"I CAN'T AFFORD NOT TO AFFORD IT!!!"

COPLAY PUBLIC LIBRARY

PLEASE READ ON

BACK IN THE EARLY 1980'S, I 
ATTENDED A PA  POSTMASTER 
CONVENTION IN DOWNINGTOWN
AND DURING ONE OF THE 
SESSIONS, A DONATION WAS 
REQUESTED FROM US FOR
A VERY WORTHY CAUSE.  ANN
AND I HAD JUST HAD A GARAGE
ADDED TO OUR HOME.  TIMES 
WERE VERY TIGHT FOR US
BECAUSE BACK IN 1964, I MADE
A SUGGESTION THAT ANN BECOME
A STAY AT HOME WIFE. WE BOTH
AGREED AND WE BECAME A ONE 
INCOME HOUSEHOLD.  YES, IT WAS 
OUR CHOICE, EVEN THOUGH I STILL 
WAS NOT A FULL TIME EMPLOYEE 
AT THE POST OFFICE.  JULY 1964 
FOUND US HAVING FRESH AIR KIDS
FROM NEW YORK CITY FOR THE 4TH 
YEAR. WE HAD THEM FOR 4 WEEKS
THAT YEAR BECAUSE ANN WAS NOW
AT HOME.  BACK TO THE ISSUE  IN
DOWNINGTOWN.  I TOLD MYSELF, 

"I CAN'T AFFORD IT, I CAN'T AFFORD IT"

I COMMUTED EACH DAY TO SAVE 
A FEW BUCKS CONSIDERING OUR 
FINANCIAL SITUATION.  AS I DROVE 
HOME THAT EVENING, I THOUGHT 
ABOUT IT AND KEPT TELLING MYSELF
"I CAN'T AFFORD IT"  I SLEPT ON IT 
AND WHEN I GOT UP IN THE MORNING
I REALIZED THAT, DESPITE EVERYTHING, 

"I COULD NOT AFFORD NOT TO AFFORD IT"

I MADE THE CONTRIBUTION AND WHEN I
LOOK BACK ON IT NOW, IT WAS THE 
PROPER DECISION. WE MADE IT THROUGH 
AND I USED THAT AS A MODEL FOR FUTURE 
DECISIONS. IT HAS WORKED FOR ANN AND 
MYSELF. 

HERE WE ARE MANY YEARS LATER, 
FACED WITH ANOTHER DECISION
TO BE MADE. BUT, IT NOW INVOLVES 
AN ACTION THAT HAS TO BE TAKEN
BY THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY, THE
CLOSEST THING TO UTOPIA, COPLAY.
THE COPLAY PUBLIC LIBRARY IS A
SPECIAL JEWEL IN TOWN THAT CAN 
BE USED BY ONE AND ALL WITHOUT 
ADDITIONAL PERSONAL COST FOR 
MEMBERSHIP AND IT'S AVAILABLE 
ALL 52 WEEKS OF THE YEAR. OUR 
COPLAY FOREFATHERS HAD A VISION
OF A LEGACY THEY WANTED US TO 
HAVE AND I AM SURE THEY WERE
HOPEFUL THAT WE WOULD HAVE 
ENOUGH OF WHAT IT WOULD TAKE 
TO PRESERVE IT FOR GENERATIONS
TO COME.  THE COPLAY HIGH SCHOOL
BUILDING BECAME OUR GOVERNMENT
CENTER, THE LINCOLN ELEMENTARY 
SCHOOL BECAME A VICTIM OF PROGRESS
AND ST. PETER'S ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
IS BEING DEMOLISHED AS I WRITE THIS.
THE COPLAY PUBLIC LIBRARY IS ALMOST
IN THE CENTER OF TOWN AND IS ACCESS-
IBLE BY FOOT.  

A PARENT CAN TAKE THEIR YOUNGSTERS
UP TO THE TOT LOT, HAVE SOME FUN, AND
THEN STOP IN TO THE LIBRARY TO GET A 
BOOK TO READ TO THE KIDS OR CHECK 
OUT A VIDEO OF SOME SORT FOR HOME
ENTERTAINMENT.  NO ADDITIONAL COST.
THINK ABOUT IT AND SEE IF YOU CAN 
JUSTIFY WHAT I HAVE STATED EARLIER.

"WE CAN'T AFFORD NOT TO AFFORD IT".

WE OWE IT TO OUR CHILDREN AND THEIR 
CHILDREN AND THEIR CHILDREN'S CHILDREN.
A LITTLE SACRIFICE TODAY CAN CONTINUE 
THE LEGACY OF COPLAY BEING A COMMUNITY 
OF SELF SUFFICIENCY.

PLEASE VOTE "YES" ON THE COPLAY
PUBLIC LIBRARY REFERENDUM ON 
MAY 21, 2013.

GOD BLESS,
FRANK AND ANN DICKMAN