Young readers rewarded

Laguna Beach firefighters honored young readers at a barbecue and awards presentation Saturday at Bluebird Park.

The youngsters were participants in a Laguna Beach Library program, which encouraged the kids to read or be read to for 20 hours during the summer.

“About 400 signed up, 150 read 10 books and 70 completed the 20 hours for a total of 3,000 hours,” said Rebecca Porter, children’s librarian.

Eligible participants range in age from birth, the age Porter recommends for parents to start reading to the children, to 12.

Jeremy Leeds, 7, and his younger brother, Elliott, 3, were among the participants. They attended the barbecue with their mother, Laguna Canyon Foundation Education Director Kimberly Leeds, and grandparents Jean and Ted Keyes.

Both boys wore “Homerun Hitters” T-shirts donated by the Angels baseball organization.

“Besides the T-shirts, the Angels gave each library four tickets to a game and one branch out of the 36 was randomly drawn to announce ‘Play Ball’ at the Aug. 25 game,” Porter said. “It was us.”

Twin 7-year-olds Ethan and Malachai Cairns were accompanied to the barbecue by parents Alisa and Ian, but Leonard Wallstein, 8, missed out on the barbecue, although not on the reading.

“He only had two weeks before he left for Germany to visit his grandparents, but he completed all 20 hours,” said Leonard’s mother, Kathleen. “He is an awesome reader.”

Wallstein’s younger son, Vincent, 2 1/2 , also participated in the program, which recognizes hours chalked up by parents reading to their children.

Kathryn Sellar brought her 3-year-old son, Luke, and baby Meredith to the barbecue. Sellar has more than reading hours invested in the children’s programs.

She is helping Porter organize the “Children’s Chapter” of the Friends of the Laguna Beach Library and has raised money to furnish the children’s section of the library after a three-month renovation is completed.

Laguna’s branch is scheduled to be closed until the middle of November for the renovation.

The reading program was shorter this year because of the remodeling, but just as enthusiastically undertaken as previous years.

In fact, more participants were signed up this year than last: 400 compared with 360.

Although the library will be closed for the renovation, the Friends Book Shop will be open. It has a children’s section.

The closure is an eye-opener for Leeds.

“I didn’t realize how central the library is in my life,” Leeds told Friends President Martha Lydick and Secretary Angela Irish at the barbecue.

The Friends picked up the tab for the vittles and beverages consumed at the barbecue and sprang for the medals presented by the firefighters to the readers.

Funds are raised through the sale of books donated to the book shop, under the library at 363 Glenneyre St., $20 annual membership fees, and the annual dinner and book auction.

“Whatever they spend, we pay,” Lydick said at the barbecue.

Fire Capt. Andrew Hill and firefighters Dan Conroy, Bryan Sergeant, Frank Buckner, Scott Hammond, Zach Wuchner and Api Weinert fired up the grills for hot dogs and hamburgers, chatted with the children, handed out bright red junior firefighter helmets and pinned on the medals.

“Tom Padden pulled this together,” Hill said.

But two of Laguna’s engines were sent to Santa Maria to fight the fire there. Padden and the original detail for the barbecue went with them.

“When I first saw the calendar with our names as subs, I thought someone was going to barbecue for us,” joked Hill, who grew up in Laguna.

This was the second year that the firefighters participated in the awards presentation.

“We are very grateful to the department,” Lydick said.

For more information about the Friends of the Library, call (949) 497-7053. New members and volunteers are welcomed.