We were delighted to see the letter from Abe Rojas, former director of Parks & Recreation for the City of Turlock, about the history of the Kaleidoscope Teen Center (published August 3, 2016). All of us on Carnegie Arts Center staff, Board of Directors, and Centennial Committee are extremely grateful for the efforts of so many community members over the years to save and reinvent this wonderful old building. Every change in use – from Library to Teen Center to Community Center to Arts Center – has brought new people, new energy, new ideas and new experiences to the Carnegie.

We have chronicled many of these wonderful stories in the book we published for the Carnegie’s Centennial, “A Century of Stories: Turlock’s Carnegie Remembered.” Included are more than 100 memories that people were willing to share with us about the Carnegie in each moment of its long history – including stories by some of the teens who were instrumental in the founding of the Kaleidoscope. Candy Klaschus, one of the young people mentioned by Mr. Rojas, continues as a Carnegie volunteer to this day; Candy serves on our Programs Committee, helping plan our many educational and entertaining activities.

The Carnegie is a fixture in Stanislaus County today because of the dedication and commitment of generations of Turlock residents. We couldn’t be more proud of our history and our community!

Sincerely,

Lisa McDermott

Director, Carnegie Arts Center