Verdugo Views: Library patron made a lasting group of Friends

When Christine Vasquez moved to town and wanted to join a library support group, she not only discovered there was no such group, but was promptly asked to organize one.

And she did.

She became the first “Friend” and founding president of the Friends of the Glendale Public Library in 1990.

Shortly after she and her family arrived, Vasquez met with an old friend, Sue Curzon, then director of Glendale Libraries.

Vasquez had worked in the state’s library system for 12 years. She was familiar with friends groups and knew what they could accomplish. So, when Curzon asked her to start a friends group, she said “yes.”

After almost two years of filing paperwork, the founding committee — Abe Tamarin, Dorothy Bomar, Jan Carlson, Linda King, Norman Mamey and Curzon — had their nonprofit status and the Friends were a reality.

Their premiere event was “An Evening With Ray Bradbury,” on Feb. 7, 1992, and it drew some 1,900 attendees.

“The main worry was that we might not have a nice audience,” Vasquez recalled in a recent email. “We were all overwhelmed when we had a packed house. It was amazing seeing people up in the balcony as well as the packed house on the main floor.”

The event was chaired by the late Norman Mamey, who reported in the Friend’s first newsletter in the spring of 1992: “I am grateful that so many board members gave guidance and tremendous help to put on one of the finest evenings that Glendale has ever seen.”

A “Tree of Friends” unveiled at the Bradbury event had several donations already engraved on it, including $5,000 from Glendale Firefighters and a gift from Higashiosaka, Japan, one of two sister cities at the time. Higashiosaka city council members had visited the city, toured the library and made a contribution to the Friends — in yen.

Many who attended the Bradbury event joined, including Bradbury himself, who received membership card #451 in reference to his book “Fahrenheit 451.”

Then, Mamey launched plans for “An Evening with George Gershwin” the following November. More than 650 library and music lovers enjoyed classic Gershwin, showcasing Mamey and his Symphony of the New World Orchestra. More than $3,000 was raised.

With $22,000 in their account, the Friends inaugurated their “Wish List” to meet specific needs requested by library staff.

The Friends capped off that momentous first year with an appearance in the Montrose Christmas Parade.

And, they received a “Brag Time” award from the Friends of California Libraries at a California Library Assn. event for “An Evening with Ray Bradbury.”

In 1998, Vasquez was nominated as a News-Press Woman of Achievement for her efforts in forming the Friends, according to a Friends newsletter in November 1998.

Vasquez recently reflected on that first year. “I’ll always remember what a great group of people we had on the founding board. They were dedicated to the library and library services and were a hard-working group of folks. They were spectacular advocates.”

When Vasquez retired from the board after a 10-year term, President Anna Rundle wrote: “We all, as Friends members, owe a great deal to Christy for her guidance in shaping the Friends organization and for the countless contributions she has made to the Friends,’’ as noted in the group’s summer/fall 2001 newsletter.

Vasquez and her husband have since relocated to Santa Fe, N.M., where they are involved in philanthropic organizations.

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Readers Write:

Here’s an email from Virginia Buonauro: “Thank you, Katherine, for the article on Billy’s (July 16 Verdugo Views). For decades, our family went to Billy’s before walking up the street to the Center Theatre to enjoy the “A Christmas Carol” production kicking off the holiday season for the 15 of us,” she wrote.

“Our grandchildren were just little kids when we began what became a family tradition. The original wonderful Scrooge has passed and now Billy’s is gone. Sadly, but with happy memories, our tradition will relocate. Can’t wait for your next article. Again, thank you for the background regarding the special restaurant that will be missed by so many.”

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Thanks to Mark Schwab for sending in a photo of St. Mark’s Episcopal church that he took a few weeks ago. St. Mark’s was featured in the July 2 Verdugo Views.

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KATHERINE YAMADA can be reached at katherineyamada@gmail.com or by mail at Verdugo Views, c/o News-Press, 202 W. First St., Los Angeles, CA 90012. Please include your name, address and phone number.