Thomaston Library News

 

Intergenerational Book Club to Discuss Orphan Train

On Tuesday, September 16th, at 2:30 PM, the Thomaston Public Library's Intergenerational Book Club will discuss Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline.

A long journey from home and the struggle to find it again form the heart of the intertwined stories that make up this moving novel. Foster teen Molly is performing community-service work for elderly widow Vivian, and as they go through Vivian’s cluttered attic, they discover that their lives have much in common. When Vivian was a girl, she was taken to a new life on an orphan train. These trains carried children to adoptive families for 75 years, from the mid-nineteenth century to the start of the Great Depression.

Novelist Kline brings Vivian’s hardscrabble existence in ­Depression-era Minnesota to stunning life. Molly’s present-day story in Maine seems to pale in comparison, but as we listen to the two characters talk, we find grace and power in both of these seemingly disparate lives. Although the girls are vulnerable, left to the whims of strangers, they show courage and resourcefulness. Kline illuminates a largely hidden chapter of American history, while portraying the coming-of-age of two resilient young women.

On the third Tuesday of every month, the Intergenerational Book Club, a group of men and women of all ages, comes together to share their opinions and ideas about the book selection. Extra copies of the books are purchased by the Friends of the Thomaston Public Library from the Annual Appeal funds. We thank you for your donations. All are welcome at the Thomaston Library on September 16th at 2:30  p.m.

If you live in Thomaston and would like to attend but need a ride, please call the library at 354-2453 a week before the discussion date.

 

 

Movies on the Green Features the Film

Spaceballs, Saturday, September 6th, at Sunset

On September 6th, The Friends of the Thomaston Public Library will sponsor a special Movie on the Green, the 1987 Mel Brooks Star Wars parody and cult classic Spaceballs, starring Brooks, Bill Pullman, John Candy, and Rick Moranis.

Movies on the Green are shown on the wall of the old Maine State Prison in Thomaston. The film starts at sundown and Playin' Possum folk trio will entertain the audience as they await sunset. Bring your own seat, blanket, and bug spray. Popcorn and bottled water will be available for purchase for $1.00. In case of rain, the film will be shown the following Saturday.

 

 

 

 

 

40 Days of Summer Program a Resounding Success

The 40 Days of Summer program at the Thomaston Public Library came to a close on Friday, August 15th, with the bang of a colorful pinata exploding and the cheers of a dozen children as they scooped candy into their shirt-fronts. 40 Days of Summer, the library's fresh air, fun, and healthy lunch program for area children, began June 23rd. Led by an enthusiastic team of volunteers and staff members and supported by area organizations and individuals, RSU 13, the Federal summer food program, and local farms and grocers, the program was a smashing success. We fed, read-to, and entertained attending children five days a week for forty days. The program featured events and activities galore, but the best parts were the free play in the fresh air and sunshine, the wholesome food, and the harmonious interactions and high energy of the children.

The program would not have been possible without substantial community support, which the library received – beyond all expectations. For starters, a dream-team of hard-working, energetic volunteers assembled, led by Thomaston resident Diane Giese, whose brain-child the program was to begin with, and who wrote grants and solicited the lion's share of program funding. Diane was also an almost daily hands-on presence all summer. Eileen Skolds was another steady presence, a source of creative inspiration, and a model of patience, understanding, and hard work. The volunteer team was rounded out by Judy Riff, Karen Clarke, Meg Sawyer, and Vanessa Colesworthy, who worked in tandem with staff members Joanna Hynd and Alex Nimon. It would be hard to over-estimate the amount of planning, procuring, organizing, coordinating, hauling, lifting, toting, listening, comforting, and cleaning-up this fantastic group of program leaders did.

"We wanted to keep the program interesting and fresh, so we decided to theme our weekly activities," said Children's Librarian Joanna Hynd. Starting with "Playground Fun Week," the library invited special guests like Emily Lawry (who ran a kids' Zumba event) and Tim English (kids' Qi Gong). Other weeks featured puppet making, crafts, messy art, food, animals, and astronomy.

"Animal week was particularly chock full of special guest appearances," Joanna said. "Bittersweet Heritage Farms brought sheep and a goat, Evergreen Farms in Warren brought alpacas, Hollydachs Pet Store in Rockland brought a bearded dragon lizard, some birds, and a fish, the Pope Memorial Humane Society brought baby bunnies --I particularly liked the baby bunnies."

During "Astronomy Week," program leaders and John Meader of the Northern Stars Planetarium ushered about 20 eager young learners into an inflatable star lab, where they learned about Native American star legends, basic constellations, and star vocabulary.

"I am grateful the majority of the events were held outdoors," said Joanna, "We have been covered in facepaint, papier mache glue, pudding, molding sand, and water. Thankfully not all at the same time!" Messy art week featured finger-painting with pudding, an event so popular it prompted one attendee to announce, "This is the best day of my life!" Other projects included tie-dying t-shirts, painting rocks, and creating sculptures using molding sand.

Each meal sent by the RSU 13's federal summer food program was supplemented by fresh fruits, veggies, crackers, pretzels, and other healthy snacks. Over 70 children signed up for the program and over 700 lunches were served to attending children over the course of the 40 days.

The Thomaston Public Library would like to extend a hearty thanks to the many program sponsors and to all the people who donated their time and energy to making 40 Days of Summer a big success. Our front-line sponsors included Rockland Kiwanis, Patrisha McLean, and the Agnes Lindsay Trust, whose generous contributions provided area children and visitors a summer they will never forget. Many thanks go to Jane Farthing, Sue Howard, and the Strand Theatre for their publicity work, which attracted participants to the program. We would also like to thank Rockland Emblem Club, Rockland Hannaford, Thomaston Federated Church, Thomaston Walmart, Karen Clarke, Frances Hernandez, and Nancie Burton for their financial and gift-card donations. Many more donated materials and labor needed to make this event possible. Thanks to Ellsworth Building Supply for donating a picnic table, Bolduc Correctional Facility for donating dirt for the children's garden, David Hynd for donating the garden bed and assembling the picnic tables, Beth Heidemann for hula hoops and craft supplies, and Midcoast Federal Credit Union for lots of fun, free promotional materials. We also received many donations of food from local sponsors. Weskeag Farms donated a cornucopia of cucumbers, blueberries, strawberries, tomatoes, and bananas during our eight-week run. The First Baptist Church of Thomaston and Thomaston Grocery were also generous food donors. Many, many thanks to all our donors, sponsors, parents, and volunteers for everything they gave to this exciting, exhausting community effort. Thomaston Public Library is thrilled with the result!