Robbie: Hi, everyone. Sorry I'm late.
Robbie: But Alexandra and I
Robbie: have been busy at work this morning
Robbie: on the community-center project.
Robbie: And we brought someone along who can help.
Robbie: You remember Charles Maxwell, Grandpa?
Robbie: He's the editor of the Riverdale paper.
Robbie: He wrote some nice articles on Mom
Robbie: when she was running for the school board.
Grandpa: Yes, I remember. You were a great help.
Charles Maxwell: Hi, Mr. Stewart.
Charles Maxwell: Hope to be a bigger help on the new community-center project.
Charles Maxwell: From what Robbie and Alexandra have told me,
Charles Maxwell: you people are making one big story.
Robbie: Let me introduce you, Mr. Maxwell.
Robbie: This is Nat Baker,
Robbie: who's responsible for this meeting,
Robbie: and this is Joanne Thompson--and Abe Lucas,
Robbie: who used to run the drugstore in town.
Charles Maxwell: Robbie and Alexandra told me
Charles Maxwell: what you need to fix up the old library.
Charles Maxwell: I am planning to write an editorial that I think will help you.
Charles Maxwell: Let's go. What are your questions?
Charles Maxwell: OK. Now, I have ... first ... a couple of questions here.
Charles Maxwell: Have you talked to the community council?
Charles Maxwell: And have you had an engineer come in to do an inspection?
Charles Maxwell: OK, what do you need most of all?
Nat Baker: People power.
Nat Baker: Men and women, young and old, to give us their time.
Charles Maxwell: To do what?
Nat Baker: To help scrub the building interior clean.
Nat Baker: So that we can repaint it.
Charles Maxwell: And you also need bodies to do repainting?
Grandpa: That's right.
Grandpa: And we'll also need some ladders
Grandpa: and some brushes and some paint.
Charles Maxwell: When do you need the volunteers,
Charles Maxwell: and where do they report?
Nat Baker: I've got the council to agree
Nat Baker: to open the building for us on the next four weekends.
Charles Maxwell: How about furnishings?
Charles Maxwell: Are there any special requirements that I should list in the paper?
Grandpa: Yes.
Grandpa: Here is a copy of all the things we need to start with.
Charles Maxwell: Let's see. Four desks.
Charles Maxwell: Eight straight-back chairs. Thirty folding chairs.
Charles Maxwell: Six table lamps. Three end tables. One piano.
Charles Maxwell: This is a good start.
Charles Maxwell: These items shouldn't be difficult to come by
Charles Maxwell: once I print the article in the paper.
Charles Maxwell: This community has always been very generous.
Grandpa: I agree, Mr. Maxwell.
Charles Maxwell: What you're saying is, in order for this center to succeed,
Charles Maxwell: we need to put together volunteers
Charles Maxwell: from the various generations of future users.
Grandpa: That's right.
Grandpa: And without their energy and stamina,
Grandpa: there's no way we can complete this project.
Charles Maxwell: I've got it. Now give me some information about
Charles Maxwell: how you see the building being used.
Nat Baker: Oh, here. On the ground floor we have the reception area ...
Robbie: It's here, Robbie.
Robbie: Charles Maxwell lived up to his word.
Robbie: "At the Stewart family home on Linden Street yesterday,
Robbie: a group of caring Riverdale citizens gathered
Robbie: to plan the refurbishing of the old library
Robbie: to transform it into a new community center.
Robbie: The original plan by the council
Robbie: was tabled because of lack of funds.
Robbie: The new plan needs you.
Robbie: You could call it a community unity plan.
Robbie: It needs your time, and it needs your energy.
Robbie: And it needs your contributions of furniture,
Robbie: paint, brushes, ladders, lamps, et cetera.
Robbie: A list of these items and a volunteer form
Robbie: can be picked up at the Riverdale Press offices.
Robbie: By working together,
Robbie: this community can do anything to benefit its citizens,
Robbie: and we know you will all work together
Robbie: towards refurbishing the old library
Robbie: and making it a new community center.
Robbie: Charles Maxwell, Editor."