Fire Prevention Week Display

Today is the first day of Fire Prevention Week, which continues through October 10.

Fire Prevention Week has been celebrated since 1922. The week always includes October 9th in memory of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. While the Chicago Fire actually started on October 8, 1871 most of its damage occurred on October 9th.

Today, the Chicago Fire is more "famous" but the bigger fire actually occurred in Peshtigo, Wisconsin. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) website states that the Peshtigo fire was the "most devastating forest fire in American history." It burned down 16 towns in northeastern Wisconsin. It also spread into Michigan burning the town of Menominee.

The East Tawas Library has a new display case which was given to the library earlier this summer in memory of Suzanne Smith Frantz and Hubert "Stacy" Smith. The display case allows the display of small items as well as books. The display case is a wonderful addition to the library and something that has been on the library's wish list for a long time.

This week the display case contains a few items from the fire collection of the late Thomas C. Elvey. My Dad started his life-long career and passion for fire prevention by serving on the University of Alaska's fire department in College (Fairbanks), Alaska, while still in high school.

Some of my favorite fire related memories include: taking my Dad to see the Old Chicago Water Tower (one of the few buildings to survive the Chicago fire), when I lived in Chicago; visiting the new University of Alaska fire station with my parents, 25 years after they left Alaska; and I will also never forget visiting the Peshtigo fire museum and cemetery.

The East Tawas Library Fire Prevention Week display includes 33 different books, some of which are:

Jim Murphy's The Great Fire, a 1996 Newbery Honor Book, is a factual book about the Great Chicago Fire.

The Firebrand by Susan Wiggs is a novel about the Chicago Fire.

The book Day of Darkness, Night of Light by C.L.G. Martin tells the story of the Menominee fire from the perspective of a thirteen-year-old boy.

See the following web sites for more information:

http://www.nfpa.org/categoryList.asp?categoryID=1438&URL=Safety%20Information/Fire%20Prevention%20Week%202009

http://www.chicagohs.org/fire/

http://www.peshtigofire.info/

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/hal_mhc_mhm_fire_10-08-2003_92068_7.pdf

Community Garden Book Display

This month's book display celebrates the new community garden located across the street from the library.

The creation of the garden has been spearheaded by Christ Episcopal Church, which is also located just across the street. As someone who both works and lives within sight of the garden I want to personally thank everyone involved in the project. The garden is a wonderful addition to the neighborhood! I hope this is the first of many years to come, for the community garden.

Some of the books on display include:

The Green Guide to Herb Gardening: Featuring the 10 Most Popular Herbs by Deborah Harding. This book includes information about growing, harvesting, and storing herbs. Various uses and recipes for herbs are also included.

Ortho's All About Vegetables by Barbara Pleasant and Katie Smith. This book has general gardening information plus it contains specific information about the growing needs of different vegetables.

How Groundhog's Garden Grew by Lynne Cherry. This book is not just for little kids. It is also not just for gardeners. I love this book and I haven't had a garden since I lived in an apartment in Chicago, over 20 years ago. The illustrations are wonderful; they are so incredibly detailed. I showed this book to a patron, who liked it so much she shared it at a recent Master Gardener's meeting.

Taste of the Midwest: 12 States, 101 Recipes, 150 Meals, 8,207 Miles and Millions of Memories by Dan Kaercher. Dan is the founding editor-in-chief of the magazine Midwest Living. If you like the magazine, you will like this book. If you are not familiar with the magazine, stop in and look at an issue. I think you will enjoy both the magazine and the book.

Vegetables on the Grill: A Menu Cookbook by Kelly McCune. In addition to recipes, this book will tell you how to grill every vegetable from apples and artichokes to turnips and yams.

Besides the books on display, the library has two and a half shelves of gardening and landscaping books. The library also subscribes to the magazines Birds & Blooms and Garden Gate. For those of us who are non-gardeners, the library has lots of other books and magazines.

Whether you garden or not, please enjoy the view of the community garden as you visit the library.

Evening Hours

The East Tawas Library will now be open Tuesday evenings from 5 pm until 8:30 pm.

The hours for the rest of the week have also changed as follows:

Monday, Thursday, Friday: 8 - 11:30 a.m. & 12:30 - 5 p.m.

Tuesday: 12 noon - 4 p.m. & 5 - 8:30 p.m.

Wednesday: Closed

Saturday: 8 - 12 noon

The new hours are effective today, Monday May 11, 2009.