How They Do It in Hawaii

I am visiting Mom for a week. Mom lives in Kailua, a bedroom community on the windward side of Oahu, in the same house she bought in 1960. It's just a couple of blocks from the Kailua Library, where I got my start in the library business as a shelver.

Kailua Library is a busy branch that sees a lot of visitors because of its proximity to the "best white sand beach in the world." Yesterday, I stopped in to say hi to the staff, and to sign up for a visitor's library card. The card costs $25 and is good for 5 years! (Residents of Hawaii get free cards, of course!)

Libraries in Hawaii are suffering the same kinds of funding shortfalls as the Sacramento library system. They are expecting a 10% budget reduction in the next fiscal year, which means they will have to "close branches", in the words of the Kailua branch manger.

Although there is Internet access in all branches, only two branches offer wi-fi. The State can't afford it, so if a branch wants to offer wi-fi, I it needs to come up with the funds - usually through the Friends of the Library.

I am hoping to visit additional branches this week, and collect more info to share about this unique library system.

Beautifulcataya's photo used with permission.

College bound?

Are you gearing up for your college career? Are you planning your goals and objectives for life after college? Both quests can be met with daunting anticipation, yet present exciting challenges. The overall objective in meeting both of these challenges, of course, is success. The path to success is through thoughtful planning and preparation. Planning and preparation for your college and career objectives is the focus of Central Library’s College & Career Center. It is here that you will find the materials and guidance you’re seeking in kick starting your climb to the top and in meeting the challenges along the way. Focusing first, for example, on your career goals will help you prepare your educational landscape. Titles such as What Color is Your Parachute zero in on recognizing skills, interests and aptitudes for the right career path. The Encyclopedia of Careers and the Occupational Outlook Handbook explore the many career opportunities available, the trends in today’s career marketplace and the educational requirements needed to attain that career of choice. The Top Careers series of titles present opportunity ideas that motivate and inspire. In preparing for your educational objectives, look to proven resources such as the College Blue Book, a six part systemic approach that guides you to the right educational program, also available as an E-Book via the Virtual Reference Library.

Along your route to success, you’ll encounter a myriad of tests, including college prep tests such as the SAT and graduate level tests, such as the GRE and GMAT. Study guides are available for these and other tests for checking-out. In addition, the Center also has the largest collection of civil service occupational testing guides in the library system. Free government literature is available, including financial aid booklets, such as Fund Your Future and Funding Education Beyond High School. And for that personal touch, professional assistance is available through an on site guidance counselor. If your objective is success, Central Library’s College & Career Center is your road to get there.

Teen Books for Adults: Monster by Walter Dean Myers

Teen books are the best books ever!

I’m not just saying that because I spend much of the day on the lower level, meaning my reading choices are limited to whatever is down here, ordering lists, e-mails and other miscellaneous paper work. They’re really good books. Why? Because you’ll never pick up a teen book and discover the heroine’s problems all disappear when some billionaire bachelor sweeps her off her plain, pathetic, poor, uneducated, I-hate-my-job-and-need-an-intervention feet. (Because what rich man doesn’t want to marry a basket case?) Like movies from the 1970s, teen books are edgier and they actually have work through their problems.

At the top of my must read teen books list is Monster by Walter Dean Myers. This book literally flies off the shelf, and not just because I press it into the hands of every teen who makes the mistake of looking bored or sitting at the computer too long. A National Book Award finalist, Coretta Scott King honor book, and winner of the Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature, this book has so many honors that if we lined the spine with award stickers you wouldn’t be able to read the label.

Yes, it’s that good.

Steve Harmon is young and black.

Steve Harmon is an amateur filmmaker.

Steve Harmon is on trial for murder.

Was he the lookout for a fatal shooting or was this a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time?

Guess there’s only one way for you to find out…

Your Personal Genealogist

Central Library is really fortunate to have two great volunteers working in its Genealogy Center on the 4th floor. Both Bernard Marks and John Burke have been generously giving their time for the past year so that the library can offer its popular – and free -- Book a Genealogist service to the public. As volunteers, Mr. Marks and Mr. Burke meet individually with people who are interested in getting a little extra help with their research – both beginners who would like some direction in getting started, and people with genealogy experience who might benefit from suggestions on new research strategies.

By working on his own family’s history for nearly twenty years, Mr. Marks has become passionate about the importance of genealogy and of teaching people to do their own research. He finds that being multilingual helps when working with people who have questions about the spelling of surnames. The ten languages he speaks include Polish, Russian, German, Spanish and Yiddish.

Mr. Burke’s interest in genealogy came from his desire to have a connection with his unknown Irish ancestors – to learn each one’s story. He describes the excitement of finding a long-missing piece of information about an ancestor’s life as “a real rush.” Now Mr. Burke’s goal is to pass along the information he uncovers to his children and grandchildren.

Without the help of these two dedicated volunteers, Central Library could not offer the Book a Genealogist service!

If you’re interested in meeting with one of Central Library’s Book a Genealogist volunteers, please make an appointment by calling the library at 916-264-2920, or visit http://www.saclibrary.org/.

B. Daugherty

RINCóN LATINO : PELíCULAS EN ESPAÑOL

"La Sierra"

El título de esta película documental se refiere al barrio bravo de la ciudad colombiana de Medellín. Un barrio perpetuamente en estado de guerra. Un barrio como un centenar de otros esparcidos por toda Latinoamérica donde sus habitantes trapichean con drogas, venden armas, asesinan a sus compatriotas , y donde también aman a sus familias, comparten la desesperación y buscan vanamente en sobrellevarse día tras día. Las escenas son crudas y desgarradoras exhibiendo una realidad poca conocida por la gran mayoría de gente. La Sierra es uno de los barrios más violentos del mundo comparable a ciertos localidades del mundo como la Franja de Gaza, Beirut, Londonderry y las famosas favelas de Rio de Janeiro y Sâo Paulo.


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La Palabra del Día

recordar

"Los antiguos creían que los sentimientos residían en el corazón. Para Aristóteles, el corazón era el órgano fundamental del organismo humano, y el cerebro, apenas un mero coadyuvante. En esa época se creía que la memoria estaba alojada en el corazón; de ahí que los romanos emplearan la palabra recordari, derivada de cor 'corazón', que llegó a nuestra lengua como recordar. En el portugués contemporáneo, saber una cosa de memoria es conocerla de cor (etimológicamente, 'del corazón').Si los sentimientos se alojaban en el corazón, nada más natural que, cuando dos personas se ponen de acuerdo, digamos que concuerdan o que acuerdan, con lo que el corazón ya está presente otra vez (del latín vulgar accordare). Y si no se ponen de acuerdo, decimos que discuerdan. En el español antiguo -y en muchas regiones, en el contemporáneo- acordar o recordar significaban 'despertarse, volver en sí después del sueño'. "

Sacramento History Photo of the Week: Issue No. 11

Edward Cleveland Kemble, circa 1880. After a 20-year-old Kemble visited Sutter’s Fort in 1848, he wrote in vivid detail about his journey by “adobe cart” from Sutter’s Embarcadero on the Sacramento River to the Fort, a route that would take him along Alkali Flat. “A forest of Noble sycamores, dense and deep, guarding a mighty solitude like a vast army of giants” he wrote, stood amidst “miniature lakes…prophets of the floods that were to drown the fortunes of thousands in subsequent times.” While indeed prophets of flooding, they too would portend the drying, then deposit of alkali rings and a Sacramento district’s eventual namesake. Kemble went on to found Sacramento’s first newspaper, the “Placer Times.”

This photo and many more like it can be found in the Sacramento Public Library’s Sacramento Room which is open to the public Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday 1 to 5, and Thursday 1 to 8.

Central Library volunteer

Dalma Miller
July 24, 1925 to March 17, 2009

For years Dalma Miller used my desk and computer accomplishing her volunteer work at the Central Library. She worked for the State of California for over 53 years. Done with her day job she would walk the few blocks to Central and continue working for fun. I met a person recently who remembers her volunteering, after work, at the Arden Library in the 1970’s. I think she began volunteering with Sacramento Public Library after her husband, Lorne, died in 1972. Meanwhile, she continued working for the State at the Witkin State Law Library of California downtown in Library and Courts Building One.

Dalma’s work at the Central Library was an alphanumeric journey through the Sacramento Periodicals Index cards. She started in the A’s. Her job was to enter the index cards in a database which will eventually be used by all to find articles in old Sacramento area magazines. I think she may have even typed many of these original cards she was making electronic. Three days a week, from 4:00 to 5:00pm she would tenaciously enter information from each card into the computer. We started with a WordPerfect data file, transferred the information to a Paradox database, then to an Access database. She even worked in an Excel spreadsheet. For those who have been around, you can follow the adventure of Dalma’s work just by imagining yourself struggling with these various programs. She stopped in the S’s, over 35,000 records later.

She started working on this database with me when she was in her early 70’s. She would arrive smiling her way up and down the staff area, greeting many. She knew a lot of people who had worked, and were still working at Central. Often I would find a note, written in a fine cursive hand, telling me she would be out for a day, or was visiting either her brother in Nebraska or Arizona. If she wasn’t going to be in she would tell us. When she didn’t come in we worried. She was as much a part of our staff at Central as she was at the State Library. Everyone loved her. Everyone misses her. I miss her.

Gerry Ward

Welcoming the Persian New Year

Many of us are aware of Chinese New Year, and the events that go along with it. However, there is another celebration that is not as well known in this country: No-Rooz, which is the Persian New Year. Starting on March 20th, it marks the beginning of spring and the Iranian year, and has been celebrated for over 3,000 years. During the thirteen days of No-Rooz events take place in Iran and around the world, including the New York Persian Parade and similar events in Los Angeles.

Preparations a few weeks before the New Year include housecleaning, baking pastries and sewing or buying new clothes, meant as a sign of renewal. Traditionally the family will set a special No-Rooz table, known as Haft Seen, filled with special foods and other items that represent hoped-for qualities such as peace and prosperity.

During No-Rooz people have parties, visit with friends and relatives, and give gifts. At the end of the thirteen days comes Seezdah Bedar, a day everyone spends outdoors, enjoying a big picnic and socializing with the larger Persian community. Here in the Sacramento area the gathering place for this special day is the park at Folsom Lake.

To learn more about Persian culture, visit the library for books, DVDs in Farsi with English subtitles, and other resources. There are audio sets for those wanting to learn the Persian language, and the Arcade, Carmichael, Central and Fair Oaks Libraries have collections of books written in Farsi. Happy No-Rooz!

by B. Daugherty

The Spring Equinox

The vernal (or spring) equinox falls on March 20th this year. On this day the rays of the sun touch directly over the equator. The sun hits perpendicular to the earth’s surface, and this even exposure of sunlight makes the night and the day the same length everywhere. On every other day of the year (except the autumn equinox!) the sun hits the earth at an angle, and this causes the deflection of light to the north or to the south. After the spring equinox, the sun will continue its journey north to the Tropic of Cancer. It will be June Solstice when the suns’ rays touch this invisible line and the start of summer for us northerners.

In the northern hemisphere, March 20th brings spring.

Spring and the spring equinox have long been celebrated as a time of life, renewal, and rebirth. Many religious holidays falling in March and April are associated with the onset of spring. The connotations of spring inspire authors and artists. The title of Rachel Carson’s classic, Silent Spring, hints at the misuse of our planet and the interference with nature’s death/life cycles. Stravinsky’s ballet, Rite of Spring, subtitled Pictures of Pagan Russia, literally caused a riot at its premier in Paris on May 29, 1913 with its unconventional and edgy themes- a celebration of pagan rituals ultimately leading to the sacrifice of a virgin to appease the gods of spring.

Consider the following:

• Easter falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the equinox.
• Early Egyptians built the Great Sphinx so that it points directly toward the rising Sun on the day of the spring equinox.
• The rocks of Stonehenge mark the position of the rising sun on the spring equinox.
• The spring equinox marks the beginning of Nowruz, the Persian New Year
• Pagans celebrate Ostara, the rites of spring.
• The ancient Greeks have a deity of spring rites and flowering plants- the god-man Dionysus.

Spring is also a good time for cleaning up. Having a neat house or office area is a great way to create room for spring’s renewing properties. Plus cleaning is an even greater way to find out where you set your tax forms, which is another thing associated with spring. So whether you are looking forward to coloring eggs, planting flowers, figuring out your deductions, or musing over the many meanings of spring, have a wonderful equinox (just, please, don't sacrifice anything).

RINCóN LATINO : PELíCULAS EN ESPAÑOL

"Las Manos" es una película argentina que se trata de un cura italiano que tiene la habilidad de sanar enfermedades y malestares con sus manos. Gracias a su maravillosa habilidad ,y con la fe de sus creyentes funda una iglesia con el afan de continuar este milagroso empeño. Pero de pronto las autoridades de otra iglesia , utilizando sus propios vínculos políticos urgen la intervención terrenal para sofocar la verdad de este fenómeno casi mágico.

¡Resérvanla! Les prometo que les gustará.

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LA PALABRA DEL DÍA


Haragán


"Esta palabra, que aparece por primera vez en el Diccionario latino-español de Nebrija, parece proceder el castellano antiguo harón, que se empleaba para referirse al caballo que no quiere andar, proveniente del árabe harûn. Los etimólogos contemporáneos descartan, por lo tanto, que se haya originado en el antiguo alto-alemán arg, arag (mezquino, avaro, perezoso), o en el hebreo ragan (murmurar, cotillear), a pesar de ser ésta una costumbre muy frecuente de los holgazanes. También cabe descartar la etimología árabe hará-kan (excremento, empleada para descalificar a alguien), propuesta por la Academia Española.Un ejemplo clásico del empleo de este vocablo en el español antiguo lo tenemos en este texto, del cancionero de Gómez Manrique (1458):
Mas en fin, muy noble señor, yo me quise antes disponer al trabajo del escreuir e a la publicaçión de mis synplezas e a la vergüeña de los reprehensores que digo que temía, que a ser tenido por haragán o ingrato e desamorado, que según la posessión en que aquel mi señor e mi týo de perpetua recordaçión me dexó, yo no buenamente cuydo que sin cargo escusarme pudiera. "

Sacramento History Photo of the Week: Issue No. 10

Burnett Miller of Burnett and Sons, circa 1977. Following the surge of industry to the northerly sections of the Flats, Burnett and Sons, one of the longest-standing lumber and milling firms in the city (founded in 1869), moved to its current 11th and “C” location in 1932. The company was founded by Philetus Burnett in 1869, but its highest profile operator has been the great-great grandson of the founder, R. Burnett Miller, whose career has also seen stints as a member of the U.S. 11th Armored Division during the Battle of the Bulge, a Sacramento City Councilman (1972-77) and Mayor of Sacramento (1982-83).

This photo and many more like it can be found in the Sacramento Public Library’s Sacramento Room which is open to the public Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday 1 to 5, and Thursday 1 to 8.

Saint Patrick’s Day

Saint Patrick’s Day, our famous “green” day is just around the corner. Get out those green cloths and have some shamrocks handy so you won’t get pinched! Even if you are not Irish, it is a good excuse to have some fun and party. Why not go to Old Sacramento, and check out the 13th Annual Saint Patrick’s parade. They will have Irish food and music, just the thing to get you into the Irish spirit! And talking about spirits, some may fancy some green Irish beer at a local pub. Sláinte! Or, you can enjoy your spirits at home with some good ol’ fashioned Irish movies. Darby O'Gill and the Little People made in 1959 featuring Sean Connery, has some characters and images we often associate with Saint Patrick’s Day: banshees, leprechauns, pots of gold… Another movie is The Quiet Man starring John Wayne as a retired boxer who moves to Ireland and falls for the Irish lass Maureen O’Hara. If you are more into reading, try an interesting book about Irish history: How the Irish saved civilization: the untold story of Ireland's heroic role from the fall of Rome to the rise of medieval Europe by Thomas Cahill. And most importantly, we must not forget to remember and honor the patron saint of Ireland, Saint Patrick. For without him, there would be no Saint Patrick’s Day.

May you always have

Walls for the winds,

A roof for the rain,

Tea beside the fire,

Laughter to cheer you,

Those you love near you,

And all your heart might desire!

— Irish Proverb

RINCóN LATINO : TINTA FRESCA #5

"ESTUVE EN EL FIN DEL MUNDO" por Eduardo Robles


Eduardo Robles ( Ciudad de México, 1941) también conocido como Tío Patota fundó el género de cuentacuentos pero es también conocido como relator de cuentos infantiles. Hijo de padres españoles pero criado en México, éste mexicano sabe lo que es sentir lejos de casa. Durante una larga estadía en Inglaterra, recibió una carta de su hija donde relató la sensación de viajar en tren utilizando un tono infantil. Varios años más tarde su esposa llevó esa misma carta a la editorial española de Alianza donde fué publicada como "La Cartita."



"Estuve en el Fin del Mundo" se trata de dos novelas desgarradoras basadas en realidades tristes y crueles. Cuando uno piensa ... " ¡Eso no me pasará!" Una atormentada e infiel realidad cubra a su joven presa. La primera novela del mismo título se trata de los peligros que rodean a todos los jóvenes de nuestra época.

Por favor escuchan a éstos dos libro con mucha ternura y humanidad.
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Nudo Gordiano

"Una antigua leyenda griega cuenta que el rey de Frigia, Gordias, había ofrendado su carro a Zeus en agradecimiento por haberle concedido el trono. El carro dado al dios quedó guardado en la fortaleza de la ciudad, atado por una cuerda con un nudo tan complicado que nadie podía deshacerlo.Se había prometido el imperio de toda el Asia a quien lograse desatarlo, pero aun así el nudo permaneció invicto hasta que Alejandro, el joven hijo de Filipo de Macedonia, llegó a Frigia. Cuando se le planteó el desafío del nudo gordiano, el joven conquistador desenvainó su espada y lo cortó de un solo golpe.En el español de hoy, llamamos nudo gordiano a toda dificultad insoluble o para la cual parece no haber solución. "

Second Saturday is upon us!!!

When I was a child the only year I had a “real” art class was in preschool. It involved a lot of finger painting, and, my favorite, chocolate pudding art. While the finger paintings had a place of honor on the refrigerator (at least for a few days), most of the pudding ended up in my belly instead of on the paper. However, Kids' Place has a librarian (not me---I'm car-less!) willing to search high and low for art, the students at Washington Elementary School are lucky enough not only to have a wonderful art teacher who helps them create gorgeous works, and, thankfully, they also don’t eat their projects before they can be displayed. (Yes, while many of us can barely draw stick figures, an actually elementary school student created the art work displayed on the left.)

On Saturday, March 14th you can view art created by 3rd-6th grade Washington students at 2:00 in Kids’ Place. Art Works will be there helping children create wonderful art of their own, and, of course, there will be refreshments. Free Saturday parking is available at the City of Sacramento public parking garages at 10th and I Streets or 10th and L Streets. Bring your parking garage ticket into the first floor service desk and receive your free Saturday parking coupon.

Were you late for work today?

By now most of us know it’s Daylight Savings Time, and thus we sprung forward one hour. However, there is a group (of which I am a card carrying member) who never bothered to fall back in November and we only knew the correct time if we were staring at the cable box. So for those of you who fall into that group, do yourself a favor…

Stop subtracting one hour from every freestanding clock you see in your house.

Have fun working through your lunch hour, LOL.

Woman - Who Art Thou?

March is National Women's History Month. We've all heard the adage, Behind every good man is a great woman. True or not, there are - and have been - many remarkable women who have made significant contributions to history, culture, science, politics, and all other areas of work and play.

See if you can identify the following great women:

1. When people asked me if I was going to write my life story, I would reply, "[My life] is such an uneventful, simple little story. I was born in Warsaw of a family of teachers. I married Pierre and had two children. I have done my work in France." I graduated from school at 15, and worked as a governess until I had saved enough money to attend the Sorbonne. After I earned a degree in mathematics, I married a scientist and had a daughter. I became interested in physics and decided to pursue a master's degree, basing my research on the source of the mysterious rays given off by Uranium. I ultimately died from the very thing I studied. Who am I?


2. I was born in New York and also spent some time in California. I was raised as a Quaker, and became a musician and singer. My focus throughout my life has been on nonviolent protest as a means of ending war, war-related industries and national budgets, and discrimination. I was parodied in Al Capp's "Li'l Abner" comic strip as "Joanie Phonie" in 1967, and my tour of Viet Nam resulted in the album, "Where are you my son?" Who Am I?


3. I was born in Mainland China in 1947. In 1952 my family fled the Communist mainland and moved to Hong Kong. My new British school required I have an English name, so my father, who spoke no English, chose Flossie, after a recent hurricane. I went to UCLA and studied molecular biology. I became an authority on viruses, and am the co-discoverer of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Who am I?
   

The complete stories of these and many other remarkable women, are available online free this month from Gale, the vendor from whom we get our online journal indexes. Additional biographies of notable men and women can be found in Gale's Biography Resource Center on the library's Database Page. Ask library staff for more information about how to use this valuable resource both in the library and at home (with your library card).

RINCóN LATINO : PELíCULAS EN ESPAÑOL

"DIVINA CONFUSIóN"

Esta película mexicana se trata de la relación entre los dioses y sus homólogos de carne y hueso: nosotros. La confusión se refiere a una equivocación del dios Eros (Cupido) cuando tira su flecha de encanto eterno a la madre de un novio quien se enamora con la novia.

El tema es una historia basada en la fábula antigua griega tratándose de la relación enigmática entre los dioses de Olimpo y la humanidad. Para los dioses, sus sentimentos son eternos y profundos mientras para los seres humanos son efermerales y fugaces.

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LA PALABRA DEL DÍA

Emperifollarse


"Este verbo, de uso predominantemente coloquial, se emplea con el sentido de 'adornarse alguien con profusión y esmero' y es equivalente a emperejilarse. Bueno, en realidad es algo más que equivalente, puesto que ambos verbos provienen de los nombres de dos vegetales entre los que hay cierto parentesco: el perifollo y el perejil. El perifollo es, como el perejil, empleado como condimento, pero también como adorno de ciertos guisados, razón por la cual, en el primer diccionario de la Academia aparece descrito, además de vegetal, como 'nombre vulgar de las cintas y otros adornos vistosos que se ponen las mugeres' (La g corresponde a la grafía del español del siglo XVIII). Antiguamente, el perifollo se llamaba cerifollo y se cree que la p inicial se haya incorporado por influencia de perejil. Este vocablo proviene del latín caerefolium que a su vez se derivó del griego khairephyllon formada por khairó (me complazco, disfruto) y phyllon (hoja), esta última también presente en 'clorofila'. "

Learning your Ancestors’ Stories

When I think about my interest in genealogy, I realize that discovering the stories about my ancestors’ extraordinary experiences is what keeps me motivated to do the research. An example of this came to me when we had a genealogy program on Ellis Island at Central Library a few weeks ago, given by speaker Lisa Lee. Speaking no English and traveling separately, I knew the journey through Ellis Island had not been an easy one for my grandparents. Learning more through Lisa’s talk, exploring some of the library’s books on Ellis Island and using some genealogy databases has made their experiences more real to me.

Every family has interesting stories to discover, and help in finding those stories is always available. Along with the resources available in the Genealogy Center at Central Library, I recommend taking advantage of these free programs:

At Central Library – Saturdays, 1:30 – 3:00 pm, in the West Meeting Room:

• March 21st: Introduction to Genealogy Research, with Glenda Lloyd
• May 2nd: Getting Organized, with Glenda Lloyd
• May 16th: Oral Histories: Getting your Family to Talk to You, with Lisa Lee
• May 30th: U.S. Military Pensions, with Barbara Leak

And if you are interested in getting some individual help in your research, take advantage of Central Library’s Book a Genealogist program. Genealogy volunteers are available to meet with you by appointment.

For information on Central Library’s genealogy programs, call 916-264-2920, or visit the library's new home page and click the "events" menu button near the top of the screen. If you’re interested in being on a mailing list to receive information about future genealogy programs at Central Library, please contact the library at askus@saclibrary.org.

Of course, there are other genealogy classes, seminars and organizations in the Sacramento area. For current information on genealogy events, take a look at these websites:
Sacramento Genealogical Society's Root Cellar, Sacramento Family History Center, and Genealogical Association of Sacramento.

Start learning your ancestors’ stories!

Spring forward

Remember to set your clocks ahead for Daylight Saving Time, which begins on Sunday, March 8, 2009 at 2 a.m. We’ll turn our clocks back on Sunday, November 1, 2009 at the same time. Just remember: Spring forward…Fall back. Daylight Saving Time is said to save energy and allow for more daylight hours for work and play. “The beauty of daylight-saving time is that it just makes everyone feel sunnier” (Congressman Edward Markey, in press release, July 21 2005). However, the history of Daylight Saving Time is not without controversy. Read about it in David Prerau’s lively book, Seize the Daylight. Whether the extension of Daylight Saving Time saves energy is still in dispute as a Dept. of Energy report and a California Energy Commission study came to opposite conclusions. With the beginning of Daylight Saving Time, the National Fire Protection Association suggests that you change the batteries in your smoke alarms and the National Sleep Foundation has declared March 1-8, 2009 National Sleep Awareness Week. Sweet dreams...zzzzzzzzz.

Camellia Symphony Orchestra performs this Sunday

My favorite type of petting zoo is an instrument petting zoo. First off, I don’t have to worry about allergies, and more importantly, I don’t have to listen to kids asking, “Can we get a kitten/ rabbit/pony/Gila monster?” while they lie about how they’ll take care of it and walk it and wash it, just like they promised to do with the dog. (Yes, and we all know how well that turned out.)

So imagine my delight upon learning the Camellia Symphony Orchestra is presenting a family concert in the Tsakopoulos Library Galleria on Sunday, March 8th. The Instrument Petting Zoo starts at 1 pm with the concert following at 2 pm. Guest Conductor Peter Nowlen teams up with Richard Bay’s Puppet Theater to present a performance of Peter and the Wolf. Street parking is free on Sundays. While free parking is always a blessed event, unless you plan to buy something in order to park in the mall’s garage, please come early.

White Hot at Central: The Bossa Nova on Wednesday

Join us in the West Meeting Room at 6:00 pm on March 4th for a celebration of Brazil’s fifty-year-old contribution to “cool” – the Bossa Nova. This music continues to fascinate and delight an international public with new artists and compositions. Since the days of “The Girl from Ipanema” and “Black Orpheus,” Americans have been an important part of the Bossa Nova story. Our program reviews the history and development of Bossa Nova through videos, musical excerpts, a look at the geography of Rio de Janeiro, and a review of lyrics in English and Portuguese. There will also be an exhibit of Bossa Nova memorabilia.

This program is a follow-up to the success of last year’s “Carmen Miranda Film Festival.” Latin American popular culture specialist and Fulbright scholar to Brazil Dr. Fred Dobb will also present this program. When not watching Carmen Miranda movies and listening to music, Dr. Fred Dobb teaches at California State University, Sacramento. Dobb's lectures are lively, informative and rhythmic.

Registration is encouraged for the Bossa Nova program, which is free, and can be done by calling 264-2920 or going to www.saclibrary.org.