[Dixielandjazz] Bunny Berigan Grant

[Robert Ringwald]

LSTA Grant Awarded To
Fox Lake Public Library
By Julie Flemming

The Fox Lake Public Library has been awarded a Library Services and Technology Act
(LSTA) grant to work with the University Of Wisconsin Digital Collection Center to
digitize part of the collection of
"Bunny" Berigan materials. These materials are held in the Harriett O'Connell Historical
Room, located in the lower level of the Library.
The materials to be digitized will especially relate to "Bunny's" early life and
career.
LSTA is a federal program that has been in existence in various forms and with various
priorities since 1956.
In 2003 LSTA was reauthorized by Congress through 2009.
These grant monies come to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, Division
for Libraries, Technology, and Community Learning, which in turn describes the federal
LSTA program in
Wisconsin.
They set up the funding categories and priorities for 2010 along with the requirements
and criteria by which grant applications are rated, reviewed and awarded.
This year up to seven grants were awarded with the one '"Bunny" Berigan in
Fox Lake
' being chosen.
The grant was written by Rhonda Puntney, Youth Services and Special Needs Consultant
for the Lakeshores Library System.
She had become acquainted with musicians from
New Orleans
, who upon hearing that she was from
Wisconsin
, acknowledged that the famous "Bunny" Berigan was from
Wisconsin.
Rhonda, a member of the "Bunny" Berigan Jazz Jublilee Committee knew of the collection
of materials in the Harriett O'Connell Historical Room and proceeded to write the
grant application.
Recently the Fox Lake Public Library Librarian, Paula Torgeson, Historical Room Volunteer
Coordinator, Julie Flemming, and Experience Works worker, Lynn Jordan, traveled to
Madison
 for a meeting with the personnel at the UW Memorial Library in
Madison
 for metadata training.
The grant will allow for 1000 archival items, which includes loose pages, newspaper
clippings, letters, etc., and 250 photographs to be digitalized for a combined total
of $5,337 local and LSTA funds.
Amid the goals of this year's LSTA purposes are those of: "
Developing library services that provide all users access to information through
local, state, regional, national, and international electronic networks and Developing
public and private partnerships with other agencies and community-based organizations."
The Digitization of the "Bunny" Berigan materials will allow persons all over the
world to access the unique items of the Harriett O'Connell Historical Room on "Bunny"
Berigan.
The collection covered by the grant is expected to be up on the web by the end of
2010 and assessable to the world through the "State of
Wisconsin Collection
".
Interested people will be able to download and use the materials for their needs.
        Bernard "Bunny" Berigan was born in
Hilbert, Wisconsin in 1908 and raised in Fox
Lake.
It was only because of his father's job that he was born in Hilbert as his Grandparents,
the Berigans, lived just outside of
Fox Lake
 and his maternal Grandparents, the Schlitzbergs, lived in
Fox Lake.
At a very young age "Bunny", along with his parents and brother, moved back to
Fox Lake
 where many of his extended family lived.
"Bunny" grew to be very popular and a highly regarded trumpet player during the 1930's
and early 1940's.
He was a sideman and featured soloist for Benny Goodman, The Dorsey Brothers and
Paul Whiteman.
He briefly had his own band and recorded the tune "
I can't get started with you".
This song became his signature song in 1937.
"Bunny" died in 1942 at the age of 33 due to complications of alcoholism and is buried
in St. Mary's Cemetery, two miles south of
Fox Lake on Breezy Point Road.
The information to be digitalized for this grant would not have been available had
it not been for the past 20 years of sorting, indexing, typing, and cataloging that
volunteers have done for the Harrriett O'Connell Historical Room.
At the present time twelve to fifteen volunteers meet on Thursdays from
1 to 3 PM
 to work on individual assignments...all designed to make the information held in
the room available to the public.
       At this time the community of Fox Lake,
Wisconsin
, honors "Bunny" each spring with the "Bunny" Berigan Jazz Jubilee and this year
an afternoon jazz concert will be held on
Saturday, May 15, 2010
, in the American Legion Clubhouse in downtown
Fox Lake.
The Dixieland band appearing will be the "Bunny" Berigan Memorial Band, comprised
of some of the very best musicians in
Wisconsin
, and led by the Rev. Al Townsend from
La Crosse, WI.


--Bob Ringwald K6YBV
rsr at ringwald.com
Fulton Street Jazz Band
916/806-9551

Check out our latest recording at www.ringwald.com/recordings.htm

"I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government
from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them."
--Thomas Jefferson


__________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 4880 (20100219) __________

The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus.

http://www.eset.com