Riverside Schools Board of Education members hosted a special dedication ceremony Tuesday evening to honor the legacy of a longtime district employee and community volunteer with a new area of the library that will touch future generations of readers. Also at the meeting, members approved a three-year contract with the Riverside Education Association.
Bud Jackson stands at the left, while Diana Gamble reads with three of her granddaughters, Evelyn, 3; Nora, 1; and Scarlett Lentz, 5, Tuesday evening following the Riverside Board of Education meeting when the Jenean Jackson Reading Nook was dedicated in the school’s library in honor of Mr. Jackson’s wife and Mrs. Gamble’s mother. (EXAMINER PHOTO | MANDY LOEHR)
The Jenean Jackson Reading Nook was installed at the library with a number of her family members, including her husband of 64 years, Howard “Bud” Jackson and their children, grandchildren and greatgrandchildren in attendance. A nearly 30-year Riverside schools bus driver, Mrs. Jackson passed away in January 2017 at the age of 81.
Library aide Lori Longbrake said she had the idea for the reading nook earlier this year, and she and Superintendent Scott Mann and Elementary Principal Mason Bryan determined this would be the perfect tribute to Mrs. Jackson, whom they had wanted to honor.
The reading nook includes a painted wall by art teacher Abby Steinke that features two open hands and a heart and the words “Blessed are the hands that serve.” Photos of Mrs. Jackson and her family also adorn the wall.
A small shelf displaying library books is located nearby the decorated wall and a rug has been installed that reads “No matter who you are, where you come from or what you look like, you are loved and accepted here.”
“I thought that really spoke volumes about how Mrs. Jackson accepted everyone with open arms and she didn’t know a stranger,” Longbrake said. “I’m looking forward to the chance to read with the students here in this cozy corner and to take that same approach with the kids.”
Read complete story in Wednesday’s Examiner.
CLICK HERE to subscribe today!
WEB EDITION STARTING AT $9.50 FOR 5 WEEKS!