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06/05/2019 09:08 AMStarting on Wednesday, June 12 at the Henry Carter Hull Library, visitors will be given the opportunity to hear unique Clinton perspectives through the new series Voices of Clinton. The free event kicks of at 6 p.m. on June 12 with a presentation by Clinton resident Bud Vece.
Vece, a former assistant fire chief and civil defense administrator, will touch on a variety of stories, including an account of the 1938 hurricane that severely damaged the area. Vece will also share a slide show of photos that he has compiled over the years.
The series is presented by the group Celebrate Clinton, a Facebook group dedicated to highlighting positive attributes of Clinton and its citizens. Carrie Allen, a member of the Celebrate Clinton, spoke to the Harbor News about the group and the series.
Celebrate Clinton is a project Allen started in summer 2018 in part to combat what she termed “the rampant negativity” on Facebook she felt some people expressed. Since then, the page has highlighted positive stories and interesting facts that can be found in Clinton, an experience Allen has found rewarding.
“It’s so fun, I’ve met a ton of fun people,” she says. “I find this town surprises me every day and I’m thrilled about that.”
Allen said that she ran into Vece at a store where he was having pictures reproduced and struck up a conversation with him. As Vece began to talk about some of the pictures, Allen asked if she could hear more of his stories some time, and her request was soon granted.
“I ended up spending two hours. He’s a very good story teller,” said Allen.
After her visit with Vece, Allen spoke with Sarah Borgnis-Tobin, the adult programing the director at the library, to gauge her interest in having the library host a night of storytelling on Clinton’s history from a Clinton resident.
“We thought perhaps other stories might be out there. A lot of people have been really generous with their time and have done a lot for this town,” Allen said.
So far, Vece’s presentation is the only scheduled event in the series. Allen said she’s working on a list of future guests, and is interested in periodically hosting events in the series depending on the space and time available at the library.
“I say we’re looking for the history, stories people may have forgotten,” Allen explained.
People who are interested in speaking, or who know someone who may be, and a have a story related to Clinton, can contact the Celebrate Clinton Facebook Page or send an email to sarah@hchlibrary.org. Allen said she thinks the series could be a hit not only with some lifelong Clinton residents, but potentially with some new residents with an interest in history.
“A lot of people who live here are transplants and don’t know these stories,” Allen said.