Westport in Brief!
EverythingWestport.com
Sunday, July 11, 2021
Quick
Article Index . . .
Sue Branco is leaving
the Library, but she won’t be soon forgotten.
Westport Art Group is
pleased to announce the winners of its 2021 scholarships.
Gravestone
restoration and repair workshop to be offered in July and August.
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Sue
Branco is leaving the Library, but
she won’t soon be forgotten. EverythingWestport.com Monday, July 5, 2021 PHOTOS
| EverythingWestport.com © 2021 All rights reserved Library Director Sue
Branco announced she will retire this July.
She will be missed.
She joined the Library 33 years ago as an Assistant Director of Children
and Young Adults. She will be remembered,
however, for her many major accomplishments; among them managing Library
functions while the building was fundamentally expanded with funding provided
by the Manton Foundation and from the town’s stabilization fund back in
2009/2010. Ms. Branco also assisted in
historical preservation of town documents in a new historical archive at the Library. Three of the oldest town books, suffering from
possible disintegration because of past mistakes in preservation, have been
restored. Those books plus other historical documents have been wrapped in
special buffered paper and placed in archival boxes in the town vault.
Microfilming of these documents has been done for disaster recovery and these
microfilms have been placed in the Westport Public Library in the specially designed
history room. In case of fire or another disaster the historic information
contained in these documents will remain available in the future. She also managed the
overseeing of the general history room which is very popular with those folks
most interested in Westport’s heritage, and handled the transition from books
to CD’s, then to computers and now to on-line activities broadening the Library’s reach of knowledge and entertainment for
everyone. Visitors to the Library
after the expansion were thrilled with the transition: “I stop by to take out
books; it is quite different from the original Library at Town Hall,” Gail
Nixdorf said at the time as she looked over a line of new computers and
shelves stacked with books. “I had the honor of
serving for 12 years on the Board of Trustees for the Westport Free Public
Library with Sue Branco as our Library Director. And I am pleased now to have
this opportunity to say a few words on her behalf,’ – Former Library Trustee Bob Gormley. “Sue has served our town
faithfully for 33 years with professional distinction, pride and efficiency
in her work and always with personal warmth, and we will all miss her
friendly presence as she as she takes up her well-earned retirement in July,”
Bob Gormley said. “While I’m sure she will
not miss her annual battle with the budget, or the recent struggles with the
new junior/senior high school construction and the Covid closure, she should
treasure, as we do, her many accomplishments over the years, including the
fine staff she brought along, the modern expansion of our facility under her
guidance, and the maturity of our collection as we progress in the digital
age.” “Well done, Sue.
Westport’s been blessed to have you as our librarian!” - Bob Gormley, (with a hug) During the last seven
plus years, I have been a witness to the feeling that Sue imparts to all who
visit, volunteer or work in our Library. - Denise Micale, President, FOWL. “I first met Sue Branco
on a visit to the Library in early 2014 to offer my
time as a volunteer, said Denise Micale, President,
FOWL (Friends of Westport Library.) “My father had recently
passed, and the major change in my life led me to seek connection and
purpose. I had gone to the right place and the right person and soon found
myself on the FOWL newsletter and the book sale volunteer teams. Our initial
conversation escapes my memory but I do remember the feeling of welcome from
Sue.” “During the last seven
plus years, I have been a witness to the feeling that Sue imparts to all who visit,
volunteer or work in our Library. Her quiet, calm and warm manner is evident
in every interaction and one feels welcome, and yes, at home, there. Thank
you, Sue, for all expertise and passion you brought to your work, and
especially the special way you have made us feel during your long tenure at
our Library. Best wishes for a happy, healthy and fulfilling retirement.” Well done, Sue.
Westport’s been blessed to have you as our librarian! - Bob Gormley, (with a hug) A
Chat with Susan Branco, by Brianna McAvoy Susan
Branco Says Farewell as Library Director, but not Goodbye. Susan Branco
closes one chapter of her life and opens another as she retires in July after
33 years, 17 years as Library Director. Sue started her career as a teacher
and librarian in Australia. Returning to her hometown in Connecticut, she
worked in a public library while pursuing a Library Degree, eventually making
her way to the Providence Public Library System. She met her husband John and
they moved to Westport in 1991. Thoughts
on Retirement? “It
has been a very gratifying experience getting to know and working with
wonderful people in the community. My greatest joy is helping people find
exactly what they are looking for, whether suggesting a book, answering a
reference question, or using online resources. I also love working with the
many volunteers who tirelessly shelve materials and those that work the book
sales. Their contributions have shown me the importance of volunteerism.
Maybe the Friends of Westport Library will welcome another volunteer! “ Untold
Tales at the Library? “I’ll
share a few incidents that many patrons don’t know about. One afternoon, a
staff member noticed a snake in-side the library near the back door. One
staff member was brave enough to catch it and put it outside. We once caught
a bird that had somehow found its way inside, along with crickets and
spiders. Staff often find a variety of items left as bookmarks in-side books,
such as shopping lists, nail files and other items. We once found a $50
Victoria’s Secret gift card!” “Dogs
also find their way into the library. Pooches are some-times waiting by the
front door while their master comes inside to find a book. Well, sitting and
staying only lasts until the next patron opens the door, and the dog scurries
inside and commences searching the aisles until he surprises his owner. The
obvious conclusion, dogs love books!” Generational
readers? “I
have had the pleasure of knowing families through the generations. A parent
would turn to their children and say, “Mrs. Branco read to me when I was your
age.” And, of course, they also say, “I can’t believe you are still here.” It
makes me laugh every time!
Notice: The Westport Library staff is
pleased to announce that patrons are now welcome to come into the Library. Call
508.636.1100 or email westportcurb@sailsinc.org
to let them know when you would like to stop by to browse the collection or
use a computer. Continue to place all
returns in the outdoor book return. Michael's Book Store is
now open. Fiction and non-fiction titles are updated
weekly. Adult books are $2.00. Children's titles are 25 cents. Curbside Pickup Continues
as usual: [Curbside Pickup Hours:
Monday & Thursday (1 - 6 PM); Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday (10 AM -
4:30 PM); Saturday (10 AM - 3 PM). Westport Art Group is pleased to announce the winners of
its 2021 scholarships. EverythingWestport.com Friday, July 9, 2021 PHOTOS
| Submitted WESTPORT - Westport Art
Group is pleased to announce the winners of its 2021 scholarships. The recipient of the $1,500
Clara M. Stewart Scholarship is Meghan Camarao. This scholarship was established
through the generosity of Clara M. Stewart, artist, teacher and longtime
member of the Westport Art Group. Meghan, a 2021 graduate of Dartmouth
High School will receive this scholarship and attend the University of
Massachusetts at Dartmouth to continue her art studies in the field of
Illustration.
The $1,500 Westport Art
Group Scholarship has been awarded to Robert Raposa, a 2021 graduate of Westport High
School. Robert will attend the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth
to pursue a degree in Illustration with an emphasis on Animation
Congratulations to these
two fine artisans!
Gravestone restoration and repair
workshop to be offered in July and August. EverythingWestport.com Sunday, July 11, 2021 Westport Historical
Society’s Gravestone Cleaning Group (soon to be known as the Westport
Gravestone and Restoration Group) presents four free all-day workshops for
volunteers wishing to learn the intricate and specialized process of
gravestone restoration. Jonathan Appell, the CEO of Atlas Preservation Inc. and owner of
Gravestone Conservation, will lead the workshops. The training includes the
proper techniques of realigning and setting leaning stones and repairing
broken stones. A historic masonry
specialist and one of the nation’s foremost experts on gravestone
restoration, Mr. Appell, of West Hartford,
Connecticut, has 22 years of experience in the field. The workshops will take
place on July 24-25 and July 31 - August 1 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Linden Grove Cemetery on
Reed Road. There will be a break of one hour from 12 – 1. Attendees may
participate in the work itself. Registration is required
for these free workshops even if at last minute. Interested volunteers should
register at westportgravestones@protonmail.com. Registration is required
for these free workshops even if at last minute. Interested volunteers should
register at westportgravestones@protonmail.com. For further information or to
send messages to the group, you can join the Westport Gravestone Cleaning
Group on Facebook or send an email to the above email address. The Westport Gravestone
Cleaning Group has been cleaning stones at a number of the town’s 106
documented burial grounds for the past three years. The sites have ranged
from small, well-kept private cemeteries, to forgotten and overgrown family
burial grounds, to the large town-owned properties of Linden Grove, Maple
Grove and Beech Grove. The Westport Point
Cemetery has had all of its stones cleaned and should be checked out to see
what a difference the cleaning has made. Many of the town’s cemeteries have
damaged and broken gravestones. The marble stones in particular, erected from
about 1800 and continuing into the early 1900s, have suffered from breaks and
falls. While vandalism and accidental lawn mower strikes can topple or break
these grave markers, most are due to materials failure. A gravestone cleaning and
restoration group leader, Todd Baptista is among those who will be
participating in the workshops. “I’ve been passionate
about cemeteries since I was a young boy,” the Westport resident explains.
“When I work, I’m always thinking about the person whose gravestone I am
tending to. I may research their life or their family as best I can. I often
think about those who dug the graves by hand, carved the artful stones, and
the family members who were left behind.” - Todd Baptista The gravestone repair
workshops are funded by a Community Preservation Act grant. |
