Will You Vote For Wellsboro?

by Kevin Coolidge

My family goes back several generations in Wellsboro, and I was born at Soldiers and Sailors hospital, right in Wellsboro. We've mostly been blue collar workers, farmers and factory workers and truck drivers. It's not always an easy way to make a living. I remember when the local glass plant went from Corning Inc., to GTE, to Osram-Sylvania to closed.

A lot of my family worked there. I worked there myself for five years. Factory work can be hard on the body, but it was a job that put me through school. I moved away from Wellsboro for that schooling, but moved back, because I love my hometown.

That's why I nominated Wellsboro for the Main Street Pennsylvania contest. If Wellsboro wins, the $25,000 will go to the local Wellsboro Chamber of Commerce. I don't know what the money will be used for. $25,000 doesn't go as far as it used to. I'm hoping it will go to a shop local campaign, or maybe used to attract a company that can put Wellsboro and Tioga County back to work.

Sure, I have a vested interest in the area. I have a business that I approach with the same working class ethic I was born to. I work every day, if the bookstore isn't open, I'm working on my writing. My books are set in Wellsboro and Tioga County. The first rule of writing is write what you know. I also write where I know.

One of my goals with my books is to put Wellsboro into the national spotlight. Wellsboro already does so much right with the Laurel Festival, and Dickens of a Christmas, and has that feeling that just says home. I want to continue on the hard work of those who came before, that milked the cows, that picked the cullet, that promoted the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon.

So, vote for Wellsboro. It's easy. Just click on the photo of Wellsboro and you can vote once every 24 hours until April 21rd. You can vote up to 25 times per IP address. Then we get to see if Wellsboro moves to the next round, but most importantly, vote for Wellsboro in other ways.

Buy your shoes in town if you can, or your underwear. If you buy a book, buy it from my store, From My Shelf Books & Gifts. I put that money right back into the community like my family has been doing for generations. Don't do it for me, or your neighbor, or yourself. Do it for everyone. Do it for Wellsboro and Tioga County.


SHARE THIS NOMINATION WITH FRIENDS TO HELP WELLSBORO MAIN STREET PENNSYLVANIA GET MORE VOTES:

CLICK ON THE PHOTO TO BE TAKEN TO THE WEBSITE TO VOTE!!!

You Can Help Rural Literacy

"The Totally Ninja Raccoons" is a series of early chapter books about raccoons who become ninjas because they already have the masks.

I'm a co-owner of From My Shelf Books. I've been a bookseller for 13 years. I noticed that if a child doesn't start embracing reading around 2nd grade that they start falling behind their peers.

My solution is the Totally Ninja Raccoons. Short chapters, humor, adventure, and one picture per chapter keep kids feeling a sense of engagement and accomplishment as they plow through these stories and ask for more!

This grant would help me reach more rural schools. I could do more school visits, but the costs of time and gas interfere. This would help. I also could create more Totally Ninja Raccoon books with the help of my illustrator, and reach more children in rural schools.



CLICK ON THE PHOTO TO BE TAKEN TO THE WEBSITE TO VOTE!

Huck & Finn Bookstore Cats Picture Book

The best bookstores have a cat. First, From My Shelf Books & Gifts had Hobo. Hobo was our bookstore cat from 2006 to 2014. Hobo passed and then we adopted Huck & Finn, two brothers.

Huck & Finn have been featured in "Bookstore Cats" by Brandon Schultz. Huck & Finn have also been side characters in "The Totally Ninja Raccoons" written by Kevin Coolidge

Hobo had his own picture book, and it's still popular with children. It's time for their own picture book. Kevin sat down and wrote the book, and now we just have to raise the funds to pay the illustrator.

Kevin is going to go with the same illustrator that helped bring "Molly, the Dog with Diabetes" to life.

We want to give the illustrator enough time for creativity. So, our target is July. She's already a proven artist and the artwork on Molly is beautiful.

For every seven dollars, plus three dollars for shipping. You can be among the first to receive a signed copy of "Huck & Finn, Bookstore Cats"


CLICK ON HUCK & FINN'S PHOTO TO BE TAKEN TO THE CAMPAIGN

Kangaroo Stew

Kangaroos--Australia is crawling...er, hopping with this marsupial. "Mobs" of urban kangaroos are coming down from the dry hills at night to browse watered lawns and gardens. The Australian government figures there are almost 45 million kangaroos on the continent, which is almost double the population of Australia.

Kangaroo numbers are bounding. The kangaroo is a national symbol of the Land Down Under, but too many strain the ecosystem and can become pests. What are you going to do with so many kangaroos?

The Australian government is encouraging people to eat them. Eat them? The meat's advocates say kangaroo is low in fat and because they produce less methane than other farmed animals, produce less methane, and thus more environmentally friendly.

Eat them? But they are adorable. They are curious and cute. Would you eat kangaroo? Kangaroos fill the same basic ecological niche as Pennsylvania's White-tailed deer. An ecological niche is a term used to describe the relational position of a species in an ecosystem.

I love watching deer, but they can be rats on stilts. Few people haven't hit at least one deer in their lifetime. Deer are hard on the garden. They can cause damage to both the natural environment and agricultural businesses. Pennsylvania holds several hunting seasons to cull the deer population.

Australia is undergoing several projects to solve their kangaroo dilemma, including exporting meat. This meat has been used for curious carnivores both human and canine, and this February 16th, 2019 at From My Shelf Books and Gifts in Wellsboro, you can sample the venison from Down Under at the annual Chilli with a Chance of Chocolate Taste-Off.

The fifth annual Chilli with a Chance of Chocolate Taste-Off is is Saturday, Feb. 16, from 11am to 2pm in downtown Wellsboro. There will be 15 chilis to taste at 15 different sites and an opportunity to win one or more of 15 fun and unique baskets of chocolates, each valued at $25.

Those who want to taste the chili and select the winners can contact the Wellsboro Area Chamber of Commerce office to purchase a taste-off passport in advance for $5. Passport holders can visit as many of the 15 tasting sites as they wish and at each one enter the drawing for that site’s basket of all types of chocolates.

Passports will also be sold on the day of the event at the chamber office beginning at 9am and outdoors in front of Penn Oak Realty, Inc., 65 Main Street from 11am to 2pm. Proceeds from the taste-off will benefit rescued animals and programs offered by Second Chance Animal Sanctuaries. To purchase a taste-off passport, contact the Wellsboro Area Chamber of Commerce office at 570-724-1926 or info@wellsboropa.com or stop in at 114 Main Street.

Kevin Coolidge at the Card Carrying Books & Gifts In Corning New York

On Saturday, February 9th, from 4PM to 6PM at Card Carrying Books & Gifts in Corning NY will be hosting local author Kevin Coolidge. The event is free and open to the public.

Author Kevin Coolidge will be signing his children's series "The Totally Ninja Raccoons" for children. The book is written for youngsters and enjoyed by people of all ages.

"The Totally Ninja Raccoons" is a new children's series for second to fourth graders. It is specifically for reluctant readers. "eight books have been published in the series with more to come," Coolidge said.

Kevin will also be reading from "Operation Ragnarok" The book is about a group of friends who decide to steal...I mean pilfer a Viking longship from a museum, and unleash Ragnarok, the end of the world, Norse Mythology style. "Operation Ragnarok" has scenes from around the Twin Tiers, including Corning's Rockwell Museum, and The Arnot Mall in Bigflats.

For more information or to purchase his books call Card Carrying Books & Gifts at (607) 684-6114


Kevin Pictured Next to the Viking longship, the Draken Harald Hårfagre

Writing a Press Release

Your book is done. It's time to let the world know. A press release can be the quickest and easiest way to get free publicity. What is a press release? A press release is a short, factual news story written in the third person and given to the media to encourage the media to feature the story in publications and programs.

If done correctly, a press release can result in several published articles about your book and you, and that means more readers wanting to buy your book. Press releases are cost effective. If the release results in an article, that article is more likely to interest readers than a paid advertisement.

A poorly-written press release won't accomplish this. Nobody will read it, and a badly-written press release can make you look clueless. What can you do to increase the chances of having your press release read?

1.You need to have something important to say: Find your angle. Every good news story has an angle. Why would people be interested in your book?

2. Target your demographic: You wrote your book with an audience in mind. A press release is written for the media and you tailor it the readership of that publication or program.

3. Answer the six W questions: Who, what, where, when, why and how (OK, 5 Ws and one H)
Let's use my latest book as an example.

Who: Kevin Coolidge
What: Molly the Dog with Diabetes
Where: From My Shelf Books in Wellsboro
When: Friday August 3rd from 5 to 7PM
Why: Writing about what a dog with diabetes goes through would show children they can live a normal life if they take care of themselves.

How: Kevin raised funds to pay an illustrator with a crowdfunding campaign. He hit his $1,000 goal on May 12. Those that contributed $10 will get a free autographed copy. We are holding a book release party. Molly will be there. You can pre-order the book by calling 570-724-5793.

4. Use the reverse pyramid to write the press release: Now present the most important information first. You use this because the media doesn't have a lot of time. They want to know if your book is of interest to their audience. This method makes it easy to edit. Simply cut from the bottom paragraph upwards.

5. Write a newsworthy headline: The headline is your sales pitch to the media. If it doesn't grab their attention, they'll delete it without reading it. Don't be ambigious or clever. Be clear what the story is about.

6. Check your grammar: Proofread your press release. Even a single mistake can dissuade a reporter from taking you seriously.

7. Include contact information: A lack of contact information can render a press release ineffective. A reporter may want to follow up. Include an email address and phone number.

8. Keep it short: One page is best. I usually limit my press releases to 400 words.

9. Include a quote whenever possible: A good quote gives a human element to the press release, as well as being a source of information.

Press releases are an essential part of your public relation strategy. These short compelling articles can detail book releases, event announcements and other newsworthy items. You wrote that book, now make sure someone knows about it, and reads it.

Small Town. Strong Town

Wellsboro, a small town nestled in the hills of Pennsylvania. I've lived here all my life...well, not yet anyway. I did the big city thing, but home and hearth called me back. I opened a little bookstore with my wife.

It just seemed natural to write a book. I choose to write for children, because if a child doesn't read when they are young, they aren't going to read when they are older.

I've written several children's books. My most recent is "Molly, the Dog with Diabetes" about a local dog. It's the story of how Molly lives a happy and healthy life even though she has diabetes.

During our busy Christmas season, we often have visitors from out of state. Some of our regular customers from Mansfield PA, a nearby small town, were finishing up Christmas shopping.

They shopped, chatted, got their purchases wrapped and left, but their visitor noticed a poster in our window of when I did a signing in a nearby city at a Barnes & Noble.

"Oh, you have a children's author in Wellsboro," said the visitor.

"Yes, you've probably already met him when we were in the store," replied our regular customer.

I had indeed helped this woman while she was shopping. It turned out she was one of the librarians at the Marantz Picturebook Collection for the Study of Picturebook Art in the Reinburger Children's Library Center at Kent State University, and she purchased both of my picture books for the collection: "Hobo Finds a Home" and "Molly, the Dog with Diabetes."

Would this librarian have found these books if she hadn't come into the store in our small town of Wellsboro? The reason to shop local and keep our towns strong is about more than keeping a strong economic base, but also strong in the sense of discovery. Strong in the sense of the arts.

Molly Goes to the Marantz Collection

I love to write, but my artistic talent is still at 5th grade level. I have several talented artists that have worked with me on my books.

I love to see them get the attention they deserve. Stephanie Webb is my illustrator for "Molly, the Dog with Diabetes" This book was recently purchased by a representative of Kent State University for the Marantz Picturebook Collection for the Study of Picturebook Art.

The librarian that was cataloging the book reached out to Stephanie so she could include in the catalog record the medium/media used to create the artwork. This is Stephanie's first book, and she was thrilled to be contacted.

For those that wish to know, "Molly" was illustrated old school with water colour, prisma colours and ink. You can contact her and check her artwork out on "Genre of Stubby" on Facebook. Give her a like and keep her in mind for your artistic needs.

FROM MY SHELF BOOKS ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF ITS WIN A CLASSROOM VISIT BY A CHILDREN'S AUTHOR

On Jan. 5, Kevin Coolidge has announced the winners of his Win a Classroom Visit by a Children's Author Contest. Coolidge is the author of the Totally Ninja Raccoon series and two children's picture books and the owner From My Shelf Books and Gifts at 7 East Avenue in Wellsboro.

The three winners are: Pam Collin, a reading teacher at the W.R. Croman Primary School in Troy; Linda Plummer of Galeton who has not yet nominated a recipient and the James V. Brown Library in Williamsport.

Between now and Dec. 31, 2019, Coolidge will visit each winner's choice of a library or classroom to present a signed and personalized copy of one of his books to up to 30 children, a $500 value.

To enter the contest, the winners each had to buy a set of the eight books in Coolidge's Totally Ninja Raccoon series. The three winners could each designate the classroom or library to receive a free author visit valued at $500 at the time they entered the contest or after learning he or she had won.

Civil War Woodworking: 17 Authentic Projects for Woodworkers and Reenactors

Ranging from fairly easy to moderately difficult, this woodworking manual furnishes accurate reproductions of Civil War-era objects. Historical information about manufacturing and woodworking in the 19th century complements a discussion on standards, offering interested craftspeople all the relevant information to produce authentic replicas in the modern shop. Step-by-step instructions present a variety of projects--such as an officer's field desk, an ammunition box, a folding camp table, a lantern, and a camp chest--and a detailed history accompanies each item. With period photographs of the original items as well as modern images of re-enactors using the reproductions, this reference will appeal to both the woodworker and history buff.