Organic Gardening, and North Country Experience

What a treat it was to have Henry Homeyer at the Davies Memorial Library on Saturday evening May 21. The UNH Master Gardener is familiar to many through his Vermont Public Radio commentaries and his newspaper columns (which can be read at www.dailyUV.com/henryhomeyer). For Waterford's eager audience (a full library!), he brought a special new presentation: "Great flowers that attract and feed butterflies and native pollinators." Starting, of course, with the butterfly bush, but including an hour of diverse and sometimes surprising candidates, in full color.

People wrote notes all through this engaging talk -- names and habits of plants that butterflies and other pollinators adore, and quick sharp comments on which plants live up to their reputations and which ones don't (like a variety called "endless summer" by the plant merchant but that Mr. Homeyer called "endless disappointment"). Questions flew at the end of the talk -- how to make hollyhocks happy, whether lavender would overwinter in our area (zone 4), which forsythias bloom after a northern Vermont winter, soil testing, rosechafers, and more.

One of the last questions was from Jen, our amazing librarian, who has an invasive plant taking over her stone wall. At Mr. Homemeyer's urging, she zipped home to pull a handful. The garden pro looked at the greenery, grimly. "Goutweed," he pronounced. "Sell the house."

That's the only bit of advice I hope won't be followed from the evening!

Watch for the July program in this series, on "land management for wildlife." And oh yes, there was a question about woodchucks ... right after the one about mice in a walled garden. Don't you wish you'd heard the answers? Maybe you'll want to check out some of Henry Homeyer's books this season.

 

Fabulous flower cookies!

Justice at Home: It's All About the Circles

Susan Cherry from the Community Restorative Justice Center in St. Johnsbury visited the Davies Memorial Library on May 15 to talk about her work and show us her take on "restorative justice" -- which she explained has a 27% success rate, pretty good compared to the 10% rate for traditional prisons. Library director Jen D'Agostino and I (Beth) discussed this afterward:

B: As Susan Cherry started her talk on Restorative Justice at the Davies Memorial Library in a diverse group of listeners, I wondered whether she was going to talk about what prison is like or the presence of drugs in our community. I guess those are on my mind often, along with how we "notice" the arrests in our community because they are names we know, in our own paper. I was surprised when she started off instead by turning "us listeners" into a circle of "storytelling" -- about emotional moments in our lives. So that's what her group is trying to "restore" in their justice process! Were you surprised, too, Jen?

J: I was surprised at that as well, Beth.  When Susan came into the library before the presentation started, I had the chairs in rows as they usually are for a speaker.  She asked if we could put them into a circle instead.  One of the things that strikes me most is the way she focused on modeling the idea of open communication (learning how to listen and being able to sit in a circle for better eye contact) and how it relates to the feeling of community.  I appreciated learning to model that type of behavior. I especially liked the idea of people taking a more active role in their own communities rather than relying on law enforcement to enforce the rules.  I wonder if this would have a more positive impact on the way people see police as well.  What do you think?

B: Thanks for provoking some thought about the role of community police with this, Jen. I agree, if we become more active in choosing how we want our communities and neighborhoods to thrive, we are sure to reduce the antagonism toward the police as well. Maybe the circle really is the symbol we need: recognizing our connection most of all. This has been my "season of life" for understanding that every family can suffer the tragedy of someone behaving illegally, whether it's drug-related or "teenage stupidity" or the very sad cases of embezzlement that we see more often now, as more people panic under financial stress. I think the restorative justice presentation reminded me in a new way that framing things as "us and them" may be easier to do, but doesn't always give the best results. What do you think we might explore as a result of these insights? Can you imagine Town Meeting in a circle, or a board meeting? What was your hope for Susan Cherry's visit with us, Jen?

J: I like the concept of a circle as a symbol of community.  It changes the notion of "us vs. them" into the idea that we all rely on each other, that not only are we responsible for figuring out the positives in our community and making them thrive, but also understanding the negatives and finding positive solutions. The circle also emphasizes that it's a constant, a thriving community doesn't plateau and rest.  It's in motion- it's always a work in progress, which personally, I find exciting!  

I asked Susan to come in to continue the inspiring discussion started by Pat Shine and her LSC students about Community Justice.  I felt open communication about the topics addressed that night (racism, LGQBT issues, poverty, etc.) were imperative to building a strong, supportive community.  These are topics that tend to be discussed in broad ways and I’ve always believed that becoming more familiar with unfamiliar leads to a better understanding and acceptance, thus a stronger community. I had envisioned an evening with Susan that would be related to poverty and prison.  And while that was certainly touched upon, I think the most important thing I walked away with was the concept of using listening as a prime tool to encourage respect among neighbors.  Again, that circle concept: more listening encourages more respect, more respect encourages more listening.  Susan showed that it can happen in all facets in life, and I’m excited to use it to figure out where this can go next!

Have some ideas about more community topics and discussions? Add a comment to this blog post, or e-mail directly to DaviesLibraryVT@gmail.com.

Life in Chinese Family Restaurants: Did You Ever Wonder?

Writing Cold Midnight, my St Johnsbury mystery set in 1921 when local businessman Sam Wah died an "untimely death," I did a lot of research into Chinese laundry owners like Mr. Wah. It surprised me so much that St. J had a Chinese man in business on Railroad Street for 35 years, way back then! It also helped wake me up to how many Chinese people live in our region now, and the family businesses that they own.

John Jung, a retired professor of psychology in California, developed a second career for himself, writing about Chinese and Chinese-American life in America. And Professor Jung became one of the people I would check details with. In return, I pass along to him newspaper articles from the 1800s, 1900s, and "today" about Chinese family businesses and also about the types of ethnic-related crime that drew my attention to Sam Wah in the first place.

Now Professor Jung has his own publishing house for his books -- Yin & Yang Press -- and has brought out five intriguing books. He suggested that our library might enjoy having a copy of SWEET AND SOUR: Life in Chinese Family Restaurants. From the development of "American Chinese" menus, and the pioneers in this business, to intriguing interviews with owners of these (usually small) family-run restaurants, the book is full of stories that are enjoyable and enlightening. One restaurant family he received material from has a restaurant in Montreal -- maybe you have eaten there! Look for the book on the shelf at the Davies Memorial Library next week.

If you enjoy videos, try this one of John Jung talking about this book! (You'll find Professor Jung easy to listen to -- no "Chinese accent," he's a true Californian and a skilled speaker from being a college professor.)

What are you reading now, or what books about our world and our lives do you think would be good to add to our library collection? Email library director Jen D'Agostino at davieslibraryvt@gmail.com with your ideas and book descriptions.