To the Voters of Winchester and Ashuelot:

My daddy taught me that if I want to initiate change, I can’t sit on the sidelines waiting for someone else to do it—especially if I expect results.  It’s one of the reasons I decided to run for Thayer Library trustee.  The quaint little library is located just across from the covered bridge in Ashuelot.  For those living in the community, there is confusion about the purpose of this public library.  If you’ve ever been there hoping to find a good read, you were probably directed to the Conant Library in the center of Winchester, much as I was when I stopped there for the first time about eight years ago.  Over the years I have fixated on this library because it’s a resource in the community not being used.
Last year when I first decided to run for the trustee position out of my concern to try to find a way to revitalize the library in the village, I was told by the current librarian that the reason the library wasn’t being used by anyone is because kids today don’t read.  Ironically, I was told this information last March, during the same time that the school where I work in Brattleboro was conducting the March Reading Challenge.  Many of my freshman and sophomores participate in the program every year because reading is a priority for everyone.
The children of Winchester and Ashuelot aren’t any different from the kids living in the Brattleboro area.  On March 1st I had the opportunity to visit the Winchester School where I happened to witness the joy of kids celebrating reading, not just for the day, but throughout the whole school for the entire week.  People from the community had volunteered to come in and read to students and were just leaving when I had arrived.  I noticed the paper chain strung throughout the halls, each link identifying a specific book title.  Principal Jim Lewis later explained that students were asked to pick their top three favorite books and write them on a strip of paper that was later assembled into the colorful chain I was now looking at.
Anyone who works with kids, whether it be teenagers, middle school students, or elementary level students, knows that our job as adults is getting kids excited about reading.  There are so many amazing people living in our community that work hard to make sure kids are excited about school, sports, after school programs, etc.  What saddens me is the attitude of some associated with the Thayer Library that it’s perfectly acceptable to go around and tell people that kids just don’t ready anymore.
On Tuesday, March 8th there will be an opportunity for voters in Winchester and Ashuelot to decide the future of the Thayer Library.  Don’t just sit on the sidelines and complain.  Bring the Thayer Library into the 21st century by voting for people who see what the library could be rather than what it is.  Vote for Julia Ferrari, Kim Gordon, and Dianne Skawski-Pride for Thayer Library trustees.
Sincerely,
Dianne Skawski-Pride
Ashuelot