In: Book Group, Caregiving, Community, Events

The Caregivers Book Group, sponsored by Maine Humanities Council and Pine Tree Hospice, is a great way to learn about caregiving experiences from a variety of perspectives.  Thought provoking readings will give you a deeper understanding and appreciation of loss and the American experience.

Our next Book Group meeting is Monday, June 3rd, from 4:00 – 5:30, at the Thompson Free Library in Dover-Foxcroft.  We will be discussing poems in the last section of Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith’s American Anthology, and the novel Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, by Dai Sijie.  All materials are available at the Thompson Free Library.  Our experienced facilitator is Greg Winston, professor of English at Husson University, who asks questions, provides insights, and enjoys learning from the group as much as we enjoy learning from him.

This Book Group is the perfect place to meet new people, connect with friends and enjoy a new reading experience. Please feel free to join us even if you have not had the opportunity to read the material.  For more information, please call Pine Tree Hospice at 564-4346.

In: Arts & Crafts, Children, Community, Events

Sunflowers brighten the day and lighten the mood. The world needs more of that, so come to our Planting Sunflowers program on Thursday, May 30 at 3:30 pm. The seeds will grow in the library windows until they’re ready to plant and then you can take some home; the rest will be donated to the Sunflower Circle in the Children’s Garden at Law Farm. All ages are welcome.

Looking for another way to get involved? Submit your sunflower-themed artwork to Piscataquis County Soil and Water Conservation District’s poster-making contest.

In: Authors, Events, Maine History

The 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote was ratified by the state of Maine in 1919. Celebrate 100 years of suffrage with a talk by Anne Gass, author of “Voting Down the Rose: Florence Brooks Whitehouse and Maine’s Fight for Woman Suffrage,” on Tuesday, May 14 at 5:30 pm.

Florence Brooks Whitehouse was a novelist, painter, vocalist, and mother of three sons when she first joined the suffrage movement in 1914. This talk explores Florence’s life up to 1914 and her leadership in moving suffrage forward in Maine, joining forces with national leader Alice Paul in a desperate, last-ditch effort to ensure that the Maine legislature ratified the 19th Amendment that would give women voting rights. Slides of historic photos accompany this lively talk.

Gass, who is Whitehouse’s great-granddaughter, speaks regularly on Florence Brooks Whitehouse and women’s rights history at conferences, historical societies, libraries, high schools, and for other groups. Gass has continued her great-grandmother’s activist tradition in her professional work. She is the founder and principal of ABG Consulting LLC, a small business supporting nonprofits, local and state governments, and foundations in their efforts to help people in need build stable, productive lives. Gass has written over $163 million in successful federal grants since founding her business in 1993, working both in Maine and nationally.

The 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote was ratified by the state of Maine in November 1919 and officially adopted as part of the U.S. Constitution in August 1920. For more about the Maine Suffrage Centennial visit: https://www.mainesuffragecentennial.org/

In: 101 Series, Arts & Crafts, Events

Join us on Thursday, May 9 at 1:30 pm for our next TFL 101 event:

Holly Johnsen shows us how to create, embellish, and bind a simple pocket journal using paper items & recycled materials. You’ll be able to chronicle your memories, stories, & feelings–or a special adventure! Please bring your old maps, wallpaper, stationery, ticket stubs, photos–even junk mail–and your creativity! It’s sure to be a fun time!

About the TFL 101 Series: These monthly programs are lively, informative, interactive demonstrations from the practical to the creative. Pick up some basic how-to’s, then learn & explore on your own. Or, just satisfy your curiosity & have fun.

In: Events, Outdoors

Interested in birds or getting involved with Citizen Science? Anyone who can identify at least one species of bird is welcome to contribute their observations to the Maine Bird Atlas. Want to find out more about how you can get started contributing your observations?

Join Kate Weatherby, the Maine Bird Atlas regional coordinator for the Carrabassett Valley and Dover-Foxcroft areas, and learn how to get started. This will be an informal session where we will go over the information available on the Maine Bird Atlas website, the eBird website, and we will also discuss other useful smartphone apps that may help new birders. Then, once no one has additional questions, we will head outdoors and take a walk around town to get some hands-on experience with watching for breeding bird behaviors and how to record that information for the Maine Bird Atlas.

Please dress appropriately for the weather and bring a pair of binoculars, if you have them. There will be two loaner binoculars available for sharing. If you have a smartphone, please bring that as well, particularly if you want help setting up and registering for the free eBird app.

The Maine Bird Atlas (2018-2022) is a statewide citizen science project to map the distribution and abundance of Maine birds. For more info visit: http://maine.gov/birdatlas