies, songs, books and the favorite “Eleanor, Franklin, or Teddy.” It was a relaxing, after-work event that allowed company pride to shine through. Westfield Insurance took home the Championship trophy and Barbera, Gedrock, & Racik (Dewey, Cheatum & Howe) came in second.

We look forward to the second annual Match Wits. It’s sure to bring out the competitive spirit in our teams. If you weren’t able to participate last year, we hope you will throw your company’s hat in the ring in 2012. For information on the upcoming event, call 330-723-1314.

Westfield Blue (Westfield Insurance Group)

Dewey, Cheatum & Howe (Barbera, Gedrock & Racik)Prime Contenders (Western Reserve Bank)

BookSmarts (Medina County Library)

Prime Contenders (Western Reserve Bank)

Tom Palecek (left) and Bill Whelan (right) cutting the ribbon at our new Wadsworth location.

Bill Whelan, President of the Board of Trustees for Project: LEARN and Tom Palecek, President of Wadsworth City Council, cut the ribbon on Friday, July 1 to open the doors of our Wadsworth site. It’s different from our other two stores in that it is broken into seven small rooms, each featuring different genres, but it’s already a great hit with residents. The site was originally a bank, so you will find finance and business books in the old vault. Perfect for the browser, this location invites you to roam from room to room and then settle into your favorite area for a little quiet reading.

On December 26, when I arrived at The BookShelf in Medina, all I could think of was the amount of clean up ahead. At that time, we really didn’t know that the store would be gutted, every item moved, and a total build-up would have to take place. I had so many goals for this first quarter of 2011, none of which included re-thinking the Medina store and office. Like so many others who have found themselves in the middle of a job too big to handle alone, I look back on these last five weeks in awe and with deep gratitude to so many people.

I think ServPro of Medina is an amazing company of people who are there for us when tragedy strikes. Everyone I met there is hard-working and puts the customer first. They came in on the day after Christmas working well into the night. They continued to serve Project: LEARN professionally and with generosity every step of the way until every item was back in place.

R. J. Hommel Contractors were selected by Westfield Insurance to do the demolition and rebuilding. These are the guys you would want in your house. Dennis, Danny, Chris and the crew were always knowledgeable and accommodating. They respected our place of business and did everything they could to bring it back better than before.

Then there are the volunteers who worked so hard to create a new store that would improve upon our previous one. Jeff Kehnle, always an advocate for The BookShelf, jumped on the idea to step up our game. Many of our volunteers stopped in to watch the work progress. But this last week goes to a team of guys who showed up almost everyday to plan the store and shelve books. Terry Oblander, Jeff Kehnle, John Baily, Larry Chorzelewski, and Joe Kasa came in day after day through lousy weather to help with about 200 heavy boxes of books, office files, and student books. Mary Rankin, as volunteer coordinator, stopped in more days than not and worked hard on Saturday to get the classroom ready for students on Monday. In addition, volunteers Mary Mauerer, Lori Nilsson, Barbara Chew, and Mary Ward pitched in to round out the team. One of the great surprises was support from Dave Brown, Attorney from Brown and Amodio, who stopped in to sort through the business section (a section many of us shy away from). Everyday was a joy as people worked to get the store open for business.

It will take another week to get the office filed away and functional, but I saw the magic that comes from people working collaboratively toward one goal. We never know what life is going to hand us, but whatever it is, we really never have to handle it alone. Thanks to all!

At this year’s 12th Annual Commissioners’ Charity Ball, Project: LEARN was honored to receive a check for $3,750. The annual event has raised over $250 K for local charities over the last twelve years. It is the only such event in the state. The mission of this event is to enable Medina County’s agencies to better serve those who are in need face obstacles that impede their full participation in society or assist in their educational development.

Through generous sponsors’ donations and ticket sales, the Commissioners were able to give out $22,500 to the following charities: Feeding Medina County, Medina County Community Fund/Faith in  Action’s Expanded Transit Options Program, Medina Health Ministry, and Project: LEARN.

We want to express our deep appreciation to the County Commissioners for committing to the non-profits in Medina County. Each organization is made up of dedicated volunteers who work collaboratively for the betterment of others.

Last March, Director Linda Smalley spoke at a national convention for adult education about creating a used bookstore to support adult literacy.  Travis DiNicola, Executive Director for Indy Reads attended the session and said that the session made the convention worthwhile for him. “This is something that our board really wanted to do but there was no model for it.” Indy Reads serves all of Indianapolis and some of the surrounding suburbs. It has a budget three times the size of Medina County’s Project: LEARN, but  it was facing a shortfall.

In October Travis visited both sites in Medina County. He liked both stores and noted that each store fit well with its surrounding neighborhood. This confirmed his belief that the same solution would work for Indianapolis. He has a place in mind in downtown Indianapolis in a renovated area of trendy shops. After seeing the Brunswick store, he began planning his second location.

It was ironic that during Candlelight Walk, we had a customer from Indianapolis who really enjoyed The BookShelf. When we told him Indy Reads was planning one for Indianapolis, he pledged to be their first customer. It’s due to open in the spring of 2011.

On Sunday, December 26, Board President Joanne Weiler and Executive Director Linda Smalley met at the Medina Project: LEARN office and BookShelf to view the damage done by broken pipes to a water heater in the offices above us. It is unknown when the pipe burst but by the time it was discovered, the water had broken through the flooring and ceiling and onto the bookshelves and computers below. Situations like this force us to evaluate the success of the store and its future. We realized that we like being part of Medina’s historic Square and retail community. It truly is like a family among the locally owned and run businesses on the Square and we believe we are a good fit here. We acknowledge that parking is an issue and dropping off book donations can be challenging, but we want to continue to be a part of the community events on the Square and contribute to the vitality of our county seat.

Once we decided to rebuild rather than relocate, we pulled in some volunteers to plan the new store. We will take up all of the main room for retail and re-work the two backrooms so they function better for us. We will provide more shelving along both side walls and leave more space between bookshelves so customers can navigate their way around the store with greater comfort. When we started the used book store, it was an experiment. We didn’t spend much money because we didn’t know if it would work. Thanks to our wonderful donors and customers, it has worked well for us. Now we are rebuilding with an eye on staying in business as long as there are readers in Medina County.

We hope to celebrate our Grand Re-Opening during the Ice Festival. We thank our customers for their patience and we look forward to seeing you soon.

Santa checks out The South Beach Diet at the Brunswick BookShelf.

Christmas was a busy time at both of The BookShelf locations. Medina’s Candlelight Walk brought hundreds of families into the store on the Square. We helped Main Street with Pictures With Santa by chatting with families while they stood in line. Many young Santa fans stood for over an hour for the chance to ask Santa for everything on their wish list. In exchange, Project: LEARN received part of the proceeds from the event. Santa also made an appearance at The BookShelf in Brunswick. Store volunteers and the regulars at the shopping Plaza enjoyed the Jolly Old Elf as he posed for pictures with children of all ages and even a few canines.