The magic of reading

n Ogdensburg students spend a summer painting a mural in school library By Carol Dunbar OGDENSBURG n It may not be the Sistine Chapel, but the library of the Ogdensburg School is now heavenly and inspirational. The recent ribbon cutting ceremony, hosted by Acting Principal Tim Nicinski, opened the newly decorated room, whose theme is "The Magic of Reading." "It is the hope of the school and all those that served on the committee who completed this work of art, that the storybook characters found in this mural will assist students in the traits found in literature which lead to good character," said Nicinski. He credited his predecessor for beginning the process by applying for a grant to augment the character education program at Ogdensburg by including community members and graduates in the project. "Character develops over time and is formed in many ways, so has the creation and completion of the mural inside the library," he said. The six pillars of character education - trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship - were demonstrated by the volunteers who sacrificed a large part of their summer vacation completing the project. The work continued in spite of record heat and humidity with no air conditioning. Parents Joy Bucher, Michelle Cole, and Alanna McCarthy supervised the project. "The three of us did this as a dedication to our children. We gave up our summer vacation to make sure the children of Ogdensburg would have a library they can be proud of," said Bucher. They were rewarded with the joy expressed on the children's faces. Becky Byrne said she has been one of three in her class chosen to participate. Students in the grades 6-8 submitted a picture they had drawn, and the winners were asked to work on the project. "It's been a good experience" said Becky, who will be starting her freshman year at Wallkill Valley Regional High School this September, expressing her satisfaction with the project, "and it looks so good now that it's done." Tomy Tozzi, who will be entering eighth grade, joined the group because he had heard they were in need of help. "I came three or four times a week, and I would do it all again," he said. Seventh grader Michael Cole's main responsibility was painting the area with the Wizard, and he enjoyed the opportunity to be creative and to see the transformation of the room. "It will be a real pleasure coming to the library now," he said. "We appreciate everyone's contributions whether it had been ten minutes or ten days," added Bucher. The mural, which is made up of characters that are often the heroes and symbols of children's literature -- a unicorn, a wizard, dragons, and castles -- was created by: Becky Byrne, Michael Cole, Michele Cole, Lou Cunningham, Simonette Erb, Isabella Erb-Peterson, Aly Huelster, Caitlin Lang, Shannon McCarthy, Alanna McCarthy, Jocelyn Peters, Tomy Tozzi, and Kim Yates.