What’s Happening at Cheshire Library in September

August 30, 2017September 12, 2017 / cheshirelib / Leave a comment

Seems like summer just began, and now it’s over. Our Fall lineup of programs kicks off with some ways to help you get organized, get crafty, and get connected.

After school Zumba

Thursdays, Sep 7, 14, 21, 28, 4:00 – 5:00 PM

Zumba® is an easy-to-follow, Latin-inspired dance-fitness program. Classes specifically for kids are formatted in a way to make getting fit fun. Kids can just let loose and be themselves. It’s an hour filled with energy and routines created to the latest music, like hip-hop, reggaeton and cumbia. For all ages, Parents and/or caregivers are welcome to participate with their children. No registration required.

B.Y.O.C.

Thursday Sep 7, 2017, 6:00 – 8:00 PM

Bring Your Own Crafts! Coloring, stitching, drawing, stamping, scrapbooking, if it’s crafty, bring it in! Come for a relaxing and destressing night of crafting. We will meet most every first Thursday of the month. There will be plenty of room to spread out for your crafts. Some supplies will be provided for this adult program, no registration required.

Keepsakes: Sorting the Stuff of Memories

Saturday Sep 9, 2017, 3:00 – 4:00 PM

Back by popular demand Sheri Bertoolini will build on her teachings Heart of Organization. She will discuss what to do with sentimental or inheritance of family members earthly goods and are both faced with the question: which things do I keep? Registration is required.

A Day in the Life of a 102d Infantry Soldier

Tuesday Sep 12, 2017, 6:30 – 8:00 PM

America entered World War I, the Great War, 100 years ago. What was it like for the men and women who served? Alan Crane of the 26th Yankee Division WWI Living History Group will lead the discussion. Seating is limited and registration is required.

Get a Handle on All that Paper

Thursday Sep 14, 2017, 6:30 – 8:00 PM

Do you waste time searching through piles and stacks of paper in order to find the one piece that you really need? Are you wondering where you put the bills you just received? This workshop will teach you how to create functional, efficient paper management systems for your home and office. Registration is required.

Rosh Hashanah with PJ Library and Temple Beth David

Friday Sep 15, 2017, 10:30 – 11:15 AM

PJ Library in cooperation with Cheshire Library and Temple Beth David present a family friendly Rosh Hashanah program – come read, sing and create an apples and honey dish with other families! All ages welcomed. Registration is required.

Create Greeting Cards with Rubber Stamps

Thursday Sep 21, 2017, 6:00 – 7:30 PM

Greeting cards are quick and fun to create – and even more fun to receive. Join Sue Bernier and create three beautiful greeting cards with rubber stamps, in, and Stampin’ Up products. All levels are invited to join. Space is limited, registration is required.

Community Connections Civic Engagement Fair

Saturday Sep 23, 2017, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Are you looking to find local volunteer opportunities but can’t seem to find anything? Are the volunteer opportunities you find not really appealing to you? Do you want to meet fellow civic minded individuals? Let the Cheshire Public Library and the Cheshire High School help! Join us at the Cheshire High School for a civic engagement fair. Local non-profit organizations as well as political groups will be onsite for you to learn how to get involved. This program will take place at the Cheshire High School 525 S Main St, Cheshire, CT.

Mark Twain in Connecticut

Tuesday Sep 26, 2017, 6:30 PM

Welcome Dr. James Golden of the Mark Twain House and Museum as he explains the importance of Connecticut and Hartford to Twain’s life and work, including his famous neighbors, such as novelist Harriet Beecher Stowe, travel writer and journalist Charles Dudley Warner, Civil War hero and senator Joseph Hawley, and female suffrage campaigner Isabella Beecher Hooker. Registration is required.

Job Search! Tune In & Tune Up!

Wednesday Sep 27, 2017, 6:00 – 7:30 PM

This 90-minute workshop will look at job searching from a wholistic perspective. Come prepared to address your barriers, review your job search skills and build a plan that re-energizes your search! At this interactive workshop, you will learn about:

Your emotional, social and/or physical barriers
How to move beyond your barriers
Winning strategies of the successful job seeker

Registration is required.

Organizing for Those Downsizing

Thursday Sep 28, 2017, 6:30 – 8:00 PM

Are you thinking of downsizing to a smaller home or apartment? Are you overwhelmed on what to do with all the stuff you have accumulated over the years? Join us as Elaine C. Turek, a declutter specialist, gives you the techniques you need to organize the maze of clutter. Registration is required.

What’s Happening at Cheshire Library in May

April 26, 2017April 12, 2017 / cheshirelib / Leave a comment

MAY we interest you in some programs this month? When you’re done groaning over that terrible pun, check out some of the highlights from May’s event calendar:

Friends of Cheshire Public Library Spring Book Sale

Thursday May 4, 2017, 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Friday May 5, 2017, 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Saturday May 6, 2017, 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Sunday May 7, 2017, 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM

Bargains! More Bargains! And don’t forget Sunday is Bag of Books Day – fill up a bag of books for one low price (bags provided) – $10 for one bag, $15 for two!

Tuesday Movie Matinees

Tuesdays, May 9, 16, 23, 30 at 1:00 PM

A different movie each week! No registration required.

Mark Twain in Connecticut

Tuesday May 16, 2017, 6:30 PM

Dr. James Golden of the Mark Twain House and Museum explains the importance of Connecticut and Hartford to Twain’s life and work, including his famous neighbors, such as novelist Harriet Beecher Stowe, travel writer and journalist Charles Dudley Warner, Civil War hero and senator Joseph Hawley, and female suffrage campaigner Isabella Beecher Hooker. Registration is required.

Writing Workshop: Story First (Plotting your novel)

Wednesday May 17, 2017, 6:00 PM

This workshop takes participants through the process of developing an idea into a workable premise that can generate a full story. From there writers will examine how to build a plot that will keep readers asking questions and turning pages until they reach a powerful and satisfying ending. Presented by author Steve Liskow. Registration required for this adult program.

Pet First Aid with VCA

Thursday May 18, 2017, 6:30 PM

Pet First Aid will teach participants emergency care procedures for your fur babies and provide tips for keeping your pet healthy too. Join us as Doctor Deborah Goul, Director of General Practice at VCA Cheshire Animal Hospital, and other VCA ER doctors, Please be so kind as to leave your fur family at home. Registration required.

Introduction to Microsoft Word

Wednesdays, May 24 & 31, 2017, 6:00 – 8:00 PM

This class will provide an introduction to Microsoft Word and is divided into two sessions.You will learn basic navigation skills to effectively use the Microsoft Word program:

Create a simple document.
Edit text and check spelling errors.
Format the document.
Insert a picture; change font formatting and much more.

Please register separately for May 24 and May 31 sessions.

STEM Coffee Hour: Virtual Reality

Thursday May 25, 2017, 7:00 – 8:00 PM

STEM Coffee Hours are designed for adults who are interested in learning more about a particular science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) topic. The general format is an informative presentation followed by group discussion. Facilitator: Dr. Tracie Addy, Center for Teaching and Learning, STEM Educator, Yale University. Please be aware that Coffee Hours are first come, first served. Please arrive 10 minutes in advance. If for any reason you are unable to attend, please cancel your reservation to open your space. Register here (required).

Above and Beyond

Thursday May 25, 2017, 6:30 – 7:45 PM

Join us for the incredible documentary film of the escape from Nazi-occupied Europe by Jewish-American Pilot Bruce Sundlun and his subsequent return to support the French Resistance. Registration required.

Soccer Shots Mini Demo Class (ages 2-3)

Tuesday May 30, 2017 – Two sessions: 10:30 AM & 11:15 AM

Soccer Shots of Central CT will be hosting a demonstration class for kids ages 2-3 years old. Soccer Shots Mini is a high-energy program introducing young children to fundamental soccer principles, such as using your feet, dribbling and the basic rules of the game. Through fun games, songs and positive reinforcement, children will begin to experience the joy of playing soccer and being active. This program is presented by Soccer Shots of Central CT. For ages 2-3 years old with caregiver. Registration begins May 9.

Famous People Make Great Fictional Sleuths

October 28, 2015October 23, 2015 / Mary / Leave a comment

I love it when well-known historical figures pop up in books I am reading. Since I could (and probably will!) write several posts on this topic, I thought I’d start with one of the most popular ways that famous people of the past get cast in novels: as amateur sleuths.

Let’s begin with Eleanor Roosevelt, who appears as the chief mystery-solver in the Eleanor Roosevelt Mystery series written by her son, the late Elliot Roosevelt. This enchanting series is a blend of fictionalized history and cozy mystery with a strong dollop of the atmosphere of the Roosevelt White House years as it can only be portrayed by an insider.

Going back in time to 18th century London, we encounter Benjamin Franklin in the mystery series by Robert Lee Hall. Books like, London Blood: Further Adventures of an American Agent Abroad, tell of Franklin’s detective experiences. His illegitimate son Nick, the narrator, is at Franklin’s side through the seven adventures that take place during the time Franklin was in England to intercede for the American colonies with the British government.

Who’s next? Jane Austen, of course, in the series by Stephanie Barron. Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor is the first in this series that depicts Jane as a sleuth with a subtle sense of humor and an eye for noticing, with excruciating exactness, nuances in the behavior of others.

And then there’s the ultimate real-person-as-fictional-sleuth genre in which famous authors cast themselves as the main crime solving character! Famous for this type of series are Steve Allen and Ed Koch. Allen penned a series featuring himself and his wife, Jayne Meadows. Books like Die Laughing are written with Allen’s trademark humor and wit. Former mayor of New York Koch also starred himself in stories such as The Senator Must Die, in which Hizzoner out-sleuths everyone around him.

I have to admit, though, my favorite mystery series that highlights the famous is Stuart Kaminsky’s Toby Peters mystery series. Although Toby Peters is a fictional character, his cases in the Hollywood of the thirties and forties bring him in contact with famous clients such as Joan Crawford, Clark Gable, Charlie Chaplin, Salvador Dali and many others. These famous people often help him solve the case. I especially loved To Catch a Spy featuring Cary Grant, who may or may not be spying for the U.S. government during the early days of World War II, and A Fatal Glass of Beer, featuring a hard-drinking, hard-talking, shotgun-wielding W.C. Fields.

Looking for more? Try these:

The Beatrix Potter mystery series by Susan Wittig Albert