Woman’s Life Chapter 827-Chicks 4 Charity will be offering a $500 scholarship(s) for part time students and $1,000 scholarship(s) for full time students to women residing in Canton and the surrounding areas that are looking to transition back into the workforce. Applicants must be attending an accredited Michigan college, university or trade school in the fall of 2013. Preference will be given to women that demonstrate financial need, education/training needs, and those who are involved in the community. For additional information please contact Zlatina Dimova at dimova.zlatina@gmail.com. Applications must be postmarked by July 15, 2013 and winners will be notified by August 1, 2013.

Poetry can be celebrated the year-round, but especially so in April. Established in April 1996, National Poetry Month brings together poets and booksellers, literary organizations and publishers to celebrate the importance of poetry and its vital place in American culture. We at the Canton Public Library would like to participate by showcasing our many poetry resources in this Special Collection.

Award Winners

The wild iris by Louise Gluck — 1993 — Gluck's sixth collection presents a series of spare, somber lyrics that has always invested his best work.

Neon vernacular: new and selected poems by Yusef Komunyakaa — 1994 — A collection of poems from the author's earlier books combined with a dozen new poems.

Listen up Plymouth and Canton residents!  If you are a high school senior planning for college or an adult returning to school, this is a scholarship opportunity you don't want to miss.  In the past 20 years, the Canton Community Foundation has awarded $540,000 to more than 500 recipients.  For more information and the application visit the foundation's website.  All applications are due by 5 p.m. on Friday, March 15th.
Photo courtesy of http://www.sxc.hu/

The remains of Richard III, King of England 1483-1485 have been found under a parking lot in Leicester, UK.  They have been positively identified by comparing DNA with two descendents of Richard's sister.  The remains have been missing for over 500 years.  Following the Battle of Bosworth Field where Richard III was killed, his remains were unceremoniously dumped without a marker.  (Image: The earliest surviving portrait of Richard (c.

The reality of our planet is we are an aging society. Soon over half the global population will be over the age of 50. This is unprecedented in human history. What will this mean to society? A new PBS documentary is in the works, Coming of Age in America. It will look at where we live, how we work, and what impact will this have on the world. Watch your local PBS station for broadcast times.

Good mental health is important for everyone and totally necessary to maintain a happy outlook and balanced perspective in these stressful times. Here are some library sources and community resources that can help:

Understanding Mental Health

How to find mental health care for your child by Ellen B. Braaten

How to use herbs, nutrients, & yoga in mental health by Richard P. Brown, Patricia L. Gerbarg, Philip R. Muskin

Hearts are heavy with the tragedy that took place in Newtown, CT. Parents may wonder how to share such information with children, if at all. For resources on this subject visit Helping your Children Manage Distress in the Aftermath of a Shooting. Common Sense Media offers a website to help explain the newsmedia to kids. The late Fred Rogers also had great advice for parents in the midst of life's tragedies.

The month of December is filled with many different holiday celebrations — Hanukkah, Christmas and Kwanzaa are just some of the special observances this month. Learn more about all these holidays through the many resources at the Canton Public Library. This Special Collection can help get you started!

General

The American book of days by Christianson, Stephen G — A day-by-day record of American history from January 1 through December 31. For each of the 366 days of the year (including February 29), several substantial essays explore significant events of military, scientific, ethnic, or cultural significance.

The book of the year : a brief history of our seasonal holidays by Anthony F. Aveni — Discusses the origins and modern development of our holidays and provides an entertainng glimpse into their evolution.

Who made the first Nativity scene? What is the symbolic meaning of the candy cane, the holly leaf or the Christmas tree? How did the legend of Santa Claus begin and why is kissing associated with mistletoe? Answers to these questions and the origins of other traditions can be found at this page about Christmas Legends.

To check out information on Christmas customs, crafts, recipes, movies, music, stories, legends, and more, check out these sources in the library to enhance your enjoyment of this holiday season.

Send your old incandescent holiday lights to HolidayLEDs.com and not only will they recycle them for you but they will also send you a coupon for 15% off anything on their website. You can also drop them off at Whole Foods Market in Ann Arbor. For more green holiday ideas, check out "I'm Dreaming of a Green Christmas: Gifts, Decorations, and Recipes that Use Less and Mean More" by Anna Getty.

There are benefits you may be missing. The National Center for Benefits Outreach and Enrollment, a National Council on Aging program, provides a checklist for programs and benefits available to Older Adults. BenefitsCheckUp quickly finds federal, state, and private benefit programs available to help you save money on health care, food assistance, prescriptions, utilities, and more.

Did you know that November 3rd is National Sandwich Day? Legend has it that Englishman John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich, created the first sandwich in 1762 by putting meat between two pieces of bread. Celebrate by enjoying your favorite sandwich or by trying something new from one of the many sandwich cookbooks at the library.

101 soups, salads & sandwiches [electronic resource]

Beautiful breads and fabulous fillings: the best sandwiches in America by Margaux Sky; photographs by Ron Manville

In a rut, looking to change, improve, grow?   Attend   AARP online retreat  "5 Weeks to a New Life" without leaving home.  The five webinars focus on marriage, money, and personal growth.

The CPL catalog, databases, patron records, program calendar, and some other services will be unavailable on Tuesday, September 25th, from 8:30 AM to Noon while we upgrade our library software.

CPL will remain open and you will be able to check out books, use the computers, and otherwise enjoy the library. Please note:

• You will need to have your CPL card with you in order to check out anything
• If you return a book during that time, it'll be checked in after Noon
• We rely on our Catalog for a lot, so there may be lines and delays while it's down

Thank you for your patience as we work to serve you better.

If you have enjoyed our awesome "Your Dream Library" Lego displays in the children's dept. you might also be interested in the Lego Kids Fest coming to Novi in October. Creativity for all to enjoy.

Michigan Legal Help is designed to help those with simple civil matters that cannot afford a lawyer on their own, providing forms and toolkits on a variety of civil matters ranging from family law and housing to consumer protection and expungement.

The Michigan Legal Help website is a project of the Solutions on Self Help Task Force.

Classical music speaks both to the mind and to the heart, giving us something to think about as well as to experience.

—William J. Clinton, President of the United States, 1993-2001

Celebrate opening night at one of the many concerts offered throughout the month of September.

• Detroit Metropolitan Youth Symphony
• Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra
• Detroit Symphony Orchestra
• Michigan Philharmonic
• Ypsilanti Symphony Orchestra

The painting, featured above, is Attributes of Music by Anne Vallayer-Coster (1770)

September 9, 2012 is National Grandparents Day. The impetus for a National Grandparents Day originated with Marian McQuade, a housewife in Fayette County, West Virginia. Her primary motivation was to champion the cause of lonely elderly in nursing homes. She also hoped to persuade grandchildren to tap the wisdom and heritage their grandparents could provide. President Jimmy Carter, in 1978, proclaimed that National Grandparents Day would be celebrated every year on the first Sunday after Labor Day. National Grandparents Day is celebrated throughout the world throughout the year.

If you, like so many other grandparents are hosting your grandchildren this summer Canton Public Library offers a wide variety of programs for babies through teens this summer.  Looking for more ideas? Check out the Foundation for Grandparents' website to find suggestions for activities and tips on grandparenting.
 

The Michigan Primary election is scheduled for Tuesday, August 7, 2012. The Michigan Voter Information Center provides details on polling locations and voter eligibility. The League of Women Voters non partisan voter guide is available at Vote411.org.