American history and heritage will steal the show at the upcoming First Friday on Sept. 6 at both the Slate Valley Museum and Pember Library and Museum. In keeping with its Carpatho-Rusyn theme, the Slate Valley Museum will host Carolyn Guest, who creates through the Polish folk art of Wycinanki, or paper cutting. She will both display and demonstrate her art. Using skills she learned as a 4-H youth exchange student in Poland, Guest uses antique sheep shears to cut out intricate designs of barns, farm animals and scenes from rural Vermont, officials said. Her craft became popular in the mid 1800s and originated with shepherds cutting designs out of tree bark and leather. <http://manchesternewspapers.com/2013/08/28/history-heritage-at-first-friday/> -- Bob Sullivan Schenectady Digital History Archive <http://www.schenectadyhistory.org/> Schenectady County (NY) Public Library