r r r r r r T T Y T T T Y r r r i n 'r r r T i r [1 — — .1, - .1_____ ' - ..... .

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Volume 12, No. 2 March - April 1998

APRIL 20th -25th, 1998“ AMNESTY FOR OVERDUES” will be in effect throughout National Library Week. Bring in any overdue materials from April 20th through April 25th and owe us no fines.

BOOK &£ BAKE SALEF 00V FOR M I W MV BOW

Our Reference Librarians have been “weeding” our collecton to “get rid of the old to make space for the new." The books which have been “weeded” - that is, discarded - will be offered for sale to the public at a library sponsored book sale which will take place as follows:

THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 10 AM-8 PM FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 10 AM-4 PM SATURDAY, APRIL 25, 10 AM-4 PM

We will not be accepting outside book donations for this sale. However, if you would like to donate your time to help out, please contact Reference Librarian Judy Mansbach at 287-2298, x226. Come browse and treat yourself to some “new” old books, along with tasty baked goods, made by members of our library staff.

Have you joined our “Friends of the Library?" Applications are available

at all of our Circulation Desks.Our FRIENDS’ EXECUTIVE BOARD will meet on WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1st at 7 P.M. at the Main Library. All interested friends are welcome to attend!

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A program on First Aid will be presented at the Main Library , 340 Plainfield Avenue on April 8th, 7:00-9:00 p.m.

Mr. Barry Idell will present the program and will cover the fol lowing topics: Safety in the home and workplace; How to deal with medical emergency and the explanation of when to use 9-1-1; First aid: the equipment needed and who should be trained.

Mr. Idell has over 30 years of experience in EMS and is a certified EMT, AHACPR and PHTLS instructor and is currently a member of the Metuchen First Aid Squad and the Woodbridge Emergency Squad.

Please register by calling: 287-2298 or TTY: 777-7813.

DISPLAYS

On display during the month of April at the Main Library will be the work of Joan Polishook. Ms. Polishook, a resident of Edison, will showcase her pen and ink and watercolor creations.

SOMETHING NEWThe Main Library now has as word processing computer for public use. It has WORD 97 software. Edison residents may reserve the computer for up to 2 hours at a time; no more than 4 hours a week.Each copy costs $ .15. Call 287-2298 ext: 226.

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SAFETY IN THE HOME

Like most people, we feel safer in our homes than anywhere else. However, our homes can be hazardous to our health. Home accidents cause serious injury to 1 out o f 10 Americans each year. Falls, usually due to rugs or slippery floors are the principle cause o f accidental deaths in the elderly. Fires, which are most often caused by cigarette smoking, create smoke and poison gases and kill more people than the flames themselves. Bums and scalds, most o f which occur in the bathroom where the hot water heater is above 120 degrees, are extremely common, especially with children and the elderly.Poisonings usually result from the misuse o f medications. Finally, electrical hazards cause 15 per cent o f home fires and are usually due to the buildup o f heat on overloaded wires or fixtures. It is important to look for potential dangers to make our homes safe.

Home safety and security ( 1996). Alexandria,VA: Time-Life Books. A practical manual on burglary protection in the home.

Loewen, N. (1997) Home safety. Plymouth, MN: Child’s World.A book that offers basic rules for what to do and what not to do to be safe at home.

Warde, J. (1997) The healthy home handbook. New York: Times Books. All you need to know to rid your home o f health and safety hazards.

Roberta Schechter Reference Librarian

BOOKMOBILE CELEBRATES NATIONAL POETRY MONTH

By Sharon Giniger - Bookmobile Librarian

National Poetry Month is celebrated during the month of April. The annual observance nays tribute to the great legacy and ongoing achievement of American poets. The celebration demonstrates to all of us the importance of poetry in American culture. In a proclamation issued in honor of the first observance, President Bill Clinton called it "a welcome opportunity to celebrate not only the unsurpassed body of literature produced by our poets in the past, but also the vitality and diversity of voices reflected in the works of today's American poets.. . . Their creativity and wealth of language enrich our culture and inspire a new generation of Americans to learn the power of reading and writing at its best." The celebration of National Poetry Month was spearheaded by U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Hass and the Academy of American Poets. It isthe largest and most extensive celebration of poetry in American history.

In honor of National Poetry Month, there will be a display of poetry books on board the bookmobile. The following is suggested list of poetry books on the bookmobile which you and your family can enjoy together:

Birthday Rhymes. Special Times Selected by Bobbye S. Goldstein J811A collection of poems about birthdays by such authors as Dr. Seuss, John Ciardi, and Jack

Prelutsky.

The Dreams of Hummingbirds: Poems From Nature by Mary Ann Coleman J811 COL. A collection of eighteen poems on nature and ecology.

Pvtra Inninpc- Baseball Poems Selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins J811A collection of nineteen poems about baseball, including playing and watching the game.

Falling Up : Poems and Drawings by Shel Silverstein J811 SIL.A collection of humorous poems and drawings.

Halfway to Your House by Charlotte Pomerantz J811 POM.A collection of short poems about animals, nature, and home life.

A Pi77a the Size of the Sun by Jack Prelutsky J811.54 PRE.A collection of humorous poetry on a variety of topics.

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poems and drawings by

Shel Silverstein

A Zooful of Animals Selected by William Cole J811A collection of animal poems by authors including Rachel Field, Shel Silverstein, and John

Ciardi.

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I \ / l o n t hu l l ^ m

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March is a month to celebrate the achievements o f women everywhere. Women o f all nationalities have contributed to society in numerous ways. Here are a few:

Lakshmi Bai (India) Led an uprising against a British takeover o f her homeland. She's considered a heroine and a symbol o f resistance to British rule.

M other Teresa o f Calcutta_ (India) A Roman Catholic nun and the founder o f the Missionaries o f Charity.

Flossie Wong-Staal (Chinese-American) A medical researcher and foremost authority in the study o f viruses. She is credited as the co-discoverer o f HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

Sandra Day O'Connor (USA) The first woman Supreme Court Justice.

Caterina Scarpellini (Italy) A meteorologist, astronomer and mathematician. She discovered a comet in I8J4.

Madame C.J. Walker (USA) She developed a conditioning treatment for straightening hair and built a factory to manufacture her line o f cosmetics. One o f the first American women o f any race or rank to become a millionaire throuugh her own efforts.

Golda Mcir (Russia/Israel) Israeli premier and a founder o f the state o f Israel.

Katarina W itt (Germany) German figure skater and winner o f 2 Olympic gold medals. First figure skater since Sonja Henie (in 1932) to win a second Olympic gold medal.

Gertrude Bell (British) British archaeologist,, writer and government official. She made severalarchaeological expeditions and her expert knowledge o f Asia Minor led her into service with British Intelligence forces in the Middle East during World War I.

Find information on these and other extaordinary women in various books in the library.

Women Inventors and their discoveries by Ethlie VareBuffalo Gals: Women o f the old West by Brandon MillerGreat women athletes o f the 20th century by Robert CondonHcrstory: women who changed the worldGreat American Businesswomen by Laura JeffreyHeroines: Great women through the ages by Rebicca HazellFirst Ladies: women who callcd-the White H-QUse home by Beatrice Gormley

Internet Source to try at home:

Distinguished Women o f the Past and Present http://www.netsrg.com/~dbois/index.html

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6. I rish Oatmeal Cake12 servings

1 cup quick-cooking oatmeal 1 1/2 cups boiling water 1/2 cup unsalted butter1 cup light brown sugar2 tablespoons Bushmills Irish Whiskey

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease and flour a 9-inch square cake pan. Set aside.Place oatmeal in a heat-proof mixing bowl. Pour boiling water over oatmeal and allow to stand for 20 minutes.2. Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in Bushmills Irish Whiskey and eggs.When well combined, stir in oatmeal mixture. Combine flour, cinnamon and baking soda. When well combined, stir into oatmeal mixture. Beat until well mixed.3. Pour oatmeal batter into prepared pan and place into peheated oven. Bake for 30 minutes or until cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean and the cake is golden. Remove from oven. Preheat broiler. Spread nut topping over the top of the warm cake. Place under the preheated broiler and broil for five minutes or until topping is bubbling and toasted. Remove from broiler and allow to cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before cutting.

Nut Topping

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened 1 tablespoon Bushmills Irish Whiskey1/2 cup light brown sugar 1 cup chopped nut meats (walnuts, pecans,almonds)1/4 cup heavy whipping cream 1/2 cup grated unsweetened coconut

1. Cream butter and sugar. Blend in cream and Bushmills Irish Whiskey. Stir in nuts and coconut. Cover and set aside until ready to use.

2 large eggs1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon baking soda Nut topping

Township of Edison

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