Media Alert

Author Frances Lawrence Book Signing Events

WHEN: 8-20-11  

TIME: 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

WHERE: Borjo Coffeehouse, 4416 Monarch Way , Norfolk , VA 23508

AND

WHEN:  8-27-11

TIME: 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

WHERE: Scoop's Ice Cream Parlor, 5792 Churchland Blvd., Portsmouth , VA 23703

WHAT: Frances Lawrence, a resident of Chesapeake, VA, will be available to sign copies of her Fictional Christian Childrens book,  Lauren Meets a New Friend in the Schoolyard. 

When their teacher suggests a food drive, the kids know that it is exactly what Jesus would do.  They decide to figure out way to make sure everyone has enough to eat.
 Come see what special lesson the children learn when Lauren Meets a New Friend in the Schoolyard.

Newport News Public Library System

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 27, 2011

 MEDIA CONTACT:

Karen L. Gill

Community Relations and Programs Coordinator

(757) 926-1357

kgill@nngov.com

Books, more for sale Aug. 11-13 at West Avenue Library

NEWPORT NEWS, VA -- Get great deals on gently used books and videos while supporting the Library when you shop at the Friends of the Newport News Public Library’s book sale, Aug. 11-13.

The book sale will be noon-4 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 11; and 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Friday and Saturday, Aug. 12 and Aug. 13, at West Avenue Library, 2907 West Ave., in downtown Newport News. A special preview for Friends members only is 10 a.m.-noon on Thursday, Aug. 11. Anyone may join the Friends of the Newport News Public Library at that time, as well.

Books are sorted by categories, including children’s books, classics, cookbooks, crafts, military interest, history, textbooks, large print and religion. Lots of paperbacks, adventure, mystery and romance are available.

Prices are $1 for hardbacks, 50 cents for paperbacks, 25 cents for children’s books and 50 cents for VHS tapes. Collectibles and current best sellers are individually priced. At the special Saturday sale, shoppers can fill a bag for $3.

All sales support the Newport News Public Library System. When you buy a book from the Bookstore or through a book sale, you are not only saving money, but also helping to reduce waste and supporting the Library System and your community.

The next Friends of the Newport News Public Library book sales is planned for Dec. 8-10, 2011. Contact the Friends of the Newport News Public Library at friendsnewportnews@yahoo.com for additional information or call 757-247-8875.

The Newport News (Va.) Public Library System consists of four public libraries, a public law library and a bookmobile. Programs presented by the Library System are free and open to the public. For more information on Newport News Public Library System programs, please call the respective Library or visit www.nngov.com/library. View photos from the Newport News Public Library System’s programs at www.flickr.com/photos/25845028@N05/. View all Library News Releases at http://www.nngov.com/pressroom/press-releases/library-press-releases. To make accommodations for services and program attendance under the Americans with Disabilities Act, call the Library at  757-591-4858 voice/TDD three days prior to the event for assistance.

Karen L. Gill
Community Relations and Programs Coordinator
Newport News Public Library System
700 Town Center Drive, Suite 300
Newport News, VA 23606
Telephone:  (757) 926-1357
E-mail: kgill@nngov.com

Newport News Public Library System

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 26, 2011                                                          

MEDIA CONTACT:

Karen L. Gill

Community Relations and Programs Coordinator

(757) 926-1357

kgill@nngov.com

www.nngov.com/pressroom

Library to offer free music downloads

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Free music downloads will soon be available from the Newport News Public Library System’s website and computer labs.

Registered Library cardholders in good standing will be able to download three songs a week in the MP3 format at no cost at www.nngov.com/library and in the Library’s computer labs beginning Aug. 15. The downloaded files become a permanent part of the users’ personal music library. They do not expire or need to be returned.

A collection of millions of songs from Sony Music and other major labels will be available through the Library’s agreement with Library Ideas, a new media company focused on educational markets and based in Fairfax, Va. Other songs will be added later.

“We’re glad to be able to offer great music, compatibility with lots of devices and simplicity of use for our Library patrons,” said Library Director Izabela Cieszynski.

Contact the reference desk of any Newport News Public Library for more information.

The Newport News (Va.) Public Library System consists of four public libraries, a public law library and a bookmobile. Programs presented by the Library System are free and open to the public. Most programs are made possible by the Friends of the Newport News Public Library or the Library System’s Herbert H. Neisser Fund. For more information on Newport News Public Library System programs, please call the respective Library or visit www.nngov.com/library. View photos from the Newport News Public Library System’s programs at www.flickr.com/photos/25845028@N05/. View all Library News Releases at http://www.nngov.com/pressroom/press-releases/library-press-releases. To make accommodations for services and program attendance under the Americans with Disabilities Act, call the Library at  757-591-4858 voice/TDD three days prior to the event for assistance.

Karen L. Gill
Community Relations and Programs Coordinator
Newport News Public Library System
700 Town Center Drive, Suite 300
Newport News, VA 23606
Telephone:  (757) 926-1357
E-mail: kgill@nngov.com

Newport News Public Library System

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 26, 2011

MEDIA CONTACT:

Karen L. Gill

Community Relations and Programs Coordinator

(757) 926-1357

kgill@nngov.com

NOTE: Times have been corrected for two programs at Grissom Library: Teen "Green" Accessory Party  and Teen Advisory Committee at Grissom Library. Corrected information listed in red below.

Fashion show, crafts, martial arts in August at Newport News Libraries

Wide World of Sports:  Martial Arts of Asia

Youth ages 7-18 are invited to learn the history and science of martial arts from Asia, 2 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 3, at Grissom Library and
2 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 4 at Pearl Bailey Library. Presented by John Siu of the Riverstone Learning Center, the program includes a demonstration and limited audience participation. No registration required. Call Grissom Library at 757-369-3190 for more information.

PBL's Checkmate Chess Club with Mr. Dixon 

Youth ages 7-18 can learn how to play chess at 4 p.m. on the first and fourth Wednesdays of each month, excluding holidays, at Pearl Bailey Library. The chess club will offer both informal games and timed games. The next meetings are Aug. 3 and Aug. 24. No registration required. For more information, call Pearl Bailey Library at 757-247-8677.

Summer Concert Series: Curt Brady and Jo’s Boys

Curt Brady and Jo’s Boys music group will perform a mix of rock, country and blues music, 2-3 p.m., on Saturday, Aug. 6, at Main Street Library. No registration required. For more information, call Main Street Library at 757-591-4858.

Paws to Read

Children ages 6 to 10 build their confidence by reading out loud to trained therapy dogs, 3-4 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 6, at Grissom Library in Newport News. Parents are required to fill out a permission slip and may accompany their children, as well. Dogs are accompanied by certified trainers. Paws to Read is normally held on the first Saturday of each month, excluding holidays. No registration is required. Call Grissom Library at 757-369-3190 for more information.

Break-Out Sessions for Job-Seekers

Adults can get help with creating an email account, designing a resume to showcase strengths, completing a worry-free application online, and more during Pearl Bailey Library’s Break-Out Sessions for job-seekers. The next session is 3-5 p.m., Monday, Aug. 8, at Pearl Bailey Library. No registration required. For more information, please call Pearl Bailey Library at 757-247-8677.

Teen "Green" Accessory Party 

Teens ages 12-18 can make their own "green" accessories out of reused and recycled materials, 2-3:30 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 9, at Grissom Library. Participants may bring materials such as old jewelry, beads, cloth and other recycled materials from home to share, and some materials will be provided. No registration required. Call Grissom Library at 757-369-3190 for more information.

Teen Advisory Committee at Pearl Bailey Library
Teens ages 12-18 can meet to help advise Library staff on ways to improve Library programs and services. The group meets 5-6:30 p.m., the second Wednesday of each month, excluding holidays, at Pearl Bailey Library. The next meeting is Wednesday, Aug. 10. A Teen Advisory Committee application is required to join, and visitors are welcome. For more information, call Pearl Bailey Library at 757-247-8677.

Anime and Manga Club

Teens ages 12-18 can enjoy Anime screenings and Manga discussions in this new club at Pearl Bailey Library. The new club will meet 4-5 p.m., Friday, Aug. 19, at Pearl Bailey Library. No registration is required. Call Pearl Bailey Library at 757-247-8677 for more information.

Lego party

Children ages 6 -11 can use Lego building blocks provided by the Library to build a creation based on the theme of the day, 2-3 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 20, at Grissom Library. Creations may be displayed in the children's area. Registration is required and begins Aug. 6 online at www.nngov.com/library/custom/onlinereg or by calling Grissom Library at 757-369-3190.

Teen Advisory Committee at Grissom Library
Teens ages 12-18 who want to be more involved in the Library and the services it provides to teens, who want to provide input about the Library’s teen programs and who need Community Service hours are encouraged to join the new Teen Advisory Committee at Grissom Library. The committee will meet  7-8 p.m. on the fourth Thursday of each month, excluding holidays, at Grissom Library. The next meeting is Thursday, Aug. 25. Registration is required and is ongoing online at www.nngov.com/library/custom/onlinereg or by calling Grissom Library at 757-369-3190.

The Knit Wits: Junior Knitting and Crafting Group 

Youth ages 10-17 are invited to learn to knit and participate in other craft projects, 2-4 p.m. on the fourth Saturday of each month, excluding holidays, at Grissom Library. The first meeting of the group is 2-4 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 27. Registration is required and begins Aug. 13 online at www.nngov.com/library/custom/onlinereg or by calling Grissom Library at 757-369-3190.

Grissom Back 2 School Fashion Show 

Teens ages 12-18 are invited to show off their style, 2-4 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 30, at Grissom Library. Participants must attend a dress rehearsal, 3:30 p.m. on Aug. 27, at Grissom Library. Judges will choose winners for Best Outfit and Best "Green" Accessory. A People's Choice winner also will be chosen. Outfits must conform to school dress codes, and include a "green" element made from reused or recycled material. Registration is required and begins Aug. 8 online at www.nngov.com/library/custom/onlinereg or by calling Grissom Library at 757-369-3190.

All Tied Up: Bailey Knit & Stitch Group 

Adults are welcome to join the All Tied Up Group, which meets 6:30-8:30 p.m. the second and fourth Tuesday of each month, excluding holidays, at Pearl Bailey Library. Participants can socialize with others while learning a new skill or enhance their current skills. Registration is required and is ongoing online at

NEWS FROM THE WILLIAMSBURG REGIONAL LIBRARY | www.wrl.org

Local author R. William Holland donates a copy of his recent text "Cracking the New Job Market: The 7 Rules for Getting Hired in Any Economy." Jennifer Kunchen, Adult Services Librarian at the Williamsburg Regional Library, accepts the donation. Dr. Holland's book explores how traditional techniques for finding a professional job have changed. Your resume and ability to answer standard interview questions no longer translate into employment. The author offers a how-to look at new job-hunting strategies that emphasize selling what value you can add to an employer's company. Mr. Holland earned his Ph.D. from Michigan State University. He is the founder of R. William Holland Consulting, LLC which specializes in HR and career management, associated with BeamPines and a vice president of Right Management, Inc. He has written and lectured extensively on career and workforce issues. This title will be added to the Local Authors Project at the library. For more information, please call (757) 259-4042.

See link below. I would be honored if you also did a review. A good portion of the book is set in Hampton. Let me know if you need a book. I can send you one electronically through Amazon. Thanks again, Barrett

http://blog.seattlepi.com/wallingford/2011/07/20/shuksan-descent/

Sent on 7/7/2011 to 'post@dailypressbooks.posterous.com'

Dear Daily Press:

I thought the Daily Press might be interested in a fiction mystery novel I wrote entitled Shuksan Descent.

While the story begins on an Indian reservation in Washington State, a significant portion of the story takes place in Hampton, including Phoebus, Buckroe Beach, Fort Monroe and Hampton University. 

Shuksan Descent is an e-book published by Bennett & Hastings Publishing. 2400 NW 80th Street #254. Seattle, Washington 98117.

I can be reached my cell phone at (206)799-3240. You can also reach me at work at (360)633-1885. My home number is (206)829-8271.

The Story

Backhoe operator Gary Patrick foresees long delays, and possibly legal trouble, when human bones appear on his construction site on the Shuksan Indian Reservation.

Gary breathes a sigh of relief when the county coroner finds the bones are not Native American, but instead those of a white man who died at least two hundred years ago. But the tribal community is skeptical of the finding, and Gary finds that his lack of friends and political connections is costly when tribal officials move to declare the grave as sacred and the site off-limits to development.

Out of work, nearly out of money, and convinced the decision was more about politics than valid science, Gary decides to research the origin of the bones himself. The journey sends him all the way to Virginia, where he visits Hampton University, one of the few schools in the country that admitted American Indians in the nineteenth century. It is in the vaults of the university museum that he discovers a secret so disturbing that it threatens to shake the very foundation of the Shuksan people.

My Story

My name is Barrett Schmanska and I graduated from Phoebus High School in 1980, ODU in 1984 and VCU in 1986. I moved to Seattle in 1988.

Since 1993, I have worked for a number of Indian Reservations in the Seattle area as Land Use Planner.

I am currently working as a Land Use planner and construction manager for the Port Gamble S’Klallam Indian Reservation.

I live in Seattle with my physician wife.

The Inspiration for Shuskan Descent

While working at the Tulalip Indian Reservation in 1994.

I found myself sitting at a meeting with Tribal Chairman Stanley G. Jones, JR where he struck up a conversation about his father. He mentioned that his father attended Hampton Institute around the turn of the twentieth century. I nearly fell out of my chair.

Even though I had grown up in Hampton, I had no idea that American Indians attended Hampton Institute.

I told him that I visited family in Hampton every year. In turn, he asked me to pick up a Hampton University t-shirt for him.

When I purchased the t-shirt, I was directed by the bookstore sales staff to the HU museum where I talked to one of the museum administrators. She showed me the incredible collection of documents, photographs and Native American crafts that are housed in the museum. I then toured the American Indian cemetery. All of this had a tremendous impact on me.

Shuksan Descent draws on my childhood experiences growing up in Hampton and my adult experiences working for Indian Tribes in Washington State. While the book has Native American characters that are mosaics of people I have worked with over the years, the book is ultimately a personal memoir couched in a mystery novel.

How to Read Shuksan Descent

Shuksan Descent is only available as a Kindle E-Book. I have loaned a copy to the Daily Press. You can download the Kindle Reader on your PC for free. Then go to your email and download the book that I’ve loaned you. Let me know if you have any problems.

More books forthcoming

I am in discussions with Bennett and Hastings Publishers to publish two other books I have written.  

The Cover

The cover is an illustration of a scene in the book drawn by Robin James. Robin James is a celebrated book illustrator who is best known for her illustrations in the Serendipity Book children’s book series.

NEWS FROM THE WILLIAMSBURG REGIONAL LIBRARY | www.wrl.org

Barbara W. Kaufmann and Frederick W. Boelt from the Tidewater Genealogical Society donate copies of their organization's new text "James City County, Virginia Cemeteries - Family, Historical, Indian, Military & Slave" to the Williamsburg Regional Library. Accepting the donation is Adult Services Director Barry Trott (R). The treatises include information on numerous cemeteries found within the modern day boundaries of James City County. Indexed and annotated, the books also include global positioning system coordinates for many of the cemeteries. Founded in 1969, Tidewater Genealogical Society is the second oldest genealogical society in Virginia. They are headquartered in the 1884 Warwick County Courthouse Building in Denbigh, VA. These titles will be added to the Local Authors Project collection at the library. For more information, please call Benjamin Goldberg at (757) 259-4042.