The Advocate F theneworleansadvocate.com F Thursday, January 22, 2015 F 3G
community Reading program encourages 1,000 books by kindergarten If you have a young child, you’ve likely been told to read to them 20 minutes a day to give them a head start on the literacy skills they will need for school success. The St. Tammany Parish Library recently joined 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten, a national program that can help you reach that goal. The program is designed for children from birth to 5. Simply reading one book a day with your child translates into 365 books a year, 730 books in two years and 1,095 books in three years. Books read to children by teachers, family CHECK IT members and librarOUT ians at storytime count, SHELLIE too. The best news may SAVOY LISTER be that you can read your child’s favorite book over and over again and count it each time. Stop by any library branch to pick up a reading log or visit the Kid’s Page at www.sttammanylibrary. org to print one out. Then, color in a “seed” each time you read a book and plant it in your child’s “reading garden.” Each completed log earns the child a sticker. A certificate will be given to children who reach the 1,000-book goal. For more technological families,
POETRY
Continued from page 1G lakefront, became the focus of controversy in early October after some Mandeville council members questioned if the box was an eyesore in the historic setting. “I was surprised, because it’s such a harmless, wonderful community project,” Deano said. The controversy quickly blew over and even strengthened the poetry movement after locals showed their approval and interest in the poetry-sharing project. “It was publicity. It was bad publicity, but it caused people to go and see it,” said Robin Hurston, a local who started the poetry box project. In the months following the controversy, the number of poetry boxes multiplied to more than 30 locations. More poetry box locations are being planned, including Coffee Rani in Covington, Center of Performing Arts in Covington, the offices of lawyer Maurice Le Gardeur in Covington and the Children’s Park in Abita
POETRY TRAIL Interested locals can head out on the poetry trail with these poetry box locations:
MANDEVILLE
Mandeville Lakefront between Lafayette and Wilkinson streets n Scotts’ Coffee Bar, Carroll Street n Mandeville Trailhead, Lafitte Street n Pontchartrain Yacht Club, Jackson Avenue n Lang home, Carroll Street n Foster home, Lakeshore Drive n Northlake Nature Center, U.S. 190 n
COVINGTON
English Tea Room’s Tea Garden, Walker Alley n Brooks’ Bike Shop, Gibson Street n Tripolo Gallery, Columbia Street n St. John’s Coffee House, Boston Street n St. Tammany Art Association, Columbia Street n Our Place Studio, Vermont Street n Christwood Retirement Community, Christwood Boulevard n Henry Hood Gallery, Lockwood Street n Covington Farmers Market, Columbia Street n Paul Swain home, Columbia Street n Near Columbia Street Tap Room, Columbia Street n Columbia Street Landing, Columbia Street n
ABITA SPRINGS
n Matherne’s The UCM Museum, Highway 36 n Abita Springs Park, Main Street
the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten app can be downloaded to Apple devices. It will help you keep track of the number and the name of the books you have shared together. To receive a child’s prize, simply show the app to a library staff member. 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten is a program of the 1000 Books Foundation. For information, visit www.1000booksbeforekindergarten. org. Programming for Jan. 22 to Jan. 29 includes: PROTECT YOURSELF FROM IDENTITY THEFT: Kristen Prestenbach, of Regions Bank, will teach participants how to avoid identity theft at 1:30 p.m. Thursday at the Slidell Branch, 555 Robert Blvd. For information, call (985) 646-6470. MANGA MEET UP: Teens are invited to review anime, manga and graphic novels at 4:30 p.m. Thursday at the Slidell Branch, 555 Robert Blvd. For information, call (985) 646-6470. TEEN VOLUNTEER COUNCIL: Teens are invited to help shape library services for teens at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Covington Branch, 310 W. 21st Ave or at 6 p.m. Monday at the Mandeville Branch, 844 Girod St. Service hours will be given for participation. For information, call the Covington Branch at (985) 893-6280 or the Mandeville Branch at (985) 626-4293. GINA GIRAFFE TALKS HEALTHY TEETH:
Springs. There are also discussions to add boxes in Slidell and an interest in starting the movement in New Orleans. The project also has begun attracting a younger audience, with recent poetry boxes featuring poems by local high school and grade school students. According to Deano, there are hopes to add a kid’s poetry box in Mandeville, which would feature children’s poems in a short poetry box. High schools in the area also have requested the addition of poetry contests. The project has been a great opportunity for local poets. “The poets are thrilled to be able to have a voice out in public places,” Hurston said. Poets featured in the boxes have included Jackson Mierl, Peter Huggins, Jean Lutz, David Schoen, Kate Hauck, Donna Caire, Phillip T. Kehoe, Paul Swain, Patrick Brooks, Jane Sprouse, former Louisiana Poet Laureate Darrell Bourque, Dena Grosart, Russell MacClaren, Richard Boyd, Jim Northey, Mignon Fahr, Mary Culver, Mary Louise Guste Nix, Gene Lipps,
Gina Giraffe will teach children about good oral hygiene, choosing healthy snacks and visiting the dentist at 10:30 a.m. Friday at the Causeway Branch, 3457 U.S. 190, Mandeville. For information, call (985) 626-9779. TWEEN “LEGO MOVIE” MATINEE: Tweens ages 10 to 14 are invited to an interactive matinee at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Covington Branch, 310 W. 21st Ave. For information, call (985) 8936280. INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTERS AND THE INTERNET: Participants will learn the fundamentals of using computers and the Internet at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the Madisonville Branch, 1123 Main St. For more information, call (985) 845-4819. LAMPLIGHT READERS BOOK CLUB: The club will discuss “A Daring Life: A Biography of Eudora Welty” by Carolyn Brown at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Madisonville Branch, 1123 Main St. For information about the club, call librarian Lillie Butler at (985) 845-4819. EUDORA WELTY AND MARGARET WALKER PROGRAM: Carolyn Brown, author of “A Daring Life: A Biography of Eudora Welty” and “Song of My Life: A Biography of Margaret Walker” will discuss the two women at 12 p.m. Jan. 29 at the Madisonville Branch, 1123 Main St. For information, call (985) 845-4819.
Susan Newton, Terry Hickman and Nikki Barringer. The poetry box project was started in October by Hurston, a local who moved to Oregon after Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005. The first poetry box on the north shore was located at Brooks’ Bike Shop, along the Tammany Trace in Covington. Hurston started a similar program in Oregon before moving back to Covington last year. “I wanted to put something out there for people to enjoy, to enhance some part of their day that might be lacking, anywhere, to have an opportunity to change their outlook on the day,” Hurston said. Hurston leads the project in Covington. The Mandeville poetry box project is led by Deano and Alia Casborné, the director of cultural and economic development for the city of Mandeville. Donna Caire, of Regeneration Springs, started the movement in Abita Springs. “It’s been incredibly uplifting to see how inspired people were to jump in and get involved and want to be a part,” Deano said.
BUSINESS BRIEFS
Photo provided by St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office
Employees of the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office earning crimescene certification from the International Association for Identification are, from left, Deputy First Class Alison Champagne, Capt. Dawn Powell, Sgt. Judy Kovacevich and Deputy Nori Williams. CRIME LAB CERTIFICATION: Four employees of the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office crime lab are now certified through the International Association for Identification, an exceptional accomplishment in the field of law enforcement. Capt. Dawn Powell and Deputy Nori Williams are now certified crime scene investigators. To obtain this certification, they underwent extensive testing in addition to demonstrating one year in crime-scene-related activities and a minimum of 48 hours of boardapproved instruction in crimescene-related courses within the past five years. Sgt. Judy Kovacevich and Deputy First Class Alison Champagne are now certified crime scene analysts. The testing for this certification was even more difficult, and they were required to have three years in crime-scene-related activ-
Community members also have gotten involved in creating and decorating the poetry boxes. Contributors include local artist and former Covington Mayor Keith Villere, Judge Peter Garcia and his daughter Katie Garcia, local artist Bernard Mattox, owner and artist at Tripolo Gallery Donna Duffy, photographer and artist Kama Logan, owner of the UCM Museum John Preble, owner of T and T Gallery in Slidell Russ Britton, set designer and paint-
ities and to complete a minimum of 96 hours of board-approved instruction in crime-scene-related courses within the past five years. Before this testing cycle, which took place in December, there were 16 certified crime scene investigators and two certified crime scene analysts in Louisiana. TOURISM STATISTICS: In 2014, 6,767 people visited the St. Tammany Tourist Commission’s Tourist Information Center in Mandeville, and 5,123 visited its satellite office at Bayou Country in Slidell. In addition, the St. Tammany Tourist Commission assigned staff to represent the parish at the state welcome centers on I-10 and I-59. The state welcome center on I-10 recorded 34,477 visitors, and the center on I-59 recorded 20,402. The St. Tammany Tourist Commission’s general fund revenue source is the hotel tax.
er Dave Kelsey, Cathy Deano, Susie Deano, multidimensional artist Jodie Flowers, Phillip T. Kehoe, craftsmen Terry Coulthard, Mike Hurston, Dave Kelsey, Paul Swain, Robert Cook and Donna Caire, and sculptor Maggie McConnel. Interested businesses and community members are invited to help with the project by sponsoring a poetry box. Poets can drop off poems at the St. Tammany Art Association in Covington, Shop Soul in
Covington, Mandeville Trailhead office, the Abita Springs Library or the Abita Town Hall. Poems can also be emailed to Alia Casborné at acasborne@ cityofmandeville.com, submitted to covingtonweekly.com, or sent to the Facebook page, Poetry on the Street in St. Tammany. Hurston requests, but does not require, that poetry entries be laminated and include the author’s name, as well as an attachment with the author’s contact information.
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100 Christwood Blvd. • Covington, LA 70433
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