Calling Local Poets

To commemorate National Poetry Month, April 2015, the Raritan Valley Federation of Libraries, of which Bernardsville Library is a member, will publish its third annual Poetry Month Celebration Anthology. Participating libraries include Bernardsville, Dunellen, Middlesex, New Brunswick and Raritan.

Local poets are invited to submit up to two poems to Bernardsville Library by Friday, March 13 in order to be considered for the anthology. For details on submitting poems, a Poetry Submission Form is available at the Library or can be downloaded from the library’s website, http://www.bernardsvillelibrary.org/poetry-celebration-2015.
  
Local poets whose work is chosen for the Anthology will also be invited to read their poem(s) at the library on Thursday, May 7 at 7:00 pm. An open mic will follow for members of the audience who wish to read their own poems to the assembled group.

For further information on Bernardsville’s program, call the library at 908-766-0118 and ask for Madelyn English.

"Disaster!" - A Book Signing at Bernardsville Library

Come to Bernardsville Public Library on Saturday, February 28 at 2:00 pm to meet Alan A. Siegel, author of Disaster! Stories of Destruction and Death in 19th Century New Jersey. Mr. Siegel's book brings readers face-to-face with twenty-eight of the deadliest natural and human-caused calamities to strike New Jersey between 1821 and 1906, ranging from horrific transportation accidents to uncontrolled fires of a kind rarely seen today. Mr. Siegel will speak about writing his book and the accounts of these fires, steamboat explosions, shipwrecks, train wrecks, and storms which are told in the words of the people who experienced the events firsthand, lending a sense of immediacy to each story. 

Disasters bring out the worst as well as the best in people. Mr. Siegel focuses on the bravest individuals, including harbor pilot Thomas Freeborn who drowned while attempting to save fifty passengers and crew of a ship foundering on the Jersey Shore, and Warwicke Greene, a fourteen-year-old schoolboy who rescued the injured “like the hero of an epic poem” after a train wreck in the Hackensack Meadows. These and many other stories of forgotten acts of courage in the face of danger will make Disaster! an unforgettable read.

Alan A. Siegel, a lawyer who practices in Chatham, New Jersey, has published numerous books, including Smile: A Picture History of Olympic Park, 1887-1965; Beneath the Starry Flag: New Jersey’s Civil War Experience (both Rutgers University Press); Images of America: Irvington; Images of America: Warren Township; and Somerset County in Vintage Postcards. He has served as president of the Warren and Irvington historical societies.

Books will be available at the event for purchase and signing. There is no charge to attend the program, but advance sign-up is requested. Register online at www.bernardsvillelibrary.org and follow the link from Adult Programs, or call the library at 908-766-0118 to sign up.

February 28th is also the 15th anniversary of the library's move into the building on Anderson Hill Road. We'll be celebrating with cake and punch for all from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm. Please drop by to join us!

Live Your Most Fulfilling Life

The next meeting of Bernardsville Library's inspirational workshop series, "Live Your Most Fulfilling Life," will be held on Wednesday, February 25 at 7:00 pm. Led by Andrea Mastrobattista, this workshop is designed to help people who feel they are not yet living the life they were meant to live, or have aspects of their lives that need improvement. Ms. Mastrobattista will take the group on a thought-provoking journey of conversations and brainstorming sessions throughout the year that will take participants beyond limits, beyond expectations and beyond their imaginations where they will discover their most fulfilling lives. In this session, they will discover how to start living a fulfilling life right now. 

Ms. Mastrobattista has been leading her inspirational workshops on Wednesday evenings at the library since 2006. She heads a company called Operation INSPIRATION and also facilitates workshops in the Somerset Hills such as "Facing Your Fears" and "Transforming Negatives Into Positives" in which she helps people to fully form their goals and develop a strong can-do attitude for achieving them. Her core belief is that, no matter what circumstances people face, they have the strength and ability to create and live fulfilling and inspiring lives. She also owns Golden Slipper Productions, a company which creates websites and their corresponding promotional materials (such as business cards and brochures) for small and mid-sized businesses.

There is no charge to attend the library workshop, but advance registration is requested. Register online at www.bernardsvillelibrary.org, and follow the link from Adult Programs, or call the library at 908-766-0118 to sign up.

Free Concert at Bernardsville Public Library

Richard Reiter & Tricia Slafta

Join us at Bernardsville Public Library on Sunday, February 22 at 3:00 pm for a free concert by New Jersey’s most popular swing combo. The Richard Reiter Swing Band will perform familiar standards from the swing era, and the audience is invited both to listen and dance to their exciting music. The group features Mr. Reiter on saxophone, clarinet and flute, and vocalist Tricia Slafta, accompanied by keyboard, bass and drums. Their repertoire includes “Our Love is Here to Stay,” “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy,” “As Time Goes By,” “Sing Sing Sing,” and “Jump Jive an’ Wail.”

Richard Reiter, an Emmy award-winning composer, has performed as guest jazz saxophone soloist with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, featured artist on PBS television, on-stage clarinet soloist in Bob Fosse’s Broadway musical “Dancin’,” and backup for such notables as Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Nancy Wilson, Johnny Mathis, Cher, Temptations, and the Supremes.

Of Reiter’s group, Gil Perlroth wrote in the Westport (Connecticut) News: “Focused around Richard Reiter’s soaring sax and Tricia Slafta’s beautiful voice, the RICHARD REITER SWING BAND has a great feel for this music…the audience cheered and gave them a standing ovation.”

This concert is funded by the Friends of the Bernardsville Public Library. It’s free and no sign-up is needed. There will be light refreshments. Doors open at 2:45 pm. For further information, call the library at 908-766-0118.

Saturday Crafters to Meet at Bernardsville Library

Saturday Crafters, the monthly craft group organized by Bernardsville Public Library, will meet on Saturday, February 21 at 3:00 pm. Individuals are invited to bring their own handwork projects to the Library and work together in a comfortable, communal setting while enjoying the benefits of shared tips and conversation. They can also take advantage of the many books available at the library on different types of crafts.

Public Relations Assistant Evelyn Fischel will showcase project ideas and books at each meeting. A long-time crafter, Ms. Fischel will encourage such interests as knitting, crocheting, paper arts, hand sewing, embroidery and other needlework, as well as any other craft the group wishes to cover. 

There is no charge to attend the meeting, and no sign-up is needed.  For more information, call the library at 908-766-0118.

Monthly Meditation at Bernardsville Library

Come meditate in a circle of consciousness at Bernardsville Public Library on Friday, February 13 at 10:00 am. Bernardsville resident Gail Mardfin leads these monthly guided meditation sessions in which different types of meditation are explored and then followed by a time of sharing for those who are so inclined. First timers and those with any meditation experience are welcome. 

There is no charge to attend the program, and no sign-up is required.  No experience in meditation is necessary.  For further information, call the library at 908-766-0118.

Introduction to T'ai Chi Chih

T’ai Chi Chih (pronounced tie-chee-cha) is a practice of 19 movements completely focused on activating, circulating and balancing one’s vital energy (Chi). Learn more about it from Angela Calogero, an accredited teacher, at Bernardsville Public Library on Tuesday, February 10 at 7:00 pm. She will explain how T'ai Chi Chih is practiced softly and gently, requires no special athletic ability, and can be done from a seated position. It is often thought of as a moving meditation because of the calming effect on mind and emotions, and the release of tension throughout the body.

"T'ai Chi Chih can help with concerns about balance, coordination and other health issues," said Ms. Calogero, "All that is needed is a desire to access the body’s natural inclination to balance the energies of Yin and Yang. It is not a martial art, but rather an inner discipline." The full form is taught by an accredited teacher in eight weekly, 1¼-hour sessions. 

T’ai Chi Chih has been endorsed by The Arthritis Foundation, The Mayo Clinic and other reputable health organizations.

There is no charge to attend the program, but advance sign-up is requested. Register online at www.bernardsvillelibrary.org and follow the link from Adult Programs, or call the library at 908-766-0118 to sign up.