From Booos to Books

WAITSBURG - At the November meeting of the Waitsburg Commercial Club, Coppei Coffee Own­er Allison Bond present­ed Weller Public Library Manger Rosie Warehime with a check for $800.60 - the proceeds from a recent Haunted House Tour.

"The sixty cents is im­portant," said Bond. "My employees donated the tips they earned while working after the tour. That's where the odd amount comes in."

The Haunted House Tour took place October 27 and was "well attend­ed." Bond dreamed up the project to raise funds for the Friends of the Library, and the Commercial Club jumped on board to help with advertising.

The city currently pays for utilities and repairs to the library, while the Friends of the Library funds new books and pro­gramming.

The tour split into two groups that were regaled with ghost stories from eight different sites. It be­gan, most appropriately, in the basement of the library, which once housed the lo­cal jail. From there tourists visited the Bruce House, which was once a library, itself.

Next on the agenda were the "haunted" homes: the Mary Hubbard House (323 W. 4th), The Shaffer House (223 W. 4th) and the Stim­mel House (Seven Porches on Main Street). Finally, the groups visited the Ma­sonic Hall and the Legion Club (Anchor Bar) before landing at Coppei Coffee, where children and adults enjoyed snacks and bever­ages while enjoying the music of Rogue Lobster.

"The tour was a suc­cess," said Bond, "but we also solicited donations and a few people really dug deep. Danny Cole, Mi­chael Hubbard and Rich­ard Hinds and Julie Tayloe really helped out."

Bond said she was espe­cially struck by the number of single bill donations. "It shows me how much the library means to people," she said. "They may not be able to give much, but they gave what they could." The topper of the evening was when Coppei Coffee em­ployees decided to donate their tips to the cause. "The whole event was just heart­warming," said Bond. "I couldn't be more pleased."