Sunday September 19th, 2010 Special Events

At a loss of what to write about for the Library Detective column I turned to the handy guide, Chase’s Calendar of Events, for some ideas. Chase’s is the most comprehensive reference source for holidays, special days, events, and notable birthdays. Let’s take a look at some of the more notable happenings in September.

September 19 is the start of Prostate Cancer Awareness Week both in the United States and Canada. According to the Canadian Cancer Society website at www.cancer.ca an estimated 470 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer every week. The website supplies information on the signs and symptoms, treatment options and aftercare and support services. The library carries a number of up to date books on the subject. You might try The Canadian Guide to Prostate Cancer by Leah Jamnicky, or Dr. Peter Scardino’s Prostate Book. You can also access journal articles on the subject from the library’s Virtual Collection using your library card and pin number. A good database to start with is Health and Wellness Resource Center.

Three popular television shows made their debut on this date. The premier of the medical drama ER was televised on Sept. 19, 1994 with the final episode airing on Apr. 2, 2009. Remember Flipper? This family adventure series starring a dolphin first televised on this date in 1964 and ran for four years. And of course who can forget The Mary Tyler Moore Show, making its debut on Sept. 19, 1970. Mary and her WJM-TV newsroom colleagues made us laugh for the next seven years. The popular sitcom also starred Betty White who is currently enjoying a spectacular comeback starting with her role in the move The Proposal, available on DVD @your library.

September 19 is also International Talk Like a Pirate Day. Who knew? I hesitated in including this bit of trivial information however, the August/September issue of the magazine Canada’s History, available @your library, is entitled Pirates, so I had to check it out. In 1740, the husband and wife pirate team of Eric and Maria Cobham conducted raids from their hideout on the West coast of Newfoundland. They were allegedly known for killing every sailor to ensure no witnesses remained. Additionally, the pirated ships were sent to the bottom of the ocean and so were presumed to be lost at sea. So go ahead and swash those buckles, don your eye patch and and say Arrr, Matey, it be a fine day!

Remember to wash your hands frequently this week as it is International Clean Hands Week. With the flu and cold season fast approaching, and the kids back in school, this is a good time to start washing. The Thunder Bay District Health Unit website has some great information on hand washing techniques, the use of hand sanitizers, along with promotional material such as posters which are available in English, French, Ojibway, and Cree. The book Let’s Get Cleany-Clean! by Jean McElroy is a fun way to teach kids the importance of hand washing to avoid icky germs from spreading.

Finally, I looked to our newspapers on microfilm for some September 19 headlines. Choosing a random year of 1970 I loaded up the film for the Fort William Daily Times Journal to see what I could find. The big local news headline reads Three in Hospital with Stab Wounds. Internationally, the Middle East peace talks would not resume unless Egypt removed missiles implanted along the Suez Canal as demanded by the Israeli leader Golda Meir. The weekend magazine boasted colour comics. A three bedroom brick home in Westfort was selling at 19,500.00. Famous Players Theatres announced that the big new movie season is here with all seats for fifty cents each. And finally, the Lakehead Harbour Commission reports eleven ships currently in the harbor.

Every day has its highlights, whether big or small. What will today bring for you?

Michelle Paziuk, Library Technician