Proudly serving Wendell, MA

December at the Wendell Free Library

EVENTS IN BRIEF

All month: Art in the Herrick Room by Swift River School Students

Every Friday: TGIF Social Hour, Lego, games, pickleball etc. Library hang. 4-5 p.m.

Every Saturday: Free Math Tutoring with Samara Sawyer, 10-noon.

Every Sunday: Yoga. 10 a.m.

Every Tuesday: Free Tech Help. Registration required. Call or use the online sign-up at https://engage.gcc.mass.edu/seniors/cyber-seniors/. 3-5  p.m.

Every Tuesday: Adult Art Group. 5 p.m.

Every Wednesday: CNC Playgroup is back! 10-11:30 a.m. (No Playgroup on 12/24 or 12/31)

Every Wednesday Matinee Movie. 4 p.m. (No movie of 12/24 or 12/31)

Every Wednesday: Yoga with Rebecca Rice. 6:20 p.m.

New: Every Thursday: Yoga with Adam Zaykowski. 6:20 p.m.

DECEMBER PROGRAMS

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3: Matinee Movie: Raising Arizona. 4 p.m.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 15: Fiber Group / Mending Circle. 6:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10: Matinee Movie: You Can Count On Me. 4 p.m.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12: Office Hours with Rep. Saunders. 1 p.m.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12 AND SATURDAY DECEMBER 13: Wendell Holiday Fair: Fri. 4-8p.m. Sat. 9-4 p.m. Craft Vendors, Food by Diemand Farm, raffle to benefit the Friends of the Wendell Free Library.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17: Matinee Movie: First Cow. 4 p.m.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20: Solstice Gathering. Crafts, Cacao, Snacks and Tea. Drop in 10:30-2:30p.m.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31: Disco Snail NYE Craft Drop-In ‘Makerspace’. 10-12p.m. and 2-5 p.m.

Matinee Movies

Every Wednesday December 3, 10 & 17 at 4 p.m.

December 3rd

RAISING ARIZONA (1987)
Joel Coen, director; with Nicholas Cage, Holly Hunter, John Goodman; 94 minutes
The Coen Brothers reached new heights (or depths, depending on your taste) in absurdist, screwball comedy with Raising Arizona, which calls to mind Preston Sturges, Flannery O’Connor, and professional wrestling. Nicholas Cage is H.I. McDunnough, a barely-reformed holdup man, and Holly Hunter plays a police officer. Falling in love after his release from prison, they marry but are unable to have children, so they resort to kidnapping one of the quintuplets born to local furniture tycoon Nathan Arizona. A terrifying bounty hunter is unleashed, friends are suspicious, and H.I.’s old cellmates appear after a spectacular escape from the pen, tempting him back to a life of crime.

December 10th

YOU CAN COUNT ON ME (2000)
Kenneth Lonergan, director; with Laura Linney, Mark Ruffalo, Matthew Broderick; 111 minutes
Laura Linney plays a single mother living in a small Catskill Mountains town whose life is disrupted when her wayward younger brother (Ruffalo) returns. A smart, perceptive script, subtle direction, and fine performances add up to an affecting story about the touchy relationship between a brother and a sister whose lives have been marked by early tragedy and who have taken very different paths.

December 17th

FIRST COW (2019)
Kelly Reichardt, director; with John Magaro, Orion Lee; 121 minutes
Set in 1820s Oregon Country, First Cow follows a traveling cook and a Chinese immigrant who start an illicit business using milk stolen from a wealthy trader’s prize cow. A simple story well-told, with Reichardt’s usual precise, patient direction, and a brilliant production design that transports viewers to the grimy early 19th century west.

Solstice Party at the library

Saturday, December 20

Drop in, 10:30-2:30 p.m.

Drop by the Wendell Free Library Saturday December 20, 10:30-2:30 to celebrate the shortest day of the year with crafts, cocoa, tea and snacks. There will pine-cones to pom pom, orange peels to shape & string (and oranges to eat!), and fun lids to collage and turn into ornaments or fridge magnets.

Disco Snail New Years Eve Craft [Drop in ‘makerspace’]

Wednesday December 31, 10-12 & 2-5 p.m.

Take is slow and enjoy the glow! Stop by the library on New Year’s Eve to sculpt a snail with air dry clay and add a mini disco ball for a shell. Return Friday Jan 2, 3-5p.m. if you would like to paint your snail.

*this is a drop in event so materials are available while supplies last.

Free Math Tutoring with Samara Sawyer

Every Saturday

10-noon

Drop in math tutoring for elementary and middle school kids, consisting of homework help, strengthening of concepts, and fun interactions with math.  (Library policy is that all youth under grade 4 must be attended by a caregiver).

About Samara: “Hi! My name is Samara Sawyer.  I am a junior at Pioneer Valley Performing Arts. I have always been passionate about math and education. I am so excited to use this program to further my love for both while helping the community.

Tech Help at the Library

Every Tuesday 3-5 p.m.

Register for a 30min, 1 or 2 hour appointment.

Support offered: Basic Computer Skills, Using the Internet, Email Support, Setting up New Devices, Accessing Services , affordable internet and device programs, library resources, health portals, entertainment, and so much more!

To sign up visit https://engage.gcc.mass.edu/seniors/cyber-seniors/ or speak tolibrary staff.

CNC Playgroup at the Wendell Free Library

Every Wednesday at 10 a.m.

December playgroup dates are 12/3,12/10, and 12/17.

Free play, time to socialize with other families. Circle time with books, finger plays, favorite songs, and activities.  Opportunities to play outside on the playground.

The Gentle Healthy Bones and Balance Exercise Program

Wednesdays 10:00-11:00 am and Fridays 10:00-11:00 am

Presented by the Wendell Free Library via ZOOM.

For seniors who wish to improve or maintain strength, mobility, flexibility,

balance and bone health.

To join, please contact:

Marianne Vinal

Email: mariannevinal@gmail.com

Telephone: 978-544-6122 call or text

or

The Wendell Free Library

Email: Wendell@cwmars.org

The monetary support of the Friends of the Wendell Free Library makes so much possible!!

LIBRARY NEWS

• Hope to see many people out tomorrow at Ghost Town!
• Rep. Saunders will not be holding his normal Office Hours in November. Instead, he will be holding “Regional Office Hours”  at the New Salem Public Library time and date TBD. Normal office hours will resume in December.
• Work will begin on our Accessible Trail will begin on Tuesday November 11.  The parking lot will be corded off for the machinery.  The work is expected to take about one week.

November at the Wendell Free Library

EVENTS IN BRIEF

All month: Art in the Herrick Room by Swift River School Students

Every Friday: TGIF Social Hour, Lego, games, pickleball etc. Library hang. 4-5 p.m.

Every Saturday: Free Math Tutoring with Samara Sawyer, 10-noon. no tutoring 11/1

Every Sunday: Yoga. 10 a.m.

Every Tuesday: Free Tech Help. Registration required. Call or use the online sign-up at https://engage.gcc.mass.edu/seniors/cyber-seniors/. 3-5  p.m.

Every Tuesday: Adult Art Group. 5 p.m.

🥳Every Wednesday: CNC Playgroup is back! 10-11:30 a.m.

Every Wednesday Matinee Movie. 4 p.m.

Every Wednesday: Yoga. 6:20 p.m.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 1: Ghost Town at Sundown, with rain date of Sunday November 2.  Gather at Gazebo at 5:45, process into Ghost Town at 6pm following Wendell Blast Brass Band.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 9: Cookbook Book Club. Pick up a copy of Ottolenghi Comfort for a pot-luck style book discussion. Let us know if you are coming by emailing wendell@cwmars.org. 4:30 p.m.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 3 & 17: Fiber Group / Mending Circle. 6:30 p.m.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18: Seashell Detectives; Let’s investigate where seashells come from and how to identify them. What can you do with them when you bring them home from a beach?  Seashells will be provided, but you can also bring your own. Designed for elementary age children. 3:30 P.M.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 3 & 17: Fiber Group / Mending Circle. 6:30 p.m. Free.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4 & 18: Canva For Beginners. To Register email wendell@cwmars.org. 6:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 5: Matinee Movie: SMALL THINGS LIKE THESE (2024) | Tim Mielants, director; w/ Cillian Murphy, Patrick Ryan, Peter Claffey; 98 min. 4 p.m.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8: POETRY READING WITH JESS MYNES. 1 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 12: Matinee Movie: AFTER HOURS (1985) 4 p.m.

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 13: “Yankier & Yankier”, An Evening of Robert Frost’s poetry read by Hal Stowell.  Francis Doughty interlude on guitar, refreshments served. 6:30 p.m.

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 20: Swift River School Student Art Show Reception. 6-7 p.m.

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 22: ‘Shiatsu With Friends’ Explore & Feel Vibrant With Wholistic Practitioner Shell Hines. Confirm Your Spot 978- 544-3559 wendell@cwmars.org 1-4 p.m.  Funded by the Wendell Cultural Council.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19: Matinee Movie: ALICE DOESN’T LIVE HERE ANYMORE (1974) | Martin Scorsese, director; w/ Ellen Burstyn, Kris Kristofferson, Alfred Lutter; 112 min.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2: Adult Book Group. Greta & Valdin by Rebecca K Reilly. 10 a.m.

Ghost Town at Sundown

Saturday, November 1 (*rain date of Sunday November 2)

5:45pm: Gather at Gazebo

6pm: Parade into Ghost Town at  following Wendell Blast Brass Band.

Take a stroll through a haunted village that pops-up just once a year.  Parade into Ghost Town following Wendell Blast Brass Band for TRICK OR TREATING, SPOOKY HOUSES, SHADOW PLAY THEATER, & more. Stay tuned in the case of rain for announcements about our rain date Sunday Nov. 2.

STILL NEEDED!: COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO FORM THE “POP-UP VILLAGE”. “HOUSE LOTS” AVAILABLE TO BE FILLED WITH YOUR CREATION. Contact the Wendell Free Library to sign up and for details: wendell@cwmars.org/ 978-544-3559

This is a community wide event established and organized by the Wendell Free Library, but made possible by everyone who participates.

POETRY READING WITH JESS MYNES.

Saturday, November 8, 1 p.m.

Jess Mynes, a Wendell resident for over three decades, will be reading poems from his recently published Necessary Luxury from Press Brake. He is the author of several out of print books, including One Anthem (Pressed Wafer) and Sky Brightly Picked (Skysill Press). His poems have appeared in: The Nation, The Brooklyn Rail, Blazing Stadium, Vlak, Shampoo, Big Bell, and other publications. He was one of the curators of All Small Caps, a reading series that ran for eight plus years at the Deja Brew here in town.

“Yankier & Yankier”

An Evening of Robert Frost’s poetry read by Hal Stowell. 

Thursday November 13, 6:30 p.m.

Francis Doughty interlude on guitar, refreshments served.

Hal Stowell has lived in Wendell since 1973, a year he marks by the wedding of Kathy and Myron in “the purple house”. He earned a BA in English from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst after “several years of gallivanting”, worked as a carpenter among other trades, and is a Navy Vet. Hal likes classical music, his favorite Bob Dylan album is Knocked Out Loaded, and he loves living in Wendell “because there are so many hard working and creative people, you aren’t going to get better than that”. He is the published author of one volume of poetry, Country Crossings from Small Press World with woodcut engravings by Abigail Rorer. The year Robert Frost died in the hospital, Hal hitchhiked all the way to Boston from Fitchburg to try to see him, and subsequently lost his job at the local paper mill.

Seashell Detectives

Tuesday, November 18, 3:30 p.m.

Let’s investigate where seashells come from and how to identify them. What can you do with them when you bring them home from a beach?  Seashells will be provided, but you can also bring your own. Designed for elementary age children. This is the beginning of a monthly series offered by local Linda Hickman, retired Library Director and Children’s Director of the Montague Libraries.

Art Exhibition Opening Reception

Thursday November 20, 6-7 PM

A selected group of students from Swift River School invite you to share in this showcase of the unique art creations.  The exhibit will be up all of November in the Herrick Community room and glass display case.  Big thanks to SRS art teacher Karie Neal for putting the show together. Please check the library calendar for other events happening in that room to plan your visit.

Free Math Tutoring with Samara Sawyer

Every Saturday

10-noon

Drop in math tutoring for elementary and middle school kids, consisting of homework help, strengthening of concepts, and fun interactions with math.  (Library policy is that all youth under grade 4 must be attended by a caregiver).

About Samara: “Hi! My name is Samara Sawyer.  I am a junior at Pioneer Valley Performing Arts. I have always been passionate about math and education. I am so excited to use this program to further my love for both while helping the community.

Matinee Movies

Every Wednesday at 4 p.m.

November 5

SMALL THINGS LIKE THESE (2024) | Tim Mielants, director; w/ Cillian Murphy, Eileen Walsh, Emily Watson Peter Claffey; 98 min.

An understated adaptation of Claire Keegan’s 2021 novel about the infamous Magdalene laundries in Ireland. Set in the mid-1980s, devoted father Bill Furlong (Cillian Murphy) discovers disturbing secrets kept by the local convent. This minimalist, somber drama is moving and hypnotic, and features outstanding performances.

November 12

AFTER HOURS (1985) | Martin Scorsese, director; w/ Griffin Dunne, Rosanne Arquette, Verna Bloom, Teri Garr; 97 min.

A funny film about a very long, very bad night in New York City’s SoHo. Griffin Dunne is excellent as the hapless hero lost in a labyrinthine journey that goes deeper and deeper into the darkness, and the stellar supporting cast includes Rosanne Arquette, Verna Bloom, Catherine O’Hara, John Heard, Teri Garr, Linda Fiorentino, and others. A fine example of the art of Black Comedy.

November 19

ALICE DOESN’T LIVE HERE ANYMORE (1974) | Martin Scorsese, director; w/ Ellen Burstyn, Kris Kristofferson, Alfred Lutter; 112 min.

After her husband dies in a car accident, Alice (Ellen Burstyn) travels with her preteen son across the Southwestern U.S. in search of a better life and hoping to pursue the singing career she abandoned when she married.  In Tucson, she meets a divorced local rancher (Kris Kristofferson) who becomes enamored of her. Burstyn gives the kind of complex, seemingly effortless, performance she is known for, earning her a Best Actress Oscar.  This was Scorsese’s first Hollywood studio production, and it remains somewhat of an outlier in his filmography. Burstyn described their collaboration as “one of the best experiences I’ve ever had.”

No Movie the day before Thanksgiving.

Tech Help at the Library

Every Tuesday 3-5 p.m.

Register for a 30min, 1 or 2 hour appointment.

Support offered: Basic Computer Skills, Using the Internet, Email Support, Setting up New Devices, Accessing Services , affordable internet and device programs, library resources, health portals, entertainment, and so much more!

To sign up visit https://engage.gcc.mass.edu/seniors/cyber-seniors/ or speak tolibrary staff.

CNC Playgroup at the Wendell Free Library

Every Wednesday at 10 a.m. beginning Oct 1.

Free play, time to socialize with other families. Circle time with books, finger plays, favorite songs, and activities.  Opportunities to play outside on the playground.

The Gentle Healthy Bones and Balance Exercise Program

Wednesdays 10:00-11:00 am and Fridays 10:00-11:00 am

Presented by the Wendell Free Library via ZOOM.

For seniors who wish to improve or maintain strength, mobility, flexibility,

balance and bone health.

To join, please contact:

Marianne Vinal

Email: mariannevinal@gmail.com

Telephone: 978-544-6122 call or text

or

The Wendell Free Library

Email: Wendell@cwmars.org

The monetary support of the Friends of the Wendell Free Library makes so much possible!!