Cooking class collaboration between Randolph library, Cooperative Extension, wins state award

Meghan Carter and Jeannie Leonard

ASHEBORO – A series of hands-on cooking classes sponsored by the Randolph County Public Library and Randolph County Cooperative Extension has won a statewide award.

The classes — five in the fall of 2016 and four in the fall of 2017 —  received the Community Partnership Award from the North Carolina Association of Family and Consumer Sciences.

Incorporating concepts from the Eat Smart, Move More, Weigh Less program, the classes covered such topics as canning, crockpot meals, stir-fry, soup, holiday appetizers, freezer meals, grilling, yeast bread making, and cooking with herbs. The library’s Head of Reference Meghan Carter organized the series with Family and Consumer Services Agent Jeannie Leonard, who taught them.

Sponsored by the library’s Margaret C. Taylor Culinary Arts Collection, the classes were offered at no cost to attendees.

Russia expert to explore Soviet WWII contribution in Asheboro library talk.

ASHEBORO – The Soviet Union’s contribution in World War II, and its influence on war crimes trials that followed, will be the topic of a talk by Dr. Thomas Earl Porter of  N.C. A & T University, 6:30 p.m. Monday, October 21, at the Asheboro Public Library.

    

The talk is free and the public is invited.

Porter, professor of Russian and Modern European History, and author of several books and more than 50 articles, will discuss the fate of Soviet POWs in Nazi Germany, as well as the legal groundwork and evidence collection undertaken by the Soviets for the Nuremberg war crimes trials. He also will touch on Soviet efforts to minimize the assault on Russian Jewry by the Germans, and share some little-known aspects of the ensuing cold war between the US and the USSR

The library is located at 201 Worth Street. For further information, call  336-318-6803

Get the lowdown on genealogy DNA tests in Asheboro library class

ASHEBORO – Have you been thinking about taking a DNA test, but are not sure which one to take?

Learn about the different DNA testing companies and what they have to offer in “DNA 101,” 7  p.m. Wednesday, October 9, at the Asheboro Public Library, 201 Worth Street. The class will be repeated at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, October 24, at the Senior Adults Center in Asheboro, 347 W. Salisbury St.

It’s free but registration is required; call 336-625-3389 to sign up.

Franklinville library offers 'Tails to Read' therapy dog sessions

FRANKLINVILLE – Children in the Franklinville area can read to a certified therapy dog during the Franklinville Public Library’s “Tails to Read” program, 2:30-3:30 p.m. Sundays, September 29, October 13 and November 3.

The sessions enable children to hone their reading skills and build confidence in a comfortable setting, one-on one with a non-judgmental companion – in this case, Bentley, an 11-year-old Golden Retriever. Bentley’s handler, Mary Ellen Georoff, is close by during all interactions.

There’s no cost for the sessions but space is limited; call the Franklinville library at 336-685-3100 or visit the library to sign up. The library is located at 111 Sumner Place.

Tails to Read continues to be offered at the Asheboro Public Library; call 336-318-6400 or visit the Children’s Room for upcoming dates or to sign up. The Asheboro library is located at 201 Worth Street.

Go batty at Asheboro library with 'Masters of the Night'

ASHEBORO -- Go batty over the “Masters of the Night” as two N.C. Zoo education specialists talk all about bats at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, October 15, at the Asheboro Public Library.

Wendy Green Foley, who has worked with bats for 12 years, and Nicole Peterson, a self-described “bird nerd,” will explore the skills and senses of the incredible animals in a fun and exciting program. The educators will shed light on what’s really going on with our backyard neighbors, and discuss the role of bats in the environment and how people can help them.

The talk is free and the public is invited.

The library is located at 201 Worth Street. For more information, call 336-318-6803.

Learn ‘What’s In Your Water’ at Franklinville library

FRANKLINVILLE – Children and their families are invited to find out “What’s in Your Water,” at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, September 24, at the Franklinville Public Library.

After arriving at the library, participants will visit the Deep River (weather permitting) to learn more about the water around us, why it is important and how to protect it. Then participants will carry out water quality tests and other fun experiments.

The program, sponsored by North Carolina Cooperative Extension of Randolph County, is free and the public is invited.

The library is located at 111 Sumner Place. For further information, call 336-685-3100.

Literary lecturer Dr. Elliot Engel to share ‘Andy Griffith Show’ insights in Asheboro library talk

Dr. Elliot Engel

ASHEBORO --- Andy Griffith was a brilliant movie and stage actor, but he is a Hollywood immortal and North Carolina cultural icon thanks to The Andy Griffith Show, which aired from 1960-1968.

Combine Andy with the state’s most popular literary lecturer and you have “Andy Griffith: Master of Mayberry with Dr.  Elliot Engel,” at 7 p.m. Thursday, October 10, at the Asheboro Public Library.

Engel’s talk, which is free and open to the public, is the second installment in the Ann Sigman Shaffner Literary Series, sponsored by a generous gift to the Friends of the Library from Anne’s family. Shaffner, who passed away in 2018, was passionate about helping others through volunteering with various community organizations, including the Friends of the Library.

In his talk, Engel not only analyzes Andy’s astonishing early life which led to his television triumph, but also reveals little-known facts about the show’s production and its enduring fame.

Originally from Indianapolis, Indiana, Engel now lives in Raleigh, North Carolina. He has taught at the University of North Carolina, North Carolina State University, and Duke University. He earned his M.A. and Ph.D. as a Woodrow Wilson Fellow at UCLA, where he won that university’s Outstanding Teacher Award.

Engel has written 10 books, four of his plays have been produced in the last 10 years, and his mini-lecture series on Charles Dickens ran on PBS television stations. He has lectured throughout the United States and on all continents — including Antarctica.

He has received numerous awards for his scholarship and teaching, and since 1980 has served as president of the Dickens Fellowship of North Carolina. Sales of his books and recordings have raised funds for the Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital, which Dickens helped found in London in 1852.

The library is located at 201 Worth Street. For further information, call 336-318-6803.