In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit, and that hobbit loved going to the library! Join us for Lord of the Rings-themed parties to celebrate the release of the first installment of “The Hobbit.” Journey around Pima County to different library branches, representing a variety of Middle Earth locations.

Slip on some Hobbit feet, write your name in Elvish, try your hand at games, compete in riddle and trivia contests, and more merriment.

All ages are welcome, although many activities will require the Elven dexterity possessed only by teens and adults. Costumes are welcome and encouraged.

“And May the Hair on your Toes never Fall Out” says the poster for this event. I loved all the Hobbit books, and movies too. These parties are just in time for the release of the new Hobbit movie on December 14.

Friday, December 7, 2012
5:30pm – 7:00pm
Flowing Wells Branch Library
Journey to Lothlorien, AKA Flowing Wells Library, for a special after-hours party with a costume contest, coloring pages, and maybe even a peek into the Mirror of Galadriel!

Saturday, December 8, 2012
3:00pm – 5:00pm
Oro Valley Public Library
Make your way to Oro Valley Library, a.k.a. Beorn’s Domain!

Saturday, December 8, 2012
1:00pm – 3:00pm
Valencia Branch Library
Valencia Library is The Shire, where the story begins!

Saturday, December 8, 2012
10:30am – 12:30pm
Martha Cooper Branch Library
Brave the mines of Moria at Martha Cooper Library!

Saturday, December 8, 2012
3:00pm – 5:00pm
Wheeler Taft Abbett Sr Branch Library
Welcome to Mirkwood! Please do not attempt to feed the giant spiders.

Wednesday, December 12, 2012
5:30pm – 7:30pm
Nanini Branch Library
Join the elves at Nanini Library, which is Rivendell!

Wednesday, December 12, 2012
4:00pm – 6:00pm
Dusenberry-River Branch Library
The Dusenberry-River Library is Rohan!

Wednesday, December 12, 2012
4:00pm – 6:00pm
Joel D. Valdez Main Library
Main Library is Esgaroth!

Friday, December 14, 2012
6:00pm – 9:00pm
Murphy-Wilmot Branch Library
Make your way to the Wilmot Library, which is Goblintown!

http://lwvgt.org/VoterGuide.html

The print version is available at the Pima County public libraries and at the Tucson League office starting today:

League of Women Voters of Greater Tucson
2424 E. Broadway Suite 110
Tucson, AZ 85719
520-327-7652

Four Upcoming Discussions hosted by the LWV on this Voter Guide:

9/22 Oro Valley library, 2 to 4 p.m., 1305 W. Naranja Drive, Oro Valley, 85737

9/29 Dusenberry-River Branch library, 2 to 4 p.m., 5605 E. River Road, Tucson 85750

10/5 Joel D. Valdez Main Library, 11 to 1 p.m., 101 N. Stone Ave.,Tucson 85701

10/6 Murphy-Wilmot Branch Library, 2 to 4 p.m., 530 N. Wilmot Rd.,Tucson 85711

Three are 9 propositions on the General Election ballot:

Prop. 114 Crime Victims Protection Act
Prop. 115 Judicial Selection
Prop. 116 Small Business Job Creation Act
Prop. 117 Property Tax Assessed Valuation
Prop. 118 Permanent State Land Fund
Prop. 119 State Trust Lands
Prop. 120 State Sovereignty
Prop. 121 Open Elections/Open Government
Prop. 204 Quality Education & Jobs

Pick up this guide or read it online, and vote wisely on or before Nov. 6th. Take the time to read and educate yourself about these propositions, to make your voting easier & quicker.

Wednesday, July 11th, 2012 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm

Invited Candidates:

Terry Frederick, www.frederickforsheriff.com

Vinson Holck, www.holckforsheriff.com

Chester Manning, www.cmforpimasheriff.com

Mark Napier, www.marknapier4sheriff.org

Walt Setzer, www.waltsetzer.com

Everyone is welcome!

Seating is limited so please plan on coming a little early.

Donations accepted for Community Food Bank.

Oro Valley Library

Community Room

1305 W Naranja Dr., Oro Valley

Info: Pima County Tea Party Patriots website.

For photos & more info of these candidates go to Pima County Republican Party website: http://www.pimagop.org/index.cfm/candidates.htm

The only candidate of these 5 whom I’ve met is Japanese/Hawaiian Vinson Holck (born in Honolulu) whose parents I knew through the Tucson Polynesian Society.

May the best man win in the August 28 Republican primary, to face off with Democrat Sheriff Clarence Dupnik (been in office since Feb. 1980), and Green Dave Croteau, who has run & lost before for Sheriff (2000) and twice now for Mayor in 2007 and 2011.

Over two years ago Sue Parker, librarian at Himmel Park Branch Library decided to start up a Senior Games program (age 50 plus) for patrons interested in getting together and socially playing games such as chess, checkers, rummikub, scrabble, etc. I suggested we play Chinese Mahjong, which I play at the Tucson Chinese Cultural Center, but which I also learned back in Hawaii decades ago from Japanese-American friends on the Big Island. Sue had never played Mahjong before, but she was willing and enthusiastic to learn.

(This program is also an offshoot of the now defunct Sam Hughes Cares for Seniors program which I founded in 2005, in the Sam Hughes Neighborhood, where the library is located).

Two years later, we have taught numerous Seniors (and some younger friends), and now have 3 regular tables of four players each – patrons, neighbors, visiting “snowbirds”. Some of these Seniors learned American Mahjong style first (utilizing pre-printed cards), which is being played at the Tucson Jewish Community Center and Oro Valley Library, as well as taught at Oasis on River Road.

Know anyone interested in learning Hong Kong Simplified style or other games, please contact librarian Sue Parker at at 520-594-5305, or just show up on Mondays, 12 noon to 3 p.m. at Himmel Lbrary’s large meeting room, 1035 N. Treat Ave. (SW corner of E. 1st St.) No Senior Games when the library is closed for holidays. (Incidentally Himmel is the oldest branch library, built in 1961).

The lead teacher is now MJ Talbot, a Chinese-American immigrant from Hong Kong, assisted by myself, and Sarah Stephenson, who used to live in the People’s Republic of China. We are all members of the Tucson Chinese Cultural Center, 1288 W. River Rd., phone 520-292-6900, which promotes Chinese culture and history.

More about Mahjong (sometimes spelled Mah jongg) read wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahjong. The version we play uses 144 tiles, but other versions (such as the Hawaiian style) uses 4 more, including animals – cat, rat, chicken, & worm. It is a game of luck and skill, similar to rummy, where you have to match sets of 4 grouping of three (or sometimes four) tiles, plus a pair of two tiles to attain “mahjong” & win. A Mahjong set (in a case) can cost about $50 or more (pictured below).