By Sue Hotz

Mission fed partnership

We are excited to announce that the new San Carlos branch of Mission Federal Credit Union, located on the corner of Navajo and Jackson, has elected to partner with the San Carlos Friends of the Library. Please join us on Saturday, April 2 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for their grand opening celebration. They will be presenting SCFOL with a check for $1,000. We are looking forward to this partnership and will be adding their gift to our branch library’s book, equipment and program matching funds. Come join the fun, food and prize drawings and help us welcome our new neighbors.

Youth programs

Spring into March with Wednesday After School Specials, now starting at 2:30 p.m. On March 30, “Wild Wonders from Down Under” invites all ages to meet some of Australia’s most popular and exotic citizens, such as Sydney the Wallaby, Dundee the Sugar Glider, a bearded dragon, a kookaburra, a cockatoo, a blue-tongued skink or a python.

April 13 from 4 to 5 p.m., kids ages 8 and up will be tasked with creating a zip line ride. “Challenge Island” encourages them to take on exciting challenges that promote creativity, critical thinking, and social skills while instilling a love of science and engineering. In this session, they will apply the concepts of friction, slickness, balance, slope, and tautness as they design objects to move down their zip line. We will finish with a zip line derby. Space is limited so sign up at the library.

Essay contest

At the San Carlos Branch Library on March 16, in front of their teachers, families and friends, the local winners of the 19th Annual Student Writing for Literacy Library Essay Contest read their essays and received their award certificates, Barnes & Noble gift cards and engraved contest pens.

In 1997, SCFOL President Jack Winer started this contest for all Henry Cluster students. It grew into an annual city-wide event open to all public, private, parochial and home schooled fourth-, eighth- and 10th-grade students served by the San Diego Public Library system.

This year, six San Carlos area schools submitted 266 awesome essays which were read and judged by Margrette Carr, Joan Hayes, Cathy Todd, and SCFOL chairpersons Barbara and Patty Woodall. Chosen as this year’s local winners were: fourth-graders Evan Hurst, Kate Le and Tiffany Nguyen from Kimberly Filner’s class at Benchley Weinberger; Ella Moore from Erin Keegan-Nelson’s and Joshua Beail from Gretchen Sites’ classes at Dailard Elementary; Antoine Nouger from Debra Skaar’s class at Gage Elementary; Jakob Romaine Gleim from Susan Barrett’s, Talin Gardini from Craig Wilsie’s, and Meredith Eaton from Louise Volpe’s classes at Green Elementary; and 10th-graders Edie Mueller, Victoria Crisologo, and Noelle Stewart from Wendy Lange’s class at Patrick Henry High School.

Eaton, Crisolgo and Stewert name will represent San Carlos in the city-wide contest. Four grand prize winners at each level will be announced during a ceremony on May 5 at the Balboa Park Club. Top prize winners will receive a monetary award and a laptop computer. One special prize of $500 will be awarded in memory of Jack and Carolyn Winer for the best overall essay.

Art and flower shows

Throughout March in the library’s Winer Family Community Room & Art Gallery, view the colorful art created by the Gage and Foster Elementary School ArtReach students. On March 19 from noon to 2 p.m. you can meet their professional artist-teachers and learn about ArtReach.

From April 5 through May 5, the paintings of Larry Bingeman, Alexandra Cauldwell, Maria Luisa Dominguez, Roberta Labastida and Barbara Stewart will be on display in the Winer Family Community Room & Art Gallery.

On April 15 from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and April 16 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. the San Carlos Garden Club will pair beautiful floral arrangements with their art to bring us a “Show in Living Color.” On Friday, the show includes two flower arranging demonstrations; the first one starts at 11 a.m. and second one at 1 p.m. At noon on Saturday, enjoy the light jazz music of Peter Rutman while viewing the show. All activities are free.

Books

“One Book, One San Diego” author Zoe Ghahremani joins us Friday, March 25 from 2 to 3 p.m. to discuss “Sky of Red Poppies,” “The Moon Daughter,” and her two new books that are in the works. Ghahremani delightfully connects with her audiences and makes each presentation unique.

The Library Book Club is reading for April 14 at 12:30 p.m. “The Nightingale,” by Kristin Hannah.

Ask about the express collection of newly published adult and children titles. These books are kept in special display racks; their bindings are marked with red tags and have special borrowing limits.

Our SCFOL Members-Only Pre-Book Sale is April 1 from 2 to 4 p.m. and our monthly used book sale is Saturday, April 2, 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

All libraries are closed March 31 in honor of Cesar Chavez. Benjamin Library is closed until April 11. Your Benjamin reserved books may be picked up at the San Carlos Branch.

—Sue Hotz is publicity chair for the San Carlos Friends of the Library. Write to her at [email protected].