Dear Editor: If you weren't at the meeting of the Friends of the Library on Tuesday night, you missed a truly special event. Four fabulous women (Louly Hay, Loy Summers, Judy Greer and Jane Atkinson) shared their memories of Newton County going back 60 or more years (with some help from the audience). These four women embody so much of what makes this a special place to live: dedication to family, friends and community, committment to education and the arts and that special sense of humor that is native to the south.

As I sat in the meeting last night, waiting for the ladies to begin, I couldn't help but overhear conversations that surrounded me. They were filled with reminiscences, and who married whom (‘she used to be a (insert maiden name here), but then she married a (insert old local name here). The room was filled with people who had known each other for decades and decades. They have supported those same values embodied by the speakers.

Although last night the new slate of officers was announced, these members of the Friends of the Library won't be leaving. They've been committed to supporting the Library all their lives. I'm sure that the coming year will bring members from the growing community who have chosen to make their home in Newton County to enjoy those virtues that I mentioned above.

I feel truly honored to have been chosen as the new treasurer of the Friends, and I invite all new residents (even converted Yankees like me) to join the Friends as we continue the support of a most precious asset: our Library.