Presque Isle Reading & Discussion Group

Reading Group Selections for 2008

Meets in the library at 6 pm on the dates listed below

January 17 Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin
February 21 Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
March 20 A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest Gaines
April 17 Macbeth by William Shakespeare
May 15 Selected Short Stories by Flannery O’Connor
June 19 Bound for Canaan by Fergus Bordewich

Meets the third Thursday of every month at 6 pm in the library.

The group does not meet in July and August.

Everyone welcome.

The Mitchell Report

I confess that I'm not a sports fan, but even I had to take a look at the Mitchell Report.

The online report is 409 pages and is certainly worth a quick scan. There is also an executive summary for those with an interest and little time. If you are a big sports fan, then you just might want to read all 409 pages.

Make it an Eco-Friendly Holiday Season

EPA Reducing Holiday Waste

2007 Holiday Season Facts from the US Census Bureau

Some ideas for greener holidays and gift giving:

Greenliving

Greengiftguide

Natural Resources Defense Council

Sierra Club

Treehugger Gift Guide

Newsweek How to have a Green Christmas

Green Holiday Season, University of North Texas

Second Life

You may have seen the recent story on WAGM-TV about the Mark & Emily Turner Memorial Library in Second Life. If you are already in Second Life, thanks for visiting our library, and if you are new to Second Life, we encourage you to stop by for a visit.

What is Second Life?

Second Life (SL) is a 3D online virtual world created by its users. You simply create an account, create a name for yourself, and create an avatar (a computer-designed representation of yourself). Your avatar can be anything you want it to be and can look however you wish.

If you want to learn more about Second Life, need help creating an avatar, or want to take a tour of the Mark & Emily Turner Memorial Library in SL, contact Sonja Plummer-Morgan at sonjaplummer@presqueisle.lib.me.us

Second Life

What is Second Life

Wikipedia Article on Second Life

Second Life Blog

Second Life Glossary

Embrace the Winter

We just received copies of the 2008-2009 Northern Maine Snowmobile Trail Map from the Presque Isle Chamber of Commerce. Stop by the library to pick up your copy or visit the Chamber of Commerce at 3 Houlton Road. This year's map is the most accurate ever produced thanks to the work of Kirk and Cheryl St. Peter of County Environmental Engineers, Inc. for their efforts in gathering GIS snowmobile trail data.

Maine Snowmobile Association

Presque Isle Snowmobile Club

Snowmobile Facts from the Snowmobiling Fact Book 2007/2008

There are approximately 1.58 million registered snowmobiles in the US and 700,000 in Canada.
In 2007, there were 160,318 snowmobilies sold worldwide with 79,815 in the US and 45,477 in Canada. Number of registered users in Maine: 53,275
Average suggested retail price of new snowmobile sold in 2007 in US dollars was $8,700

Are you a Locavore?

The 2007 Word of the Year for the Oxford American Dictionary is Locavore:

One who eats locally grown food.

Read more about the announcement and words not selected

A book you might enjoy if you are considering becoming a locavore is Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver.

New York Times Review

Get Real Maine - Info on finding local Maine foods and farms

Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association

Upper Valley Localvores / Local Eaters in Vermont and New Hampshire

Maine Eating Blog

Holiday Generosity from Maine

The Worcester Wreath Company in Harrington, Maine began donating wreaths to cemeteries back in 1992. What started out as a way to put its extra wreaths to good use has turned into a national story. Beginning December 9, two tractor-trailer trucks accompanied by several dozen motorcycles will make their journey from Harrington, Maine to Arlington, Virginia to deliver the wreaths to Arlington National Cemetery on December 15. This year the company will donate 14,371 wreaths, with 2,500 going to veterans' cemeteries in Maine.

Wreaths Across America

Arlington National Cemetery

Down East article, "Journey of the Wreaths"