Saturday, July 17, 2010 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. 141 Hoover Avenue (corner of Hoover & Pleasant – Directions & Map)

• Enjoy a 30-minute interactive presentation at 10:30am and 1:00pm Given by Walter Stochel of the Metuchen-Edison Historical Society.
• Browse old photos of the area, local homes and landmarks!
• Discover our history through maps, displays and other memorabilia!
• Members of the Metuchen-Edison Historical Society will be there to answer questions & share stories!
• Parents can relax and participate in the program while children are engaged in supervised activities!

Bring Your Own History!
Dig out those old photos and come over with a friend!

A FREE event sponsored by Friends of the Edison Library, Metuchen-Edison Historical Society and Clara Barton Library Supporters
Please contact us for more information.

Clara Barton Library will be OPEN FOR BUSINESS from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on this Saturday! Check out a book while you’re there!

His most recent Ceepak mystery is Rolling Thunder, which was published in May. With Grabenstein’s background in improvisational comedy, his program is sure to be entertaining. Seating is limited for this free program which is sponsored by The Friends, so please reserve your seat by calling 732-548-3045, ext. 1, sign up at the circulation desk, or online at http://www.lmxac.org/edisonlib, click on Programs and Displays.

While stocks last, we’ll be selling copies of Rolling Thunder at the program, but you can get your copy right now from the Store page of our website. The price is $25, the cover price of the hardcover book, but we’ll pay the postage for you. All profits will go to Friends of the Edison Public Library.

On Wednesday, June 2, 2010, Rick Busciglio will present his lecture on The Greatest Generation at 2pm. at the North Edison branch, 777 Grove Ave., Edison, NJ. Rick, a former broadcast executive, radio disk jockey, and television presenter, will involve his audience with his detailed stories and include anecdotes of the many famous people he worked with, or met, in his 45 year broadcast career.

The audio-visual presentation, including original recordings of the music of the era and numerous photos, recalls that period in American society between 1911 and 1953 and salutes the people who came of age during the Great Depression. It focuses on those who fought and won World War II and came home to build America.

The program is free, but advance registration is required for this Friends of the Edison Library sponsored program. Reserve your seat by calling 732-548-3045, ext. 1, going to the library’s website at http://www.lmxac.org/edisonlib and clicking on Programs and Displays, or signing up at the circulation desk.

Don’t miss this chance to find out more about Edison Township’s most famous citizen! Dr. Paul Israel, Director and Editor of the Thomas A. Edison Papers at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, will present insights into Thomas Alva Edison’s life and work at his Menlo Park laboratory. This free program is sponsored by The Friends of the Edison Public Library and The Edison Memorial Tower Corporation and will take place on Wednesday, May 26 at 7pm at Edison Main Library, 340 Plainfield Avenue.

Seating is limited. Reserve your seat by calling 732-287-2298, ext. 1, sign up at the circulation desk or on-line at www.lmxac.org/edisonlib, click on Programs and Displays.

In addition to serving as Director and Editor of the Thomas A. Edison Papers at Rutgers University, Dr. Israel is Chairperson of the Edison Memorial Tower Corporation. He has delivered numerous professional papers and public presentations on Edison’s career and on the subjects of invention and innovation. Dr. Israel is author of Edison: A Life of Invention (John Wiley & Sons, 1998), winner of the 2000 Dexter Prize of the Society for the History of Technology. His other books are From Machine Shop to Industrial Laboratory: Telegraphy and the Changing Context of American Invention, 1830-1920 (Johns Hopkins University Press, 1992) and Edison’s Electric Light: Biography of an Invention (Rutgers University Press, 1986) with co-author Robert Friedel.

Ungar plays the music of these musicians and other Broadway music from 1895-1965 on his keyboard and shares humor about their lives and careers.

Seating is limited, and advanced registration is required. Reserve your seat by calling (732)738-0096 ext. 1, going on-line at www.lmxac.org/edisonlib (clicking on Programs and Displays), or signing up at the circulation desk at the Clara Barton Branch Library. This is a free program sponsored by the Friends.

Just to get you in the mood, have a listen to this collection of tunes from classic American musical comedies:

Which brings us neatly to some upcoming programs. Eva Abreu, a professional organizer, is in the process of presenting a series of three workshops on de-cluttering and organizing.

Whether you need help with clearing the top of your desk, tackling a cluttered closet, emptying the “junk drawer”, reclaiming your dining room table, preserving your photos and memorabilia, or even organizing your entire home or business from top to bottom, Eva can help you get started.

One of these programs has already been presented, but there are two still to come:

De-Cluttering & Organizing: Attics, Garages & Closets, Oh My!
Thursday, April 8, 7:00 p.m.

Is your attic a mess? Garage stuffed with…stuff? Closets crammed? We’ll discuss where to start, how to sort, how to decide what to keep, provide a resource list for items you no longer want, plus explore custom storage options.

De-Cluttering & Organizing: Piles of Papers
Thursday, April 22, 7:00 p.m.

Are you buried under papers? Learn how to carve out time from your busy schedule to work on your personal documents, cut through the piles of piles, decide what to keep, what to toss, what to shred and what to organize and have on hand in case of an emergency.

Eva Abreu is an organizing consultant, community volunteer, and former technology manager. Visit her website Sort-Things-Out.com for more information.

These free workshops will be held at the Edison Main Library, 340 Plainfield Ave., Edison.

Seating is limited. You must sign up for each workshop individually. Reserve your seat(s) by calling 732-287-2298, ext. 1, sign up at the circulation desk or on-line at www.lmxac.org/edisonlib, click on Programs and Displays.

Sponsored by The Friends of the Edison Public Library.

Paranormal Investigator Garrett Husveth

On Sunday, October 18th, a full-house attended “Ghosts & The Paranormal,” a free program presented by Garrett Husveth and sponsored by the Friends of the Edison Public Library.

A court-approved forensic examiner with a background in forensics and computer systems, Husveth uses the latest technology to help investigate paranormal phenomena. He has appeared or been a consultant on many TV shows about ghosts and hauntings.

He started by explaining the different types of paranormal activity, and went on to talk about his main interest, which is EVP, or Electronic Voice Phenomena. These are voices believed to be that of the dead that appear on audio recordings. Typically, electronic voice recorders are hidden in an area being investigated, then the results are analyzed. Husveth talked about the history and background of this field, mentioning major figures such as Konstantin Raudive.

Garrett went on to talk about local hauntings he has investigated and played recordings that he and others have made. One characteristic of EVP is that the voices recorded often seem to respond to human questions and statements. Examples included a conversation between him and another investigator in a warehouse building, where a louder third voice could clearly be heard in the recording. These recordings were sometimes a little disturbing, yet fascinating.

After talking about some related fields, such as ITC (Instrumental TransCommunication), where sounds or pictures have been heard or seen on other electronic equipment, such as telephones and televisions, Husveth talked a little about “Spiricom,” equipment built by psychic William O’Neil to communicate with the dead. He then took questions from the lively audience. Following the program, the audience was invited to help themselves to refreshments provided by The Friends.

Thanks to Garrett Husveth for the interesting and entertaining program, and to everyone who attended.