Man Up: Male Mentors Needed!

Ms. Ashley Yakesh, Program Coordinator for the Chippewa Area Mentor Program, has asked if I would pass along to this blog's readers the need for male mentors. I have been taking part in the program since last school year and have enjoyed it immensely. TELL A FRIEND?

Ms. Yakesh writes:

"Women are wonderful mentors, but some conversations can only happen with another guy.

"Think of the types of important talks you have had with other men. Now, imagine a young boy not having that opportunity. You can provide that for him. The Chippewa Area Mentor Program is looking for male volunteers to be a “guy friend” to one of the 16 boys currently on our waiting list.

"We have a boy named Kyle in our program. Kyle is looking for a mentor to spend time playing and talking with him for only 30 minutes, once a week. He loves remote control race-cars, video games, and trains. He would grow so much from spending time with someone who would just take time to listen and have fun with him.

Contact the Chippewa Area Mentor Program for more information. 715-726-2400 ext. 2516 or camp@chipfalls.k12.wi.us

Chippewa Falls Trick-Or-Treating

Bring your kids downtown this afternoon to trick or treat (and don't forget to stop by the library!)

Downtown Businesses: 3 - 5

Neighborhoods: 5 - 7

Halloween Programs @ The Library

This week the library is offering events for Trick or Treaters of all ages...

October 25th and 26th

Halloween Storytime for children ages 3-5.

11 to 11:45am. Call to register at 715-723-1146.

Stories, crafts, snack and more. Costumes are optional.

October 27th

Sub-Par Cinema. Ages 14 and up.

7pm to movie end.

Come and see the movie many have called "The Worst Film Ever Made." Plan 9 From Outer Space is a testament to the tenacity of the American spirit; you'll be hilariously inspired by director Ed Wood's refusal to admit that his cinematic train was derailing!

You know a movie is bad when even the PUBLICITY SHOTS are terrible:



Free refreshments!

Sultan Speech a Success

Cathy Sultan came and spoke the evening of Wednesday, October 18th to a gathering of about 30 at the Chippewa Falls Public Library.

She spoke about her experiences being married to a Lebanese national during the Lebanese Civil War and her "outsider on the inside" view of the Arab-Israeli difficulties.

Her talk was well-received by those in attendance, and she offered copies of her three books, Beirut Heart, Israeli and Palestinian Voices and Tragedy in South Lebanon. Ms. Sultan signed copies for those who wished it done.

Ms. Sultan and her husband live in Eau Claire.

Teen Read Week: Turn Over a New Leaf

The Chippewa Falls Public Library will be offering youth between the ages of 7-18 an opportunity to “turn over a new leaf” at the library this fall. This program is a reading incentive to help clear up unpaid fines on library cards. It will cover current library card fines in exchange for time spent reading at the library, allowing young people to re-establish “good credit” on their library accounts.

Turn Over a New Leaf will be held on Tuesdays from 4 to 8 p.m. and Saturdays from noon to 4:30. The incentive starts on October 17 as a kickoff for Teen Read Week and ends on Monday, October 31. During these times participants will earn $0.50 for every 15 minutes of reading that they completed during the designated times. This program applies to overdue fines for returned Chippewa Falls items only, and does not apply to materials from other libraries, lost or damaged items, processing fees, or fines for materials that have not yet been returned.

The library desires all students to have access to the resources that they will need to complete their school assignments and succeed during the new school year, as well as develop their love of reading for pleasure. It is our hope that young people will take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to turn over a new leaf this fall.

For information, stop at the Information Services Desk on your next visit to the library, call 715-723-1146 ore-mail the library. For information about other library program and events, check the library’s events calendar at our website.

Judy Moody Friday!

If you read any of the Judy Moody books and enjoyed them, this program if for you. This Friday, we will play games related to the Judy Moody books, and watch the movie: Judy Moody and the not Bummer Summer.

The movie is rated PG, so children under age 10 must have a permission slip signed by their parents or guardians. Pick up a slip at the purple desk or make your own. Just write a little note telling us it's okay for your kids to attend!

Register at the children's information desk. The program may run an additional 5-10 minutes past 3:30.

Best part? Free ice cream.

"Ten to Twelve Families"

Well, Food for Fines 2011 is over and I just ran the food over to the Salvation Army food pantry. As we were unloading, I asked the man helping me, Dan, if he thought our load would do any good. The large, very full boxes of canned and non-perishable goods would feed "ten to twelve" families, he said in his quick estimation and he thanked the library.

I, in turn, thank all those who paid off their fines in such a community-friendly way and who helped us to feed others not only intellectually but, for one month, physically as well.

Thank you again, Chippewa Falls.

Below is a quick little video of just part of the food we had. I couldn't fit it all on the table and some was already loaded when I shot the video.

Kindle and Overdrive

Word is starting to get out to Kindle owners that Overdrive is now compatible with their e book platforms. The process of getting a library book onto a Kindle, however, isn't as easy as point and click. It's a bit of a...doing.

I thought I'd put up some links to explanations of the process done by other libraries that might make the matter a bit clearer.

River Falls Public Library's "How to Check Out an Ebook for Your Kindle."

The Help Page at the Wisconsin Public Library Consortium

How-to Video:

Spirit of Christmas 2011

If you want to really do some good for an organization that serves literally thousands of needy people at holiday time, please consider giving to Spirit of Christmas of Chippewa County, Inc.

Last year the Friends of the Chippewa Falls Public Library collected books and money for the annual Give a Kid a Book drive and made sure that every package of gifts put together for the poorest children in the Chippewa Valley had a book in it.

I remember well some of the books I got for Christmas over the course of my childhood, some of which I still own and still occasionally read. But I digress.

If you haven't already identified a pet cause worthy of your Christmas charity spending, then please consider giving to the Spirit of Christmas of Chippewa County (hereafter SOC).

You can give in many different ways:

1. Gift Donations - Many people are cautious about donating cash...so SOC will accept toys, books, puzzles, games, craft items, blankets and bedding, winter hats/mittens, clothing and shoes. Unwrapped gifts are preferred! Your gifts can be dropped off a Central Lutheran Church, 28 East Columbia Street Monday--Friday 8am to 4pm.

2. Monetary Donations--Please make checks payable to:
Spirit of Christmas, PO Box 831, Chippewa falls, WI 54729

3. Gift Giving Trees--Businesses throughout the county display a tree decorated with tags that indicate commonly requested gifts. Staff and customers select tags and provide the gifts.

4. Sponsorship--Businesses or organizations may sponsor a family or families by providing gifts, non-perishable food items and/or monetary assistance.

5. Volunteers--The SOC needs help...our help! You can sit in on meetings of SOC at 6:30pm on the second Tuesday of each month here at the Chippewa Falls Public Library.

Give a Kid a Book

If you want to give a gift that has the potential to keep giving throughout a child's life, consider buying books geared at children from birth through roughly 8th grade and dropping them in the "Give a Kid a Book" gift drops that the library will be putting out some time around All Saints' Day. You can also give cash or checks written out to "Friends of the Chippewa Falls Public Library" with "GAKAB" or "Give a Kid a book" in the memo line.

For more information on SOC call the office at (715)726-0534 or President Cheryl Wirth at (715)271-0256.