High Street Neighborhood News

by Adelle Foley

C'mon Out to the NCPC Block Party On Saturday, May 17, the block in front of Horace Mann School (Ygnacio from Congress to Vicksburg) will boast a talking car, finger painting, a fire truck, and "Science in the Hood." The Melrose/High Hopes NCPC chose the block in front of their meeting place for their first block party, and invited Beat 27X. Neighborhood Services Coordinator Ariana Richards is working with the NCPC committee to bring the community together for a few hours of fun and information. Discovery Center's Rich Bolecek will provide the miniscience fair. So bring the kids, and hang out with your neighbors. A Chat with a Teen Librarian One recent Saturday I found teen librarian Rachel Aronowitz at the Branch, so I took the opportunity to find out what she had been doing since she joined the staff in November. Turns out she's been very busy. One of her first tasks is to build the teen collection, using funds put aside for that purpose when the new department was founded. She has started a teen CD section and has begun to update and strengthen the nonfiction section. Along with support for schoolwork through orientation sessions for Fremont High students and help on Senior Projects, Rachel wants to bring young people to the library for fun. She pointed out that teens are not a single group. High-school seniors might be interested in a book about basic baking, while 12- or 13-year-olds would prefer fantasy. At Melrose Branch, graphic novels (often Japanese anime) are popular, along with African-American coming-of-age fiction such as Flyy Girl by Omar Tyree. Dialogue on Butcher Paper Rachel's goal is to make the library an innovative place with exciting programs that attract kids who might not otherwise come in, a place where they can get involved in the community and its issues. Often her strategy is to ask the teens themselves. One example is a dialogue on butcher paper on the teen-room table. The topics, which range from "How Does Music Shape Your Life?" to "Would You Go to War or Go to Jail?", were suggested by the young people themselves. The "War or Jail" paper attracted a variety of comments. Some veered off topic while others were thoughtful. They included "War is not the answer"; "We would be putting lots of lives in danger..."; "I'd go to war to kick some ass"; and the comment, "War it's nothin', murder takes place on my street." How to Raise Your Test Scores If you know a high-school student who would like tips on scoring higher on all kinds of exams, send that student to the Melrose Branch Library or to a phone to call 535-5623. Ask for Pete Villasenor or Rachel Aronowitz, and sign up for the High-School Test-Taking Skills Workshop. The session will take place on Saturday, May 3, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. There's even a free lunch. Softball and Soccer at Brookdale Rec Spring sports will gear up in mid-May when signups are scheduled for softball and soccer. Girls and boys in the third, fourth, and fifth grades can stop by after school on Wednesdays to enroll in the softball program. The team will practice after school on Wednesday and Thursday. Soccer for the same age group will take place on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, starting Monday, May 12. The new session of the preschool Early Birds program will begin on May 6. There is no charge for three- to five-year-olds to play and learn on Tuesday and Wednesday, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Adelle Foley can be reached via e-mail at jasfoley\@aol.com.