YOUR HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER SINCE 1978 w w w. j a m e s t o w n n e w s . c o m
WEEKLY EDITION
OCTOBER 25-31, 2023 Vol 45 No 43 | 1 Section | 8 Pages
Library depends on volunteers BY NORMA B. DENNIS FREELANCE WRITER ndworddesign@gmail.com For over a century the massive brick building on the corner of West Main Street and Ragsdale Road has remained a focal point for the town of Jamestown. Constructed as a public school in 1915, today it houses a community library and educational achieves. Library manager Jim McGaha is quick to note the part volunteers played in this transformation — from saving the building from demolition to collecting and cataloging books to maintaining the facility and providing service to its many patrons. Today the library has two full-time paid employees, including McGaha, who began working in the library as a volunteer, and Joy Davis, and two part-time
paid employees, Heather McKay and Sue Elder. But just as volunteers were an important part of starting the library, they still play a large role in helping the many patrons who continue to use its services. “We have 12 volunteers on our schedule and a couple of substitutes who fill in when needed,” McGaha said. “Many are retired, but we have a couple of sisters working to get school service credit hours, students from CJ Greene Education Center who come with a support teacher and someone helping as part of her community service. Several teens volunteer during our summer reading program. “All are book lovers and most, if not all, are book readers who enjoy sharing information about what they read or authors they enjoy.” Volunteers are always
needed but not easily acquired. Many adults are busy with work and other activities or with the activities of their children. But according to McGaha, volunteering does not take a large commitment of time. Most volunteers work only one time a week for a few hours. “Many work in the morning,” McGaha said. “I would love to have more help in the afternoon and early evenings.” People often see the work done by the person at the front desk as a major volunteer opportunity, but there are many other jobs that must be done to keep the library running efficiently. Shelving books and making sure all are arranged in order so they can be easily found, helping with special events, creating gift baskets to sell and assisting patrons to find
SUGGESTED READS Check the library in November to see staff and volunteer picks of the month.
books or other needed items are all extremely important. “We need volunteers who are willing to do what needs to be done,” McGaha said. “There are lots of behindthe-scene jobs that people do not know about. We try to match jobs with a volunteer’s interest and train them as needed.” Sample comments from volunteers Since volunteering when the library first opened in 1988, Jean Regan has done a bit of everything, from working the desk, to making gift baskets to covering SEE LIBRARY, PAGE 2
Photo by Norma B. Dennis
“My favorite books are World War II non-fiction,” said Christine James, who works each Friday afternoon.
¿ Qué es El Día de los Muertos? What is the day of the dead?
COMPILED BY NORMA B. DENNIS AND CAROL BROOKS JUMC PUMPKIN PATCH For those who have not yet acquired a pumpkin to create your Halloween jack-o-lantern or for your Thanksgiving porch display there is still time. The Jamestown United Methodist Pumpkin Patch will be open through Oct. 31, Monday-Saturday from 10 a.m.-dusk and Sunday from noon until dusk. In the event of rain, the patch may be closed. The event has been held at the church since 1993. Ashby Brown, former JUMC choir director, and James Johnson, a former youth minister at the church, started the pumpkin patch to raise extra funds for youth and choir ministries. Today the proceeds continue to support these projects. RAGSDALE TIGER THEATRE The Ragsdale Tiger Theatre will present The Crucible Nov. 1, 2, 3 and 4 at 6:30 p.m. in the Ragsdale High School auditorium. The play was written in 1953 by American playwright Arthur Miller. Based on the true events surrounding the Salem witch trials that took place in the Massachusetts Bay Colony during 1692—1693, the play shows that lies can kill. The cost to attend the production is $7 at the door and $6 with a Ragsdale I.D. (The play was produced with the help of Dramatists Play Service.) EARLY VOTING Early voting for the Nov. 7 General Election has begin. The Civic Center at Jamestown Town Hall is one of the polling places but, along with two other locations, voting does not begin until Oct. 27 from 10 a.m.-6:30 p.m. It will continue through Nov. 3, with polls closed Saturday and Sunday. Have an event that you think needs to be included in About Town? Email Norma B. Dennis at ndworddesign@gmail.com or Carol Brooks at cab1hp@gmail.com
BY CAROL BROOKS FREELANCE WRITER cab1hp@gmail.com With its bright costumes, skeleton heads, location on the calendar and even its name, Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) should not be mistaken for a Mexican version of Halloween. Halloween, or All Hallows Eve on Oct. 31 is a night of terror and mischief. All Saints Day follows on Nov. 1. Día de los Muertos is a two-day event Nov. 1 and 2 each year, when it is believed that the souls of the dead return to visit their living family members. It shows love and respect for the deceased family members. Many people celebrate the day by visiting the graves of loved ones and erecting altars (ofrendas) with their favorite foods, drinks and photos. These altars are not for worshipping, but to welcome the spirits back to the land of the living. The High Point Museum has partnered with the YWCA Latino Family Center since 2017 to host the Día de los Muertos event. The event is a hands-on learning experience and celebration of the Day of the Dead at the museum with altars, kids’ activities and an honoring of the loved ones that have passed away, a Latin American tradition brought to the High Point community by High Point families. “Día de Los Muertos is a
Photos courtesy High Point Museum
(Above) Three ladies dressed as La Catrina, also known as the Lady of Death, at the 2022 Día de los Muertos at the High Point Museum. They are standing in front of the ofrenda, or altar. (Below) Traditional dancing is part of Día de los Muertos.
WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS? Join the High Point Museum and the YWCA Latino Family Center Saturday, Oct. 28, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. for a hybrid learning experience and celebration about the Day of the Dead, a Latin American holiday originating in Mexico. An ofrenda exhibit will be on display Oct. 25- Nov 4. Enjoy family entertainment and crafts while learning about the holiday celebrated in honor of the loved ones no longer with us.
SEE MUERTOS, PAGE 2
Global warming and the Mendenhalls Global warming has been in the news for years. Not only has the country experienced several days in a row of high temperatures not normally seen, but regions we expect to find covered in snow and ice also have experienced warming temperatures. The website www.climate.gov states Alaska has warmed twice as fast as the rest of the United States in the last several decades. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reports that Alaska’s glaciers are among the fastest melting glaciers on Earth.
Warmer temperatures have endangered the ecosystem and the salmon habitat. Nutrients from the glacier feed plankton in the ocean and the plankton feed the whales. But areas normally covered in ice are also suffering. One such location is the Mendenhall Glacier in Alaska, named for a distant relative of the Jamestown Mendenhall family, Thomas Corwin Mendenhall. Climate change is melting the Mendenhall Glacier. A report predicts that by 2100 — or perhaps 2050 — it may no longer be visible from the nearby visitor center. Citizens of Juneau are concerned that the tourism brought in will shrink, just like the glacier.
A report stated, “The glacier pours from rocky terrain between mountains into a lake dotted by stray icebergs. Its face retreated eight football fields between 2007 and 2021, according to estimates from University of Alaska Southeast researchers. Trail markers memorialize the glacier’s backward march, showing where the ice once stood. Thickets of vegetation have grown in its wake.” “Most of the loss of ice has come from the thinning due to warming temperatures, said Eran Hood, a University of Alaska Southeast professor of environmental science. She added that the glacier has now largely receded from the lake that bears its name.
Photo courtesy City and Borough of Juneau
These photos show how much Mendenhall Glacier receded between 1993-2010. With the retreating glacier, wildlife is returning as is a longburied forest. The Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area is under the guidance of the Tongass National Forest. Its website states the glacier actually
ADVERTISE IN THE JAMESTOWN NEWS! We offer great, affordable packages to fit any budget. Call 336-316-1231.
began receding in the mid-1700s. It was once 2.5 miles down the valley from its current location and is now 13 miles long. For the glacier to advance, the icefield’s
50¢
BY CAROL BROOKS FREELANCE WRITER cab1hp@gmail.com
SEE MENDENHALL, PAGE 2