Small Town News

Library honors three residents

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The Camp Verde Community Library is moving forward with its summer reading program while it waits for a new more modern library to be built next door.

There's a theme for the program but a key part of it involves bringing people together to share stories of notable Camp Verde residents who have died.

"[The library's] celebrating summer with Every Hero Has a Story, by choosing to introduce kids to local heroes rather than comic book superheroes," Library Director Kathy Hellman said. "The adult summer reading program, Escape the Ordinary, goes a step further with a series of talks focusing on ordinary people who have made an extraordinary contribution to our community."

The three residents who have made an impact on the town are all women: Bea Richmond, Dorothy Wood and Kay Watkins.

Richmond worked a lot in the community to advance the arts and education in Camp Verde.

She also worked with local groups like the Clear Creek Cemetery Board, the group that helps maintain the old cemetery which is home to the final resting place of many members of early Camp Verde pioneer cemeteries.

She was a familiar sight as she often walked the roads around town, sidewalks or not.

Wood was another important figure in the community and an ardent supporter of the library, once saying that she just wanted to live long enough to see a new library built. She didn't quite make it but she did see efforts put together to make sure that wish would become a reality.

"She worked for the pharmacy for 11 years. Volunteering was one of her passions. She felt that volunteers were the backbone of the community," according to her obituary. Wood died in 2014 after living nearly a century. "Dorothy volunteered at the Camp Verde Chamber of Commerce and the Camp Verde Historical Society until she retired at the age of 95. She was a charter member of the Camp Verde Library Endowment.

Dorothy was very excited about her dream of a new Camp Verde Library being fulfilled with the demolition of the old Camp Verde Jail."

The jail used to stand near the library. Today its metal gates are repurposed in the rebuilt jail on Hollamon Street.

Watkins was also involved in providing a large amount of money to support the library. Watkins provided a substantial amount of xnoney to the Camp Verde Library Endowment.

"It's about remembrance," said Gerry Laurito, a specialist with the library.

Laurito said that this is part of the summer library program for people to just come in and share stories about these women who cared about Camp Verde.

The events will be held at 10 a.m. on Fridays, June 12, for Richmond, June 19, for Wood, and July 10, for Watkins.

"They were extraordinary people," Laurito said.

Mark Lineberger can be reached at 567-3341 or email CVEditor@larsonnewspapers.com



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