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America Recycles Day November 15, 2009

November 15, 2009

America Recycles Day Poster and Essay Contest

About the Contest

In recognition of America Recycles Day on November 15, the Chelmsford Recycling Committee wants to get students thinking about key environmental issues, the ways ordinary people can have a positive impact on the environment, and messages today’s young people would like their leaders to hear about environmental protection.

Poster Contest: Grades K, 1-2, 3-4. Create a poster that encourages people to reduce, reuse and recycle.

Guidelines for Posters
(Grades k through 3)

The posters should be between 8-1/2” x 11” and 11” x 20” in size. Include your name, school and grade. Posters will be judged on how compelling and creative they are.

Essay Contest: Grades 4-5, 6-8 and 9-12. If you could be on TV for up to three minutes to convey a message about waste and Environmental Protection, what would you say.

Guidelines for Essays
(Grades 4 through 12)

While we refer to these submissions as “essays,” students are encouraged to be creative. Submissions may be in the form of a standard essay, a letter, a skit or short play, a poem or any written format the student thinks is most appropriate for the message. Please stay within the following limits:

Up to 250 words or fewer for grade 4-5
Up to 500 words or fewer for grades 6-8
Up to 750 words or fewer for grades 9-12

Eligibility and Submission Information

All students residing in Chelmsford and/or attending school in Chelmsford (public, private, homeschooled) are eligible. Essays and posters must be done by an individual student and may be submitted by that student or by a teacher, parent, guardian or group leader. Only one submission per student, please. Multiple entries from one class or school may be submitted simultaneously. Deliver posters to the Office of Recycling/Solid Waste, Chelmsford Town Offices, 50 Billerica Road, Chelmsford, MA 01824, or e-mail to JAlmeida@TownofChelmsford.us

Entries should include: Student’s name, age grade, address, phone#, email if available. School name, troop# and adult contact information is required for group entries. All decisions of the judges are final.

Contest Dates

All essays and posters must be received by noon on October 30, 2009. Winners will be informed by November 10, 2009. Prizes will be awarded in November 2009. Submissions will be judged on how clear, concise, compelling they are, as well as on grammar and originality. Visit www.Chelmsford Recycles.org

It's Spooky Story Time, It's Spooky Story Time....

It's my favorite time of the year, the sun is shinning the breeze is blowing and spooky story season is just around the corner. I was wondering what on earth I was going to do with myself with the Library Budget cuts. The MacKay Library is down to two days. I haven't lost any time but they have me working Wednesday night and a every other Saturday at the Main Library, leaving me lots of time to do other things. The good news is I am still hosting the Spooky Story Contest. Click on the link below to find out more. I will also be telling spooky stories in Chelmsford, and Acton areas. Let me know if you are in need of a Spooky Story or two. Listen to Old Dry Fry, Black Gum, It Was a Dark and Stormy Night and many more.

http://www.chelmsfordlibrary.org/mackay/programs.html for more Library Information.

The MacKay Spooky Story Contest was a big success! I had 117 children and youth write stories this year. Great job everyone! A special thanks goes out to The Chelmsford Friends of the Library and Sully's Ice Cream for sponsoring this event!

Going for the gold! Someday....

My Daughter just finished her first season on the Roudnebush Gymnastics team.

And what a year it was, up early for Saturday meets check in at 8 a.m. (she is not an early bird).

I can't tell you how many backhand spring she has done this year TNTC ( like bacteria it is Too Numerous To Count). I always joke that I am going to try it too. She had fun, won many metals and had a great time. Look out next year here we come.

Hanky Panky?

Got your attention didn't I.

Well it is not what you think, but don't stop reading.

Over many years I have come to be the proud owner of a very large number of handkerchiefs. I have many of my Grandmother's, my Aunt Ruth's and my Grandfather's handkerchiefs. My Grandparent's hankies have tucked away and out of site for many years. As I was cleaning at my Mom's, I bumped some more and I thought there should be something I could do with them...but what. Aunt Ruth's have come to me recently, so my hanky collection is growing. We all have mementos of those we love and the thought of hiding them away didn't seem right.

I have a good friend Kristy Medina who has a degree in Textiles and she has just started her own show on local cable call It's Easy Being Green, where she stresses the four R's: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Re-purpose. She asked me to be a guest and I knew right away that she could help me with my handkerchiefs. Check out her blog- textiles 4 you and a video clip of our show.

After a brief meeting with her to show her my hanky stash. I had some ideas... Valences, Tablecloths and Quilts... Oh My! Can I handle the pressure of getting some of these ideas in motion for the show. Well the first thing I did is to send all the hankies I might use through the wash, then I ironed them and pick out a few favorites.

My first idea was to choose 3 and turn them on point, I thought this would make a great valence.

I found one with a Red R on it and 2 that had lily of the valley on them and voila a few stitches and I have a new valence hanging in my kitchen window.

Now for Pappa's hankies what on earth can I do with these masculine plaid hankies. We'll Kristy suggested I lay them out on the floor in a pattern and take a photo of them and this is what I came up with after looking at many arrangements and an afternoon in front of my sewing machine TaDa a tablecloth! You have to be careful of how you sew the edges since the hankies edges are bound. I used and overlap method and a zigzag stitch. I am thinking of putting a border on it but haven't found the right fabric yet.

After looking at all the shapes the sizes, edges, and colors of the remaining hankies, I made a decision; I decided to find the biggest one and add 2" to each side (this came to a 20 1/2" square). While out shopping at a discount store I bought a queen size sheet for ~$6 this would be perfect for my project. I cut it into 20 1/2" squares and folded in in quarters to find the center. I chose a hanky and folded it in quarters as well. Then I pinned both centers together.

I will probably handstitch the hankies to the square.

I picked out a few of my favorites, but still have some decisions to make: how big is the quilt to be, what colors should I choose and should I add sashing?

On Friday I was a guest on Kristy's show, it went very well and it was a lot of fun.

What mementos do you have around the house you'd like to show off?

Story Box Program

Do you have a story you would like to share with your community or with the greater world?

I was able to bring this great program to the MacKay Library, The Story Box Project, was founded by Kevin Cordi an Academic Storyteller at Ohio State University.

We will be collecting your original stories, the MacKay Library. The stories can come from almost anywhere; it could be a folk tale, a fairy tale, a true story, or a childhood memory.

Here in Chelmsford we have had many ice storm stories that you could share.

If you have a story -

Write it down, type it up, or record your story then drop it off.

Click here submitt your story online.

Our Stories and the Story Box will be traveling around New England, the next stop the Amesbury Library.

Old Town Hall: What was can be again 2009

Click here to see North Town Hall: What was can be again

This is a short documentary about the North Town Hall in Chelmsford, MA.

Please join us for a breif tour, a bit of oral history of what it was, and the hopes and dreams of what it can be again.