Intergenerational Book Club to Discuss
The Snoring Bird by
Bernd Heinrich
On Tuesday, June 17th, at 2:30 PM, the Thomaston Public
Library's Intergenerational Book Club will discuss The Snoring Bird: My
Family's Journey Through a Century of Biology by Bernd Heinrich.
In The Snoring Bird, the New York Times says, author Bernd Heinrich,
"who combines his keen scientific eye with the soul of a poet,
enthralls." Heinrich is a professor emeritus in the biology
department at the University of Vermont and the author of approximately 20
lyrical books about nature -- animal behavior, biology, ecology, and evolution
-- including Mind of the Raven and A Year in the Maine Woods.
He's also an ultra-marathoner. And he knows a thing or two about bumblebees.
In this memoir, Heinrich tells the story of his German family,
particularly his father, through which he weaves the history of
twentieth-century biology, and concurrent world history, to tell a vast,
sprawling, fascinating tale of passion, war, relocation, and ichneumon wasps,
his father's primary biological interest. That particular wasp, Gerd Heinrich
said, has “disciplined my time and energy, excepting the interruptions of wars,
a revolution, invasion, expulsion, starvation and emigration.” They're all in
the book, which qualifies as a monumental labor of love, though there is
nothing sugarcoated about it.
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 June 17th 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.
40
Days of Summer Children's Program Starts June 23rd
Thomaston Public Library
is now signing children up for their summer reading program, a
food-and-fun-filled series of events that will begin June 23rd and wind up
August 15th. Kids from 4 to 18 can attend for a week, for a month, or every
single day -- whatever works with their schedule.
Each week's events will take place from 11 AM to 1 PM, Monday through Friday
(with one exception in August, when fabulous kids' musician Rob Duquette will
perform at 2 PM). A picnic-style lunch will be available each day, along with
crafts, games, great books, stargazing, music, and much, much more.
Here's the line-up for
the first four weeks of summer fun:
Week 1: Playground
Fun - Outdoor games, bubbles, chalk-drawing, zumba, and qi gong.
Week 2: Puppets! - Make everything from finger puppets to stick puppets to sock
puppets.
Week 3: Animal Week -- Books and crafts and visits from a trio of alpacas, pet-shop
pets, and the Humane Society, and a wonderful slide-show and T-shirt craft on
furry, flying bats.
Week 4: Astronomy Week with lots of cool stars-and-planets crafts and a visit
from a traveling planetarium
The second four weeks will be devoted to the themes of crafts, art, music, and
food. A complete schedule of events will be available soon at the library.
Sign-ups have started so stop by the library to complete the brief registration
form and you'll be all set for 40 days of summer fun!
Saltwater
Film Society Screening of Moonrise Kingdom
On
Thursday, June 19th, at 6:30 PM, the Thomaston Public Library will host the
Saltwater Film Society screening of Moonrise Kingdom, directed by Wes
Anderson (The Royal Tenenbaums, The Darjeeling Limited, The
Grand Budapest Hotel), a filmmaker known for his ironic sense of humor.
Set
on an island off the coast of New England in the 1960s, Moonrise Kingdom
follows a young boy and girl who fall in love and are moved to run away
together. Various factions of the town mobilize to search for them and the
community is turned upside down -- which might not be such a bad thing. Moonrise
Kingdom features a stellar cast that includes Bruce Willis, Frances
McDormand, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, and Tilda Swinton.
Introductory
Taijiquan (Tai Chi) Session
An introductory session
of the Kennebec Taijiquan Association will be held at the Thomaston Public
Library on Wednesday evening, June 18th, at 7 PM.
The purpose of the
Association is to offer the opportunity to learn a "T'ai C'hi" long
form and to
practice it with others who enjoy taijiquan. Life can be a challenge in many
ways. The long, slow practice of taijiquan, which deepens across the years,
brings profound satisfaction and surprising benefits.
One begins by learning
the form and then slowly adds the principles of practice to a daily effort of
two long forms. For those who are social, the Association gives you the
opportunity of meeting others to practice with. For those who are dedicated, it
gives you the opportunity of learning how to deepen your practice. There are no
fees, no dues.
There is no hierarchy in
the Association, no teacher-student relationship. Those who enjoy taijiquan are
here to teach those who wish to learn. Whether you are completely new to
taijiquan or would like to share your practice with others, the Kennebec
Taijiquan Association welcomes you.
Playground
Fun!
Monday, June 23rd: Sidewalk
Chalk Madness -- create works of art, hopscotch and four-square boards, and
more!
Tuesday, June 24th: Kids' Zumba Workshop with Thomaston Zumba instructor
Emily Lawry
Wednesday, June 25th: Fun with Bubbles Big and Small
Thursday, June 26th: Kids' Qi Gong Workshop with Thomaston Qi Gong
instructor Tim English
Friday, June 27th: Game Day Free-for-All -- fun in the sun with a
variety of outdoor games
Registration for "40 Days of Summer" will continue right up until the
program starts, so stop by the library to pick up a registration form. A full
schedule of events will be available the first day of the program so you can
plan your summer fun!
Head-to-the-Beach
Book Sale in Library's Hallway Bookshop
Summer's here! Through
the month of June, all paperbacks in The Friends of the Thomaston Public
Library's Hallway Bookshop are on sale two-for-the-price-of-one. The bookshop
is loaded with great novels you can stuff in your beach bag and read while you
bask in the sun.
Small (mass-market) paperbacks are on sale two for fifty cents and larger
(trade) paperbacks are two for a dollar. The sale is open to the public during
all open library hours, including Saturdays from 9 to 1. Come over to
Saturday's Farmers' Market and then grab some great beach reads before you head
home.
Library the Site for Thomaston Farmers' Market
Every Saturday 9 to 1
The Library is open on Saturdays from 9 AM to 1 PM, which is
exactly when the Thomaston Farmers' Market happens -- right outside the library's
back door. Visitors can browse the library's books and movies and also load up
on the market's wonderful produce; fine, organic meats; deliciously-fresh
desserts and baked goods; seedlings; herbs; candles and scents; coffee and
kombucha (stop by to find out what kombucha is!); and a host of other great
fare.
Fresh early greens and lettuces are a particular attraction just now, along
with many other early-summer vegetables. Among the meats for sale are steaks, a
variety of sausage flavors, lamb, chicken, and pork chops, all of the finest
quality. The baked goods range from candy, muffins, and cookies to pies,
whoopie pies, bars, and sweet quick breads. There's something for everyone.
The market's vendors are set up in the parking lot behind the Academy building.
The library sets up a booth among them, so market shoppers can stop by for
information on the library's upcoming events and choose among some of the
Hallway Bookshop's sale books.
Don't miss the this one-stop, book-and-food shopping opportunity every Saturday
morning at the library!
40 Days of Summer, Library's Summer
Program for Kids,
Heads into Week Two: Puppets,
Puppets, and More Puppets!
Puppets, Puppets, and more Puppets! is the theme for Week
Two of Thomaston Public Library's 40 Days of Summer kids' program. The program,
organized around weekly themes, features daily activities and events, a story
or two, and some fun in the sun, including a picnic lunch outside, weather
permitting. Each day's fun happens from 11 AM to I PM, Monday through
Friday.
Here's what's happening during Puppets week:
Monday, June 30th: Create your own paper-bag puppet
Tuesday, July 1st: Make a stick puppet or two
Wednesday, July 2nd: Try your hand at a sock puppet
Thursday, July 3rd: Choose one or more puppets to play with and put on a real
puppet show!
Friday, July 4th: Library closed in celebration of the 4th of July
In addition to making puppets, kids can create a puppet
landscape to use as the set for a grand finale puppet show. Come have fun and
get creative (you can even write a script).
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