Wednesday, September 5, 2001
Page 3
Supervisors Honor Judges’ Son for Books-for-Library Program
By KIMBERLY EDDS, Staff Writer
The son of Los Angeles Superior Court Presiding Judge James Bascue and Judge Jacqueline Connor was honored yesterday for collecting and donating over 17,000 books to a Watts library auxiliary group.
Connor Bascue, 17, of Santa Monica Boy Scout Troop No. 2, was recognized by the county Board of Supervisors for the book collection program he designed and the donation of the mostly children’s books to the Friends of the Library of the Alma Reaves Woods Watts Branch Library.
“This is just one of those serendipitous events that has been a blessing for everyone,” Jacqueline Connor said.
Alerted to the need by a family friend, Connor Bascue designed the book collection program last fall with the idea that everyone has books they no longer need but just can’t bear to throw away.
Along with members of his troop and their families, the Concord High School senior tested book bags to see whether they could bear the weight of the books, then distributed them to Santa Monica neighborhoods along with fliers explaining the project.
He assigned scouts to different neighborhoods to pick up the donated books the following weekend and take them back to the Bascue home for packing.
Using a friend’s borrowed truck, he delivered the books to the organization, where in addition to some of the books being added to the library’s collection they are also being used in off-site community reading programs, preschools and other community based projects.
“I’m very proud of him and very pleased about the project,” James Bascue said. “Alma Reaves Woods and the Friends of the Library are so gracious about everything they receive.”
Jacqueline Connor said her son feels “a sense of commitment to the library” and he is willing to help them in any way he can.
“The relationship will not end,” she said.
Connor Bascue’s community spirit has caught on in the Compton Courthouse, which has donated used computers to the group for children to use, James Bascue said.
“We’re doing a lot to help the library,” the judge said.
Connor, along with fellow scouts and their families, spent over 240 hours collective hours on the project, which helped him earn his Eagle Scout award in January.
Copyright 2001, Metropolitan News Company