Mike:
Mike now volunteers for the Essex Community Fund, St John’s Church, CATS, and has opened up Smiles Studio LLC at 1275 Main St. (adjacent to The Old Dock).  

In addition to oil painting and driftwood sculpture, Mike builds retro camera smartphone devices for story telling and video booths with social impact.

Mike this year retired as a career nonprofit executive with a love for “the simple life” thanks to Martha and her family who grew up coming to the Crater Club as a 50-year family tradition.  When we inherited the small Stepping Stones camp in 2011 overlooking Lake Champlain, Mike set out to intertwine his passion for social impact, maritime history and arts by leading the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum in 2915, followed by the role of Director of Development for the Shelburne Museum in 2017 until 2019 when he joined his younger brother, remotely, in several national fundraising roles as part of a philanthropy collaborative and consulting firm Andrew Smiles led from Denver.

We are honored to be asked to share more about our love for Essex, and to get to know more people as they get to know us!

Martha:
I’m very blessed to have spent my childhood and young adult life at the Crater Club. My life was greatly defined by summers here so it was fitting that in 2010 I assumed ownership of the small camp owned by my parents. In 2015 we tore down the seasonal camp and built a year round home. The rock garden with its sea of springtime flowers remains and the glow of lights can be seen year round. Poppy, our Tibetan Terrier, keeps an eye on the chipmunks.

I recently retired from a career in executive recruitment. I’m really enjoying my second childhood! You may see me walking on the roads, picking up “discarded debris” on Lake Shore, planting daffodils, or volunteering with Essex Initiatives and the ADK garden club project at the quarry. I’m also a board member of CATS and serve on the Essex Comprehensive Planning Committee.

Upcoming Meet Your Neighbors programs:
July 3 – Celeste Kranz and Bill Feehely
August 7 -Hal and Laura Kennedy
September 4 Christine Burke and Johnny Gray

Light refreshments will be served following the program. There is a suggested doantion of $5.00 to help support the library.

Come in for brick-snapping fun!  We’ll supply the Legos – you bring the creativity!  Each session will include “free” and “themed” builds that will be announced during the program.   

Kids age 6-12 can let their imaginations run wild on Saturday, October 5 and Saturday,  October 19 from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm.  A themed build will start at 3:30. 

Duplos and/or The Lego movie will be available for children under six.  Please note that adult supervision is required for children under six.  All ages are welcome. 

Note:  Are you looking to lighten your Lego load? We can use a few new-to-us Legos, including people (“minifigs”) and parts (wheels, bases, etc.).  Email us  call (518) 963-8079, or stop in to arrange a time to bring them in.

Did You Know? Your library card is your golden ticket to thousands of ebooks, audiobooks, and now digital magazines.  It’s easy to use the Libby free library reading app on a phone or tablet, access in a web browser (libbyapp.com), listen with Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, transfer to an e-reader, and more. 

Learn how to get started or get a refresher on Saturday, October 5.  Individual appointments will be available from 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm.  Call the library at (518) 963-8079 or send us an email (beldennoblelibrary@gmail.com) for more details and to book a spot.

Allison Pataki will give a talk on her latest book, Finding Margaret Fuller. Ms. Pataki’s book delves into the remarkable friendships of Margaret Fuller and her legacy as a journalist, writer and feminist. We are fortunate to have this opportunity to chat with the author.

Colleen and Jim bought their home in Essex in1978, following years of visiting the Champlain Valley during all seasons. They met in Lake Placid during college. Jim was a counselor at Camp Dudley and Colleen a waitress at the Lake Placid Club. As they say, the rest is history.
They were both professional educators. Colleen was a learning disabilities specialist, a school psychologist and a school administrator. Jim taught history and served as a school principal and superintendent. Both worked in independent and public schools during their careers. They served schools in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Wisconsin.
When circumstances permitted them to consider a second home, they gravitated to the Adirondacks, Champlain Valley, and particularly, Essex. They loved the architecture, history and small-town feel. After they retired full time in 2002, they became very active in the community, serving on many town and non-profit boards. Colleen has been active on the Board of the Belden Noble Memorial Library, which she currently serves as president, and on both Essex Initiatives and the Essex Community Fund.
Jim served on the Board of Assessment Review and the Planning Board, which he chaired for many years. During his tenure he revised the Town Zoning Law. He currently co-chairs the Church Council at the Community Church and serves on the Zoning Board of Appeals.
Colleen and Jim love to travel. Their series of three motor homes took them to 49 states, Canada and Mexico and over 200 national parks and monuments. Jim’s work in school evaluation took both of them to such places as South Africa, Japan, Morocco and Dubai. They are currently anticipating a river cruise on the Rhine and Danube rivers this fall.
The have two sons. Jim, Jr. is an artist who just retired from over 30 years of teaching in Central NY. Steve is responsible for the grounds at Arlington National Cemetery. Both have two children. Colleen and Jim recently became great-grandparents.

Each program begins at 7:00 PM. A donation of $5.00 per person is suggested.  Refreshments will be served following the program.

No time for a book club? BNML’s new Short Story Club has your back. No novels. No meetings. No need to make snacks for anyone other than yourself. Just great short stories.
The February/March selection is Stone Mattress by Margaret Atwood. This collection will not fail to bring you into a wicked and fascinating world. Three of the first stories are interconnected while the rest stand on their own, and mirror the themes of aging and the horrors that come with it. The collection is vivid and humorous at times, dark at others.
Simply pick up copies of the story at the library, read one story, or read them all, see what
others thought of it in the SSC binder, add your own reflections – and be on your way!

Join us at 3:00 p.m. for eclipse related crafts and stories for kids of all ages.

It would be helpful to let us know that you are coming so we can plan accordingly, but pre-registration is not required – do drop in! Email us beldennoblelibrary@gmail.com for more information.