Florida Public Library raises money for Katrina relief through storytelling

FLORIDA - Tellabration is a trade-marked program of the National Storytelling Network based in Jonesborough, Tenn. It’s a benefit performance held each year on the Saturday before Thanksgiving and concludes National Storytelling Week. The event sponsored by the Florida Public Library last month was a benefit performance for the four public libraries in Hancock County, Miss., that were devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Library director Madelyn Folino is the National Storytelling Network’s state liaison for upstate New York. Her lineup of storytellers this year was a varied group of interesting storytellers and their very interesting stories. They ranged from 12-year old student Kathleen Wilson to Vincent Mezzetti, local businessman and father of four and a proud grandparent. In between were folks like Village of Warwick Mayor Michael Newhard, Warwick Town Supervisor Michael Sweeton and library staff member Maria Martinez, a native of El Salvador and a bilingual storyteller. There were an even dozen storytellers and their stories. Among them: • S.S. Seward senior Alex Arzoumanov told of the frantic but humorous, “journey” with his parents to Harvard University where he has applied. • Mayor Newhard recounted the poignant history of Akins Drugstore which was once owned by his parents. • Former teacher and baseball coach John Kimiecik retold the story of the famous 1935 pitching duel between brothers Ed and Fan Shanley that ended in a 20-inning, 3-3 tie. • Mezzitti’s painful but inspiring story was of a fishing expedition gone bad. • That tragic story was offset by JoAnn Wilson’s clever tale of the “death” of the Pillsbury Doughboy. All in all, an entertaining and rewarding story time for both storytellers and story listeners.