Pet memories cast in stone at Round Top Family Library


Winners of the Round Top Family Library's Pet Memorial contest are pictured left to right with their Round Top Carmine High School teacher: Emy Cies, Lauriano Pineda, RT-C teacher, Kathy Warburton, and first place winner Sara Baranowski.
The courtyard surrounding the entrance to the Library has always been an area for honorariums and memorial pavers. Recently an entire section was designated for family pets to be remembered and honored.

To identify the section, the Library's board initiated a contest among area teens requesting their thoughts about their own pets. The words of the winning entry would be engraved on a 16" x 16" paver that would mark the pet memorial area of the courtyard.

Many profound thoughts were written by Round Top Carmine High School students. “We evaluated numerous entries for this contest," said Library Executive Director Barbara Smith. "Each expressed, in a different way, the love these teens had for their pets. So it was difficult to choose just the right words to mark this area of our courtyard that will be reserved for so many fond memories.”

The winning entry came from Sara Baranowski, a senior, who wrote: “Pets are more than animals. They are your friend. They provide a pair of ears to listen to your secrets, and a heart to love you.”
Second place went to Lauriano Pineda who wrote: “Pets bring us joy, tears and good memories. Our tears will fade, but the memories last forever.” Third place was given to Emy Cies who wrote: “I wish I was the kind of person my pet thinks I am.”

"The Library extends appreciation to all the students who submitted their heartfelt thoughts and congratulations to the winning participants," said Smith.