Remembering a "Friend" of the West Hempstead community

      Charlie was an active member in the Friends of West Hempstead Public Library. He selflessly devoted his time and energy to the organization and the community at-large. Charlie became involved in the West Hempstead community in early 2001 after meeting Library Director Regina Mascia. The two discussed reviving the "Friends," and by the end of the year it was up and running with Charlie as president. He later served as treasurer, and was most recently elected vice president.
      Charlie's driver's license may have said he lived in West Islip, but his heart was in West Hempstead. Charlie campaigned long and hard to see West Hempstead's new library referendum pass. He went to every public meeting, helped out at events such as the "Friends" open house and the walk-a-thon to the site of the new library, and volunteered his time to personally make more than 400 phone calls to potential library supporters.
      The day of the vote he handed out literature at the local train station, and afterwards stood in the rain for more three hours shaking hands and asking people to vote "yes" for the new library. And on June 3, he celebrated like he just won the lottery - with great enthusiasm and pride- when West Hempstead voters approved the new library referendum.
      "Charlie was a huge part of this community," commented Library Director Regina Mascia. "West Hempstead residents need to know what a kind, caring, and devoted person he was, and how much good he did for all of us, with his campaign for the library."
      While Charlie will not be able to share in the groundbreaking, or cut the ribbon on opening day, his spirit and memory will live on in the West Hempstead community.
      The Friends of the West Hempstead Public Library have established a fund in Charlie's memory. They will use the money to purchase a plaque, that will become part of the new library, so that every person who walks through the doors of the new library can know what kind of person Charlie was, and how he helped make the new library possible.
      At the time of his death, Charlie was heading up a donation drive that would allow residents to purchase bricks that would bear their names, or names of loved ones, to be used to build the walkway of the new library. The "Friends" plan to donate a brick in Charlie's memory.
      Donations can be made to: Charles L. Schmidt Memorial Library Fund, c/o Friends of the West Hempstead Public Library, 252 Chestnut Street, West Hempstead, NY 11552