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Ocean County Library news is getting national and international attention.
Our story about the Sparks BFF (Best Friends Forever) literacy initiative was picked up by School Library Journal http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6593877.html
Our story about the cell phone donations to Cell Phones for Soldiers was picked up by Recycle.co.uk’s Web site: http://www.recycle.co.uk/news/1051000.html
The Toms River branch of the Ocean County Library, 101 Washington Street, will honor the 221st anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Constitution with a public reading of the document beginning at noon Wednesday Sept. 17.
Members of the public, including government officials and students, will each read a section of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and Amendments 11 to 27.
In addition there will be information, quizzes, and other activities to commemorate the day.
The Ocean County Board of Elections will have voter registration forms and voter information available.
On Sept. 17, 1787 the Constitution was signed by 39 brave men who changed the course of history. Now, Sept. 17 is recognized as Constitution Day throughout the country, prompting Americans to continue the signers’ legacy and develop habits of citizenship in a new generation.
Immediately following this program, the library will host a program about voting rights and responsibilities:
Your Vote Counts: The Only Barrier to the Ballot is You!
Are you ready to vote? Get prepared and be an informed voter! Visit the Toms River Branch of the Ocean County Library on Wednesday, September 17 at 1:30 pm for an interactive presentation on your voting rights, responsibilities and accessibility issues. Register to vote, see a voting machine demo and learn about Project Vote Smart. Project Vote Smart provides a comprehensive database about thousands of candidates and elected officials including president, congress, governors and state legislators. The event will include demos, film clips, free copies of the Voter’s Self-Defense Manual courtesy of Project Vote Smart and presentations by The Monday Morning Project, The League of Women Voters of Ocean County and The Ocean County Board of Elections.
This event is accessible! Sign language interpreters, Spanish Language interpreter, and OC/CART: Communication Access Realtime Translation have been reserved for this event.
These programs are free and open to the public. Please register by calling 732-349-6200, by visiting our Web site www.theoceancountylibrary.org and click Programs & News for the library’s events calendar, or click http://engagedpatrons.org/EventsExtended.cfm?SiteID=2161&EventID=25625.
Volunteer Coordinator Marilyn Bass represented the Ocean County Library at a White House ceremony Monday, Sept. 8 honoring 1,000 people who volunteered their time in service to their community.
During the ceremony that was held on the South Lawn President George W. Bush renewed the challenge he gave the country in his 2002 State of the Union Address, requesting Americans devote 4,000 hours over their lifetime towards community service.
“You will become a better person for it and our society will be more healthy as a result of it,” he told the volunteers Monday. “You know, there is an old adage that says, you can bring hope to the lives of others, but the life you enrich most will probably be your own.”
“Having the opportunity to speak with many of the other volunteer coordinators from all over the country was a truly rewarding experience,” said Bass. “The President recognized the audience as part of a group of people who are so dedicated that they are willing to take time out of their lives to help somebody in need.”
Ocean County Library participates in the President’s Volunteer Service Award program. More than 50 Ocean County volunteers have received the award.
“On September 2, 2008, the Berkeley Branch held a Food Fear Factor, where teens ate bizarre combinations of food for bragging rights and prizes. Sample dishes included “Spam-a-lot” (Hickory Smoked Spam), “Surf and Turf” (chocolate ice cream, anchovies, and black licorice), and “Sailing the Seas of Gross” (red beets, herring, and 1000 Island Dressing). Over 30 teens and parents took part in the event, and all enjoyed palate-cleansing sherbet afterward.”
What: OCL joins “Cell Phones for Soldiers” effort
Where: 18 OCL branches (see list below)
CONTACT: Larry Meegan, 732-349-6200, ext. 5906
lmeegan@theoceancountylibrary.org
TOMS RIVER – The Ocean County Library is participating in the national “Cell Phone for Soldiers” program by distributing postage-paid envelopes for shipping cell phones at 18 of its branches.
“The public’s response has been overwhelming,” said Senior Librarian Meagan Toohey. “We had to place a second order for the prepaid envelopes to meet the demand.”
The local distribution of the envelopes began in August and will end Wednesday October 1, said Toohey.
“Cell Phones for Soldiers” is a 501.c.3 non-profit organization. It sells the collected cell phones to ReCellular, Inc. which recycles the units. Each donated cell phone purchases one hour of talk time. A receipt for cell phone donations will be available at the branches.
“Cell Phones for Soldiers” will accept any make or model cell phone, cell phone chargers, batteries, accessories, Blackberry PDA’s and pagers.
“Americans will replace an estimated 130 million cell phones this year,” said Mike Newman, vice president of ReCellular, “with the majority of phones either discarded or stuffed in a drawer. Most people don’t realize that the small sacrifice of donating their unwanted phones can have a tremendous benefit for a worthy cause like Cell Phones for Soldiers.”
Information for removing data off a donated cell phone can be found at www.recellular.com/recycliing/data_eraser/default.asp .
The money the organization collects from selling the phones is used to purchase prepaid calling cards that are distributed to military personnel. Since the organization was formed in 2004 by teenagers Robbie and Brittany Bergquist from Norwell, Mass., it has raised more than $2 million and purchased more than 500,000 cards. That equals nearly 18 million minutes of talk time, according to the group’s Web site www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com .
“Cell Phones for Soldiers started as a small way to show our family’s appreciation for the men and women who have sacrificed the day-to-day contact with their own families to serve in the U.S. armed forces,” said the teens’ father Bob Bergquist. “Over the past few years, we have been overwhelmed by the generosity of others. But, we have also seen the need to support our troops continue to grow as more troops are sent overseas for longer assignments.”
The prepaid envelopes can be picked up at the following locations: Barnegat; Bay Head; Beachwood; Brick; Berkeley; Island Heights; Jackson; Lacey; Lakewood; Little Egg Harbor; Manchester; Plumsted; Point Pleasant Borough; Stafford; Toms River; Tuckerton; Upper Shores (Lavallette); and Waretown.
CONTACT: Francine Everson, 609-597-3381
email: feverson@theoceancountylibrary.org
MOVIES AT THE LIBRARY
MANAHAWKIN – Join us at the Stafford Branch of the Ocean County Library on Saturday, September 13th at 2:00 PM for our Family movie – Ratatouille – an animated comedy where Remy loves fine French food, which is a problem since he happens to be a rat. He lives in an expensive French restaurant and desires to become a chef despite the disapproval of his father and brother who are happy eating garbage. He has adventures every day with a rat-despising staff that wants him gone in this riotous family film. 2007. 110 minutes. Rated G.
Our Feature Film will be shown on Monday, Sept, 22 at 6:30 PM. National Treasure II: Book of Secrets – an action adventure about a treasure hunter who is looking for the truth behind the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. He finds John Wilkes Booth’s diary and is determined to uncover the mystery within the 18 missing pages. 2007. 118 minutes. Rated PG.
The Stafford Branch is located at 129 N. Main St. in Manahawkin, 609-597-3381, or visit our website at www.theoceancountylibrary.org. These movies are free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served. No need to register.
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JACKSON – Horror and dark fantasy short story writer Rita Oakes will present an overview of some of her favorite scary tales, will talk about what it takes to write and get published, and will read a selection from one of her latest stories. Come to the library Tuesday, October 14, 2008 at 7:00 pm and enjoy this exciting program to celebrate Teen Read Week. Free Door Prizes!
This program is free and open to teens in grades 9 – 12; adults are also welcome. Please register by calling the Jackson Branch at (732) 928-4400 or register online at www.theoceancountylibrary.org
The Ocean County Library will host “At the Chairman’s Table,” a fund raiser to benefit the expansion of the Brick library branch, at 7 p.m. Friday Sept. 26 in Mancini Hall, Toms River.
“At the Chairman’s Table,” a prelude to the library’s annual BookFest, will feature some of Frank Sinatra’s favorite recipes from the famous Patsy’s Italian Restaurant in New York City along with Sal Manzo singing many of the songs made famous by Sinatra.
Specially selected wines will accompany the meal.
Reservations for the dinner can be made by contacting Harry Applegate at (732) 914-5408 before Sept. 12. Tickets for the fund raiser dinner are $100 each.
The dinner will be prepared by Chef Ian Smith and students from the Ocean County Vocational Technical School Culinary Arts Program. Smith and his students prepared last year’s seven-course meal recreated from the final dinner menu served aboard the R.M.S. Titanic.
Executive Chef Sal Scognamillo, author of Patsy’s Cookbook: Classic Italian Recipes from a New York City Landmark Restaurant,” will introduce each course and provide anecdotes about “The Chairman of the Board.”
Patsy’s Italian Restaurant serves traditional home made Neapolitan style food. It was founded in Manhattan in 1944 by Pasquale “Patsy” Scognamillo and has had only three chefs in its 64 years: founder Patsy; his son Joe, and Joe’s son Sal, who has been supervising the kitchen for the past 15 years.
Patsy’s opened a second restaurant in the Atlantic City Hilton Casino Resort this past June.
Frank Sinatra was one of many of Patsy’s high profile patrons. Others include Al Pacino, Placido Domingo, Alec Baldwin, Kim Basinger, Tom Hanks, Madonna, George Clooney, rappers Heavy “D” and Sean “Puff Daddy” combs, David Letterman, Oprah Winfrey, and Keanu Reeves.
