Opera records to aid library

The estate of the late Bill Winsor, a retired high school government and civics teacher from Bainbridge Island, recently donated his extensive vinyl opera record collection to Friends of Whitman County Library. The gift is particularly appropriate because Mr. Winsor was a well-known supporter of public education and the arts and is connected to Colfax through family relations.

Library Friends Sue Hallett and Jackie Klossner have begun to inventory the collection with the hope of selling it in its entirety to a university or collector. To date, they have logged 30 albums whose value alone is about $400. The most valuable album so far is a version of Tosca by Puccini, estimated at $60. A few non-opera records have also been located within the boxes, including a Leonard Bernstein album from when he was a very young man.

Mr. Winsor’s Uncle Sam, Saverio Pirolo, was an opera singer, and Bill himself was an avid opera fan, attending performances regularly in Seattle. After retiring, he traveled to Europe for two months each year to attend operas in various cities.