Library Lines: Spooky celebration for spooky season

Emily Clare
·3 min read

What better way to celebrate the month of hauntings and ghost stories than to explore gravesites?! With historian Valerie Gugala and her program titled “Who’s in Grant’s Tomb” at 6 p.m. Oct. 10, we will do just that. This program will offer a tour of the grave markers and burial locations of 39 former U.S. presidents.

Valerie, who lives in Bartlett, Illinois, is known for her in-character representations of Mary Lincoln and is a member of the Association of Lincoln Presenters, which is a group of individuals “dedicated to bringing Abraham and Mary Lincoln to life” and preserving their legacy, honoring their words and works, and walking in their footsteps. Valerie has spent more than 40 years researching the Lincoln family and more than 25 years preforming as Mary Lincoln.

She was also a co-producer of the Bartlett Park District Theatre Program for more than 10 years and has worked with The Mystery Shop, which is a traveling mystery theater company, for more than 20 years.

There is an old joke from at least 1925 when it appeared in a syndicated humor column (according to Michael Pollak of the New York Times, 2011) that asks, “Who is buried in Grant’s Tomb?” Do you know the answer? If you join us in person or via Zoom on Oct. 10, you will discover the answer and learn who is buried in Grant’s Tomb!

The “Who’s in Grant’s Tomb” program will be viewable in person at the Cheboygan Area Public Library as well as via Zoom. The speaker will be presenting from her home in Illinois. The Zoom Meeting ID is 819 9401 5140 and the Passcode is 298750. The Zoom link is also available from the Cheboygan Area Public Library’s Calendar of Events on cheboyganlibrary.org (under the “Looking For” menu). Anyone is welcome to attend the program whichever way they prefer. If anyone has any questions about accessing the program via Zoom, they may stop by the Cheboygan Area Public Library anytime to receive assistance from a staff member. This program is free and open to the community.

Looking ahead, the Cheboygan Area Public Library will be hosting a blood drive 1-6:45 p.m. Oct. 20 with Versiti Blood Centers of Michigan.

Many times, when seeing Versiti Blood Drive announcements you may be implored to “Be A Beacon of Hope.” This is because giving blood offers just that — HOPE. And we need each other to find that hope.

According to the American Red Cross, “Every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood. It is essential for surgeries, cancer treatments, chronic illnesses, and traumatic injuries … this lifesaving care starts with one person making a generous donation” (redcrossblood.org).

Anyone interested in donating may sign up by:

  • calling the Cheboygan Area Public Library at 231-627-2381 or stopping by the library at 100 S. Bailey St.

  • calling Versiti Blood Centers of Michigan at 866-642-5663

  • going online to versiti.org/michigan and searching for sponsor code "Cheboygan Public Library." Walk-ins are also welcome.

Be sure to also add Cheboygan Area Public Library’s “Ghosts & Goblins & Haunted Stories” at 6 p.m. Oct. 26 to your calendar. This is a family-friendly event with not-too-scary stories and festive activities that the kiddos will not want to miss. And if the kiddos want to show off their Halloween costumes, they are more than welcome to wear them. There will even be a take-home treat at the end of the program! This program is free and open to the community.

— Emily Clare is program director of the Cheboygan Area Public Library.

This article originally appeared on Cheboygan Daily Tribune: Library Lines: Spooky celebration for spooky season