Two notable figures from recent American history passed away this week. Andy Rooney, the curmudgeonly commentator on CBS’s 60 Minutes for more than 30 years, died November 4 at the age of 92. Rooney died one month after he had signed off from "60 Minutes" in October after a 33-year run. A statement from CBS News stated that he died of complications following minor surgery. Rooney began his journalism career as a correspondent for the Stars and Stripes newspaper and was awarded a Bronze Star for his work during the Normandy invasion. He joined CBS News in 1949 and joined "60 Minutes" in 1968, first as a producer, then as a commentator ten years later.

Boxer Joe Frazier died November 7 at the age of 67 after a brief battle with liver cancer. Known as Smokin' Joe Frazier, the former heavyweight champion was the first man to beat Muhammad Ali when he knocked him down in the 15th round at Madison Square Garden in March 1971. He was a top amateur for several years before becoming the only American fighter to win a gold medal in the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo.

It's that time of year when 19 million acres of woods slowly explode in a frenzy of color. It's when an entire state is in its annual blaze of glory. It's when autumn arrives in Michigan. And there's no better place to see the dynamic colors of a trillion trees aflame than along our highways, country roads and coastlines. So let's head out to the forests. And let's prepare to be amazed, on the fall color tours of Pure Michigan.

As the Canton Public Library continues to deal with a declining budget, patrons are reminded the "magazine express" program has been discontinued. The following titles remain as single shelf copies with back issues available for checkout — these titles include:

Former Vice President, best-selling author and Nobel Prize co-recipient Al Gore will be the plenary keynote speaker at the International Joint Commission (IJC) Great Lakes Water Quality Biennial Meeting in Detroit, Michigan at 1:15 pm on October 13, 2011. Vice President Gore will be discussing the climate crisis. Seating is limited, so the public is urged to register. Registration is free.
[Photo courtesy of AP Images]

Thursday, October 6, 4:00-5:30pm
Lecture at Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library, Gallery (use Diag entrance)
913 S. University Ave., Ann Arbor, MI

According to Dan Okrent, "The digital revolution has upended the roles of bookstores, libraries, publishers, and, of course, readers. It’s the biggest change in the world of words since Gutenberg, and may turn out to be just as beneficial—or even more so." Daniel Okrent is best known as the first public editor at the New York Times, but he first spent more than 25 years in magazine and book publishing. He has written several books, including Great Fortune: The Epic of Rockefeller Center, which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in history. He also attended the University of Michigan and worked on the Michigan Daily.

Public parking is available in the structure at 650 S. Forest, just south of S. University. Free and open to the public

The Canton Response to Hate Crime Coalition is committed to working to secure the right of every person in Canton to be free from hate crimes and bias-motivated incidents. What is a hate crime? Who are its victims? How do we prevent hate crimes? Come hear the answers and get ideas about how to guide your children in a tolerant, non-violent, non-bullying life. Bring your questions and concerns on Thursday, September 8 at 7:00 PM in the Community Room to Officer Dale Waltz of the Canton Public Safety Department and library director Eva Davis, Coalition co-chair. 

For more than a billion Muslims around the world, including some 8 million in North America, Ramadan is a month of fasting, marked by prayer, fasting and charity. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. Because the lunar calendar is about 11 days shorter than the solar calendar used elsewhere, Islamic holidays move each year. This year Ramadan began at sundown on August 1st.
On this occasion we send our greetings to all Muslims worldwide and special Ramadan Kareem to Muslims in North America.

Some recent viewpoints regarding society's business customer service ratings make for some interesting reading in the July 2011 issue of Consumer Reports. The article on the Consumer Reports website contains these comments. CR is part of the CPL adult magazine collection and is also available for patron in-library use located at Adult Reference.

Ann Arbor, MI is the 4th. well-read city in America. Amazon.com has released its list of Most Well-Read Cities, which they define as the twenty cities in the U.S. with a population of over 100,000 whose inhabitants order the most books, magazines, and periodicals in print and digital editions from the site per capita. The criteria are somewhat vague as cities are rated by their purchasing habits. It's interesting to note how many of these cities are university towns.

Be an armchair traveler and visit the National Parks with the help of David Moorman travel specialist of AAA of Michigan. The presentation Traveling our National Parks is scheduled for Thursday, June 9th at 7:00PM in our Community Room. Almost everyone's fondest memories growing up are of summer vacations the family took together. For outdoor enthusiasts, the National Parks encompass stunning stretches of scenery and perfect mountains for hiking and miles and miles of spectacular terrain. Whether you want expert advise on the Big Meadows of Shenandoah National Park or take in the peaks of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, the presentation Traveling our National Parks is for you. Apart from being informative and fun, you will also have a chance to win two free tickets to Cedar Point or a car safety kit which will be given away at the presentation.