Ride to Read - Success!

It was an incredible day today. Besides it being perfect weather and riding conditions, I got to visit with the awesome staff at all of the branches, talk to library visitors across the county, and see all of the hard work paying off with the funds raised by the Ride. Thank you to everyone who helped make today such a success!!

50 miles down!

Some words from the end of Section 3 (How Green Was My Jackson Valley)!

Back on the Road after reaching the halfway point

After stopping for lunch at the Northeast Branch,we headed back onto the road  to continue the Ride to Read!

First stage completed!

Here I am at the end of the "Bridge Over the River Paulinskill" section. Fears of debris-covered roads and slippery leaves were unfounded on this beautiful day. On to the next section!

The Ride to Read is here! Starting the first stage

Only One Day To Go!

Thanks to Tammy for letting me borrow this great bike!

Do you know that song at the end of the first act of Les Miserables when the entire cast sings "One Day More"? Well, that song has been playing in my head all day today.

After 2 and a half months of training (totaling 488 miles biked, run, and hiked!), the Ride to Read is only 1 day away.

I've gone from a recreational mountain biker to a road rider, gotten to see places in Warren County that I never knew about before, and I hope that this ride has made people aware that there is a lot more going on at the library than just reading! As of tonight, I have raised about $2,000, which will go a long way to furnish the new library building. Thank you so much to all of the library users, community members, coworkers, and friends and family who have helped publicize the event and  have contributed time, donations, and moral support during my training.
Maybe I'll see you out on the course tomorrow!
For those who are visiting the library tomorrow, here are the approximate times that I'll be at each stop:


Leave Headquarters around 9 am.

Around 10:15, end Bridge Over the River Paulinskill section when arrive at the Catherine Dickson Hofman Branch. Leave at 11 for next section.

Around 12:30, end Fifty Shades of Death section when arrive at the Northeast Branch. Leave at 1:30 for next section.

Around 2:45, end How Green Was My Jackson Valley section when arrive at the Franklin Branch. Leave at 3:30 for next section.

Around 4:30, end Escape to Brass Castle Mountain section when arrive at the new Headquarters location (189 County Rd. 519).

Thank you to sponsor Riverside Designs and Apparel for printing up a Ride to Read shirt for me!




"One more dawn
One more day
One day more!"

Radio Interview

If you missed the radio interview on WRNJ last Friday, here's a recording!

www.warrenlib.org/hq/RideToRead-RNJ_Interview.mp3

What I'm riding for

In 2011, the donations of many library supporters made possible the opening of the beautiful new Northeast Branch. Visitors there can now enjoy a country farm theme with plush chairs for reading, tables at which to sit and read or study, and a fun and pleasant environment. 

It's that extra touch of comfort and atmosphere that the Ride to Read is working to achieve for the new library headquarters. Here is what we plan to offer through the support of the Ride to Read sponsorships:

One milkshake, please! We're hoping to give the teen area a retro diner look, complete with an mp3-player jukebox (with headphone connections instead of speakers!).

Our visitors know that the seating space in the current building is very limited.We are planning on purchasing many more tables, of different sizes, to accommodate private reading, group studying, laptop use, and even space to spread out a newspaper.

It's been difficult to curl up with a good book on a wooden chair at a table packed with other library visitors, which is why I am especially excited about the plush armchairs we would like to get, including some with folding book rests on the arms.

I hope that this gives you a better idea of what the Ride to Read is all about. Thank you to everyone for all of your support thus far!

Radio interview!

Tune in to the radio station WRNJ at 92.7 FM, 104.7 FM, or 1510 AM to hear my radio interview about the Ride to Read! The interview will be tomorrow morning, September 14, 2012 at 7:40 am.

Stepping up the training!

Don't miss this video!