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What do you call a group of crows?

A group of crows is called a murder.

There are many different names for groups of different animals. While a group of crows is called a murder, a group of ravens is known instead as an unkindness. Most people known that a group of lions is known as a pride, but did you know that a group of cranes is known as a sedge?

Some of the group names seem pretty strange, but some of them are definitely appropriate! A group of sharks is known as a shiver, and you would most likely know if an intrusion of cockroaches had invaded your home.

The same goes for the names of baby animals. Most people know that baby cows are called calves. Baby dolphins, hippos, and elephants are also known as calves. A baby hawk is called an eyas, and a baby eels are known as elver.

What city was Winnie the Pooh named after?

How Winnie the Pooh got his name is a very interesting story that starts at the opening of World War I. In 1914, the 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade left the city of Winnipeg, Manitoba. The train had stopped in a remote Northern Ontario community and Lieutenant Harry Coleburn noticed a man sitting at the train station with a bear cub tied to the bench he was sitting on. The man was a hunter who had shot the female bear cub's mother. Harry Coleburn bought the cub from the hunter and took her with the brigade to England.

By the time they reached England, the little bear had been named Winnipeg after Coleburn's adopted city, and was affectionately known by the rest of the brigade as "Winnie".

(Original Winnie the Pooh stuffed toys. Clockwise from bottom left: Tigger, Kanga, Edward Bear (aka Winnie-the-Pooh), Eeyore, and Piglet.)

Winnie became the mascot of the 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade. However, when the brigade was sent to France in December of 1914, Coleburn decided that it would be too dangerous for the little bear cub, and donated her to the London Zoo. She became a popular attraction there, so much so that when Coleburn returned from the war, he decided to leave her in London, though he would continue to visit her throughout her life.

Author A.A. Milne took his son Christopher Robin to the zoo, and Winnie became a fast favorite of his. He named his own bear Winnie after the bear, and Pooh after a swan at the London Zoo.

But if there were, you could find it in the new Grant Resources section of the Milwaukee Public Library's Web site. You can get to it by going to Research Resources, then clicking on the Recommended Links option, from there you can navigate to "Grant Resources".

Whether you're looking for funding to start a new business, or you're thinking of starting a non-profit group, you should check out our Grants Resources to see what resources are available to you on the web. We have done the hard work for you by bringing these sites together and providing a short description of them.

The Grants Resources section contains information on Federal grants, on state grants; it also includes links to websites that will help you put your proposal together. There is more grants information available in print as well. If you are interested in those additional resources, be sure to check them out at the Business, Science, and Technology desk at the Central Library.

What is Milwaukee's Oldest Building?

Did you know that Milwaukee's oldest building isn't even from Milwaukee? It isn't even from the North American continent. In fact, it was built long before Milwaukee was a twinkle in Solomon Juneau's eyes.

The oldest building in Milwaukee is the St. Joan of Arc Chapel on Marquette's campus. It was built in France's Rhone River Valley sometime in the 15th century. It was moved stone by stone to Long Island, New York in 1927. From there it was eventually relocated to its current home on Marquette's campus. Its reconstruction started in July of 1965, and was dedicated May 26, 1966.

For more facts on Milwaukee, and other useful information, check out the Ready Reference Quick Fact File.

What and Where is the last (and still operating) public well in Milwaukee?

The Pryor Avenue (Iron) Well in Bay View, is the last public well in Milwaukee.
It's located at 1700 Pryor Avenue in the Bay View neighborhood. The well was built in 1882 at the site of a naturally flowing artesian spring. Built in 1882 and named for its high iron content, water continuously flows from the pressurized aquifer below. The water is free to the public and water quality tests are performed regularly by the health department and DNR to ensure safety.

For more facts on Milwaukee, and other useful information, check out the Ready Reference Quick Fact File.

Did you know that Milwaukee County is made up of 19 different municipalities?

The population for the county is 915,097 people. Of those about 62% or approximately 573,378 live in the City of Milwaukee.

The other cities and villages that make up Milwaukee County are:
Bayside (pop. 4,518), Brown Deer (pop. 12,170), Cudahy (pop. 18,429), Fox Point (pop. 7,012), Franklin (pop. 29,494), Glendale (pop. 13,367), Greendale (pop. 13,860), Greenfield (pop. 35,476), Hales Corners (pop. 7,765), Milwaukee (pop. 573,378), Oak Creek (pop. 28,456), River Hills (pop. 1,631), Shorewood (pop. 13,763), South Milwaukee (pop. 21,256), St. Francis (pop. 8,662), Wauwatosa (pop. 44,798), West Allis (pop. 61,254), West Milwaukee (pop. 4,201), Whitefish Bay (pop. 13,508)

All population numbers are based on 2006 Census estimates.

Did you know that Wisconsin is the birthplace of six NASA Astronauts?

Chaio, Leroy - born August 28, 1960 in Milwaukee.
Williams, Jeffrey N. - born January 18, 1958 in Superior.
Lee, Mark C. - born August 14, 1952 in Viroqua.
Brandenstein, Daniel C. - born January 17, 1943 in Watertown.
Michel, F. Curtis - born June 5, 1934 in LaCrosse.
Slayton, Donald K. ("Deke") - born March 1, 1924 in Sparta.

Source: NASA - Astronaut Fact Book - January 2005
Date of Verification: September 28, 2007

Did you know that Milwaukee has an official flower?

It's true. Milwaukee's official flower is the geranium. It was selected in 1966. Prior to that, the official flower was the nasturtium, and was selected in 1923.

By contrast, the state's official flower is the wood violet.

MAY FLOWER

Did you know that this year marked the 60th anniversary of the National Thanksgiving Turkey presentation at the White House? The event first took place in 1947 during President Harry Truman's administration. One of this year's pardoned turkeys, May and Flower, will be honored as the grand marshal of the Thanksgiving Day Parade in Walt Disney World. For more information about Thanksgiving at the White House, check out their Website.

Also, don't forget that all Milwaukee Public Libraries will be closed on Thursday, November 22, and Friday, November 23! Happy Thanksgiving!

Where does the term "bubbler" originate?

The origin of the term is believed to date back to 1888 when Harlan Huckleby of the Kohler Company (Kohler, Wisconsin) developed the first modern drinking fountain which was trademarked as “The Bubbler”. To this day, many Wisconsinites use the term “bubbler” in place of “drinking fountain”.
Source: Minnesota Daily Web site

Did you know that Milwaukee Public Library participates in a statewide and national cooperative of libraries providing 24 hour reference service? The Wisconsin AskAway service is part of a national consortia called QuestionPoint which involves librarians from dozens of institutions nationwide.
Log on to www.mpl.org at any time of the day or night and chat with a librarian. Click on the AskAway link found on the right side of the MPL homepage to get started. In addition to live chat, the library also provides e-mail reference service to assist with questions. During regular library hours, call Milwaukee's time honored Ready Reference service at (414) 286 - 3011 for telephone service. Also, don't forget your Central and Neighborhood Libraries for in person assistance.

In honor of the snow we have been experiencing in Milwaukee over the past week or so, here are some quick weather facts from the Ready Reference Quick Fact File. These should help us feel a little better about the weather we have been having this December.

(Weather map from December 2, 2007 showing accumulation of snow across the country. Source: NOAA Weather Maps)

Coldest day:
The record low temperature for Milwaukee was set on January 17, 1982 at negative 26 degrees F. This mark was tied on February 3, 1996. (Source: National Weather Service)

Hottest day:
The record high temperature for Milwaukee was set on July 24, 1934 at 105 degrees F. (Source: National Weather Service)

Records for snow:
Maximum snowfall in a 24 hour period: 20.3 inches on February 4th – 5th, 1924.
Largest single snowstorm: 26.0 inches from February 19th – 21st, 1898.
Maximum snowfall in a single month: 52.6 inches in January, 1918.
Maximum total winter snowfall: 109.8 inches in 1885/1886.
Maximum measured depth of snow: 33 inches on January 27th, 1979. (Source: Extreme Weather by Christopher Burt, 2004, 551.5 B973)

Record for wind chill:
The record wind-chill was set on January 10, 1982 at negative 83 degrees F. (Source: National Weather Service)

Milwaukee Earthquakes

Did you know that Milwaukee feels the occasional earthquake? It's true, in fact the last tremor that Milwaukee felt was on June 28, 2004, and the epicenter was in northern Illinois. There have been at least 20 different occasions where tremors have been felt in Milwaukee in the last 140 years.

So even though Milwaukee lies within one of the zones of least hazard for earthquakes, it still gets the occasional tremor. For more information on earthquakes in the United States and the world, check out the U.S. Geological Survey's Earthquake Center web site.

How long did the Orphan train run?

The Orphan Train Movement lasted from 1854 through 1929. In that time, approximately 200,000 orphaned, abandoned, or homeless children were put on the so-called "Orphan Train" and were relocated to the American West. The Children's Aid Society thought that in this way, these children might gain new families while helping out the pioneers who were settling the frontiers.

The train stopped in 47 states and in Canada. At each stop, townspeople who were interested would gather to inspect the children, and take home those they thought to be likely candidates. After the children had successfully completed a brief trial period, they would become indentured to their host families.

While this program is widely thought of as the beginning of documented foster care, it was not without controversy. Interestingly enough, the controversy came from both sides of the abolitionist movement. Many abolitionists believed that the children were ending up being slaves to their host families, while those who advocated slavery saw it as an outgrowth of the abolitionist movement. After all, who would need slaves when these children provided labor that made slaves unnecessary?

Because there were a large number of children who went west on the Orphan Trains, some genealogists have had problems tracing the ancestry of their relatives who may have hailed from the Orphan Train Movement. There are some resources available for those who are attempting to follow the ancestry of those children. Since so many of them came originally from New York City, many of these resources are from the city.

When is Kwanzaa?

Kwanzaa begins on December 26th and continues through January 1st. It is an African American celebration of family, culture, and community. This holiday has roots in ancient African celebrations of the first harvest. In fact, the term Kwanzaa comes from the Swahili phrase "matunda ya kwanza" which means "first fruits." Dr. Maulana Karenga, an African American scholar and activist, held the first modern Kwanzaa celebration in 1966. Learn more about Kwanzaa at the holiday's official Website.

Looking for a fun way to celebrate Kwanzaa? Today, Thursday, December 27, children ages 6-12 can come to Atkinson Library from 2:00-3:00 p.m. or Martin Luther King Library from 2:00-3:00 p.m. to make a Kwanzaa craft to take home.

What do you call a group of crows?

A group of crows is called a murder.

There are many different names for groups of different animals. While a group of crows is called a murder, a group of ravens is known instead as an unkindness. Most people known that a group of lions is known as a pride, but did you know that a group of cranes is known as a sedge?

Some of the group names seem pretty strange, but some of them are definitely appropriate! A group of sharks is known as a shiver, and you would most likely know if an intrusion of cockroaches had invaded your home.

The same goes for the names of baby animals. Most people know that baby cows are called calves. Baby dolphins, hippos, and elephants are also known as calves. A baby hawk is called an eyas, and a baby eels are known as elver.

What day was infamous gangster Al Capone born?

Alphonse Gabriel Capone, also known as "Scarface" was born January 17, 1899 in Brooklyn. He started into his life of crime at a young age, and quickly progressed from petty crimes to more serious trouble.

(Mug shot of Al Capone as a teenager)

He was moved out to Chicago, and with prohibition being in swing, made a name for himself with bootlegging. He became especially notorious for orchestrating what became known as the St. Valentine's Day Massacre in Chicago, in which seven members of a rival gang were murdered.

Even though he participated in many heinous acts, he was eventually incarcerated for the relatively minor infraction of income tax evasion. He was tried in 1931, and was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison, but ultimately only served six and a half years in prison.

He died January 26, 1947, of heart failure.

When did Martin Luther King, Jr. Day become a holiday?

The chronology of this holiday is actually quite complicated.

Dr. King was assassinated in Atlanta April 8, 1968. It wasn't until five years, in 1973, later that the first state signed a law making Dr. King's birthday a holiday. That state was Illinois, and the bill was sponsored by then assemblyman Harold Washington.

A bill was introduced in congress in 1968, after Dr. King's death to have his birthday observed as a national holiday. However, it wasn't until November 3, 1983 that President Reagan signed a bill establishing Martin Luther King, Jr. Day as a national holiday, taking place the third Monday of each January, with observance to officially begin January 20, 1986.

In 1986, the first time Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was observed as a national holiday, only 17 states had passed bills officially observing the holiday. By 1989, the number of states observing the holiday had grown to 44. In 1999, New Hampshire, the last state signed legislation making Martin Luther King, Jr. Day a state holiday.

In many communities, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is becoming a day of service and reflection for the community.

Are you looking for tax forms or tax assistance?

Here are some tips to help you get started:

If you make $45,000 per year or less, then you are eligible for free tax assistance from VITA (IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance). The Social Development Commission has prepared a schedule for locations in the Milwaukee area. Please consult the flyer for details on where to visit and what to bring.

If you need a specific tax form, visit the IRS Forms link for a list of federal forms to print. Likewise, for Wisconsin State forms --visit the Wisconsin Department of Revenue site.

The Milwaukee Central Library and Milwaukee neighborhood libraries have the most common Federal and State paper forms available for distribution but do not have tax advice capability.

If you need advice on which tax forms you need, call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 for Federal or call 414-227-4000 for Wisconsin.

Do you live in the City of Milwaukee and want to know where to vote on February 19th? Check the Election Commission Voting Location & Representatives Inquiry and type in your address to find out where to vote and who your representatives are. The polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m.

Also, if you're curious about how your views align with the Presidential candidates, take the Vote by Issue quiz and see your results!

Did you know that February is Black History Month?

An idea proposed by black historian Carter G. Woodson, Black History Month began in 1926 as Negro History Week. Dr. Woodson selected a particular week in February as a time to celebrate African American achievement because it coincided with the birthdays of both Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. In 1976, the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), founded by Dr. Woodson, established Black History Month. For more information about Black History Month, go to ASALH's Website. Also, check out our events calendar for Black History Month celebrations in Milwaukee Public Libraries.

Did you know that Cream City brick is native to the Milwaukee area?

These bricks were one of the most common building materials used in Milwaukee during the mid and late 1800's, giving the city the nickname "Cream City."

According to the History of Milwaukee Wisconsin, Volume VII p. 1505, "The clay from which these bricks are made contain a large proportion of lime and some sulphur. The sulphur gives the creamy tint, which no other bricks present, and the opening of a kiln discovers the condensed flour of sulphur which adheres to the surface of the topmost bricks like a yellow frost."

Cream City bricks are well-known for their durability; many buildings constructed with them in the 1800's still stand today. One example is the Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, which was built more than 125 years ago.

Cream City bricks are porous which tends to make structures dark-colored as time passes. Once Cream City bricks absorb pollutants, they are difficult to clean, a problem with which restoration experts in Milwaukee have been faced since the 1970s. Initially, sandblasting was attempted; however, it not only proved to be ineffective, but was damaging to the bricks. Currently, chemical washes are the most effective and accepted method of cleaning Cream City bricks.

What is a leap year?

Every four years, an extra day is added to our calendar year, making it 366 days long rather than the usual 365. This additional day comes at the end of February, therefore February 29th is often referred to as "leap day."

The origins of leap year date far back in history:

In 45 BC Julius Caesar…decided to use a purely solar calendar. This calendar, known as the Julian calendar, fixed the normal year at 365 days, and the leap year, every fourth year, at 366 days. Leap year is so named because the extra day causes any date after February in a leap year to 'leap' over one day in the week and to occur two days later in the week than it did in the previous year, rather than just one day later as in a normal year. (from MSN Encarta)

Part of the purpose of a leap year is to keep our calendar in alignment with the earth's movement around the sun. For more information about this and other leap year facts, check out timeanddate.com.

Daylight Saving Time 2008 - Sunday March 9th

Per the Energy Policy Act of 2005, beginning in 2007, Daylight Saving Time will begin on the second Sunday of March and end the first Sunday of November. In spring, clocks are advanced from 2 a.m. to 3 a.m. In fall, clocks are set back from 2 a.m. to 1 a.m. Recent and future dates are as follows:

2005 – spring ahead on April 3rd, fall back on October 30th
2006 – spring ahead on April 2nd, fall back on October 29th
2007 – spring ahead on March 11th, fall back on November 4th
2008 – spring ahead on March 9th, fall back on November 2nd
2009 – spring ahead on March 8th, fall back on November 1st

Are you working on a term paper or doing original research? Do you need to cite your sources in the APA Style, MLA Style, Turabian Style or Chicago Style? Look no further--give BibMe a try. It is a free resource which will convert your citations into any of the above styles and keep them in a bibliography for you. Available formats for conversion include books, magazines, websites, journals, films and newspapers. So spend more time researching and leave the citation formatting to BibMe.

Zillow.com

Spring is finally creeping into Milwaukee and along with the weather, the housing market will soon be heating up. A really interesting website for researching homes is Zillow.com. It provides comprehensive information on individual homes with charts and data about taxes and valuation as well as aerial views of the home and neighborhood. Look at homes locally or nationally. Whether you're interested in buying or selling a home or you just want to see what's out there, Zillow is a powerful tool.

dMarie Time Capsule is a useful website for providing highlights of a particular day and year from 1800 to the current day. Included are top news headlines, popular songs, toys and books. Find out what may have been on television that day as well as which notable figures celebrate a birthday on that day. The user can choose the quick page option or the advanced page option. The advanced page option enables the user to create personal headlines. This site could greatly assist with homework assignments, birthday celebrations, scrapbooking projects and more.

Does it take more muscles to frown than to smile?

The saying that it takes more muscles to frown than to smile has seemingly been around forever. In fact, the saying has been around for so long that no one seems to be able to figure out exactly what its origins are.

Further muddying the waters on this question is the fact that there seems to be a lot of disagreement as to the numbers of muscles it takes to smile or to frown. The number of muscles to smile ranges anywhere from four to 20, while the number of muscles to frown ranges from 20 to 100.

Some of these numbers can not be true. For example, an article from Psychology Today states that there are 44 muscles in the face. Other sources list up to 53 muscles in the face. Either way, it means that it would be impossible to use 100 muscles to frown.

Some light has been shed on the entire quandary by Dr. David H. Song, a plastic surgeon as well as Assistant Professor at the University of Chicago Hospitals. As someone whose livelihood is wrapped up in the reconstruction of faces, he knows about facial muscles.

It is his contention that when counting all the muscles it takes to smile and all the muscles it takes to frown, that it actually takes one more muscle to smile than it does to frown. He lists 12 muscles to smile, but only 11 muscles to frown.

Wisconsin is famous for many things: cheese, breweries, motorcycles, and of course, bratwurst! Although Sheboygan holds the title of "Bratwurst Capital of the World," Milwaukee is home to many connoisseurs of this German sausage. If you have ever wanted to make your own brats, here is what you need to know. Taken from MPL's Ready Reference Historic Recipe File, this recipe for broiled bratwurst was published in the January 19, 1967 edition of the Milwaukee Journal.

Bratwurst

Combine all ingredients; put through grinder three times. Mix with 1/2 cup water; fill pork casings. To serve, prepare broiled bratwurst. Broiled bratwurst: Cover bratwurst with hot water. Bring to a boil and remove from heat immediately. Let stand in hot water a few minutes until firm. Drain; dip bratwurst into milk. Place in broiler and cook until golden brown under low to moderate heat. Serves four.

Did you know that you have access to the BadgerLink Databases through the library? The Wisconsin State Department of Instruction provides access to several high quality databases through libraries and schools. One place you can find Badgerlink is from the category of Library Databases found in the Research Resources Page on the MPL home page.
Now there are webcasts available on how to use BadgerLink Resources for Kids, Ethnic Information Resources in BadgerLink, Humanities Resources in BadgerLink and Newspaper Resources in BadgerLink. Listen and view these webcasts for a good introduction to learning using these databases. Take your research to the next level and don't forget to call, visit or e-mail the library for more information and search tips.

View the BadgerLink Webcasts

What are the shortest and longest streets in Milwaukee?

The shortest street in the City of Milwaukee is S. Davidson St. It is a mere 55.91 feet long.

By contrast the longest North-South running street is 27th St., which runs 11.89 miles. The longest East-West running street is Oklahoma Ave., which runs 8.33 miles. Finally, the longest diagonal street is Fond du Lac Ave., which runs 8.7 miles.

For other information on streets in Milwaukee, a great source to check out is the book Milwaukee Streets: the Stories Behind Their Names by Carl Baehr. He explores the stories behind their names and provides other interesting facts such as previous names of certain streets.

Getting together with family and friends this Memorial Day weekend? Searching for a great dish to bring? Try this recipe for German Potato Salad from the August 5, 1981 edition of the Milwaukee Journal. This dish is another Milwaukee favorite!

German Potato Salad

8 cups cooked salad potatoes, peeled, sliced and still warm (about 3 1/2 pounds)
1/2 cup (1 medium) finely sliced onion
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon celery seed
salt and pepper
6 slices bacon
2 tablespoons flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 cup water
1/4 cup bottled lemon juice
2 hard-cooked eggs, sliced
parsley sprigs for garnish

In large bowl, combine potatoes with onion, parsley, celery seed, and salt and pepper to taste.

In medium skillet, fry bacon until crisp. Remove bacon and set aside, reserving drippings in pan. Add flour, sugar, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper to drippings. Stir well. Bring just to boil; reduce heat.

Meanwhile, in small bowl, beat egg slightly. Add vinegar, water, and lemon juice. Slowly add egg mixture to mixture in pan. Stir and cook over low heat until thickened, about 3 to 4 minutes. Pour over potato mixture; mix lightly. Crumble reserved bacon over potatoes and mix lightly again. Garnish with hard-cooked eggs and parsley. Serve warm. Makes 10 to 12 servings.

On May 26, 1955, a couple of mountain climbers made history by becoming the first to reach the summit of Mount Everest. Those climbers were Edmund Hillary (who passed away earlier this year) and a Sherpa guide Tenzing Norkay.

Numerous attempts had been made to reach the summit, starting as early as the spring of 1922. Other attempts were made over the next thirty odd years, but all proved unsuccessful until 1955.

Since the scaling of Everest by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norkay, over 2000 people have climbed to the mountain's peak. Of those more than 2000 climbers, nearly 200 have died in the attempt.

Is the high cost of gasoline impacting your household budget? Check out fueleconomy.gov to explore different types of vehicles and how they impact the costs both to you and to the environment. Learn about gas mileage (MPG), greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution ratings, and safety information for new and used cars and trucks. The site also links to websites that monitor local gasoline prices. Are you eligible for a tax incentive for your alternative energy vehicle? Find out at fueleconomy.gov.

Summer is officially here, so why not celebrate with some homemade frozen vanilla custard! From the June 28, 1962 edition of the Milwaukee Journal, here is a recipe to try.

Frozen Vanilla Custard

1 egg, separated
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 small can evaporated milk (2/3) cup, chilled icy cold

Beat egg yolk. Add sugar and vanilla. Beat until sugar is dissolved. Beat egg white until stiff. Fold into yolk mixture. Whip milk until it is stiff and will hold a peak. Fold in egg mixture lightly. Pour at once into cold freezing tray and freeze. Makes one pint.

(Want to make it chocolate custard?)

Cocoa: Omit sugar. Use in its place a syrup made by blending one-fourth cup sugar, one-fourth cup cocoa and one-half cup water and boiling until thick. Chill syrup, then add to the beaten egg yolks.

Enjoy!

Every year in early July Americans celebrate Independence Day. Have you ever wondered what exactly happened on July 4, 1776?

From Encyclopedia Americana:

"Independence Day...commemorates the formal adoption of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776. Although the resolution for independence was passed by the Congress on July 2 and most of the members did not sign the declaration until August 2, the Fourth of July has always been celebrated as the anniversary of national independence. On that day in 1776 the document, as edited by a congressional committee, was approved by the delegates, and the president of the Congress, John Hancock, made it official with his signature."

To learn more about Independence Day in the U.S., check out pbs.org and USA.org.

Looking for a way to cool off this weekend? Try this recipe for Citrus Slush adapted from the Milwaukee Journal on September 8, 1982. It makes a lot, so why not invite over your family, your friends or even the whole neighborhood!

Citrus Slush

4 cans (6 ounces each) frozen tangerine or orange juice concentrate or combination
1 quart pineapple sherbet
3 cups water
9 quarts white soda (about)
9 oranges, lemons and/or limes, sliced, for garnish (about)

To make slush, thaw juice concentrates and soften sherbet. In 3-quart airtight freezer container, combine concentrates, sherbet and water. Freeze 8 hours or overnight, until firm.

To serve, let mixture stand 10 minutes at room temperature. Scoop frozen mixture into 2 1/2-or 3-quart serving bowl. Fill bottom of larger bowl with layer of ice cubes and insert bowl of slush into bowl. Fill in space around side of bowl with more ice cubes. For each serving, spoon about 2 1/2 tablespoons slush into glass; pour in white soda and garnish with fruit slice. Makes 9 1/2 to 10 cups slush or about 60 servings, 6 ounces each.

Looking for something delicious to have with your morning coffee or tea?
Try this easy recipe from the October 11, 1973 edition of the Milwaukee Sentinel:

Fresh Banana Lemon Tea Bread

2/3 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (3 bananas)
6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon grated fresh lemon rind

In large bowl, cream shortening with sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in bananas and lemon juice. Sift together flour, baking soda and salt. Blend into banana mixture; stir in lemon rind. Turn into greased 9 by 5 by 3 inch loaf pan. Bake in 325 degree oven for one hour or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pan and cool. Sift confectioners' sugar over top, if desired, before serving.

The Milwaukee Public Library's focus on the Menomonee River Valley continues with another exciting program at Central Library.

On Wednesday, September 3 at 6:30 p.m. in Central Library's first floor meeting room, the Menomonee Valley Partners, Inc. will give a presentation on the history and current attractions of the Menomonee River Valley, as well answer any questions you may have. MVP is a group of businesses, neighborhood associations, and government agencies working to restore the Valley economically, ecologically, geographically, and culturally. For more information about MVP, check out www.renewthevalley.org.

While you are here, be sure to visit the Menomonee River exhibit on the second floor of the library!

Need answers? AskAway! This week MPL is celebrating the amazing AskAway reference service!

AskAway is a virtual library reference service staffed by professionals around the clock from around the world. AskAway is there when you need information or help with research, using databases, or searching the Web, etc.

You can chat online with a librarian 24 hours a day, seven days a week by visiting www.askaway.info. Or to access AskAway from the MPL home page, click on "AskAway" in the right hand column.

AskAway is a free statewide cooperative reference service of Wisconsin libraries made possible by the library and a grant administered by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.

The Wisconsin Gas Company building has been part of Milwaukee's skyline for years. The distinctive flame atop the building is not only decorative, but also gives a 24-hour weather forecast.

The photo is from the Historic Photo Collection located in the Central Library's Humanities Department. For questions about the Historic Photo Collection call (414) 286-3061.

However, the colors can be confusing to those people who don't know this rhyme:

When the flame is red, there's warm weather ahead!
When the flame is gold, watch out for cold!
When the flame is blue, there's no change in view!
When there's a flickering flame, expect snow or rain!

The flame has also been used as a navigation aid by Great Lakes captains. After all, the flame is 21 feet tall, it weighs four tons, and it can be seen from as far away as 30 miles!

[The information for this entry was found in MPL's Ready Reference Quick Fact File. Make sure you visit the Quick Fact File for other interesting and useful tidbits of information.]

that the first Thanksgiving celebrated in North America was actually celebrated by the explorer Martin Frobisher in Canada.

It was celebrated in 1578 (a full 34 years before the first Thanksgiving was celebrated in the United States) in what would later become the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. The celebration was to give thanks for surviving the long voyage from England. He was attempting to find the Northwest Passage to India and China.

Thanksgiving and harvest festivals have been celebrated all over the world for millennia. You can find out more information here.

There is a lesser known search tool in the search engine category called Answers.com. This engine stands out from the pack due to its content. What makes them different? They started with 180 authoritative titles purchased from reference publishers and then added patented database technology, to provide very informational pages on a subject. There are also original articles from Answers.com's in-house editorial team as well as Wikipedia content.
For other alternatives to Google, check out the Internet Search Tools category on the MPL home page under the category of Recommended Links.

It's true! Back when the Central Library shared the building with the Milwaukee Public Museum, a lion cub named Simba lived and grew up here.

From 1898 to 1966, the Milwaukee Public Museum shared space with the Milwaukee Public Library in the Central Library building, until they moved to their current home. In early 1929, the museum's Cudahy-Massee African expedition brought back the lion cub orphan named Simba.

He lived in the taxidermy department on the fourth floor. He played with the museum staff and his favorite toy was a bowling ball. He exercised on the roof and catnapped in a doghouse. When he outgrew his museum home, he moved to the Washington Park Zoo in July 1929. He died in 1943. Simba is currently on display in the museum's African Savanna exhibit.

It looks like our library mascot Browser has some fine pedigree.

For more information on Simba, check out the book Timba, Simba & Sambo from your local library.
[Submitted by Dan Lee.]

Do you have a song playing in your head, commonly known as an earworm, but cannot remember the details of who sang it or who covered it? Allmusic.com is the site to visit to answer all such nagging questions. It comprehensively lists facts about an album or artist, including title, tracks, genre, label, credits, release date, and cover and artist images. You can search by song, album, group or classical work. The site covers all genres. So scratch that musical itch with Allmusic.com!

For other useful sites, check out the Music Category on the MPL Homepage under Recommended Links.

We live in America's Dairyland and we are often referred to as Cheeseheads, so why not celebrate National Dairy Month with a tribute to our State's great dairy product--CHEESE!

Our cheese-making history goes back to 1841 and Mrs. Anne Pickett who started the very first Wisconsin cottage industry cheese factory using milk from neighbors' cows. Today, Wisconsin produces over 600 varieties of cheese and the cheese made here wins more awards than any other state or country.

MPL has many great resources to expand your cheese knowledge! For starters, you can check out the book pictured above or watch the DVD, Living on the Wedge: Wisconsin's Artisan Cheesemakers.

For more information about Wisconsin cheese, take a look at www.eatwisconsincheese.com, the Web site of the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board.

Now that it is officially summer in Milwaukee, the orange barrels (the city's unofficial summer flower) have been sprouting up along various streets and roadways. The construction season can cause a huge hassle if you're not prepared for it. However, tools do exist to help minimize the headaches caused by the repaving of roadways.

Information is available at the city level. The Department of Public Works (DPW) lists construction projects that may affect traffic patterns. Also available from the city is a powerful tool called Map Milwaukee. Among other things, it has a tool that allows the user to view current and upcoming paving projects in the city. To view a description of how to use this feature, and to access Map Milwaukee, click here.

Available from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation is an up to the minute map of Milwaukee-area congestion levels for the various freeways that go through and around Milwaukee. Also available are listings of Milwaukee-area lane and ramp closures.

These tools should help to minimize some of the impact that construction has on traffic patterns in Milwaukee.

Milwaukee Public Library is an official Patent and Trademark Depository Library. A Patent and Trademark Depository Library (PTDL) is a library designated by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) to receive and house copies of U.S. patents and patent and trademark materials, to make them freely available to the public, and to actively disseminate patent and trademark information.

Once a month, a librarian from the Business and Technology Department presents a free workshop on how to conduct a patent search. Please call 414-286-3051 if you have any questions.

For additional resources including the Patent and Trademark Department's searchable database, peruse the links in the Patents & Trademarks category on the Milwaukee Public Library home page under Recommended Links.

MPL has added a new index to its online collection of Finding Tools!

The Wisconsin Land Ownership Map and Plat Book Index is a listing of the plat books and maps in the MPL collection that show property ownership. These books and maps are particularly useful to genealogists and house historians as they give the names of the owners of individual land parcels.

Ranging from 1858 to the present, the collection includes all of Wisconsin's counties. Note that the library does not have a plat book or map for each county for every year.

The index is arranged alphabetically by name of county. Each entry includes the name of the county covered and the year during which the map or book was published. Also included are the call number and location code, which assist the librarian in locating the volume within the collection.

All of the resources in the index can be found in Central Library's Humanities Department. Please contact the Humanities Desk at (414) 286-3061 for more information.

Downloadable audio books are digital books the library is making available through a service called OverDrive. They are available via a computer to those with home computers, MP3 players and laptops. After 14 days, the book disappears from the person’s computer and is available for the next patron to check out. You can checkout a maximum of four items from OverDrive.

Recently OverDrive has updated its download center to enable 1,000 audiobook titles for Apple devices, including I-pods. To find these 1,000 Apple-friendly titles, go to the navigation pane on the left under "Take A Look", and follow the new link to "i-Pod compatible audiobooks".

Have any other questions? Follow the HELP link in the upper right hand corner of any page in the download center or click here for more information from the OverDrive FAQ.

MPL's Wisconsin Artists Index contains over 2300 citations and was compiled by librarians who indexed over 40 books about Wisconsin art and artists. The citations are arranged by artist in alphabetical order. Birth and death dates of artists are included when available (for identification purposes) and may sometimes be incomplete.

All of the indexed books are available for use in the Central Library’s Art, Music & Recreation Reference Room. Duplicates of some of the materials may be available for check out at Central and for reference use or check out at your nearest neighborhood library. For additional information about the index or Wisconsin artists not listed there, please contact the Art, Music & Recreation Department by phone at 414-286-3071 or electronically through AskAway.

RealClearPolitics.com is an independent political website. It is updated every morning and throughout the day with the latest polling data, commentary and election analysis. Editorials and topics from all perspectives are gathered and maintained for your convenience.

For additional databases and links on the subject of Politics, check out the Politics Category from the Recommended Links section of the Milwaukee Public Library home page.

Disability.gov is an award-winning federal Web site that contains disability-related resources on programs, services, laws and regulations to help people with disabilities lead full, independent lives. Disability.gov provides critical information on a variety of topics, including benefits, civil rights, community life, education, emergency preparedness, employment, housing, health, technology and transportation.

For additional databases and links on this subject, check out the Resources for People with Disabilities Category from the Recommended Links section of the Milwaukee Public Library home page.

Research environmental information about your community using the EPA - Where You Live Community Profiles website. Find out detailed information about hazardous waste, air quality and facility compliance. Enter your zip code and choose from five databases from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency website.
For additional databases and links on this subject, check out the Science and Technology Category from the Recommended Links section of the Milwaukee Public Library home page.

Did you know that Hispanic Heritage Month begins on September 15th?

In September 1968, Congress authorized President Johnson to proclaim National Hispanic Heritage Week. The observance was expanded in 1988 to a month-long celebration (Sept. 15 - Oct. 15).

Sept. 15 was selected as the start of the celebration because it is the anniversary of independence of five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on Sept. 16 and Sept. 18, respectively.

Now is the time to celebrate the culture and traditions of those who trace their roots to Spain, Mexico and the Spanish-speaking nations of Central America, South America and the Caribbean!

Check out these books to learn more about Hispanic culture.

President Obama has proclaimed October as National Information Literacy Awareness Month. In our time of twenty-four hour television news and Internet content, the skills necessary to find and evaluate authoritative information is more critical than ever before. The MPL home page is a good place to start for finding credible information. So if you find yourself overwhelmed by information overload, contact your local Milwaukee Public Library for tips on how to separate the facts from the fiction.

The United States Federal Census is taken every ten years by the Department of Commerce. The Census Bureau is currently gearing up for the next Census tabulation slated to begin in 2010. This in-depth data provides statistics on population, housing, economics and geography for the United States. Census data is a gold mine of authoritative information for businessess, researchers, historians and anyone else interested in data. Before the advent of the electronic 2000 Census, people would rely on the dozens of paper indexes and tables that would slowly become available to the library. Looking for specific information was often difficult to find. Now with the American FactFinder, Census data is at your fingertips.

For other websites on different types of statistics, check out the Statistics Category on the MPL Homepage under Recommended Links.

On January 6, 1878, Carl Sandburg, American author, editor and son of the Midwest, was born. Much of Sandburg's poetry focused on Chicago, a city he famously described as "Hog Butcher for the World...City of the Big Shoulders." He received Pulitzer Prizes for The Complete Poems of Carl Sandburg and Abraham Lincoln: The War Years and was the author of the beloved Rootabaga Stories for children. (Does anyone else remember Pony Pony Huckabuck?) On the local front, Sandburg served as secretary to Milwaukee's Mayor Emil Seidel, the first Socialist mayor of a major city in the U.S. For more information about Seidel, check out MPL's Milwaukee Mayors Digital Collection.

On February 10, 1992, American author Alex Haley died at the age of 70. Haley was best known for Roots: The Saga of an American Family, which, combining fact and fiction, described the history of his family beginning in mid-18th century Africa. Haley's fame grew after an eight-part dramatization of the book appeared on television in 1977. That same year, he received the Spingarn Medal, awarded annually by the NAACP for the highest achievement by an American of African descent. If you're inspired to research your own family tree, the Milwaukee Public Library has many books, as well as websites highlighted under Genealogy at the MPL home page's Recommended Links.

The 159th Wisconsin State Fair is on now through August 15. It is the perfect opportunity to experience the sights, sounds, and tastes of Wisconsin.

To learn more about the fair, check out the book 150 Years of the Wisconsin State Fair: an illustrated history, 1851-2001.

Or you can read up on our great state by perusing:

August 25, 1939 marked the release of the Hollywood classic The Wizard of Oz. The film was based on L. Frank Baum's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, first published in 1900. There are many differences between page and screen, including the fact that the Wicked Witch, portrayed with such malevolent aplomb by actress Margaret Hamilton, has a much larger part in the movie than in the book. Interestingly, her character inspired Gregory Maguire's Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, which, in turn, has been adapted into the Broadway musical Wicked.

Think you know everything there is to know about the Milwaukee Public Library? Make sure you're taking advantage of these five MPL offerings.

1. Regardless of your residency or card-holding status you can call MPL's Ready Reference service at 414-286-3011. This service is offered Monday-Tuesday from 10:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m. and Wednesday-Saturday 9:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Librarians will answer non-research, factual questions that don't take more than 3-5 minutes to answer.

2. During the hours above you can also ask questions through instant message or text and an MPL librarian will answer them.

3. MPL has a number of digital collections and we're working on more. Collections include Milwaukee Historic Photos, Milwaukee Leaders, Remember When and more.

4. MPL is a Patent and Trademark Depository Library. This means we maintain a large collection of patent and trademark materials, including copies of patents granted all the way back to the 1800s. We also offer patent classes.

5. Using our CountyCat catalog you can access links and RSS feeds to new materials divided by subject, genre and format. You can always find the link to new materials on the CountyCat home page under the More Information heading. Click here to check it out.

Did you know that if you spend $6.00 a day less on fast food, you can save $2,190 dollars a year or $43,830 over 20 years? Learn more tips that can help you control your financial future at www.moneysmartweek.org visit any Milwaukee Public Library year-round to pick up a copy of the Money Smart Week Resource Guide.