Free Organic Gardening Course offered in March (3 nights)

The Dover Public Library is pleased to offer a free, comprehensive 3-part organic gardening course on consecutive Monday nights, March 10, 17 and 24, from 6-8pm in the Library’s Lecture Hall.  The course, totaling six hours over the three nights, will included practical tips on how to create a new garden, soil preparation, seed starting, planting techniques, cultural techniques during the growing season (such as watering, fertilizing, and pest and weed control), how plants and soil interact, succession planting, planting multiple crops in the same space at the same time, how to compost, crop rotation, cover cropping, and mycorrhizobials. 

    The sessions will also include discussions about our existing industrial food production system, including globalization and famine, organic alternatives of urban gardens, small scale farming, and backyard gardening. (The full-course syllabus is available for viewing at the Circulation desk.)

    The instructor is Vincent Cirasole, an experienced teacher and commercial vegetable grower from Rochester. He taught physical education and organic gardening in New York before relocating to NH in 2013.  He is a Master Gardener and organic growing enthusiast who owned a landscape gardening business for 18 years and a 12,000 square foot commercial organic garden for 11 years. For seven years, he was on the Board of Directors for the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York.

      Over a period of years, Cirasole devised this popular tri-part course which has garnered great enthusiasm from participants who’ve praised its usefulness.  Reference material and sources of additional information will be distributed to all at no charge, but pre-registration is required.  Interested gardeners should call the Dover Public Library at 603-516-6050 before March 7 to sign up for Mr. Cirasole’s course.

   

   

“100 Years of Irish Dancing” at the Dover Public Library March 4

          Former “Riverdance” performer, John Grimes TCRG, and proprietor of the McDonough-Grimes Irish Dance School, will present an encore  performance of his “100 Years of Irish Dancing” program at the Dover Public Library on Tuesday, March 4 at 7pm.   

          Through rare film clips and video footage, John illustrates how Irish dance evolved from a folk dance into an international entertainment phenomenon. See Michael Flatley like you've never seen him before: dancing with his arms by his sides, plus view footage of Jean Butler in her competitive days at the World Championships, and learn how Riverdance changed Irish dancing forever. A  20-minute Q&A session will follow the presentation.

     John Grimes was born in Dover, and began Irish dancing at age 11, when his sisters came home practicing their first steps. John was intrigued and began dancing at home before being registered for lessons. After watching a clip of "Riverdance - The Show" on PBS’s "Out of Ireland", dancing became his passion and led John to competing at the World Championship level. He was a three-time New England Regional Champion, two-time Eastern Canadian Regional Champion, and a four-time top 10 medalist in the North American Irish Dance Championships, earning a 4th place and 5th place, in addition to a recall at the All-Ireland Championships in Killarney, Ireland. John was also a member of several top level ceili teams which won many regional titles and a 3rd place finish at the North American Championships.
     However, John's biggest dance achievement was being asked to join, "Riverdance - The Show" in 2009 after auditioning in Dublin. After multiple tours with Riverdance, including NBC’s "Riverdance On Ice", he has begun the next chapter of his Irish dancing journey: teaching the next generation of dance champions in his home state of New Hampshire. In 2010 John passed his Irish dance teaching certificate, the T.C.R.G., and he is a certified teacher with The Irish Dancing Commission in Dublin, An Coimisiun Le Rince Gaelecha.
    The program is free and will be held in the Library’s Lecture Hall. For more information, please call 516-6050.

Get Wild!

We just received a new book by Donalyn Miller called Reading in the Wild: The Book Whisperer's Keys to Cultivating Lifelong Reading Habits. She has found that wild readers (lifelong readers):
1. Dedicate time to read.
2. Self-select reading material.
3. Share books and reading with other readers.
4. Have reading plans.
5. Show preferences for genres, authors, and topics.

Most people reading this post are probably "wild readers", but it is also so important to encourage any young readers in your life--neighbors, friends, random kids on the street! Let them know that their local Library has Story Times, opportunities to read to our non-judgmental dog friend Bozzie, suggested reading lists, and friendly librarians willing to make suggestions!

Great Stone Face Booktalk #13

 One for the Murphys
by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

Carly Connors is a foster child who has been placed in a family of three boys, one of whom, Daniel, closest to her in age (12), is resentful of the attention she will take from his mother. The Murphys seem to be one of those “perfect” families.  Mrs. Murphy is a very tuned-in mother with boundless love to give. What’s not to like about this placement?

Although welcomed by the younger brothers Adam and Michael Eric especially, Carley knows she could never belong in their world.  It is too happy family perfect.  Having been blindsided by a placement in a foster home, one in CT and not LA where she was used to living, Carly uses her street smart sense and puts up a fortress of protection for her emotional self. “Be Someone’s Hero” is the engraved sign hanging over the bed in her room at the Murphy’s.  There are several quiet heroes and even superheroes in this debut novel and the ending will leave the reader twisting in two directions, just like Carley.  Don’t miss the significance of the endpapers after you finish this read--I want to go, I want to go, I want to go, I want to go, I want to ….
(Booktalk written by Kathleen Fencil, GSF Committee/Bedford Middle School)

February School Vacation Week programs!

Take a break from the snowy, cold weather and stop by the Dover Public Library during school vacation week, February 24-March 1, for free activities and entertainment.

     Children of all ages are invited to make a “Rainbow Windsock” to hang outside in the March winds at the “Make-it, Take-it” craft table in the Children’s Room anytime during the week.  All materials will be provided.

      Saturday, February 22, is LEGO® Day!  Use our blocks or bring your own to build and create. Meet new friends, share your building tips, get new ideas, and have fun!

      Bozzie, a Certified Therapy Dog, and her handler, Lori, will be in the Children’s Room for the “Paws for Reading” program on Tuesday, February 25 from 4-5pm.  Sign up ahead of time (call 603-516-6052) to read to Bozzie or drop by to say hello.

       On Wednesday, February 26 at 9:30am, Miss Tina will present a special drop-in story time with a weather-related theme.  All children and caregivers are welcome to attend in the Lecture Hall. No registration is necessary.

       On Thursday, February 27 at 10:30am, award-winning musician Steve Blunt will entertain with his interactive musical show for all ages.  Steve is a part-time music teacher, part-time singer/storyteller. He started creating songs for children back in the mid 90’s while working as a middle school English teacher and raising a young daughter. Critics have called his original performances “funny”, heartfelt” and “engaging”. All are welcome to this free performance.

        Two Saturday movie matinees will bookend the school vacation week. On Saturday, February 22, the library will be showing “Ender’s Game” (PG 13), and on Saturday, March1, the feature film will be “Alpha & Omega 2” (PG).  All Saturday matinees start at 2pm in the Lecture Hall and viewers may bring their own popcorn and snacks!

"NH's Little-Known Black Daughters" rescheduled at Dover Library for March 31

New Hampshire has a long, rich, and vibrant African-American history. On Monday evening March 31 at 7pm, the Friends of the Dover Public Library are pleased to present a program by JerriAnne Boggis and Courtney Marshall entitled “New Hampshire’s Little-Known Black Daughters”.  They will discuss the lives and contributions of two local African-American women:  Nellie Brown Mitchell, a renowned 19^th century opera singer and concert company owner from Dover, and Harriet E. Wilson, an author from Milford who penned “Our Nig, or Sketches from the Life of a Free Black”  in 1859. Re-discovered in 1982 by Henry Louis Gates, Jr., this book has been documented as the first African-American novel published in the United States.  

              This dynamic program will explore themes of community, history, and identity and the continuing importance of Black history in New Hampshire. Courtney Marshall is an Assistant Professor of English and Women’s Studies at the University of New Hampshire. Her field of research includes African-American literature, critical race feminism, queer ethnic studies, and law and popular culture. JerriAnne Boggis is the Director of the Portsmouth Black Heritage Trail and the Harriet Wilson Project who works to tell the little-known stories of Black history in New Hampshire and beyond. 

            For more information on this free program, call the Dover Public Library at 603-516-6050.

Blind Date with a Book

Want to try something new? How about going on a blind date...with a book. Choose a wrapped book from the display by the Circulation Desk to borrow. You won’t know what it is until you get it home but we do give you a few hints on the cover.

If you don’t enjoy the book you can bring it back with no awkward questions asked (unlike a real blind date).

Great Stone Face Booktalk #12

One Dog and his Boy
by Eva Ibbotson

Most children would be thrilled with all the expensive toys Hal’s parents lavished on him for his 11th birthday…Hal could see that. But all he had ever wanted, with every fiber of his being, was a dog; his parents were equally adamant that this would not happen. “Too much mess…too much bother,” they declared, and the matter was settled. When Hal’s father saw how terribly dejected his son was, he decided to rent a dog for the weekend (the details were never spelled out to Hal); the boy would tire of the dog quickly, and that would be the end of it. But that was not the end of it…when Hal found out Fleck had been a rental from Easy Pets, and not his own for keeps, he hatched a desperate plan. He would go to the pet shop and snatch Fleck away, and take him on the train to his grandparents’ home on the coast. However, there were some things he hadn’t counted on…like the fact that the girl
in charge of pet care at the shop had felt sorry for some of the other dogs in her care, and let them loose, as well. When they all showed up at the train station, expectantly watching him with their trusting eyes, what was he to do?
 (Booktalk by Luci Albertson, GSF Committee, Bedford Public Library)

AARP Tax Help at the Library!

The AARP will once again be offering free tax help at the Dover Public Library and their schedule is as follows:

Tuesdays 9am to noon
Thursdays 9am to noon
Saturdays 9am to noon

The last day of tax help will be on Tuesday, April 15. Come in for a first-come-first-serve appointment or call 211 to schedule an appointment.

Help!

Confused about the Affordable Care Act? Having trouble signing up on healthcare.gov? Talk to someone who can help at the Dover Public Library on the following dates:

Thursday February 6
2 PM - 5:30

Thursday February 13
2 PM - 5:30

Tuesday February 18
2 PM - 6

Wednesday February 26
2 PM - 5:30

Take Advantage Of:

· Information on the Affordable Care Act and healthcare.gov
· Certified In-Person Assisters to help you enroll for a plan on healthcare.gov

Or, make an appointment for a later date!

Brought to you by New Hampshire Marketplace, Covering NH, and assisters throughout Stafford County.