Community Celebration honoring Bev Bartczak 

Lakesiders young and old are invited to a Community Celebration honoring Bev Bartczak on Tuesday, July 18 from 7-7:45 p.m. in the lobby of Hoover Auditorium.  

Bev and her longtime friend Joan Price were special education teachers for over 30 years. After retirement, they traveled extensively while continuing to educate and inspire children to appreciate other countries and cultures by writing about their travels on a blog and visiting schools. 

In 2009, Lakeside conducted a survey on what businesses were needed in Lakeside, and the top response was a bookstore.  

Bev and Joan had created several youth education programs for Lakeside and were the first people that came to mind as potential owner-operators of a bookstore.  

“They responded very enthusiastically and attended a bookstore owners conference within a week or two of the conversation,” said Shirley Stary, Lakeside’s Director of Arts & Entertainment Programming. “They quickly developed a business plan, and The Fine Print was born in 2011.” 

The 500-square-foot store became a labor of love and community treasure. For years, the women organized book-related scavenger hunts, character visits, stuffed animal sleepovers, family game nights and thoughtfully selected adult and children’s book titles.  

“The passion Bev and Joan had for reading and teaching permeated everything they did with the bookstore. We are indebted to Bev for her tireless dedication, especially to the young readers of Lakeside,” Stary said. 

In 2022, the Lakeside staff coordinated with Bev and the generous Lakeside community to raise funds to create the Storybook Trail in Cherry Park, which was dedicated in Joan’s memory.

Reflecting on her time in Lakeside and running The Fine Print bookstore, Bev said that she and Joan always felt that together they were “more powerful than just two people.” She also credits the bookstore’s success to the Lakeside community, saying, “We listened to Lakeside, and it really was a great run.” 

Lakeside thanks Bev for her vision and passion for encouraging a love of reading and learning for Lakesiders of all ages.