Published: October 08, 2008 02:10 am            

Murder train mystery tickets available

Library on the Move

Tickets are still available for Murder on the disORIENTed EXPRESS™ "Close Encounters of the Texas Kind."

Treat yourself to a great dinner of Cajun brisket, lemon-pepper chicken, roasted potatoes, Cajun-Greek salad, rolls, tea, and caramel apple pie; enjoy a train ride through the beautiful east Texas forest, and enjoy a fun, murder mystery/who-dun-it with all manner of strange characters. Some of them might even be extra-terrestrial biological beings — EBEs! Call the Palestine Area Chamber of Commerce for tickets 903 729-6066 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays. Get your tickets now because the event is Saturday.

———

Anderson County Master Gardeners Association (ACMGA) is offering free workshops for the public at Palestine Public Library on consecutive Saturdays — this Saturday and Oct. 18 — from 10 a.m. to noon, "Butterfly Gardening with Native Plants" and "Plant Propagation", respectively. These educational programs are the first two of several that will be offered in the ongoing Lynn O'Daniels Lecture Series.

"Butterfly Gardening with Native Plants" this Saturday will be presented by Nina Ellis, a Certified Master Gardener in both Anderson and Henderson counties. A lifelong gardener, Ellis believes that it is individuals who will save our wildflowers from extinction, and for the past 25 years she has been spreading the word on how to appreciate our Natives and how to save them.

"Plant Propagation" will be presented by Stephen F. Austin Mast Arboretum Research Associate Dawn Stover Parish. She has been with Mast Arboretum for 11 years. Her presentation will cover asexual propagation and touch on layering, cuttings, division, and twin scaling in a Power-Point and hands-on demonstration.

———

"Timelines-Their Use in Research" is the topic of the Anderson County Genealogical Group meeting Saturday at 10:30 a.m. If you have never used this method, you will be amazed at the ways that a timeline reveals information. This will be a valuable lesson.

———

October is the 50th anniversary of the forming of NASA. Many people do not realize that our local Columbia Scientific Ballooning Facility (CSBF) is a NASA component. Part of the Youth Department is decorated with a space theme and Storytime has focused on that topic. Later this month, CSBF is presenting a program and having a display about their capabilities and accomplishments and the overall NASA agency. The program will be at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 28. All members of the family will enjoy this event.

———

All manner of exciting activities are going on in the Youth Department during October! Our very youngest patrons are invited to pick up a "Decorate Me" pumpkin coloring sheet. This activity to promote creativity is designed for children in second grade and younger.

Crayon, paint, glitter, pastel chalks, collage...all artistic mediums are welcomed. Turn in entries at the youth information desk.

All pumpkin pictures will be posted in the library. Deadline is Oct. 24 and awards will be made at the Halloween After-School Celebration at 4 p.m. Oct. 31 when photos will be made of all the winners for publication in the Palestine Herald Press.

Do you enjoy a good scary story? Do you get goose bumps when you hear a bone chilling urban legend? Why not write your own original scary story, or urban legend? Enter the library's Scary Story/Urban Legend Writing Contest. There is no word limit; however we will be looking for proper grammar, correct spelling, awesome creativity, and family-friendly language.

The categories are as follows: Grades 3-6; Grades 7-9; Grades 10-12; and ages 18 to 98. Deadline is Oct. 24. Winners will be announced and prizes awarded at the Halloween After-School Celebration at 4 p.m. Oct.31 when photos will be made of all the winners for publication in the Palestine Herald Press.

Contact Jamie King or Paula Ellis for more information at 903-729-4121. Please email your story entries to jking@palestine.lib.tx.us or pellis@palestine.lib.tx.us or drop them by the youth information desk.

———

Teen Read Week is October 12-18. Teens can visit the American Library Association Web site (www.ala.org/teenstopten) for a list of nationwide teen-favorite books. During Teen Read Week, teens can vote for their favorite books online.

———

Open Mic Night for teens is Tuesday, October 14 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the library. Teens can read poetry, sing, or tell a joke.

———

Music for Little Mozarts starts at 10 a.m. Wednesday and runs for five weeks. This nationally-acclaimed program introduces children age two and up to singing and rhythms. They will also experiment with simple instruments and learn to clap in time with music.

———

Renowned East Texas writer Bob Bowman is writing yet another book about our own unique part of the world-East Texas. While he was doing research in Palestine last week, I invited him to do a talk about some of his latest work on Tuesday, October 14 at 5:30 p.m.

Join us for refreshments, a book signing, and a talk, "Things You Might Not Know If You Don't Attend This Meeting."

———

The Library will be closed on Monday for a staff in-service day.

———

Carol A. Herrington is the director of the Palestine Public Library. Contact the library at 903-729-4121, and visit online at www.palestine.lib.tx.us, or cherrington@palestine.lib.tx.us.

        

• Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.