LOCAL
Celebrating National Craft Month at the library
Roswell Daily Record
LORETTA CLARK ROSWELL PUBLIC LIBRARY
As part of National Craft Month, a free knitting clinic will be held at the Roswell Public Library, 301 N. Pennsylvania, on Saturday from 10 to 11 a.m. Knitters are encouraged to pull out those unfinished projects and bring them to the clinic for assistance and advice. Two local artists, Donna Davis and Margaret Barry, have years of experience in knitting and other fiber arts. They are available to assist with getting started on a pattern, fixing a mistake or finishing the projects. Since each project can be very different, their assistance will be on a person-to-person basis. Crafts are the creation of useful and functional objects through mental and manual skill and may be a hobby or a profession. The library has many resources for both beginning and advanced crafters. Your library card is the key to accessing these books, magazines, DVDs and Internet databases. One collection of databases is Ebsco, which includes Hobbies & Crafts Reference Center, providing access to full-text articles, patterns, guides, detailing “how-to” instructions and creative ideas to meet the interests of almost any craft enthusiast. One craft category is Needlecrafts & Textiles featuring over 25 subheadings, such as Appliqué, Cross Stitch, Embroidery, Knitting, Quilting, Weaving, etc. Other Ebsco databases are Consumer Health Complete, Auto Repair Reference Center and NoveList, listing novels by author, title, subject and characters.
To access the databases from computers at non-library locations, go to the library’s website at www.roswellpubliclibrary.org. Click on Online Resources for a list of databases provided by the library. The website also features the online catalog of materials, the ability to renew checked out library books and other materials, the Calendar of Events and general information on the various resources and services of the library. Reference librarians are available to assist patrons in accessing databases, locating books and information.
Book talk
Libraries and their books are the storytellers to the nation. In a similar way, television has become the storytellers to the nation, especially through TV series. Frequently, these series are based on novels. A new series, “Resurrected,” will premiere this Sunday and is based on Jason Mott’s novel, “The Returned.” Imagine a world where a few of the dead come back, not like in a modern horror story, but just as they were when they died; looking and acting the same as when they were alive. Matthew Gormley, adult services librarian, investigates this premise in Jason Mott’s “The Returned,” which is available for checkout as a hardbound science fiction title, an E-book and as a “talking book” on CD. Also on E-
book is “The First,” a short story prequel showing how it all began when Edmund Blithe turned up for work a year after he was hit by a bus and dying. After this first spectacular return event, the dead or returned, started reappearing all around the world. In “The Returned,” the impossible is occurring with the reappearance of returned family, friends and others, turning life upside down. Are the returned a miracle to be loved or feared? In the small sleepy town of Arcadia, Agent Bellamy of the International Bureau of the Returned shows up on the doorstep of Harold and Lucille Hargrave with their 8year-old son. Jacob died in 1966 on his birthday when he wandered off and drowned in the river near his home. As the story proceeds, Harold and Lucille must come to terms with the changes in their lives as they readjust to a world where their son is back. They will deal with their own doubts, regrets, and guilt over their son’s death and return. In the process they rediscover who they were and how they have changed in the years since their son’s death. As the Hargraves are coming to terms with their own demons, the town of Arcadia is thrown into turmoil as it is split into two groups. The first group includes those who are willing to accept the returned, while the other includes those who will go to almost any extent to make them leave. Mott will have readers thinking about what would happen in their own lives if one of their loved ones showed back up after being gone for years. With spare, elegant prose and searing emotional depth, award-winning
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
poet Jason Mott explores timeless questions of faith and morality, love and responsibility. Other TV series based on books that are available at Roswell Public Library are: Robert Kirkman’s “The Walking Dead,” George Martin’s “The Game of Thrones,” Craig Johnson’s “Longmire,” Kathy Reichs’ “Bones,” Jeff Lindsay’s “Dexter,” Kelley Armstrong’s “Bitten,” Sara Shepard’s “Pretty Little Liars,” L. J. Smith’s “The Vampire Diaries,” Cecily von Ziegesar’s “Gossip Girls” and Stephen King’s “Under the Dome.”
What’s happening?
Each week, the library features three story and craft hours for children. On Wednesday, the programs begin at 10 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. and on Saturday, it begins at 2 p.m. This week the story times will feature fairy tales and animal babies. Children attending the story portion of the program are invited to be creative with the related crafts. All materials are provided for the crafts. However, children must arrive within the first 15 minutes of program to participate in the craft session. The stories and crafts may vary between programs and the quantity of some craft items may be limited. ‘Once Upon a Time’ is the traditional beginning of fairy tales. During the Wednesday story times, the fairytales might focus on “Once Upon a Time,” “Snappy Sounds Once Upon a Time,” “The Knight and the Dragon” or a puppet presentation of “The Three Billy Goats Gruff.” The morning programs feature stories, song and movement activi-
A5
ties for toddlers and preschool children. The Wednesday afternoon programs are geared more for older children. Pre-cut materials are provided for crafts that might include making stick puppets of the Billy Goat Gruf f, Three Little Pigs and a Big Bad Wolf, as well as creating a cardboard castle scene, complete with stick puppets of a princess, knight and dragon. Kids could also decorate a crown to wear home. Animal babies are always a story time favorite and the Saturday stories could feature “Is Your Mama a Llama”; “Hatch, Egg, Hatch”; “Ten Little Lambs”; “Five Little Ducklings”; “The Baby Beebee Bird”; “A Nap in a Lap” or a puppet show of “Clifford’s Puppy Days.” For the related crafts, precut materials will be provided to make Clifford the Big Red Dog as a puppy, decorate a spiral with many different kinds of animal babies and assemble a mother hen and her chicks in a nest. Remember, daylight saving time begins on Sunday.
Books Again
Mysteries and ‘Who Dun It’ titles are featured during the March sale with all mystery books costing $1 each. Other fiction and non-fiction books are also a bargain priced at approximately one-fourth of the original price. Paperback books are 25 cents each. Books Again, 404 W. Second, is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday through Saturday. The store is operated by Friends of the Library volunteers and all proceeds are used to benefit the library. Parking
Education and indigent funding: Hot topics during and after the session A lot of issues swirl around any given legislative session, but when it comes to doling out the money, education is always at the front of the line. So it should be no surprise that New Mexico’s schools got a lot of attention in this year’s session. If signed as expected by Gov. Susana Martinez, the $6.2 billion budget passed for the coming fiscal year (which begins July 1) includes an overall 5 percent increase in spending over the current fiscal year. That means that additional money will be going into the state’s school funding formula as well as extra money for Public Education Department initiatives. As a result, schools all over the state will go into the 201415 school year with a little more money for operations, something that superintendents and school boards will surely appreciate, while PED gets to continue its reform agenda, which a lot of local educators won’t like one bit. Put another way, the new budget gives greater flexibility to local school districts and a bigger bully pulpit for PED. The issues aren’t all about money. The Legislature also pro-
TOM MCDONALD ROUNDHOUSE DISPATCH
duced bills that give local schools a bit more autonomy when it comes to physical education requirements for graduation and the administering of specified types of emergency medications. But then, local schools lost some autonomy too: a Seal of Bilingualism, to be affixed to high school diplomas belonging to students who are proficient in speaking and writing in more than one language, was passed into law even though some districts already have a bilingual seal. This new law will make it statewide — and based on criteria to be established by PED. So instead of giving local districts control over this matter, it’s actually taking away an option they already had.
BENEFIT RAISES $54,000 FOR YOUTH’S CARE
CLOVIS — Winners were announced in Clovis in a drawing for two works of art donated to raise money for the family of a young Lea County cowboy injured a horse accident. Six-year -old Sterling Decker was severely injured at his family’s ranch in October, and New Mexico artists Curtis Fort and Gary Morton contributed works, a bronze sculpture and a painting, to assist the family with the enormous bills associated with Sterling’s medical care and long-term rehabilitation. Although he still has a long road ahead to get back to his original self, Sterling has taken many big steps toward his full recovery,
and he and his family were on hand for the drawing, held at Joe’s Boot Shop in Clovis. On hand with Fort, Morton, and store owner Coli Hunt, Sterling and his little sister Stoney drew the two winning tickets which belong to Jennifer Weatherford of Hobbs and Stewart Bogle of Dexter. Tickets were purchased by individuals in several states, many of the contributors from agricultural and rural communities. Sales totaled almost $54,000 with all the money going to the Decker family for Sterling’s care and rehabilitation. — Clovis Livestock Market News
NOBLE FINANCE
“We want to make you a loan”
$200 - $2,000 (575)622-0900
Meanwhile, expect PED will continue to push its teacher evaluations and for merit pay increases — both of which have drawn the ire of a lot of educators who criticize these reforms as unfair, counterproductive and simplistic. Will these hot-button issues remain on the Martinez administration’s front burner in 201415? Maybe, maybe not. Martinez and the PED are in a good position to insist on some local cooperation for its reforms and initiatives, so maybe so. On the other hand, Martinez is up for re-election this year, so she may opt to quell the objections with inaction. We’ll see soon enough. Overall, I’d say the stage is set for a status-quo year in education. The spending increase might just quell the policy disagreements. Both sides may rattle their sabers, but actual action will probably take a back seat to Election Day when Martinez will either fly into a second ter m (and greater national prominence) or crash in an unexpected defeat. Of course, all bills passed during the session must have the gover nor’s signature before
Dr. K
Continued from Page A4
some way, they are “wired differently.” I saw Philip Seymour Hoffman play Willy Loman in “Death of a Salesman.” As the play opened, the stage was unlit. At the far left was a luminous blue light, like the sky at the
becoming law. I would be surprised if any of the education measures I’ve mentioned here will be vetoed by Martinez, but I don’t feel so certain about Senate Bill 268. That’s the bill to fund indigent care at hospitals around the state. It’s critically important to struggling hospitals all over the state that need a funding source to replace the Sole Community Provider provision in federal law, which currently funds indigent patient services at hospitals. SB 268 replaces that funding mechanism by tapping into county revenues. What the bill does is pull onetwelfth of a cent from counties’ gross receipts tax revenues to pay for indigent care in nearly all the state’s hospitals. The Lovington Leader reported last week that Lea County anticipates this will cost the county $4 million annually. County commissioners, the Leader reported, directed their county manager to contact an attorney about the constitutionality of the bill. The Association of Counties reluctantly agreed to the legislation after their initial proposal, to pull an eighth of a cent from the counties rather than a
end of a clear day. A man carrying a briefcase in each hand, Loman, is seen in silhouette. He is stooped, trudging slowly, as dejected as a person can be. The road had not been kind. No one was buying. He opens the door to his home, his family waiting for him inside. Suddenly, he is the salesman: confident, jostling with his
twelfth — but Lea County is demonstrating that the association wasn’t speaking for all counties. I’ll bet we will read about other disgruntled counties in the weeks ahead. It may seem the governor has no choice but to sign the bill, since there’s some urgency here. One hospital official said (without identifying his sources) that up to seven rural hospitals in the state could go out of business if this matter isn’t addressed. True enough, small hospitals all over the state are struggling, and the loss of the Sole Community Provider benefit will certainly hurt, but the federal program doesn’t expire until 2015. It would seem the state has time to consider other funding approaches. We’ll soon see what the governor thinks, as a stroke of her pen is all that’s needed to make SB 268 the law. Tom McDonald is editor of the New Mexico Community News Exchange and owner-manager of Gazette Media Services LLC. He may be reached at 505-426-4199 or tmcdonald@gazettemediaservices com.
sons, talking about what a success the trip had been. Playing the role he had to play, to avoid taking his own life. I will remember that entrance, and many other moments from Hoffman’s films, all of my life. Acting doesn’t get any better. Gone, just like that. We have to solve the plague of addiction, and we will. In the past 20
years, scientists have learned a lot about the brain chemistry of addiction. That knowledge will lead to better treatments. (Dr. Komaroff is a physician and professor at Harvard Medical School. To send questions, go to AskDoctorK.com, or write: Ask Doctor K, 10 Shattuck St., Second Floor, Boston, MA 02115.)