Jean P. Moore was born in Brooklyn, New York, and grew up in
Miami, Florida. Her novel Water on the Moon, published in June 2014,
won the 2015 Independent Publisher Book Award for contemporary
fiction. Her work has appeared in journals and newspapers such
as upstreet, SN Review, The Timberline Review, Angels Flight Literary
West, Fiction Southeast, Distillery, Skirt, Slow Trains, the Hartford
Courant, Greenwich Time, and the Philadelphia Inquirer. A memoir
piece, "Finding Charles," appears in Persimmon Tree. Several of her
poems are found in Women's Voices of the 21st Century, 2014. Her
chapbook, Time's Tyranny, was published in the fall of 2017. She, her
husband, and their black Lab, Sly, divide their time between Greenwich, Connecticut and the Berkshires in Massachusetts.


Katherine Flannery Dering is a poet, novelist and memoirist who
holds an MFA from Manhattanville College. In 2014 she published Shot in the Head, a Sister's Memoir a Brother's  Struggle (Bridgeross). A mixed genre book of poetry, prose, photos and emails, it deals with caring for her schizophrenic brother, and she is an advocate for better care for the mentally ill.

Her poetry chapbook, Aftermath, to be published in 2018, began during a period of introspection following the death of her nephew from a drug overdose. Her poetry and essays have also been featured in numerous small journals, newspapers and anthologies. Ms Dering lives in Bedford, NY and currently serves on the executive committee of the Katonah Poetry Series. 

She blogs at www.deringkatherine.wordpress.com.

For additional information, please contact Cynde Bloom Lahey, Director of Library Information Services, at (203) 899-2780 ext. 15133, or  clahey@norwalkpl.org .

Monday, November 5

10:00 -12:00 pm &

1:00-3:00 pm

American Job Center Southwest                                              

                                                    

150 Timeless Movies

Susan Granger

Monday, November 5

12:00 - 1:30 pm

Main Library Auditorium

Register

The AuthorSpeak series is pleased to welcome Susan Granger in a presentation based on her book 150 Timeless Movies . A light lunch will be provided courtesy of the library.

This is a choice collection of 150 movie reviews of classic and contemporary timeless movies by international syndicated film critic Susan Granger. It includes films from the earliest days to today, from the Russian film, 'Battleship Potemkin' (1925) and 'Gone With the Wind' (1939) to 'Bridge of Spies' (2015) and 'Zootopia' (2016). 150 Timeless Movies includes reviews reprinted from Granger's popular website, www.susangranger.com, as well as more than two dozen new reviews of English and foreign film classics. There is an original introduction by Granger, who grew up in Hollywood; her father was director/producer S. Sylvan Simon, and, after his untimely death at 41 while filming 'From Here to Eternity,' her mother remarried and Susan's step-father was MGM executive Armand Deutsch.

Susan Granger is a product of Hollywood. Her natural father, S. Sylvan Simon, was a director and producer at M.G.M. and Columbia Pictures; her adoptive father, Armand Deutsch, produced movies at M.G.M.

 

 As a child, Susan appeared in movies with Abbott & Costello, Red Skelton, Lucille Ball, Margaret O'Brien and Lassie. She attended Mills College in California, studying journalism with Pierre Salinger, and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with highest honors in journalism.

 

During her adult life, Susan has been on radio and television as an anchorwoman and movie/drama critic, syndicating her reviews/articles around the world. She has appeared on American Movie Classics and Turner Classic Movies. Susan is also the feature film critic for Video Librarian magazine, distributed to libraries nationwide.

For more information please contact  Cynde Bloom Lahey, Director of Library Information Services, at (203) 899 - 2780 ext. 15133, or   clahey@norwalkpl.org.

For more information please contact  Cynde Bloom Lahey, Director of Library Information Services, at (203) 899 - 2780 ext. 15133, or  clahey@norwalkpl.org.

"Dark"... "Sharp"... "Laugh-out-loud funny"... "An irresistible page-turner"...

Depending on your age, Social Security filing strategies may boost lifetime benefits and increase retirement income by tens of thousands of dollars, so you should always consider Social Security payout as a component of your retirement plan.

Topics covered will include:

• January 1, 2016 Social Security regulation changes impacting filing timing options.
• How Social Security benefits are calculated and the advanced planning required to increase them.
• Why married couples, divorced and widowed individuals can miss out on significant lifetime sums.
• How Social Security sums may be integrated into a retirement analysis projecting future monthly income.
• The "three legged stool" approach to retirement planning and how to support your needs in the future. 
• What is your money earmarked for? Income, growth, preservation, legacy?
• Will I outlive my money in retirement? How can I avoid this?

Presenters: David Weyner and Michael Alimo (Investment Advisor Representative; ChFEBC) is a 30-year industry veteran, who for the past 17 years has served clientele around Connecticut and New England at his USA Financial & Tax Services. Committed to giving back to the community via educational workshops, Mr. Alimo has hosted many seminars on a variety of financial and planning topics for groups at libraries, churches, and social organizations. 

For further information, please contact Cynde Bloom Lahey, Director of Library Information Services, at (203) 899-2780, ext. 15133 or   clahey@norwalkpl.org .

In starting a new business, social media has become a very cost-effective way to get your message out to the masses...but just how do you do that without becoming "white noise" online. Learn how to market your business without breaking the bank!

• How to create a Facebook Business Page and advertising.
• Tapping into Twitter and Instagram to build your business.
• Utilizing automation tools to give you an online presence when you are not online.

Introduction to the Internet Saturday, Nov. 10 10 -11:30 am Register

Fredrik Backman

12:00 -1:00 pm

Carnegie Room

Bring your lunch and join Reference Librarian Susannah Violino for a lively discussion of Beartown by Fredrik Backman.

People say Beartown is finished. A tiny community nestled deep in the forest, it is slowly losing ground to the ever-encroaching trees. But down by the lake stands an old ice rink, built generations ago by the working men who founded this town. And in that ice rink is the reason people in Beartown believe tomorrow will be better than today. Their junior ice hockey team is about to compete in the national semi-finals, and they actually have a shot at winning. All the hopes and dreams of this place now rest on the shoulders of a handful of teenage boys.

Being responsible for the hopes of an entire town is a heavy burden, and the semi-final match is the catalyst for a violent act that will leave a young girl traumatized and a town in turmoil. Accusations are made and, like ripples on a pond, they travel through all of Beartown, leaving no resident unaffected.

Beartown explores the hopes that bring a small community together, the secrets that tear it apart, and the courage it takes for an individual to go against the grain. In this story of a small forest town, Fredrik Backman has found the entire world.

Books Sandwiched In meets the last Thursday of every month.

For further information, please contact Susannah Violino at (203) 899-2780 ext 15115, or sviolino@norwalkpl.org

Low Impact Aerobics with Linda Tuesdays & Thursdays   1:30 - 2:30 pm  Teen Room Linda Lombardo is known to local residents for her work as a Silver Sneakers instructor, Linda has been a Business Education teacher with the New Canaan, Norwalk, Fairfield, Greenwich and Stamford Public School Systems for over 20 years. She is certified by the American College of Sports Medicine as a health fitness instructor, personal trainer and nutrition counselor. Stop by on Tuesday or Thursday to welcome Linda and try out a new version of Low Impact Aerobics. For additional information, please contact Cynde Bloom Lahey, Director of Library Information Services, at (203) 899-2780 ext 15133 or  clahey@norwalkpl.org

The 5th Anniversary of the Norwalk History Room at the Norwalk Public Library was held on Sunday, September 23 with a lovely "High Tea" catered by Nijole Potts, The Blue Teapot.

State and City Proclamations congratulated the Library which and was followed by an introduction of members of the Museum Restructuring Committee who had the foresight to re-locate the archival material to the Library and create the Norwalk History Room. History Room Staff and Volunteers were introduced and the new Norwalk Hour Historical Newspaper Archive which was digitized by NewsBank, Inc., and is a permanent asset for the Norwalk community, connecting the past to the future was launched. Authors and researchers of local history recounted their studies that resulted in success in the History Room and attendees were invited to explore and research their ancestors.

Norwalk Historian Ralph Bloom was honored for his service to the Library and entire Norwalk Community.

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In 1775, the "Act for Restraining and Punishing Inimical Persons" was enacted preventing Loyalists from purchasing property, joining the army, holding office and left them open to the possibility of imprisonment. Jonathan Ketchum was relieved of his duties as Deputy Postmaster and positions he held in the town government. Suspicious of his possible dealings with the British through meetings in his tavern, the town placed some members of the militia near his home. When General William Tryon marched into Norwalk, in July, 1779, the British proceeded with burning a large portion of the town. 

There seems to be conflicting information as to why this occurred. The Patriots claimed it was a willful, deliberate act to force Washington to come to their aid, thus letting the British know of his geographical position. The Loyalists claimed the burning was a reaction to the firing on the British army by the town's people. 

Whatever the cause, the effect was still the destruction of a great portion of the town. The burning was not confined to Patriots, but to the property of Loyalists as well. Seeing an opportunity to leave under the protection of Tryon, part of the Ketchum family then left with the British army. Their destination was Huntingdon, Long Island, directly across the sound from Connecticut, which was a British stronghold, the same as New York City. Samuel, Jonathan's son went with him.

Why did these citizens of Norwalk decide to leave? Ever since the "Act for Restraining and Punishing Inimical Persons" was passed, Loyalists were continually persecuted, and some were actually murdered by Patriots. Jonathan was fed up with this mistreatment, and he still believed in the Crown. His only recourse was to leave. His son's story was as compelling. Forced to join the militia (which was led by General Benedict Arnold) during the burning, Samuel refused to engage with the British. Much of Samuel's property was then confiscated.

Many other citizens of Norwalk, followed the Ketchums for the same reasons. The story for Jonathan and his family doesn't end here, however. We will continue on with the next chapter in the December newsletter.

(Thanks again to Dr. Leah Grandy, University of New Brunswick, Canada, for her research on the Ketchums.)

Our first online records are postcards of Norwalk scenes, most dating from the beginning of the 20th century. We will follow these with regular additions from our collection of thousands of documents and photographs. Search by keyword or use the advanced search feature.  The postcards can also be viewed randomly. 

The Norwalk History Room and archive combines the library's former Local History Collection with the archival collections of the former Norwalk Museum. The lower level of the main library building at 1 Belden Avenue houses this large array of published and unpublished books and papers, photographs and maps, and more, covering over 300 years of Norwalk history.

The mission of the Norwalk Public Library History Room is to preserve the archival materials, including manuscripts, photographs, maps, newspapers, and books, which illustrate the history of Norwalk, Connecticut. This History Room online database will further our goal of promoting knowledge and appreciation of the long history and rich cultural heritage of the Town of Norwalk. 

NPL has partnered with drivers-test.org to bring you the current CT DMV driver's practice tests for free! Included are car, motorcycle, CDL practice test, and the driver's manuals for each test. Also included are accessibility tools    that let users hear selections read aloud, make them into MP3s, translate pages into other languages, magnify text, and mask portions of the screen for greater visibility on the practice tests.  

This driver education program contains the following CT-specific information: