Do Not Despair!

The pictures that had been loaded to Flickr have temporarily been pulled (and there were still more to be loaded, so if you visited already, they were not all there yet) pending an official decision from senior staff as to how pictures should be displayed - in a private or public account, with first name only or first and last, etc. This will affect not only the posting of pictures from Winterfest 2008, but how pictures are posted to the ACPL Flickr account going forward, and how some of the old pictures are changed or left alone.

I will let you know when the pictures are up again! Thank you for your patience!!! :)

Pictures Are Going Up

Boy, you people are impatient! I have already had several people ask me when the pictures from the party will be available to look at on Flickr! I haven't even gotten the pictures taken by one of the volunteers yet, let alone all the staff members who took pictures. Ya gotta give me a little time! (And keep sending me your pics!)

I have started to upload pictures to Flickr, but there are still more coming in. You're welcome to see what has gone up, but keep checking as I expect new stuff to continue to be posted for a week or so.

To look at the pictures on Flickr:
1. Go to http://www.flickr.com
2. Click search (leave the field blank)
3. Click once on the People tab
4. Type in ACPLCommittee and click Search (make sure you type it as one word)

There are 2 sets - the pre-party planning pictures and the party pictures.


I was going to make them available in Picasa as well, but I can't seem to figure out how to make them available to everyone to see without sending each person an invitation, which is a little more time-consuming than I'm willing to deal with right now! So please view the pictures on Flickr. You'll save me one big headache. :)

And the winners are...

If you did not stay for the raffle and are listed as winning a prize, please wait until Wednesday to pick up your prize in the Human Resources office.

Wii - Colette Ryan, WAY
iPod - Melissa Kiser, ITS
Baker & Taylor $75.00 gift certificate - Charlene Holly, retiree

Paula's $80.00 gift certificate - Ilse Woehrle, STO
Amazon $50.00 gift certificate - Kate Vinz, LTL
Casa's $50.00 gift card - Mary Voors, CHI
Dick's Sporting Goods $50.00 gift card - Angela Fox, GRB
Fresh Market $50.00 gift card - Marilynn Fauth, REA
Target $50.00 gift card - Mike Brugger, SEC
Food Co-op $40.00 gift card - Dave Dawkins, HSK

Carmike Cinemas $25.00 gift book - Jim Gumbel, PRP
2 tickets to Komets - Bill Gaunt, retiree
2 tickets to Mad Ants - Dan Burch (Judy, HSC)
2 tickets to Rave Motion pictures - Marvin Howe, SEC
Fort Wayne Children's Zoo Family Season Pass - Tricia Heath (Kris, SEC)
Fort Wayne Museum of Art gift card - John Holman, SEC
Vera Bradley $40.00 gift card - Tom Shatzer, HSK
Bath & Body Works $30.00 gift card - Colette Ryan, WAY
Hobby Lobby $30.00 gift card - Jerry Seabolt, AMM
Michael's $30.00 gift card - Janet Butterman, GRB

Don Hall's $30.00 gift card - Kathy Brandt (Kris Heath, SEC)
Nolt Family Dinner - John Holman, SEC
Cookie Cottage gift card for a dozen cookies - Scott Mertz, SHW
Cookie Cottage gift card for a dozen cookies - Alana Wells, GEN
Baskin Robbins $10.00 gift certificate - Bill Gaunt, retiree
Baskin Robbins $10.00 gift certificate - Ina Gaunt (Bill, retiree)
Zesto's $5.00 gift certificate - Janet Butterman, GRB
Zesto's $5.00 gift certificate - Angela Fox, GRB
Zesto's $5.00 gift certificate - Susan Pratt, HSK
Zesto's $5.00 gift certificate - Benita Browning, PON
Zesto's $5.00 gift certificate - John Wagner, MNT

Bev Ellerbrock's handmade silver and turquoise necklace - Wilma Sills, retiree
Erin Smith's handmade bracelet and earrings - Herb Weier, NEIRRS
Sarah Wright's handmade necklace and earrings - Larry Banks, AFW
Sarai Spears' handmade lapiz and copper earrings - Jen Hancock, AFW
Sarai Spears' handmade jaspar and silver necklace & earrings - Edith Cummings, HSC
Trish Guillaume's handmade stained glass piece - Mike Weber (Christie Miller, DPT)

Bob Ihrie's painting - Tom Lewandowski (Brenda, STO)
Kay Gregg's painting - Sean Robinson, ITS

Edith Cummings' handmade scarf and wrist warmers - Carrie Harris, WAY
Kathy Burd's handmade wrist warmers - Alex McQuade, DIR
Kirsten Weaver's handmade shawl - John Dickmeyer, OPS
Lesley Lundgren's handmade scarf - Kay Spears, GEN
Lynn Hoffman's handmade scarf - Susan Pratt, HSK
Melissa Kiser's handmade scarf - Alex McQuade, DIR

Sandy Screeton's handmade angel ornament - Ilse Woehrle, STO

Carly Wiggins' homemade cookies - Eileen Haskell, GRB
Carly Wiggins' homemade cookies - Lettie Haver, REA
Janet Hartzell's homemade macaroni and cheese casserole - Tim Murphy (Bev, TSS)
Kathy Witwer's homemade cookies - Marilyn Allmandnger, REA

Josette Jordan's landscaping consultation - Sally Still, HSK
Josette Jordan's landscaping consultation - Scott Mertz, SHW
Sarai Spears' henna art - Brenda Lewandowski, STO

Alibi card game - Evan Davis, BST
Acquire board game - Benita Browning, PON
Baker & Taylor-donated children's book - Tricia Heath (Kris, SEC)
CHI-donated CD Player - Pamela Martin Diaz, SHW
Maria Tostado-donated necklace - Mike Brugger, SEC
Melissa Kiser-donated Josh Grobin CD - Ellen Douglas (Skip, DPT)
Melissa Kiser-donated Sheryl Crow CD - Shannen Anderson, SEC
Notepaper basket - Doug Hackney (Wendy, STO)
Playstation 3 Little Big Planet game - Elizabeth Lord, AFW
REA-donated Chicago Walking Tours deck - Carrie Harris, WAY
REA-donated tarot deck - Edith Cummings, HSC
REA-donated tarot deck - Mary Voors, CHI
TSS-donated Bridal memory book - Marvin Howe, SEC
TSS-donated Bridal memory book - Peg Heinze, REA
XBox Mortal Kombat game - Kris Heath, SEC


Congratulations to all our winners!!!!! Please remember that unless noted otherwise, all prizes were purchased with Winterfest Committee funds - we did not seek donations from area businesses - so please USE your prizes or give them to someone who will! :)

Tickets Go On Sale Today!!!!!!!!!

Tickets to Winterfest 2008 go on sale today! Tickets are $5.00 per person in advance and $10.00 per person at the door. People arriving at the door without their ticket will have to purchase the $10.00 tickets, so don't lose your ticket!

Your admission ticket purchase also gets you those 5 raffle tickets, which you may use to win a prize at the party.

Please make your checks payable to Allen County Public Library. Do not send your cash payment through the mail! No credit cards.

You may purchase tickets through the designated ticketeer in your agency:

Aboite - Mark Ueber
Access Fort Wayne - Kristine Sprunger
Administration - Alex McQuade or Sarai Spears
Art, Music, & Media - Erin Smith
Business, Science & Technology - Sue Mungovan
Children's Services - Jan Oatman
Circulation - Alicia Wagoner
Dupont - Donna Rondot
Genealogy - Kay Spears
Georgetown - Becky Duwan
Grabill - Carly Wiggins
Hessen Cassel - Leslie White
Housekeeping - Tina Townsend
ITS - Maria Tostado
Little Turtle - Rosie Stier
Maintenance - Steve Shiriaev
Monroeville - Chris Wiljer
NEIRRS - Lisa Bordner
New Haven - Linda Jeffrey
Pontiac - Benita Browning
Readers' Services - Marilyn Allmandinger
Security Services - Shannen Anderson
Shawnee - Pamela Martin-Diaz
Storage - Jane Chronister
Technical Services - Robin Meehan
Tecumseh - Nick Treber
Waynedale - Don Fisher
Woodburn - Genie Bishop
Young Adults' - Mari Hardacre

The deadline to buy advance tickets is 4:00pm on Friday, December 12.

The Wishing Tree

There will be a wishing tree in the first garden room where people may write wishes for themselves or their friends and family, or wishes for the library or fellow staff members. Wishes do not need to be signed, but should be appropriate for the venue.

After you write out your wish, please place your wish on the tree so that others may read it.

All wishes will be saved into a scrapbook at the end of the evening, and scanned images will be posted to this blog so that everyone will have a chance to read them.

How Do I Get a Raffle Ticket?

Each attendee will receive 5 official Winterfest Raffle Tickets when they purchase their Winterfest admission ticket - 5 raffle tickets per 1 admission ticket. (Remember, admission tickets are $5.00 per person in advance and $10.00 per person at the door.)

You may also purchase additional raffle tickets if you want to improve your chances at winning. Raffle tickets will be sold in advance of the party and at the party by members of your Winterfest committee - Sarai, Alex, Marilynn, Maria, Janet, Erin, and Carly. Raffle tickets will be $1.00 each, $5.00 for 6, or $10.00 for 15.

Raffle tickets will go on sale when admission tickets to the party do: Saturday, November 1, 2008.

Raffle Prizes

We have an awesome assortment of prizes that were handcrafted by staff members and will be given away in our raffle at Winterfest. Photos of these items will be posted in the column to the right, so keep checking to see what new things have been added to the list!

And if you have a talent you would like to put on display by donating an item to be raffled off at Winterfest, please contact Sarai Spears at sspears@acpl.lib.in.us!

Did someone mention prizes?

This year, we are having a raffle of prizes. Staff members are donating handcrafted items, such as necklaces, knitted wear, landscaping consultation, a batch of homemade cookies, etc., that will be given away the night of the party. More information on these prizes, along with pictures, will be coming soon!

There will also be other raffle prizes, such as gift certificates to restaurants, tickets to sporting events, a family pass to the zoo, etc. The three big prizes are a $75 gift certificate to Baker & Taylor, an iPod, and a Wii console with remote and 5 basic games!

Enter your official Winterfest Raffle Tickets in the boxes by the band. Later in the evening, between performances by Erik/Kay/Larry and Nick, raffle winners will be drawn. You need not be present to win!

Check out the raffle rules to the right of this screen!

I'm hungry!

We are not having a full dinner at Winterfest, but we believe there will be plenty to tempt your tummy, from pinwheels to stuffed mushroom caps, chicken strips to mini sandwiches - and don't forget the fruit, fresh vegetables, and cheese and crackers!

There will also be dessert - assorted cakes such as Texas sheet cake, carrot cake, and lemon cake.

But if cake doesn't quite make the grade for you, why not visit the chocolate fountain? Dippables will include bananas, pineapple, pirouettes, pretzel rods, angel food cake, and caramel squares - decadence at its best!

Food will be served by Goeglein's staff from 7:00 - 10:00pm.

Bring Your Camera!

Don't forget that we have been lucky enough to once again book the lovely Botanical Gardens for our Winterfest celebration. Bring your camera, for there will be many photo opportunities throughout the evening, the lush landscape acting as a perfect backdrop for your pictures.

In fact, we will be collecting pictures from everyone who would like to share! We can download them at the party or you may send them to sspears@acpl.lib.in.us after the party! I will compile them and post them to Flickr and Picasa so everyone can take a look.

We also plan to have a photographer stationed near the waterfall until 10:00 to take formal pictures of anyone who would like to stop by. These pictures, along with the rest, will be available on Flickr and Picasa. And if you see a photo (or photos) that you would really like to have, we will be ordering real photographs in 4x6, 5x7 or 8x10 sizes. Prices will be listed closer to the date of the party.

Brain Games and Puzzles

Scattered among the tables will be little word searches, word scrambles, decks of cards, trivia, and a few small board games such as chess and the like. The answers to the word searches and word scrambles will be appearing on this blog the week after the party, for those of you who keep track of such things. The other little games expect to go to a good home with people who will cherish them and play them often. So be on your best behavior!

I Haven't a Thing to Wear!

Of course you do! Be fancy, be casual. If you want to wear a sparkling, beaded dress to rival Queen Latifah's in the movie Chicago, go for it! Want to relax in jeans and a sweater? Be our guest. How you dress is up to you. Consider what you'd like to do at the party. If you want to boogie, you might consider leaving those 6" stiletto heels at home. If you plan to monopolize the buffet table, elastic waistbands give good stretch! The important thing is to wear something you feel comfortable in to make sure you'll have a good time later on.

How Dry I Am...

Nobody knows how dry you are, eh? We think we have a solution. A cash bar will be available serving beer, wine, and mixed drinks throughout the evening.

Not in the mood for alcoholic beverages? Coffee and water will also be available at no charge, or you may belly up to the bar and get a soda for free.

Feet Don't Fail Me Now...

So you know there will be music. You know it will be good. But you've waited your whole life to dazzle on the dance floor! Never fear, my friends. Dance Dance Revolution will be on hand to see how many ACPL staffers are footloose and fancy free. So start warming up those calves! We can't wait to see you dance!

Live Bands are great, but...

Sure, live bands are cool, but what if you have the spirit within you to create masterpieces of sound without having to drag around back-up singers? Perhaps a little karaoke might be more to your liking?

Karaoke will be available before the first band starts performing, between the first and second band while sets are being changed, and after the last performance of the evening until the party is over. If you'd like to show off your do-wop-a-loo-bop, high-note-hitting, soulful rendition of Mary Had a Little Lamb, then this is where you want to be!

Music, Music, Music!

We thought you might be interested in finding out what sorts of things will be happening at this year's Winterfest gala. Here are a few tidbits of information to pique your interest...

Live Music!
That's right! This year we will be starting the evening with music performed by our very own Dave Dawkins of Housekeeping. Dave's group specializes in traditional Irish tunes that'll get your feet tapping and bring out a brogue you didn't even know you had.

The second group of the evening consists of Erik Mollberg and Larry Banks from Access Fort Wayne. They want to get you off your feet and dancing to some Rock -N-Roll performed as only they can.

How Can I Boogie When the Budget's Being Cut?

I know, it doesn't exactly put you in the mood to celebrate - your hard-earned tax dollars being spent so frivolously, but wait - You've already paid for the party! The staff party fund comes from vending machine money, so every time you've bought a candybar or that bottle of water, you've been supporting having a good time at the end of the year! So grab another bag of chips and munch away those blues! You can even wash it down with a Coke of good cheer. :)

Winterfest is Happening!

Hello, all, and greetings from your Winterfest Committee!

We are TOTALLY having a staff celebration this year, so check our blog for updates and information! If you have any questions, please feel free to drop the committee an e-mail at ACPLCommittee@gmail.com and a member of the committee will get back to you!

Centerpieces!

Centerpieces for Winterfest will be handcrafted by the Winterfest Committee and will be available for staff to win at the end of the evening. If you see a centerpiece you would like to have, put your name in the box next to the centerpiece. Please use the paper provided, not your official Winterfest raffle tickets. Names will be drawn at the end of the evening and winners announced on the Winterfest blog the following week. Winners need not be present to win!

Wishing Tree

Wishing Trees have been a part of many different cultures around the world to celebrate many different things. The Wishing Tree is a Dutch wedding custom where guests are given a piece of paper, either shaped like a leaf or made of card stock; guests write their wishes to the bride and groom and then hang the paper on the tree. In Scotland, people pounded coins into the trunks of trees for each wish they wanted granted (including a visiting Queen Victoria!). In China, wishes were written on paper which was then tied to an orange and thrown up into a tree - if the paper successfully hung on one of the branches, the wish would come true!

The Winterfest Committee will be setting up our own Wishing Tree at the Botanical Gardens. There will be special paper available to make wishes for the library and for more personal wishes. You won't have to identify yourself! Just print out your wish and add it to one of the branches of our tree. It can be funny, sweet, sad, hopeful - or just thanks for making it through another year! After the event, wishes will be placed in a scrapbook and scanned for posting to the Winterfest blog.