I have a confession to make. A couple of weeks ago, I told Mark van de Kamp, a management analyst for the city, that the Santa Maria Public Library doesn’t need any more money. A week before that, I said the same thing to Phil Alvarado, the new Santa Maria Bonita School District Superintendent and a member of the library council board.
They both laughed.
I realize that this is a strange thing to be doing—walking around, telling city and school officials to stop raising money for the library—but there is a demented method to my madness.
The library people were raising money by raffling off a signed, first-edition, U.K. version of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I must have that book. For every ticket left unsold, I had a slightly greater chance of winning. Do you understand now? Good.
Plus, I think Mark and Phil thought I was joking. I wasn’t. But they thought I was, so that’s good.
Truth is, I’m a bit of a Harry Potter fanatic. This is not news, but I still hesitated slightly when my editor asked me to write a commentary about the raffle. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to broadcast my fanaticism to every source, every coach, and every person I’ve ever worked with in this city. Then I remembered that four weeks ago there were photos of me in the paper dressed as young wizard Hermione Granger at ComiCon.
So I think the cat’s out of the bag. People will just have to accept that I love sports and kids’ fantasy novels. There’s nothing wrong with that. Besides, I’m not alone in my geekiness.
That cover story, published in the Sun on July 31, has generated some great response. In the weeks since it ran, we’ve had phone calls from locals who loved the story, fellow geeks pitching story ideas, and even some city officials calling in to reveal that they, too, are geeks. (I’m not naming names.)
It’s been great to hear from people who enjoyed our work, and it’s also a reminder that even though we all want to bring you hard-hitting news, sometimes it’s the fun stories that touch people the most.
I know that the Harry Potter series has touched my heart. Sappy, right? There’s nothing to dislike about the books, really. The story is awesome, and the world that J.K. Rowling created seems so real, but at the same time so fantastical.
One of the big things that I’ve always loved about the Harry Potter books is that they’re fun and smart. I like to think that I’m fun and smart, too. We have that in common, the books and me. And I love, love, love J.K. Rowling and her way with words.
And if I’m a bit of an anomaly—with my love of both athletic competition and kids’ books—then so is Santa Maria. This town has always been a lesson in juxtaposition. We have farmland and a great theater company. We have wineries galore and some super popular dive bars. This raffle was just one more example: The library was selling
raffle tickets for the Harry Potter book and a big-screen television.
Smart move, actually. They’ve covered all their bases.
According to the library, the book is valued at $1,500 and the T.V. is worth $1,700. To me, a huge television set is cool, but a piece of Harry Potter history is priceless. Since there’s no way I could afford to buy my own signed copy—or justify the cost if I did—the raffle was my only shot. I was tempted to buy six tickets for $100, but in the end I spent $40 on two tickets. Two is my lucky number, and $100 is a lot of money.
I’m writing this the day before the raffle, so by the time you read it, a winner will have been picked. I know my odds are slim, but I do hope that the book goes to a good home. At my house, it would be displayed in a glass case in a place of honor. That’s just a suggestion to the person who wins it.
Glass case. Place of honor. That’s all I’m saying.
Unfortunately, the more likely scenario is eBay, highest bidder. Ah, realism, why must you insert yourself into my commentary?
Still, there’s always a chance … maybe I did win. Or maybe I got that TV instead. If that’s the case, I want to reach out to the winner of the book right now and offer a trade. You can reach me here at the Sun.
I’m at the first desk, in the nook, at the back of the office, in the second largest room, at 3130 Skyway Drive, suite 603, Santa Maria, CA 93454.
Contact Sports Editor Sarah E. Thien at sthien@santamariasun.com. Or just send an owl.
This article appears in Aug 28 – Sep 4, 2008.