Schafer State Park

Thursday, April 18, 2013 @ 12 p.m.; Room 221 – doors open at 11:45.  Presented by Peter Reid, Chair, Washington State Parks Foundation

Schafer State Park, a US National Historic Site, not only represents a unique example of 1930s craftsmanship from the Works Progress Administration and other emergency programs but is also a window into the settlement of the Satsop River Valley. In the last quarter of the 19th century, this included the vast logging and lumber operations undertaken at the park and in the surrounding forest, as well as the bounty available from the river stretching far back into the history of Native Americans in the Northwest.

The park also memorializes an early example of philanthropy by private citizens and corporations in Washington State. It is an effort that has continued over the years and has been crucial to the expansion of the state park system.

Olympia authors Peter Schafer Reid and Barbara Seal Ogle will discuss the park’s history and future.  They will also be signing their new book, Images of America: Schafer State Park, which boasts more than 200 vintage images and memories of days gone by. The authors are pleased to provide this book as the Washington State Parks System celebrates its 100th anniversary.

Peter’s grandfather and his brothers donated the land—including a large stand of old-growth timber—that became Schafer State Park in 1922. Peter is particularly interested in continuing that tradition of private philanthropy by making State Parks better and more accessible through the Washington State Parks Foundation.

For more info or to RSVP, call the Washington State Library, 1-360-704-5221

Plume: Poems. By Kathleen Flenniken. Seattle : University of Washington Press, 2012. 70 p.

Recommendation by:
Rand Simmons, Acting Washington State Librarian, Tumwater, WA.

Kathleen Flenniken grew up in Richland, Washington during the Cold War. Richland’s neighbor and reason for existence was the Hanford Nuclear Reservation. Trained as a civil engineer, Flenniken spent eight years working as an engineer and hydrologist, three of those at Hanford.

The poems in Plume trace Flenniken’s perceptions about Hanford from young girl to professional woman. She writes, “every father I knew disappeared to fuel the bomb.” By the 1980s the effect of exposure to radiation was known. Assurance by officials of safety and security of Hanford workers and people in the surrounding area began to unravel. Flenniken narrates the story of Hanford by telling us about her life and that of her childhood friend, Carolyn. The poems are often haunting.

Carolyn’s father died of radiation-induced illness. Flenniken reveals the betrayal of the American public by government and the suppression of the truth. “As a child of ‘Atomic City,’ Kathleen Flenniken brings to this tragedy the knowing perspective of an insider coupled with the art of a precise, unflinching, gifted poet.”

ISBN-13: 978-0295991535

Kathleen Flenniken is the 2012 Washington State Poet Laureate.

Available at the Washington State Library, NW 811.6 FLENNIK 2012
Available as a Screen Readable Digital Book, and as a Braille edition for readers who are unable to read standard print material.
Not avaialble as an eReader edition

Join Washington State Poet Laureate Kathleen Flenniken, and West Region National Student Poet Miles Hewitt, as they share their talents in an evening of conversation and poetry sponsored by the Washington State Library.

https://blogs.sos.wa.gov/library/index.php/2012/11/state-library-to-host-poet-meets-poet-event-nov-29/

On April 12, 2011 the Washington State Library participated in Washington Library Snapshot Day. Hundreds of libraries statewide gathered photos, stories, and usage statistics, providing a glimpse at the important services they provide every day.

This set of images offers a look at a single day in the life of the Washington State Library. Enjoy!

Please join us on Thursday, November 12th at 6:30 when we host Richard LeMieux, author of Breakfast at Sally’s: One homeless man’s inspirational journey.

Breakfast at Sally’s: One homeless man’s inspirational Journey

With author Richard LeMieux

Thursday, November 12, 2009 6:30 pm our doors open at 6:00 pm.

Washington State Library, 6880 Capitol Boulevard South, Tumwater, Washington

Richard was once a wealthy business owner, and able to afford the best that money could buy. The rise of the Internet and the declining need for newspapers signaled the end for his publishing company The Source. As a result he was unable to make a living. Richard LeMieux found himself evicted from his home and penniless.

In his book, Richard tells the stories of the many people he has met along the way. These stories are

familiar to us. These are stories about families living in their cars, veterans, addicts, and lost souls whose only goal is to make it to the next day. Many are fortunate to have a companion, a dog or a cat someone, something to talk to and keep the loneliness away. Richard has his dog Willow to keep him company.

Richard also tells the stories of the people who are often unsung heroes. These heroes are the people who help the homeless; the ones who feed, clothe, and offer a bed for the night. Richard tells how – with the help of his new homeless friends – he began a routine each night enjoying dinner at a different church or at a makeshift diner. He was able to get clothing, snacks, and hygiene items at the churches that help the hungry and homeless.

In his book, Richard gives us an often-neglected perspective on homeless life: that of the homeless person. He shows how even the comfortable and affluent can find themselves homeless, but also how people struggle to survive, and how they hold on to their humanity. Ultimately, his story reminds us that a life on the street does not take away the right to be treated as humans.

Please join us as Richard shares his story of struggle and optimism against diversity.

For more information about our events please check out our website at: http://www.secstate.wa.gov/library/events.aspx or email our events coordinator at [email protected].