By Michelle Church
A world of fun is being offered by Eva K. Bowlby library with their “Universe of Stories” program. During July, the community was invited to participate in several unique activities. The library offered “Out of this World Cupcakes” and “A Universe of Wildlife” events to both children and adults. The events were free of charge and hands-on way of learning new information.
“Out of this World Cupcakes” allowed all ages to decorate cupcakes in galactic and cosmic themes. Each participant decorated two cupcakes. They chose one to be judged and one to take home or eat on the spot. All the supplies were provided for the participants.
The cupcakes were judged in two categories: adult and children. Two winners were selected in each category. There were around eight children competing and between ten and fifteen adults. Winners of the children’s category were Autumn Cumberledge and Lilly Somerville. Adult winners were Christy Cumberledge and Jayme McCauley.
Megan Ealy, Youth Services Director from Eva K. Bowlby library, explained that there is an on-going cooking club for adults at the library. Lately the library has noticed interest among the children, especially in the idea of “cupcake wars”. Megan says the children thought it would be “really fun” to decorate “space theme” cupcakes and so the event was created.
The library used to hold an annual event similar to “Universe of Wildlife” but had stopped. The program was reinvigorated when the new Game Warden, Christopher Bence, contacted the library’s Public Relations Representative Kathy Douglas. Christopher became the new Game Warden in February and part of the position involves educating the public on wildlife safety.
Officer Bence visited the library and gave a speech on unusual wildlife in southwestern Pennsylvania. He taught the crowd about how to handle animals and to respect wildlife. He brought a variety of pelts with him for the group to inspect; the group was able to look at pelts of coyotes, skunks and badgers to learn about wildlife identification. They were able to see a bear claw and an owl skull. The “Universe of Wildlife” was very exciting for all who attended, which included about 40 children, adults, and a group of special needs adults.
A world of possibility is open to all who enter the library. You can jump into a good book or meet up with friends to learn a new recipe. With the addition of the “Universe of Stories” program, children and adults alike can learn new experiences in a fun, hands-on format.