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Adirondack Regional Theatre bringing Dr. Seuss creations to Peru High School.
Wine festival, auctions planned next weekend to benefit Champlain Valley Transportation Museum.
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February 20, 2010
Piano brings beautiful music to library Peru Free Library director excited about latest addition By Jeremiah S. Papineau jeremiah@denpubs.com PERU — There’s a new addition to Peru Free Library and its one of which library director Becky Pace hopes patrons will take note. The library’s main room now features a 1924 Brambach baby grand piano courtesy of a donation from Alyce and Michael Provost, neighbors of the library. However, the road to get a piano for the library wasn’t an easy one. “It was a few years ago we had a performance and discovered the acoustics in here were great,” said Pace. Immediately, Pace said she thought having a baby grand piano would go well in the library to accommodate future performances. “It’s a pivotal instrument,” she said. “If you have a baby grand piano, you can add anything for a performance — you can have people sing, you can have string quartets. It’s a key piece.” Pace approached the library’s board of directors about the idea and said it was welcomed with open arms. “They could’ve said, ‘We’re a library. We don’t need a piano.’ But, they didn’t,” said Pace. The library established a piano fund, receiving great support from the community and Friends of the Library, a group which regularly raises money for the library. As money was
raised, Pace set out to find a piano. “I had some red herrings,” said “I went and looked at some that were in terrible shape, but I was very gracious and thanked people.” It wasn’t long ago the Provosts contacted the library to let Pace know they had a baby grand that was no longer used. Pace inspected the piano with the help of a musician and found it to be just what she was looking for, she said. Though donated, there was a nominal cost to have the piano appraised, said Pace, then refurbished and refinished. “But, basically for about $3,000-$4,000, we have a new baby grand piano,” she said, adding the fund covered the necessary costs. The main thing now, said Pace, is for people interested in using the piano to step forward — particularly piano teachers and performers interested in using the library during off hours. “We want the community to use this piano, so if there are piano teachers with students who would like a different venue, we would really like to invite them to come in,” said Pace. “It would be great to have concerts here. We can easily seat 50 people in our front room.” “We’re not Carnegie Hall and we won’t pretend to be, but we can still have very, very fine musical events here because of this wonderful donation.” Those interested in scheduling time to use the piano may contact Pace at the library by calling 643-8618.
Peru Free Library director Becky Pace stands next to the 1924 Brambach baby grand piano donated to the library by Alyce and Michael Provost. Photo by Jeremiah S. Papineau
Saranac couple donates blood platelets, urge others to do the same By Jeremiah S. Papineau jeremiah@denpubs.com
Amanda Lavarnway and her fiancé, Jared Miller, donated blood platelets together for the first time prior to Valentine’s Day. The couple encourage others to see if they are eligible to donate platelets. Photo by Jeremiah S. Papineau
PLATTSBURGH — When it comes to Valentine’s Day, one couple has found another way to give from the heart. Saranac residents Amanda Lavarnway and her fiancé, Jared Miller, stopped by the North Country Regional Blood Donor Center prior to Valentine’s Day Weekend to give a donation of blood platelets together for the first time. Lavarnway, a veteran whole blood and blood platelet donor, said she convinced her fiancé to give after accompanying her sev-
eral times to her donation appointments. “He usually goes down with me and instead of sitting there for an hour with nothing to do, he decided to donate with me,” said Lavarnway, noting an hour is the average time it takes to make an apheresis donation. Miller, who has also been a blood donor for several years, said he thought he’d try donating platelets, which is a slightly different process. “Amanda talked me into it,” Miller admitted. “I was a little nervous at first but it wasn’t bad.” According to information proSee VALENTINES, page 7
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Voters defeat capital project By Jeremiah S. Papineau jeremiah@denpubs.com SARANAC — The voters have spoken and it’s back to the drawing board for the Saranac Central School District. The district’s proposed $17.5 million capital improvement project was defeated by voters 636-355
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