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By Boo Kiesler
OK, you need to understand that ever since last summer, I relate all things monetary to picnic tables. This is because I was unwilling to part with several hundred dollars to purchase a new, 106” picnic table to replace the ugly monstrosity we’ve had on our back patio since I was pregnant. (my oldest is 36…) So I decided to sand several layers of paint, prime and repaint the table myself, not realizing that it would take a large chunk of my summer and reduce me to engaging my friends in long conversations about sanders, grit of sandpaper, and protective eye wear. What resulted was this: if I wanted to purchase something for my family or the cottage, my ultimate question was “How many picnic tables could you buy for that??”
So…when I heard the Heart of Bay View campaign was totaling 2.5 million, I decided that could buy a lot of picnic tables and I wasn’t interested. I kept sanding, ruining my fingernails, and figuratively placed my hands firmly over my ears and repeated, “Nyah, nyah, nayh” whenever anybody mentioned the restoration of Hall Auditorium. Too many picnic tables. End of discussion.
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Until this summer, when a friend challenged me to actually listen to the plan. I countered with allegations of “state of the art” restorations weren’t my cup of tea, and I couldn’t support something frivolous. She replied the plans weren’t frivolous. And then she went a step further and asked if I’d like to come to her porch and see the plans and listen to what the committee had in store. On the fervent hope that lemonade and cookies might be involved, I told her I’d love to come.
Now—back to the picnic table. Have you ever sanded a piece of Bay View furniture and relived the various layers of family history as you do so? I swear one of those layers was my niece’s wedding, and she now has a twelve-year-old. I fondly remembered the family dogs, now long gone, who spent many a sunny afternoon sleeping under our huge picnic table. I came to understand that something old is worth saving, primarily because of what it means to its owners.
You know where I’m heading, right? I remember the first time my 13-year old boyfriend dared to hold my hand at Hall Auditorium during the Friday night movies. (He will remain nameless, but you know who you are.) I remember dragging my own two sons to Vespers when they were little, and then having them grudgingly admit they “kinda liked it.” Many years later, husband #2 looked around the auditorium at Appreciation Night and said, “This place really is one-of-a-kind.”
So I’ve become a believer in the Heart of Bay View campaign in spite of myself. I learned exactly what the 2.5 million will buy, and it’s not over-the-top. John Hall Auditorium is going to be safe for the performers and the audience. You’re going to be able to hear everything well, and it’s going to be a little more comfortable. Not Lazy-Boy Recliner comfy, but comfy. They’re even keeping rows of the old chairs from the balcony. Totally Bay View. All in all, it reminds me of our picnic table that I restored last summer—very user-friendly, practical but attractive, and something our kids won’t have to re-do in a decade or so. I’m glad I took my hands off my ears…
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