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Calories, culture at library
Chocolate Fest, blues concert two of many programs
Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2011
 Click here to enlarge this photo Above, staff photo by EMILY BARNES. Right, staff photo by SARA K. TAYLOR
Becky McCord, 14, left, and her mother, Nancy, read from a book of poetry during Chocolate Fest Saturday at the La Plata library.
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The weather might have been rainy and gray, but area libraries were lit up Saturday with programs that drew crowds interested in chocolate and acoustic blues — just not at the same time.
Chocolate Fest, held at the La Plata branch for those in ninth grade and older, focused on the history of the sweet treat and readied participants for the upcoming holiday.
"It's something different to get you in the spirit for Valentine's Day," said Tracy Higdon of La Plata, of the activity which she attended with her son, Luke Mahaney, 14, and his girlfriend, Taylor Curtin, 13.
Higdon praised the library for its various programs, adding that she and her family take full advantage of the library and its services.
Nancy McCord, mother of triplets Becky, Bobbie and Billy, 14, echoed Higdon's accolades for the library.
"We love the library," said McCord of Waldorf, who along with her teens and husband, Mike, devotes Thursday evenings to visits to the Potomac branch to pick up new reads.
When she spots programs that pique her interest, she gets the family involved.
At first it was a tough sell to her teenagers. They have gone to programs where they made holiday gifts and constructed birdhouses.
"The first time, they didn't want to go," McCord admitted, but the tunes soon changed. "Now they do not want to leave."
The Chocolate Fest was a natural fit for Mike McCord, whose wife describes him as "a chocolate maniac."
Samples of chocolate — bits of nine different confections that were rated by consumers — were handed out by public services librarians Joan Goldberg, while circulation assistant Karla Brown oversaw a game of Mad Libs. Participants also took to poetry books in search of the sappiest offering.
The event, developed by children and young adult librarian Susie Koch, is a sweet way to introduce the library to young patrons.
"[They can] see what we do," said Koch, who was inspired to host the fest after reading about a similar program in a book. "We hope we're a vital part of their world."
While teens were savoring their afternoon in La Plata, the Potomac branch was in a jam.
Members of the Archie Edwards Blues Heritage Foundation touted the musical tradition they were helping keep alive with a small concert.
"It's music that is handmade," said Eleanor Ellis, a fixture in the Washington, D.C., music scene and one of the founding members of the foundation, which strives to keep the blues tradition alive. "This is music that is part of our history, it has a story. It is truly an American art form that has actually grown up in this country."
The sessions and concerts are open to children. In fact, the foundation encourages the commotion that often comes with the younger set.
In bold lettering in its "jam etiquette and playing tips" is "Kids are welcome. They make noise. No problem."
Saturday's concert was co-sponsored by the Charles County Arts Alliance and the Maryland State Art Council and it was in keeping with the foundation's mission to take its music to the people.
"We want to show people this," Ellis said of the music. "People come by and we meet them, they come to the barbershop and a lot of groups are formed by jamming."
The late Archie Edwards owned a barbershop in the District. On Saturday afternoons he would shut down the hair-cutting business and invite musicians to the shop for jam sessions.
Open to experts and novices, young and old, black and white, the gatherings provided musicians an outlet and opportunity to listen and learn.
Emily Ferren, director of the Charles County Public Library, said the ramping up of programs in the three branches of the library is in preparation for the opening of the newest branch — the state-of-the-art Waldorf West — slated to open near O'Donnell Park around 2012.
"We're readying the public for the opening of the new library," Ferren said.
Chocolate trivia
During the Chocolate Fest at La Plata library, librarians lead a trivia quiz about chocolate. Some facts learned included that the composer Mozart loved chocolate so much he wrote about it in an opera ("Cosi Fan Tutte"), Switzerland is the country that consumes the most chocolate per person each year, in Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho," chocolate syrup was used as blood during the famous shower scene, and M&Ms were created for the U.S. military.
Share the blues
The Archie Edwards Blues Heritage Foundation meets for jam sessions Saturday afternoons at Archie's Blue Barbershop, 4701 Queensbury Road, Riverdale Park. To learn more, go to www.acousticblues.com or call 301-396-3054.
