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MANCHESTER – The Bill McLeod Duo will perform at the Manchester branch 2 p.m. Saturday Feb. 7
The two musicians will entertain their audience with classic rock and roll and blues hits.
There is no pre-registration for this free program. It is open to all ages.
Go online to www.theoceancountylibrary.org or telephone 732-657-7600 for more information.
The Manchester branch is located at 21 Colonial Drive.
MANCHESTER – Fitness expert, Ron Hyland will lead a 2-part presentation, “Working out the Winter Blues,” at the Manchester branch in February:
He will teach you how to be active and keep your weight down while remaining safe from the cold and inclement weather.
In the first session Tuesday Feb. 10 from 2 to 4 p.m., participants will learn strength training, flexibility and breathing exercises they can to do at home. Balance and safety tips for walking on snow and ice will also be provided.
In the second class, 2 to 4 p.m. Tuesday Feb. 17, will focus on maintaining healthy eating habits while stuck in the house. Properly balancing proteins, carbohydrates and fats will be discussed.
The program is part of the library’s “Chapters of Health” series and is open free of charge to the adult public. Register online at www.theoceancountylibrary.org or telephone 732-657-7600.
The Manchester branch is located at 21 Colonial Drive.
MANCHESTER – Learn how to use your Kindle Fire to borrow books from the Ocean County Library at the Manchester branch 2 pm Friday February 6.
Call (732) 657-7600 or go online to www.theoceancountylibrary.org to reserve your seat! In addition to signing up in advance, it is very important that you bring an Ocean County library card number, an email account username and password, plus log in information for an Amazon.com account that you’ve set up prior to this free, adult workshop.
The Manchester branch is located at 21 Colonial Drive.
TOMS RIVER – Storyteller Michelle Washington Wilson will present “Stories and Songs to Stir your Soul” at 11 Ocean County Library branches during February.
The fifty-minute program for children and families will weave original and traditional folk music through a sequence of stories from South Jersey and stitch them together like a comfortable handmade quilt on a chilly day, she promised.
Wilson’s program will introduce young audiences to poetry, fiction, myths and history across diverse cultures and time periods. The folk tales, tall tales, fairy tales and poems and fables are suitable for all ages. And she will encourage the audience to participate to help stir their imagination and enrich the event.
“It’s a great way to utilize memory, speech, and the imagination,” she said. “The stories I share bring the group into the stories and they leave with new stories on their hearts and minds.”
The program aligns with the NJ Core Content Curriculum Standards: Visual and Performing Arts.
Wilson will present “Stories and Songs to Stir you Soul” at the following locations:
Stafford, 7 p.m. Mon. Feb. 2, 609-597-381
Berkeley, 6:30 p.m. Tue. Feb. 3, 732-269-2144
Lacey, 6 p.m. Wed. Feb. 4, 609-693-8566
Barnegat 6:30 p.m. Thur. Feb. 5, 609-698-3331
Island Heights, 3:30 p.m. Fri. Feb. 6, 732-270-6266
Tuckerton, 6 p.m. Mon. Feb. 9, 609-296-1470
Beachwood, 10:30 a.m. Tue. Feb. 10, 732-244-4573
Pt. Pleasant Beach, 6 p.m. Tue. Feb. 17, 732-892-4575
Waretown, 10:30 a.m. Thur. Feb. 19, 609-693-5133
Manchester, 6 p.m. Mon. Feb. 23, 732-657-7600
Toms River, 6:30 p.m. Wed. Feb. 25, 732-349-6200.
The programs are free and open to the public but registration is required. To register telephone the branch or go to the library’s website www.theoceancountylibrary.org , click on the “Events & News” icon, then click on “Calendar of Events.”
Storytelling is very popular in other parts of the country and Wilson takes pride in keeping that tradition alive in New Jersey.
She has honed her craft since she was 12-years old while competing in local storytelling contests. She earned a BA in Speech Communication and Theater Arts Education from Monmouth University.
She has more than 10 years’ experience with federally funded literacy programs and she is currently an Adjunct Instructor at Atlantic Cape Community College.
TOMS RIVER – After a 33-hour nonstop flight that began in New York the morning of May 20, 1927 and successfully ended the following day in Paris, Charles Lindbergh became the first person to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.
Others had tried the dangerous flight before Lindbergh’s attempt, several died in their attempt at fame and the $25,000 Orteig prize awaiting the successful aviator.
Being the first to cross the ocean in his “Spirit of St. Louis” made Lindbergh an instant and lifelong celebrity. It also earned him the nation’s highest military award, the Medal of Honor.
Neill Hartley will present two performances of “The Spirit of Lindbergh,” a fully staged one-act play that will share insights of the planning that went into the flight. He will also discuss the changes Lindbergh made so that the Ryan monoplane had a sufficient amount of fuel and the plane would not be out of balance as it burned off the fuel.
It will become apparent during the play that his nickname, “Lucky Lindy,” was a misnomer. Lindbergh did not rely upon luck to get him across the ocean but spent hundreds of hours reengineering and redesigning the airplane.
Following the presentation Hartley will answer questions about Lindbergh, the flight, and the “Spirit of St. Louis.”
Hartley will present his play at two locations:
7 p.m. Monday Feb. 9 at the Brick branch, 301 Chambers Bridge Rd., telephone 732-477-4513
7 p.m. Monday Feb. 23 at the Long Beach Island branch, 217 S. Central Ave., telephone 609-494-2480.
The programs are free and open to the public but registration is required. To register telephone the branch or go to the library’s website www.theoceancountylibrary.org , click on the “Events & News” icon, then click on “Calendar of Events.”
Neill Hartley is a professional actor who has performed with many local and regional theaters. He is on the theater faculty of the University of Arts in Philadelphia, Pa.
TOMS RIVER – Selected works by Robert Henne will be displayed in the McConnell Gallery at the Toms River branch of the Ocean County Library throughout February.
A reception will be held on Thursday, February 5 from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. Visitors are invited to join the artist in the gallery for light refreshments and a viewing of his exhibit.
Originally from Ewing, NJ, Henne has resided in Toms River since 1992. Prior to coming to the shore, he exhibited extensively in juried shows in central New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania.
Since moving to Ocean County he has used the ocean and beach environment to further inspire his highly original portrayals. His work has been seen at the Ocean County Artists’ Guild, Virginia Perle Art Gallery, Jane Law Gallery on LBI, the SoHo Gallery in downtown Toms River, the Ocean County Library, and various other venues.
Henne’s work consists of oil and acrylic paintings created with vibrant colors, sharp edges, and a strong theme or viewpoint.
“Be ready to be engaged,” said Henne. “Whether I’m doing a realistic or imaginative portrayal, I strive to infuse each work with strong visual impact.”
The exhibit and reception are free and open to the public. For more information contact the branch at 732-349-6200 or visit its website at www.theoceancountylibrary.org .
Attorney John C. Sahradnik, left, swore in returning Commissioner Bonnie R. Peterson, center, to a new 3-year term. Ocean County Library Director Susan Quinn, right, assisted.
The Ocean County Library Commission held its reorganization meeting for 2015 Tuesday Jan. 20 at the headquarters branch, 101 Washington St., Toms River.
Its first order of business was to swear-in returning commissioner Bonnie R. Peterson, Seaside Park, to a new three-year term.
The board elected Sal Baglio, Manahawkin, as its chairperson and Peterson as its vice chairperson.
Commissioner Ruthanne Scaturro, Brick, will serve as liaison to the Ocean County Library Foundation.
Manchester library branch’s “From Page to Screen: A Book and Film Discussion” will meet 1 pm Thursday February 5 to review Elizabeth Gilbert’s memoir “Eat, Pray, Love.”
The story examines how a woman liberated herself from an unhappy life and embarked upon a year-long journey to three countries in order to “find herself.”
Gilbert had specific goals in mind for each place she visited: Italy to experience pleasure of the senses, India to gain spiritual enlightenment and Indonesia to restore balance in her life.
The movie will be screened at the branch, 21 Colonial Drive, February 5 and stars Julia Roberts, Javier Bardem and Richard Jenkins. It is rated PG-13 and has a runtime of 133 minutes. The director is Ryan Murphy.
Although there is no pre-registration for this free adult program the book is available for immediate pickup at the Manchester branch so that it can be read ahead of time. For further information call (732) 657-7600 or go online to www.theoceancountylibrary.org .
Book Chat: Meets the third Thursday of each month from 2 pm to 4 pm. Participants discuss what they’ve been reading with the rest of the group. They share with each other about good books that they’ve recently read while pick up ideas for what to read next.
Canasta Club: Meets every Thursday from 10 am to noon to play Canasta. Knowledge of how to play the game is required.
Chess Club: Meets every Friday from noon to 2 pm to play chess in a relaxed atmosphere and share their love for the game with beginners. Bring your game set!
Chicks with Sticks: Meetings take place every Wednesday night from 7 pm to 8:30 pm plus the second and fourth Thursday of the month from 2 pm to 4 pm. Participants work on individual knitting and crocheting projects while sharing ideas and patterns and forming friendships.
Mahjong: Experienced players meet to play every Tuesday night from 6 pm to 8:30 pm. You must supply your own tiles and game kit.
Quilting Bee: Meetings take place month from 1 pm to 3 pm the second and fourth Friday of each month. Members work on individual and group projects while exchanging ideas, patterns techniques and conversation.
Writers’ Circle: Meets the first and third Tuesday every month from 2pm to 4 pm to critique each other’s work and discuss issues pertinent to writing and getting published.
There is no pre-registration for any of these free programs. Call (732) 657-7600 or go online to www.theoceancountylibrary.org for more information.
The Manchester branch is located at 21 Colonial Drive.
TOMS RIVER – Award-winning documentarian Susan Bailey, writer of “Justice is a Black Woman: The Life and Work of Constance Baker Motley” will discuss her work and Motley’s life 2 p.m. Saturday Feb. 21 at the Lacey library branch, 10 E. Lacey Rd., Forked River.
The biographical film tells the story of an extraordinary woman who was a civil rights activist, state senator, attorney, judge and Borough Council President of Manhattan.
Born of immigrant parents, she graduated Columbia University’s School of Law in 1946 and was hired by the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund.
She was the first black woman to argue a case before the U.S. Supreme Court. She successfully won James Meredith’s right to be the first black student to be admitted to the University of Mississippi in 1962. She argued nine other cases before the Supreme Court, winning all but one.
President Lyndon Johnson appointed her to the U. S. District Court for the Southern District of New York in 1966, making her the first black woman federal judge. She remained on the bench until her death in 2005.
Susan Bailey, a former Toms River resident, wrote the movie’s screenplay. She will speak at the film’s showing and join in a Q&A session after the screening.
The film received The Best Documentary Feature Award at the 2013 St. Tropez International Film Festival.
The movie was produced by Quinnipiac University and directed by Michael D. Calia. This 57-minute film has not been rated.
The program is free and open to the public but registration is required. To register telephone the branch 609-693-8566 or go to the library’s website www.theoceancountylibrary.org , click on the “Events & News” icon, then click on “Calendar of Events.”
OCL Connections 