Library Corner

By Lauren Cagle

Greenup County

Public Library

Hello from the Greenup County Public Library and happy January! Did you know that on this day in 1605 the first edition of Don Quixote book one by Miguel de Cervantes was published in Madrid? On the same day in 1974 "Jaws" by Peter Benchley was published by Doubleday. Finally, on this day in 2016 a zinnia became the first ever flower grown in space aboard the International Space Station.

The House of Wolves

New this week to our collection is The House of Wolves by James Patterson and Mike Lupica. The novel marks the first in a new series following the exploits of the powerful Wolf family. As the most powerful dynasty in California, they run everything from the prestigious San Francisco Tribune to the legendary pro football team, the Wolves. Now the family has a new head, a thirty-six-year-old former high school teacher hell-bent on discovering her father’s murderer.

Kentucky History

Found in Ashland Central Park, Historical Marker #921 marks the location of a series of six ancient Native American mounds. Believed to have been built by the Adena Culture, this mounds served as burial, ceremonial, and historical landmarks within the prehistoric culture. The mounds developed as layer upon layer of burials and grave goods were placed on top of each other. Northeastern Kentucky was home to a large number of mounds along the Ohio River, the place where Ashland now stands had at least 16.

 Unfortunately however, many of them have been demolished to make way for building projects. The surviving mounds within the park are each roughly twenty feet in diameter and about six feet high. According to the historical record they were opened in the 1870s and found to contain human remains. The Adena Culture themselves are often referred to as "the mound-builders" and lived in the region from 800 B.C. to around 100 A.D, they hunted and traded goods with other Native Americans.

The park itself consists of forty-seven acres and was sold to the City of Ashland in 1900 by the Kentucky Iron Coal and Manufacturing Company. Up until 1923 the primary activity for the park was horse racing. According to the Ashland government website the park contains 1100 trees, each one identified and listed on maps of the area. The park also contains a large manmade pond first built in 1937, this was one year after the Works Progress Administration built a central road through the park. Twenty years later amid mosquito concerns the pond was filled in with dirt and repurposed into a softball practice field. In 1995 the pond was excavated and once again filled with water and several species of fish. The original water lilies that had been planted in the 1930’s came back into full bloom.  

Quotes

“For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet or excite you. Books help us understand who we are and how we are to behave. They show us what community and friendship mean; they show us how to live and die.”

― Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life

“I have a passion for teaching kids to become readers, to become comfortable with a book, not daunted. Books shouldn't be daunting, they should be funny, exciting and wonderful; and learning to be a reader gives a terrific advantage.”

― Roald Dahl

“So Matilda’s strong young mind continued to grow, nurtured by the voices of all those authors who had sent their books out into the world like ships on the sea. These books gave Matilda a hopeful and comforting message: You are not alone.”

― Roald Dahl, Matilda

“I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves.”

― Anna Quindlen

Jokes

Why does the ghost always need more books?

He goes through them too quickly.

Why does an elephant use his trunk as a bookmark?

So he always nose where he stopped reading.

The student was an aggressive learner—he hit the books.

I was going to buy a bestseller on phobias, but I was afraid it wouldn't help me.

Library Hours

Flatwoods: Monday, Tuesday and Thursday: 10-8. Wednesday, Friday and Saturday: 10-5.

Mckell: Monday,: 9-8, Tuesday-Friday 9-5. Saturday 9-2.

Greenup: Monday and Thursday: 9-8. Tuesday-Friday: 9-5. Saturday: 9-2

Closed Sunday.

Phone #s Flatwoods: 606-836-3771, Fax: 606-836-8674. Mckell: 606-932-4478. Greenup: 606-473-6514.

More about all the library has to offer is available on our website @ www.greenuplib.org. Make sure to read next week’s Beacon for more reads and weekly events.