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Rec Center New Year hours: December 31, 5 a.m.-noon. Due to staff shortage, we are closed Saturday, January 1. Normal Rec Center hours are Monday through Friday, 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Daily admission fees are $7 for youth (4-11) and seniors (55+), $9 general admission (12-54) and $3 for playground or walking track only. (There may be short track due to programs and rentals on the courts.) There is no open gym Wednesday nights after 7 p.m. until volleyball league is over (late March). Clean shoes only, benches are provided in the lobby and ...

Mystery of the Slip Cup solved

A strange redware pottery item was listed in a recent auction as a cup. But it looked more like a squat 2-inch vase with a large opening on one side. The auction catalog called it a “19th century glazed redware slip cup,” estimated at $200 to $400. But even with a picture we were baffled. How was a slip cup used? Or was it just a typo in the caption for a sipping cup? We kept looking at pictures of redware until we finally found the answer. The cup is used when decorating pottery with slip, a liquid the consistency of toothpaste that was forced through a quill tube to create raised ...

Off the Shelf: Winter is here!

I’ve been waiting for winter. I know logically that winter began with the solstice on December 21st, but until we experience more than one snowfall I am always filled with doubt. I am not a winter sport enthusiast or anything like that, but I do enjoy walking in the snow with my dog. She loves snow. She can barely contain herself when we go out, she pulls at the leash to get into the yard to play in it. She was so happy when the snow started to fall the day after Christmas that she was barking at the back door to go out. Watching her roll around in the freshly fallen snow made me think ...

A Coke and a smile makes this a valuable collectible

A tin sign picturing an attractive girl sold for $12,390, which is an impressive price for a portrait of a young woman from the 1910s! But if you look closer, you’ll see that the woman is holding a glass marked “Coca-Cola,” and the Coca-Cola logo is visible on the bottom of the frame. It’s not really a framed painting; it’s a self-framed tin lithographed sign. Collectors of Coca-Cola around the world may recognize her as Elaine, the girl on the company’s 1916 calendar. * * * Q: I hope you can identify the maker of my great-grandmother’s three-piece set of teapot, sugar ...

Off the Shelf: Enjoyable new releases

As I was looking back over my list of recent reads, I realized I have read far fewer books since Thanksgiving. It can be hard to make time for reading with numerous family, work, and community commitments this time of year. If you are able to make time for reading, here are a few that I believe are worth your time. Liz Bennet loves her part-time job as a “stage kitten” at the Meryton burlesque show. She is excited to hear that the show’s producer is considering purchasing the Meryton venue to create a full-time burlesque venue, which would be mean steady jobs for all of the ...

Antiques & Collecting: ‘Chenet’ a fancy word for fireplace fixtures

By Terry and Kim Kovel Qu’est-ce que c’est un chenet? Part of collecting antiques is always learning — whether you’re going deeper into history, discovering a new-to-you artist or learning a term in another language. “Chenet” is the French word for “andiron,” the iron brackets that hold logs in a fireplace. The andirons keep the burning logs off the floor, allowing air to circulate. “Chenet” comes from the French word for “little dog,” and they are sometimes known as “firedogs” in English. Perhaps they reminded people of small dogs lying down by the fire. ...