Dear Friends of Waterford,

I bring you greetings as new president of the Waterford Foundation and from our other new officers - Nancy Doane, vice president; Susan Sutter, secretary; and Mark Beisler, treasurer.

Our main goal this year is, of course, to rebuild the Old School so it is again a symbol of Waterford's long history and promising future. Hans Hommels is heading up our Steering Committee which has been meeting regularly to plan first, for renovating the Old School Classroom Building (we hope to have it ready for this fall's Fair!), and then begin the more complex rebuilding of the Auditorium Building.

We invite you to be part of it all! Come to the Waterford Old School Public Forum on Sunday, May 20 at 2:00 pm at Waterford Elementary School. Bring your old photos and videos of events you celebrated at the Old School before the fire, and bring your ideas for rebuilding it anew. This will be a chance for all of us to share memories and add our thoughts to the plans for making our beloved Old School an even better center for parties, community meetings, and wonderful cultural events.

Until the Old School Auditorium stands again, join us this for the Waterford Foundation Concert Series at the Lucketts Community Center. This Sunday, May 6, world famous pianist Leon Bates and the Grammy nominated Borealis Wind Quintet will celebrate French music. On Monday, Mr. Bates will give students and teachers at Waterford Elementary School a piano concert - courtesy of the Waterford Concert Series. You can still get tickets to Sunday's concert by calling the office (540-882-3018) or at the door. You can go to www.waterfordva.org for information.

Making music is not all we do. If you are looking for a way to meet new friends and help us protect the Waterford National Historic Landmark at the same time, join a committee! Preserve our historic buildings with Rich Biby (Properties Planning and Management); share our history and culture with Sherry Satin (Education); protect our open spaces with Ann Goode and Patti Psaris (Land Use); and find ways to pay for it all with Marilyn Gentry (Development).

Thank you to all our generous friends and supporters. We welcome your help and suggestions!

Kathleen Hughes
President