Library Gala Questions Answered

“Diamonds in the Sky” is the theme of the C.H. Booth Library 75th Gala Anniversary celebration to be held at Rock Ridge Country Club, Saturday, September 29. The event will include passed hors d’oeuvres, Tuscan table and dessert, cash bar, and a live auction of 14 hand-painted stars. Reverend Robert Weiss, pastor of St Rose of Lima Church, will serve as the evening’s auctioneer.

There will also be a raffle that evening of a freeform contemporary-style diamond pendant designed by Quality Gem in Bethel. The pendant is currently on view at the jewelry store, and will go home with one lucky winner on September 29.

Tickets to the event are $100 each, and that has raised some questions that gala committee member Liz Arneth has answered.

“Sixty-two dollars [of the $100] covers the whole evening of butlered hor d’oeuvres that will be served from several stations. The remainder of the cost of the ticket can be taken off as a tax deduction,” said Ms Arneth. A free glass of red or white wine or champagne is included in the cost of the evening, as well, which otherwise is a cash bar.

The committee has fielded other questions concerning the special event, said Ms Arneth. There is some confusion concerning raffles that are part of the 75th Anniversary celebration. The diamond pendant raffle chance and a bottle of wine is included in the “Diamonds in the Sky” ticket price; in addition, other raffle tickets will be sold for special bottles of wine.

Another group of raffle tickets is also being sold at the library and by members of the C.H. Booth Library board at a cost of $10 each. These chances are for diamond earrings, custom-designed by Morton Jeweler’s of Bethel, and an ultrasound jewelry cleaner; a Compac Presario laptop computer; a day of sheer indulgence at Ricci’s Salon; and an Apple iPod nano 2. That drawing will take place Friday, September 28.

Proceeds from the raffles and gala event will be used to purchase a special digital audiovisual projector for the meeting room at the library, and for other improvements to the library, said Ms Arneth.

“Why did you choose stars to auction off?” is yet another question the committee has been repeatedly asked, Ms Arneth said.

“The event is the 75th Anniversary Gala Celebration of the library, and it was decided to use ‘Diamonds in the Sky’ as the theme. The stars were chosen to be transformed into art objects through the creative genius of fourteen well-known artists who are connected with Newtown.”

The Board of Trustees has arranged for the stars to be displayed at C.H. Booth Library on Friday, August 31, from noon to 5 pm, and Saturday, September 1, from 10 am to 5 pm, on the second floor.

“Every single [star] is completely different from the other ones, and some lucky bidders will take home artwork that will enhance their homes,” said Ms Arneth.

Tickets to the event are still available at the library.

“[The tickets] are going fast, and remember that Rock Ridge has a limit on attendance,” she said. “This promises to be another memorable program connected to the library. It should be fun to be present at the spirited bidding wars that will go on once the attendees see the fabulous stars on display,” she added.