Students get benched on purpose

By Cathy Spaulding
Times Staff Writer

Sat, May 17 2008

— Patrons and staff of the Q. B. Boydstun Library have a shady place to take a break, thanks to high school FFA members and a couple of friends.
FFA members built a bench surrounding a tree by the library, 201 South Ave. On Saturday, Fort Gibson Middle School seventh-grader Sarah Garrett and her friend Bailey Terrell, an eighth-grader, painted the bench.
Sarah’s mother, Cheryl Garrett, who organized the bench effort, said “I thought we needed some place outside where someone can go and read a book.”
FGHS ag teacher Bryan Craig said Garrett approached him “looking for someone to build a bench for the library. And we had kids who did it for a little bit of community service.”
The bench surrounds a tree just outside the entrance. Library branch manager Gayle Ledford said the bench is a nice touch to the exterior.
“It gives our staff a nice place to go out and eat lunch, plus it’s a good place for kids to go when they get rowdy,” Ledford said.
Garrett said her daughter told her “it felt good to give to the community.

“And both girls agreed that it was fun,” she said, calling the final result “outstanding.”
“It just goes to show what can be done if everyone pulls together,” she said.
Garrett hopes more people can pull together on future projects for the library.
“One of the current needs is someone to help clean and maintain the flower beds,” she said. “A walking trail is being discussed and also a bike rack in the near future. Our library can be an important part of our community and touch so many people.”

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