The Canton Community Foundation is hosting an educational program for professionals and veterans and their families September 12th and 13th. The two-day summit offers a day for attorneys and advocates to earn continuing legal education credits. The second day is devoted to veterans who will learn about potential benefits will meet directly with benefit representatives.
Visit the Canton Community Foundation for more information.

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.

After Camelot [large print]: a personal history of the Kennedy family 1968 to the present by J. Randy Taraborrelli

The beginner's goodbye [large print] by Anne Tyler

Xo [large print] by Jeffery Deaver

War of the worldviews [Large print]: science vs. spirituality by Deepak Chopra, Leonard Mlodinow

Indomitable will: LBJ in the presidency by Mark K. Updegrove

Guest of honor: Booker T. Washington, Theodore Roosevelt, and the White House dinner that shocked a nation by Deborah Davis

Masters of the air: America's bomber boys who fought the air war against Nazi Germany by Donald L.

Workers who have paid into the Social Security system can now view their personalized earnings and benefits information with the launch of a new portal by the U.S. Social Security Administration. The new online Social Security Statement replaces the annual paper statement that was suspended for those between the ages of 25 and 60. Individuals 18 and older can register and create an account and once verified can access their statement and view benefits. In February Social Security resumed mailing paper Statements to workers age 60 and older if they are not already receiving Social Security benefits.

[Photo courtesy of AP Images]

To wrap up this year’s Great Michigan Read, the Michigan Humanities Council will host a grand finale event on Monday, June 25 in Traverse City. This finale will be held at the Dennos Museum Center and feature Arc of Justice author Kevin Boyle. This will be an amazing event, providing an opportunity to reflect on the conversations and discussions generated by the Great Michigan Read throughout Michigan.

Tickets are available for $35 and $100. More information is available at the Michigan Humanities Council. For immediate event updates, keep an eye out on the Council's Facebook page.

For the past few years, the Canton Public Library has held a donation drive to commemorate Memorial Day by helping service men and women. Once again we will be collecting donations, this year for the VA Hospital of Ann Arbor , but there are many other rewarding ways to observe Memorial Day, including:

• Visiting cemeteries and placing flags or flowers on the graves of our fallen heroes
• Visiting war memorials
• Flying the U.S. Flag at half-staff until noon
• Participating in a National Moment of Remembrance at 3:00 PM to pause and reflect upon the true meaning of the day
• Attending a parade
• Watching a patriotic movie or reading a patriotic book

Check out websites like [White House] Joining Forces, where you can actually send a message of thanks to a military family and get other ideas for showing appreciation. Also, be sure to visit the library's displays on Memorial Day and the history behind some of our military traditions.

Before we celebrate Memorial Day, let's commemorate. Please help CPL as we collect items to be donated to the VA Hospital of Ann Arbor for distribution to homeless veterans. Donations will be appreciatively accepted beginning Thursday, May 10 through Thursday, May 31 at the Reception Desk.
Suggested donations include:

• Rolls of Lifesavers (or other hard candy)
• Rice Krispies bars (or granola bars, etc.)
• Plastic utensils (knives, forks, spoons)
• Napkins
• Ritz snack mix (or other trail mix)
• Easy-open cans of tuna, chicken or other meats

Other general requests include $5-10 gift cards to Wendy's or McDonald's; cans of coffee (regular or decaf); prepaid telephone calling cards; new crossword puzzles and word search books.

SEMCOG seeks public comment on projects proposed for 2011-2014 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). The TIP is a list of roadway and transit projects selected as priorities for funding by cities, county road commissions, transit agencies, and the Michigan Department of Transportation. The public comment period officially began on March 27, 2012 and will end with Executive Committee action on April 27, 2012.

The Great Michigan Read 2011-2012 is drawing to a close. This year's selection has inspired displays and discussions across the states in public libraries and schools. The author, Kevin Boyle, received his undergraduate degree from University of Detroit-Mercy and his doctorate from University of Michigan. He is presently teaching at Ohio State University. Arc of Justice won the National Book Award in 2004 and was named Michigan Notable Book in 2005.

No matter where you are in your life span, you need a life plan. The American Psychological Association Committee on Aging put together a useful brochure to assist in developing an effective plan to secure a healthy, happy, and financially sound old age. Their brochure, Life Plan For The Life Span, begins by checking your attitude and understanding about your aging process by asking important questions.

Craving guidance to grow your startup? Check out TechTown's upcoming educational workshops designed for entrepreneurs who are hungry to learn:

• 2/28 Intro to Market Research
• 3/14 & 3/21 Invention Development
• 3/20 Sales Essentials
• 3/27 Lunch & Learn with Lawyers
• 4/14-6/16 Operation JumpStart: First Step (Fee based)

The Michigan Presidential Primary is scheduled for Tuesday, February 28th. This primary will be conducted as a “closed” primary and voters will be required to select a Republican or Democratic ballot. If your community is holding a special election in conjunction with the Presidential Primary, the special election information will appear on both ballots. You will also have the option of selecting a ballot that excludes Presidential Primary information and includes only special election information. Visit the Michigan Voter Information Center for more details.

What would you do with an extra $3000? Where is this money going to come from? By using SEMCOG's (Southeast Michigan Council of Governments) MiRideshare. Commuters can save up to $3000 per year by sharing a ride to work. If you register for the program during the month of February, you could also win a $100 Amazon gift card. Information on transportation options is available at SEMCOG's website. High gas prices are not as scary when you're sharing the cost.

Join Phyllis Wood and her team from Canton's H&R Block to learn the latest tax law changes in Michigan. Don't miss an opportunity to receive the best refund possible on Thursday, March 1st at 7:00 PM.

Five books to help make life a little easier as you age:

I feel great about my hands: and other unexpected joys of aging by edited by Shari Graydon

AARP guide to revitalizing your home: beautiful living for the second half of life: reimagine, redesign, remodel by Rosemary Bakker

The social animal: the hidden sources of love, character, and achievement by David Brooks

1493: uncovering the new world Columbus created by Charles C.

It’s tax time again, so here’s some information regarding Federal and State tax forms at the Canton Public Library:

Federal

1. Form #1040 has arrived and is now available on the spinner rack at the Main Help Desk
2. All federal tax forms are currently available online. Delivery of the Instructions 1040-ALL will begin in late January and continue through mid-February. When they arrive they will be available on the spinner rack at the Main Help Desk
3. Publication 17 will be available at the check out desk, the copy machines and the Main Help Desk. Patrons may use these to make copies but they should not be removed from the building

State

Michigan state tax forms are now available at the library! They are located on a spinner rack at the Main Help Desk. They are also available online.

Arc of justice: a saga of race, civil rights, and murder in the Jazz Age by Kevin Boyle — is the 2012 Great Michigan Read, but sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words:

DVDs

Eyes on the prize. Vol. 1, [videodisc]: America's civil rights movement by Blackside

Heart disease is the leading killer in the United States, which is why February is American Heart Month. Since 1963 Congress has required the president to proclaim it as such. The object is to increase public knowledge of various cardiovascular diseases, including stroke, and the prevention of heart disease by encouraging heart-healthy habits. This Friday, February 3rd, is the American Heart Association movement National Wear Red Day, which is dedicated to building an awareness of risk and raising funds for research and education specifically for women.