Dundas Rotary Pancake Breakfast July 1st Canada Day

The Dundas Rotary Club held its Canada Day Pancake Breakfast for the community of Dundas. Breakfast is served in the Dundas Driving Park which also includes live entertainment (Tribal Vision Dancers) for the young and not so young, There were 650 plates of pancakes, sausages, maple syrup and butter served - an early count. The Salvation Army provided vital support with the loan of the refrigerated food serving van, As for the weather on the day - sun blessed and delightfully warm.
The large turnout was the opportunity to display the Telling Tales poster and distribute bookmarks advertising the event for September 19, 2010.

Restoration of Library Benches

Donna Wignall spearheaded the restoration of the public benches located in front of the Dundas Public Library on Ogilvie Street. In a collaborative arrangement with the Dundas Valley Architectural Furniture Company, the benches will be removed and disassembled to restore the wood slats to their original  pristine condition.
The benches will be reinstalled around the second week in July.
Report by Jim Nicol

Telling Tales Festival Wins Tourism Award

The Telling Tales Festival: A Family Festival of Stories, held at Westfield Heritage Village on September 20, 2009, has been awarded first place (for a Medium Event or Festival) by the 12th Tourism Hamilton Awards Renaissance, held March 23, 2010, at Liuna Station, Hamilton.

Founder Susan Jasper, and Robb Winniger, Westfield Heritage Village accepted the award on behalf of the Festival Board.

The Friends of the Hamilton Public Library donated $1500 to the Festival, with Dundas Library Friends also donating.

The Festival for 2010 will be held September 19, 2010, at Westfield Heritage Village. It is expected an attendance of 5000 is on the cards, which should raise $31,000 for literacy programmes in Hamilton.

Visit Telling Tales using media networking tools: Google: Telling Tales Festival - for the Festival website and Facebook

Access Twitter: "TellingTalesFFS" and follow on your Twitter account.

Friends of the Hamilton Public Library

The Friends of the Hamilton Public Library held its 14th Annual General Meeting on Jan. 27, 2010. I attended representing the Dundas Branch Library Friends (Roland Weiler had intended to attend but late circumstances ruled him out).

I described to the FHPL board the current situation vis-a-vis the Dundas Cactus Festival book sale and the difficulty Dundas Friends face in going forward to offer meaningful support for the branch.

As a member of Telling Tales 2010 organization committee, I presented a slideshow on the proposed programme and goals for TT 2010. Hamilton Friends were a major sponsor in 2009. The ongoing support of FHPL for this event, set for September 19, 2010, is again sought.

Report by Jim Nicol

Jan. 27, 2010

"Telling Tales" Event

Dundas Library Friends supported the first ever "Telling Tales" event held at Westfield Heritage Village, Rockton, on Sept. 20, 2009. The resulting funds raised to improve literacy in the community can be measured in the following announcement:

Announcement

The Telling Tales Literacy Funding Committee are pleased to announce the final decisions have been reached as to how divide the $20,000 raised for local literacy projects through the first annual Telling Tales Festival, held at Westfield Village on September 20th, 2009.

According to the plan from the outset – one third of the funds raised ($6,600) will be given to the Hamilton Literacy Council. These funds to go towards the cost of a new teacher who will be able to train volunteers and tutors so that they can provide their invaluable services to many more families. www.hamiltonreads.ca

The second third of the proceeds go towards building the Telling Tales Family Festival of Stories – so as to extend their program and marketing plans for it’s second year, which will take place on September 19th, 2010. www.tellilngtales.org

The final third of proceeds ($6,600) is to be spent as follows: $3,500 will be given to Hamilton’s very successful Summer Literacy Program, run by Director Robert Blunsdon. This contribution will enable them to move towards opening a second location on the mountain allowing hundreds more children access to this invaluable service.

Early Literacy Hamilton, a community -wide collaboration of partners who share the goal of improving literacy levels for all children in our community will be given $2,600 to assist them in funding their key communication tool the “school readiness calendar” distributed free to thousands of preschoolers throughout the city. ELH were key partners in the launch of the Telling Tales festival. www.earlyliteracyhamilton.blogspot.com

The Original Griffin Literacy Project – will be given $500 to assist them in purchasing

materials that will allow them to extend their volunteer driven program of providing handmade literacy resources to teachers and students at local schools.

A cheque presentation will take place at noon on December 17th at the Cathy Wever School during the schools Christmas celebrations. The Telling Tales Literacy Funding Committee for 2009 was comprised of representatives from the four Rotary Clubs that were major sponsors of the event, Rotary Club of Hamilton Sunset, Rotary Club of Hamilton, Rotary Club of Dundas and Rotary Club of Burlington Central.

Dated: December 13, 2009.

National Literacy Week

The Dundas Library Friends are pleased to provide funding ($250)to support the National Literacy Week in Hamilton. An author (yet to be determined)will speak on literacy at the Dundas Library branch on January 23, 2010.

Turkey Rhubarb Singalong

The Friends are providing $100 to the Dundas Public Library for the annual 2009 Christmas Show. Turkey Rhubarb is the main attraction leading children in a much loved Christmas singalong.