Welcome to National Columnist’s Day, a day to send your favorite columnist your words of appreciation for the joy and information they bring to you all year long! Wednesday is the anniversary of the day in 1859 when schoolteacher Mildred J. Hill composed the melody of the most often sung song in the world, "Happy Birthday to You." Saturday is Descendants Day, a day for all the world’s citizens to take an accounting of their activities during the preceding year that will impact our descendants across time.

Sunday, July 1, is a day of firsts. The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) aired the First Scheduled Television Broadcast in 1941. In 1847, the first US postage stamps were issued: a 5-cent stamp picturing Benjamin Franklin and a 10-cent stamp honoring George Washington. And the Philadelphia Zoological Society became the First US Zoo to open in 1874. Three thousand visitors paid the admission price of 25 cents for adults and 10 cents for children to see the 1,000 animals.

At noon on Monday, one half of the year 2001 (182 ½ days) will have elapsed. Monday is also I Forgot Day, a day to make up for all of the birthdays, anniversaries, new births, and graduations that you have failed to acknowledge so far this year!

WHAT’S HAPPENING?

Wednesday’s 10:00 a.m. story time features swamp things. Wednesday afternoon’s 3:30 story time focuses on UFOs in stories and activities. Saturday morning’s 10:00 story time features a Fourth of July Celebration!

BOOK TALK

Librarian Lee Harbach provides this week’s book information. This spring, Roswell was invaded by an alien species. I was able to identify this intruder as a member of the Mustard family called London rocket. This noxious weed had a tremendous impact all over the city as it sprang up quickly and grew so densely that it was difficult to cut down. When you try to pull or dig it up, you’ll find long thick tap roots. The good news is that it is a winter annual. Each year seems to bring a new and different weed to our area.

The best source for identification of weeds in the Western United States is a book called "Weeds of the West." The Western Society of Weed Science, in cooperation with the Western United States Land Grant Universities Cooperative Extension Services, publishes this title. Each plant is shown in a full-page color picture with two smaller close-up pictures of flowers and leaves. A written physical description and a list of habitats are given, as well as any information regarding any poisonous properties.

So before you begin weeding your garden, you might want to take a look at this book to be sure you can identify the weeds that need to be disposed of carefully to prevent their return.

DID YOU KNOW?

On July 1, 1893, President Grover Cleveland boarded the yacht "Oneida" for surgery to be performed in secret on a cancerous growth in his mouth. Since this was during the 1893 depression, secrecy was thought to be desirable to avoid further panic by the public. The entire left side of Cleveland’s jaw was removed, as well as a small portion of his soft palate. A second, less extensive operation was performed July 17. He was later fitted with a prosthesis of vulcanized rubber that he wore until his death in 1908.

Cleveland’s Secretary of War, Daniel Lamont, was the only member of the administration to know about the surgery, and the illness did not become public knowledge until an article written by someone who assisted in the surgery appeared in the "Saturday Evening Post" in 1917.

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK: "Prosperity makes friends; adversity tries them." (unknown)