The unavoidable reconstruction of Buchmuller Park sent vendors to the streets and sidewalks for this year’s Friends of the Secaucus Public Library mini-fair fundraiser. Tables lined the sidewalks around the library and both sides of First Avenue, drawing hundreds of people.
Katherine Steffens, library director, said the rehabilitation of Buchmuller Park “in no way detracted from the event,” and credited the mayor and council for providing space on the street, along with public works Superintendent Michael Gonnelli, building and grounds supervisor Raymond Cieciuch and their crews for setting up tents and making the necessary changes.
“They also did an outstanding job with making our signs, getting our site ready and cleaning up when we were finished,” Steffens said.
The fair featured vendors of every kind, selling a remarkable assortment of novelties. Tables also featured used book stals, face painting and other activities.
Cookie Monster, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Snow white and Cinderella were on hand for the kids. Kipnis Orthopedics Rehabilitation Center supplied free 10-minute executive massages and foot massages for the older crowd. Meadowlands Hospital supplied free cholesterol screenings.
Because of the new location, Steffens said it was hard to estimate the number of people who attended, but said that the street was mobbed at one point during the day.
The fair netted the library about $2,500, excluding the sale of furniture from the old library. The book sale brought in about $600, the raffle about $800, while the fifty-fifty drawing — which splits the pot in half with the winner, brought in $370 to the library. Board of Education member Eleanor Reinl won the fifty-fifty.
The Secaucus Policeman’s Benevolent Association and the Kiwanis Club both gave away children’s books. Kiwanis estimated it gave away 2,000 books, and the PBA estimated 4,000. Steffens said this helped meet the governor’s request for libraries to give books to children.
Because some of the furniture won’t be needed in the new library, the mini-fair also featured a furniture sale, which continues after the fair. Some tables chairs and filing cabinets are still available. So are bookshelves.
“The whole point of the fair is to get people talking about the library, have people in to look over our equipment and talk about our services,” Steffens said.
Because the new library will be opening on Oct. 26, the mini-fair was a last chance for many people to look over the 1950s vintage building while it remained operating as the library. Steffens said many people were nostalgic, but also excited about the move.
The grand opening of the new library on Paterson Plank Road will take place on Oct. 26 at 1 p.m. and will feature prominent guests including Gov. Jim McGreevey, the state librarian, and others.
“We invited Laura and Barbara Bush,” Steffens said, “because they are so much involved in literacy and the libraries. We have not yet received a response.”
Steffens thanked the Friends of the Library for the work they put in to make the mini-fair a success, especially Olga Cherkowski and Helen Larson for what she called “a weeklong labor of love” spent sorting through the books for the biggest book stale the library ever had.
Schools involved
All the schools were involved in the mini fair. Dawn Peletier, who wore children’s character costumes, supervised some of the operations. Fees for costume rentals were donated by the Rotary Club and the law firm of Walrod & D’Amico, Kipnis and Kiwanis. Richard Damato stepped away from his role as the town electrician to provide music for the event. The Office of Emergency Management supplied its command vehicle. Also contributing were Michael Snuffer, Police Chief Dennis Corcoran, Richard Steffens Sr. and Jr. and Karyn Urtnowski.
High School art teacher Doug DePice – who has provided art classes to the library – proved himself as handy with an oven mitt as with a paintbrush, coming away with first prize for cheesecake and overall best prize in the baking contest. Winners in other categories were Angela Scafidi for her biscotti; Jenny Bogdan for her flan; Edna Mondadori for her peach pie; Diane Wolf in the bars and cookies category and Laurie Cenery for her cream puffs.
These entries as well as other cookies and cakes were sold inside the library as part of the fundraising effort. “We couldn’t have had such a successful day without the tireless efforts of the kitchen staff,” said Reinl, who along with Ann Ross served as chairpersons for the contest. “They were there early to set up and stayed late to clean-up.”