LEMON GROVE LIBRARY TO NAME COMMUNITY ROOM FOR LONG-TIME VOLUNTEER ROSEMARY PUTNAM

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Naming ceremony scheduled for Dec. 9

 

 

December 4, 2010 (Lemon Grove)--The Navy Band Southwest Brass Quintet, balloons, dignitaries--and legions of fans--will welcome Rosemary Putnam, doyenne of the Friends of the Lemon Grove Library, on Dec. 9 at 3 p.m. at the Lemon Grove Library, 8073 Broadway, for the gala Rosemary Putnam Naming Ceremony.

 

The library's community room will officially become the Rosemary Putnam Community Room, a name that will travel to the new joint use library planned for the campus of Lemon Grove Middle School.

 

Mrs. Putnam was a founding member of the Friends of the Lemon Grove Library and its fearless leader for nearly three decades. She has sorted thousands of books for book sales that have raised tens of thousands of dollars for books, furniture, equipment and programs in the Lemon Grove Library. She was instrumental in establishing the highly popular Friends Book Store at the south end of the library (the town's sole book store--and a source of new and used book bargains galore).

 

She and her late husband, Rear Admiral Ira Dwight Putnam, raised three daughters in Lemon Grove and she still resides in their historic, Tudor Revival home designed by British architect, Frederick C. Clemeshaw, and built by the Scottish carpenter, George Simpson, in 1926.

 

With the grit and determination of a two star admiral's wife, she has pulled her little red wagon along Broadway, selling soft drinks and gathering donations in support of Lemon Grove's new library and later served on the library planning committee. She presently serves on the Independent Citizens Oversight Committee on Proposition W bond monies, which will build the new library.

 

She is a past president of Soroptimist International of Lemon Grove, past president of the Mt. Miguel PTA, Girl Scout leader, host of foreign exchange students, past wedding coordinator at Lemon Grove Methodist Church, volunteer for the Navy Wives Speech & Hearing Clinic, past board member of the Lemon Grove Chamber of Commerce and former program vice president for the Lemon Grove Historical Society. She established Rancho Del Campo Library at the juvenile detention center at Campo in 1985.

 

In 1998, Mrs. Putnam was Lemon Grove Citizen of the Year and honorary parade marshall in 1999. The San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted her Volunteer of the Year in 2001. The State Legislature voted her the 2004 Literacy Volunteer of the Year.

 

"Rosemary is one of Lemon Grove's most distinguished citizens," said Helen Ofield, president of the Lemon Grove Historical Society. "Her energy, wisdom, and kindness have benefited so many people, especially young people, over the years and enhanced the quality of life in our community."

 

The naming ceremony is organized by Helen Ofield and Amparo Madera, head librarian of the Lemon Grove Library, with the able assistance of Bill Jones, Pat Jones, Jan Johnson, Carol Weiss and Michael Higginbotham of the Friends of the Lemon Grove Library. For more information, call 619-460-4353 or lghistorical@gmail.com.
 


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