It was just a few days after Valentines Day when I saw the news on WDIV. Webster School in Livonia had been destroyed by a suspicious fire. I thought about what that would mean for the kids and teachers and parents who would have to salvage the last few months of school. I also thought about the time when a fire killed the family of a boy in kindergarten at my school, and about how for months afterward, I refused to look at the charred house, how it haunted me to the point of phobia. The power of destruction and loss was very concrete to a five year-old.
It was only a few days ago when I found out that story, which seemed so remote, had a personal connection. One of the teachers affected was Laurel Green; her grandmother, my friend, was worried about how she would be able to meet the needs of her twelve developmentally disabled students. They come from all over Western Wayne County, and function at a toddler level.
Since the classroom was totally destroyed, and since insurance takes a while, replacing learning materials was an immediate problem. The students began last week in a new school, and the PTO was working hard to solicit new or used items. Immediately, I was on the site where her needed materials were listed, getting ready to supply what I could immediately find on Cranesbill's shelves.
Now you may ask why I would write about this, given that our community is thirty miles away and that at this moment, many of our families are in their own troubled waters. But when bad things happen to others far away, I think about them and want to help. In part it's my family's training: always to think of others less fortunate. Also, it's my belief that we need to think of children as a highly important resource, no matter what their limitations. And in part, the connection that I had to the particulars prompted me to act.
These days, we want to distinguish ourselves from each other in so many ways. There are religious differences, economic and educational differences, dietary differences, and even different attitudes toward the technological and cultural changes of our day. Some in our community would tell me that to be charitable toward a group of kids that lived in suburban Detroit was nice, but didn't matter since the whole area is a disaster. Others might suggest classroom needs closer to home. They have arrested the arsonist, but the problem is still not totally solved. Mrs. Green makes do with what she has, but is a long way from replacing the materials she lost.
In many ways, we should worry that we find ourselves in a world where we are separated by distance and difference. We Americans have always been known for our charitable nature, our willingness to pitch in. Kids are kids, and no matter when they were born and what abilities they have, they deserve a chance. So if you know that you might be able to help out with a few small items, you can visit Mrs. Green's Primary 2 Wish List.
Whatever anyone says, the kids are the ones who need our help, no matter that they are from a different place than ours.
February 29, 2008
February 18, 2008
Four Years and Counting
If you must know, when we opened Cranesbill Books as a holiday store in October of 2003, we were taking on one of the biggest and most demanding jobs that I had ever attempted. And I was now the owner, a job that was so complex that I was completely terrified of getting it right, especially because all of it was new to me. I had never been in business before, and I knew nothing of the nuts-and-bolts of keeping a retail store running smoothly.
There was nothing on the second floor except bare floors and a ceiling that had collapsed, leaving piles of old cellulose insulation that induced wheezing in the brave ones who ventured up there. Nonetheless, we had to fix all the problems, which were daunting all by themselves. In January 2004, the old store closed and we methodically packed up the old stock and actually moved on the 21st. We were barely ready to put thousands of books onto shelves which we had recently purchased, we had to make decisions about where categories were going to be located.
After running what was our "holiday store" in the first sixty feet of 108 E. Middle Street from October to January, we were going to be the new kid on the block and we wanted to look sharp. Even so, before we re-opened on February 28, 2004, we had to put in carpet, an elevator, and a whole lot of books, as well as designing the areas to make the place as welcoming as we could. Chelsea Woodworking and its mastermind, Charles Shiver, did a terrific job of working with our tall order. Our landlords, H.K. Leonard and Greg Raye, helped us decide what to do and to get the bills paid for all that we did.
From that transition time, I remember just working as hard as I could each day and coming home exhausted each evening. But little by little, the place took shape. One thing I wanted was what I called a storyteller chair for the kids section, and, after weeks of checking out Treasure Mart and Garage Sale Gallery, I finally found one at a large retailer. Big plans often turn into long lists of details, and Charlie, who made the store look as good as it does, was probably pretty sick of getting new problems to solve. We never finished painting the staircase because we were drowning in details, but the wallpaper (a pattern called "Cranesbill Tapestry") was hung, the upstairs was carpeted and fitted out with walls to keep the customers from falling down the stairs, and the books were neatly arranged and ready to be sold. Signs were made and hung for each category, the floors were scrubbed, and every shelf dusted in triplicate (before stocking the books, after stocking, and once again before opening, since book dust tends to be a continual problem). The whole venture ran on nothing except our enthusiasm for getting settled and moving forward, not to mention the occasional pizza.
As time has told, the opening was a textbook extravaganza. Charlie Chaplin and Marilyn Monroe impersonators greeted guests. There was a seven piece band— part of the II-V-I Orchestra. There is videotape of that evening, but what I remember is that it was a time of great hope. The construction was finished on Main Street and businesses were not worrying about the future. At that time, there were fewer stores in Chelsea's downtown than there are now, but Cranesbill added a little something to the mix. At the end of the evening, I told everyone that we were glad to be there, and I hope I didn't dwell on the problems that we had overcome, because they were lurking in my mind. But thank heavens I did not know what was ahead: a new president, a war, a busted economy, the struggle for any small independent bookshop to stay afloat and keep paddling.
In four years, we have come a long way, not always gracefully, but always with my core belief in the value of a bookstore for a town. I have been a bookstore junkie all my life: I can describe stores that have not existed in decades but that I trolled for interesting reading when I was still a schoolgirl. Not everyone gets the chance to live out their dreams, and I continue to be grateful that I have been so lucky, even though the years have provided more chills and thrills than I would have knowingly taken on. I think of it as my real college education.
So on Friday, February 29th— leap year— and Saturday, March 1, we celebrate our fourth anniversary with a two-day event. On Friday we will have an evening movie, the first from our new "Cinema Cranesbill" series, Robin and Marian. Then we will have birthday cake at noon on Saturday, a presentation by the Howell Nature Center at 2 pm, and a party from 8-10 pm. Postcards and flyers will be out this week— as ever, we are a bit behind schedule. We hope you will join us no matter what the weather; our customers are the reason we have chalked up another year, despite the economic crunch and whatever else has threatened the small independent bookshop as a species. There's a long list of thanks that belongs here, but to simplify, we could not have survived without many forms of community support. Please accept our thanks for the part you've played and let us know how we can do better.
There was nothing on the second floor except bare floors and a ceiling that had collapsed, leaving piles of old cellulose insulation that induced wheezing in the brave ones who ventured up there. Nonetheless, we had to fix all the problems, which were daunting all by themselves. In January 2004, the old store closed and we methodically packed up the old stock and actually moved on the 21st. We were barely ready to put thousands of books onto shelves which we had recently purchased, we had to make decisions about where categories were going to be located.
After running what was our "holiday store" in the first sixty feet of 108 E. Middle Street from October to January, we were going to be the new kid on the block and we wanted to look sharp. Even so, before we re-opened on February 28, 2004, we had to put in carpet, an elevator, and a whole lot of books, as well as designing the areas to make the place as welcoming as we could. Chelsea Woodworking and its mastermind, Charles Shiver, did a terrific job of working with our tall order. Our landlords, H.K. Leonard and Greg Raye, helped us decide what to do and to get the bills paid for all that we did.
From that transition time, I remember just working as hard as I could each day and coming home exhausted each evening. But little by little, the place took shape. One thing I wanted was what I called a storyteller chair for the kids section, and, after weeks of checking out Treasure Mart and Garage Sale Gallery, I finally found one at a large retailer. Big plans often turn into long lists of details, and Charlie, who made the store look as good as it does, was probably pretty sick of getting new problems to solve. We never finished painting the staircase because we were drowning in details, but the wallpaper (a pattern called "Cranesbill Tapestry") was hung, the upstairs was carpeted and fitted out with walls to keep the customers from falling down the stairs, and the books were neatly arranged and ready to be sold. Signs were made and hung for each category, the floors were scrubbed, and every shelf dusted in triplicate (before stocking the books, after stocking, and once again before opening, since book dust tends to be a continual problem). The whole venture ran on nothing except our enthusiasm for getting settled and moving forward, not to mention the occasional pizza.
As time has told, the opening was a textbook extravaganza. Charlie Chaplin and Marilyn Monroe impersonators greeted guests. There was a seven piece band— part of the II-V-I Orchestra. There is videotape of that evening, but what I remember is that it was a time of great hope. The construction was finished on Main Street and businesses were not worrying about the future. At that time, there were fewer stores in Chelsea's downtown than there are now, but Cranesbill added a little something to the mix. At the end of the evening, I told everyone that we were glad to be there, and I hope I didn't dwell on the problems that we had overcome, because they were lurking in my mind. But thank heavens I did not know what was ahead: a new president, a war, a busted economy, the struggle for any small independent bookshop to stay afloat and keep paddling.
In four years, we have come a long way, not always gracefully, but always with my core belief in the value of a bookstore for a town. I have been a bookstore junkie all my life: I can describe stores that have not existed in decades but that I trolled for interesting reading when I was still a schoolgirl. Not everyone gets the chance to live out their dreams, and I continue to be grateful that I have been so lucky, even though the years have provided more chills and thrills than I would have knowingly taken on. I think of it as my real college education.
So on Friday, February 29th— leap year— and Saturday, March 1, we celebrate our fourth anniversary with a two-day event. On Friday we will have an evening movie, the first from our new "Cinema Cranesbill" series, Robin and Marian. Then we will have birthday cake at noon on Saturday, a presentation by the Howell Nature Center at 2 pm, and a party from 8-10 pm. Postcards and flyers will be out this week— as ever, we are a bit behind schedule. We hope you will join us no matter what the weather; our customers are the reason we have chalked up another year, despite the economic crunch and whatever else has threatened the small independent bookshop as a species. There's a long list of thanks that belongs here, but to simplify, we could not have survived without many forms of community support. Please accept our thanks for the part you've played and let us know how we can do better.
February 4, 2008
A New Year Full of Changes
Well, for those of you who have been reading the blog since it began last year, my silence has been for good reason. After four years of being the proprietor of Cranesbill, the beginning of 2008 became a moment of change in direction. As you are reading this, those changes involve a new management team, a revamped second floor, an ambitious schedule of events for the immediate future, and a better store at your service.
First, our new staffers: Chelsea resident Al Scafuri joins us as the store’s General Manager. Jeremy Montange remains on board as Operations Manager, bookseller, and resident dog whisperer. Al comes to us from Motawi Tile Works, where he supervised installations, bringing with him a solid knowledge of books, a willingness to get long needed changes made, and a cheerful willingness to learn the ins and outs of the store and its computer system that have eluded mere mortals like myself. Shelby Scafuri joins the team as Marketing Director, adding her years of advertising and public relations experience to our team. And we also have a new bookseller, Jennifer Kothe, who is also well-known as a talented floral designer for her family’s business, Gigi’s Flowers. Dave Folland and Virginia Drennan remain on board as booksellers. I will also be a bookseller, buyer of toys and children’s books, and website coordinator. The store has always been short on staff, resulting in our taking a collective risk in order to serve our community better and to offer better selection, information, and an environment that we can all enjoy.
In process now is a redesigned second floor, with two separate seating areas and a piano for regular musical amusements. Film screenings will continue, with three separate series on Friday nights, running from February to May, with the support of the Chelsea Film Society. The schedules will be announced soon, but they will be aimed at families (Cinema Cranesbill), movie buffs (Chelsea Film Society), and those concerned with serious issues around environmental and economic concerns (Sustainability Film Group).
Some of the CDs have been taken down in order to accommodate these changes, but we will be keeping a core of great artists —local and national, modern and traditional— to serve those who demand an unusual level of music that comes from every direction: bluegrass, blues, Cajun, Celtic, country, folk, jazz, reggae, rock and world music. Local artists will be featured, as they always have been.
We invite you to join us February 29 and March 1 as we celebrate four years in our current location. Details are still being settled, but we hope you will enjoy our efforts to make our place yours. Meanwhile, please bear with us as we continue our quest to offer you the best in books, music, and playthings, as well as a few surprises to come.
First, our new staffers: Chelsea resident Al Scafuri joins us as the store’s General Manager. Jeremy Montange remains on board as Operations Manager, bookseller, and resident dog whisperer. Al comes to us from Motawi Tile Works, where he supervised installations, bringing with him a solid knowledge of books, a willingness to get long needed changes made, and a cheerful willingness to learn the ins and outs of the store and its computer system that have eluded mere mortals like myself. Shelby Scafuri joins the team as Marketing Director, adding her years of advertising and public relations experience to our team. And we also have a new bookseller, Jennifer Kothe, who is also well-known as a talented floral designer for her family’s business, Gigi’s Flowers. Dave Folland and Virginia Drennan remain on board as booksellers. I will also be a bookseller, buyer of toys and children’s books, and website coordinator. The store has always been short on staff, resulting in our taking a collective risk in order to serve our community better and to offer better selection, information, and an environment that we can all enjoy.
In process now is a redesigned second floor, with two separate seating areas and a piano for regular musical amusements. Film screenings will continue, with three separate series on Friday nights, running from February to May, with the support of the Chelsea Film Society. The schedules will be announced soon, but they will be aimed at families (Cinema Cranesbill), movie buffs (Chelsea Film Society), and those concerned with serious issues around environmental and economic concerns (Sustainability Film Group).
Some of the CDs have been taken down in order to accommodate these changes, but we will be keeping a core of great artists —local and national, modern and traditional— to serve those who demand an unusual level of music that comes from every direction: bluegrass, blues, Cajun, Celtic, country, folk, jazz, reggae, rock and world music. Local artists will be featured, as they always have been.
We invite you to join us February 29 and March 1 as we celebrate four years in our current location. Details are still being settled, but we hope you will enjoy our efforts to make our place yours. Meanwhile, please bear with us as we continue our quest to offer you the best in books, music, and playthings, as well as a few surprises to come.
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