Gardiner Public Library

Castle Tucker

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Have you been to Castle Tucker in Wiscasset?  It is part of Historic New England, a trust that preserves historic houses and architectural designs. TheCastlepoet writes, “Perhaps the most original and prominent historic house in Wiscasset, Maine, Castle Tucker dates from 1807. It was built at the behest of Judge Silas Lee, a leading jurist and politician of the Federal period, when Wiscasset was the busiest port in the United States north of Boston. In 1858 Captain Richard H. Tucker, a local shipping magnate, purchased the house. Tucker subsequently enlarged the home, adding the Italian features that give it its …

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Memorial Day

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Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in service of the United States of America. Over two dozen cities and towns claim to be the birthplace of Memorial Day. While Waterloo N.Y. was officially declared the birthplace of Memorial Day by President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966, it’s difficult to prove conclusively the origins of the day. Regardless of the exact date or location of its origins, one thing is clear – Memorial Day was borne out of the Civil War and a desire to honor our dead. It was officially …

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Easter Eggs

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Although we didn’t dye “Easter eggs” as a family when I was growing up, I have always been fascinated by the creative results that are often produced.  These results happen sometimes on purpose, sometimes accidentally.  Yankee magazine published an article in 2012 that is now featured on their New England Today web page telling how to dye eggs using natural, home ingredients.  Give it a try. The article was written by Christine Chitnis. DayGlo-dyed eggs have their retro charms, but we think it’s even more fun to make your own colorings using common foods. The result is a subtler, more …

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Spring!

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How could we not post a blog this time of year without thinking about and looking forward to spring?  So in that frame of mind, here are some books that have the word SPRING in their titles. Heart Spring Mountain by Robin MacArthur.  A young woman returns to her rural Vermont hometown in the wake of a heavy storm to search for her missing mother and unravel a powerful family secret. Paris Spring by James Naughtie.  Paris, in April of 1968. The cafes are alive with talk of revolution, but for Scottish-American Will Flemyng–a spy working in the British Embassy–the …

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The Oscars In Libraries!

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Because of one of Scott’s previous blog posts, he was contacted by Brandi Scardilli, of Information Today, Inc., about how Gardiner Public Library, among other libraries, promote Oscar nominations, and winners. Click on the link to read the entire blog! The Oscars At The Library    

Happy New Year

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Ever wonder about the tradition of the ball dropping in Times Square?  The website www.timeanddate.com says, “A particularly striking aspect of the New Year’s Eve festivities is the ball drop in Times Square in Manhattan, New York City.  The ball is made of crystal and electric lights and is placed on top of a pole, which is 77 feet, or 23 meters, high.  At one minute before midnight on December 31, the ball is lowered slowly down the pole. It comes to rest at the bottom of the pole at exactly midnight.  The event is shown on television across the …

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