< 20 hours and, Sudbury bound are we!

"Lives of great men all remind us, we can make our
lives sublime, and departing, leave behind us, footprints on the sands of time."

Well, I do believe Scouts leave nothing behind, if I understand correctly from Mr. Downey, Mr. White and Mr. Cristiano - and I will see that "up close and personal" when we leave campgrounds behind Longfellow's Wayside Inn in Sudbury, Massachusetts Sunday afternoon the 16th.
(But, why jumpahead before the weekend even starts!)

Over a year, really close to 18 months, of planning is coming to an end with this week-ends camping event in Sudbury. Bruce White, Bill Downey and the good leaders and scouts of Troops 9, 6, 3, and 1 have collaborated and planned, and we will meet up with Sudbury Scouts for a weekend of camping and GREAT FUN!

More will be shared when we return -- but must share one secret: Saturday night's schedule includes the Wayside Iron Chef Competition! I know the "secret ingredients" as well, but I won't talk.

Last Friday's Caldwell Day was Most Excellent!

Thank you again to all the wonderful volunteers from Caldwell College who spent hours last Friday working on our shelves, planting flowers in the front and back of the Library, assisting some of our patrons on the computers - for very kind, patient and informative "one on one" training sessions - and for countless other assists.

And, hopefully, our library "pitching" during the day resulted in 8 new visitors to CPL, and a host of additional "win win" ideas. Key Note speaker, Joy Rodino, joined Professor Joanne Jasmine in showcasing our "Young Adult" collection and updating it's "eye appeal" -- since we all know that many readers indeed DO "judge a book by it's cover!"

And, if you want more info on the day, click here for more pictures and a wonderful rundown -- from Caldwell College's own website.

Think GREEN, as in Greenwood Gardens, while still appreciating our Teens' Art

Morgan Peck (photo at top left) and Jackie Niscivoccia (photo directly above, center) created art inspired by Longfellow's Poetry, via their Phenomenal Photographs, and clearly their work is set in winter and snow. However, you CAN today think spring and green, as well as be part of The Big Read - and join us at Greenwood Gardens at 10 a.m. for a Tour of the Gardens and then a Poetry Reading by Caldwell Poet, Rick Mullin. Free and open to the public. Hope to see you there. (And, remember -- Morgan and Jackie's work, along with many others created by Mount Saint Dominic Academy students, are still on display at the Caldwell Public Library and will be there until the end of next week. C'mon over!)

"Music as Muse" by Danielle Nichols

Only two weeks left to enjoy, appreciate and marvel at the talents of our youth - at least only two more weeks to visit The Gene & Kathryn Collerd Local History Resource Room at The Caldwell Public Library and see the Exhibit of Photographs by Linda Stewart's students at Mount Saint Dominic Academy.

Please stop in - and see how The Poetry of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and The Big Read, can be relevant and transformative, in your life and your world. Hooray for the Arts!

(And keep a watch on the Progress and "Patch" to hear more about youth and art and Longfellow -- all who attended Sunday's concert at the Grover Cleveland Middle School were in awe - not only of the famed Longfellow Chorus hailing from Portland, Maine -- but of the 55 teens in the James Caldwell Chorus who sang as well - under the direction of Music Teacher Elsie Timpson.)

More Teen Art Work on Display at Caldwell Public Library

And, as we continue to enjoy and appreciate the talents of these amazing young women, let us also appreciate the influence of an inspired, passionate and talented TEACHER - such as Mount Saint Dominic Art Teacher, Linda Stewart. That is clearly evident in all these photographs, including (but not limited to) these works of art -- the photograph on the left created by Katie Rossi, and the photograph at the top of this page on the right, by Mai Nyugen.

The display of ALL the photographs created in the course of Mrs. Stewart's photography classes -- all inspired by the Poetry of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow -- can be found in The Gene and Kathryn Collerd Local History Resource Room of the Caldwell Public Library. Of course, you can also head over to

The Big Read Blog -- and check out April 9, 2010 posting -- and also keep an eye on the Caldwell Public Library website, especially the photographs.

AND, speaking of TEEN ARTISTS connecting with Longfellow -- hope you can join us Sunday, April 18 at 1 p.m. at the Grover Cleveland Middle School when The Longfellow Chorus joins us, having travelled from Portland, Maine, to share Longfellow's poetry, set to music! In addition to a premiere performance, they will be performing "Snow-Flakes" along with teen singers directed by James Caldwell High School Music Teacher, Elsie Timpson. Free and open to the public -- tell all your friends, and BE THERE!

Teen Art Work on Display at Caldwell Public Library!

It was exciting, indeed, to see the BLOG POSTING on The Big Read blog last Friday -- but -- only three of the many phenomenal photographs created by Linda Stewart's photography students were included. We know space must have been an issue, but, while we want you to come into the Library to see the entire exhibit, we also want to share more of the photographs, so, here goes! Here is Sarah Sengatta's photograph, inspired by Longfellow....

Illustrator Christopher Bing has returned to Massachusetts, but we are still feeling the effects in Caldwell!

What a week - for students, teachers, administrators and our community alike.
We will all think differently as we read "The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere" and also look forward to adding another version of "Little Red Riding Hood" to our bookshelf come year's end.

Now, onward and upward and lets start making plans to enjoy our upcoming visit from The Longfellow Chorus from Portland, Maine. Conductor, Charles Kaufman, and a number of the Chorus Members will be coming to Caldwell on Saturday, April 17th to be guests at The Dapper Dans of Harmony concert that evening (First Presbyterian Church, Bloomfield Avenue, Caldwell, 7 p.m. - call 973-226-9414 for tickets). Then, on Sunday, April 18th The Longfellow Chorus will be performing at Grover Cleveland Middle School at 1 p.m. That event, a HIGHLIGHT of The Big Read this year, is free and open to the public. And, as an extra treat, Students from James Caldwell High School, under the direction of Elsie Timpson, will be joining the Chorus for a special number.

Call us at 973-226-2837 and/or check out our website -- www.caldwellpl.org -- for more information on both events.