'Poetry of Conservation' poet Pat Riviere-Seel to conduct children's writing workhop, keynote open mic

Acclaimed poet Pat Riviere-Seel will visit the Asheboro Public Library during the week of June 25 to conduct a writing workshop for children and headline a poetry “open mic.”

Her appearances are part of The Poetry of Conservation, a partnership among the North Carolina Zoo, the Randolph County Public Library and the Randolph Arts Guilds that places poets in residence at the zoo to celebrate the beauty and wonder of nature in verse.

School-age children are invited to “Tiger, Where Did You Get Those Stripes?”, a free poetry writing workshop at 10 a.m. Wednesday, June 27 at the Asheboro library.

“Wild animals (domestic ones too!) and places are full of mystery and magic. Have you ever wondered how something got to be the way it is? What would you ask the tiger? Or the bear?  In this workshop we’ll use poetry to talk to the animals and explore their mystery,” Riviere-Seel says.

Local poets are invited to join Riviere-Seel and read their work – especially nature themed work –during an open mic at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 28, at the Asheboro library. Following the open mic, Riviere-Seel will share her work and answer questions.

The open mic is free and the public is invited.

Riviere-Seel teaches in UNC-Asheville’s Great Smokies Writing Program and is the author of two poetry collections, The Serial Killer’s Daughter (2009) which won the NC Literary and Historical Society’s Roanoke Chowan Award for Poetry and No Turning Back Now (2004) which was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. She earned her MFA in Poetry from Queens University of Charlotte and is a past president of the North Carolina Poetry Society.

The Poetry of Conservation is a program that will bring three poets to the Zoo through September for week-long residencies to explore nature and conservation in verse, conduct readings and workshops at the zoo and in the community, and to select lines of nature-related verse to be sculpturally installed in public areas of the zoo.

Riviere Seel’s library visits also are part of “Dream Big: Read!”, the library’s Summer Reading Program for children, and “Between the Covers,” the Summer Reading Program for adults. For more information and complete schedules, visit www.randolphlibrary.org/summerreading.html

Teen events begin, more during Randolph library Summer Reading Program week of June 18

Teen events kick off, and adults can learn about container gardening and ebooks, as “Dream Big: Read!”, the Randolph County Public Library Summer Reading Program, continues during the week of June 18. Meanwhile, storytimes and other activities for children continue, as Ronald McDonald visits two libraries and two libraries host family films.

As part of “Own the Night,” the Teen Summer Reading Program, teens are invited to make zombie felties and monster masks at 2 p.m. Thursday, June 21, at the Asheboro library. At the Randleman library, the Mad Science for Teens series gets underway with Random Science at 4 p.m. Wednesday, June 20.

"Between the Covers,” the Adult Summer Reading Program, offers Container Gardening with Master Gardeners Peggy Heath and Barbara Luther at 3 p.m. Tuesday, June 19, at the Randleman library. The Asheboro library will provide ebook and e-reader basics with “Ebooks – On the Go!” at 3 p.m. Tuesday, June 19.

Children’s programs continue at all libraries. Ronald McDonald will promote reading at the Liberty library at 11 a.m. Tuesday, June 19 and at Seagrove at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 19.  The Asheboro school-age program will feature author Midge Noble at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., and Randleman will host Cold Blooded Animal Encounters at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, June 21.

The Archdale library will encounter Nocturnal Animals at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 21, and host Kindermusic at 10:30 a.m. the same day.

Movies include A Bug’s Life at 7 p.m. Friday, June 22, at the Asheboro library and Puss in Boots at 4 p.m. Thursday, June 21, at the Randleman library.

A complete schedule for all libraries and all age groups can be found at www.randolphlibrary.org/summerreading.html, visit your local library or call 318-6804.

The Summer Reading Program is sponsored by the Friends of the Library supported in part by a North Carolina Arts Council Grassroots Grant via the Randolph Arts Guild. Local sponsors also include Kiwanis International, Weston’s Feed and Seed, Something Different Restaurant and Advisors Financial Center.

Prizes, reading awards, programs or program support are provided as of this writing by Asheboro Copperheads, Big Daddy’s Pizza of Ramseur, Chick-fil-A, CommunityOne Bank, Domino’s Pizza of Ramseur, Greensboro Children’s Museum, Hardees, Energizer, First Bank of Archdale, Lowes Foods,  North Carolina Aviation Museum, McDonalds, North Carolina Zoological Park, PNC Bank of Ramseur, SciWorks, Sheetz, Walmart and Wendy’s.

Big Bang Boom kicks off Summer Reading Program

Big Bang Boom, the children’s rock ‘n’ roll band from Greensboro, kicks off “Dream Big: Read!”, the Randolph County Public Library’s Summer Reading Program, with performances at all seven libraries during the week of June 11.

The band, made up of bassist/vocalist Chuck Folds, guitarist/vocalist Steve Willard and drummer/vocalist Eddie Walker – play parent-friendly power pop that gets kids moving in a high-energy performance. The concerts are free and the public is invited.

The schedule is as follows:

·        Asheboro, 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 12

·        Archdale, 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, June 13

·        Franklinville, 2 p.m. Thursday, June 14

·        Liberty, 11 a.m. Tuesday, June 12

·        Ramseur, 1-:30 a.m. Thursday, June 14

·        Randleman, 2 p.m. Wednesday, June 13

·        Seagrove, 2 p.m. Tuesday, June 12.

Also on tap for the week, children’s author Micki Bare will bring her creation Thurston T. Turtle to the Asheboro library at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 16, for a reading and signing with refreshments.

Steel drummer Tracy Thornton will be the special guest during the Asheboro library’s School Age Program at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 13, and the Randleman library will screen Kung Fu Panda II at 4 p.m. Thursday, June 14.

Storytimes at the Asheboro library include All Ages Storytime, 3:15 p.m. Tuesdays and 10:30 a.m. Thursdays; Family Storytime, 7 p.m. Tuesdays, Spanish/English Storytime, 6 p.m. every other Wednesday beginning June 13; and Toddler Time, 10:10 a.m. Thursdays.

Meanwhile, things get haunting for teens and adults as Ghosts of the Triad authors Michael Renegar and Amy Spease appear at the Asheboro library at 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 12, and the team from Carolina Supernatural Investigations visits the Archdale Public Library at 7 p.m. Friday, June 15.

All events are free and the public is invited.

“Dream Big: Read!” at Randolph library this summer

“Dream Big: Read!” during the Randolph County Public Library’s nighttime-themed Summer Reading Program, which kicks off June 11 with over 130 storytimes, performances, movies, special events and more at all libraries through early August.

The aim of the annual program is to keep kids reading while school is out, but teens can get in on the act with the return of LegoMania and other events, while adults can hear a lineup of authors and join in book discussions. All ages are eligible to register for reading rewards and prizes.

“Library summer programs are exciting, entertaining and educational. They’re close to home and they’re all free,” says Children’s Librarian Myra Long.

  

The summer starts of with a bang – a Big Bang Boom, to be exact, as the children’s rock ‘n’ rollers from Greensboro bring their high-energy, parent-friendly power pop to each library during the week of June 11 in a show that’s guaranteed to get kids moving and cheering. There will be magic, too, as Fish the Magish visits the Asheboro library in early July and the ever-popular Magical Storyteller Mark Daniel appears at all libraries in late July.

Kids: Dream Big!

Each library will host one or more weekly events for children. At the Asheboro library, weekly storytimes include All Ages Storytime, 3:15 p.m. Tuesdays and 10:30 a.m. Thursdays; Family Storytime, 7 p.m. Tuesdays, Spanish/English Storytime, 6 p.m. every other Wednesday beginning June 13; and Toddler Time, 10:10 a.m. Thursdays.

              

The Asheboro library also invites kids in grades K-5 to school-age programs at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Wednesdays. Special guests will include steel drummer Tracy Thornton, Ronald McDonald, Loretta Brady the Butterfly Lady and poet Pat Riviere-Seel.

Over the summer, the Archdale library will present “Nocturnal Animals: Cold Blooded Encounters”; Liberty will host Carolina Tiger Rescue; Ramseur will bring in bluegrass musicians Just N Time; and Liberty and Randleman will “Dare to Dream” with Steve Somers, The Amazing Teacher – among many other exciting events. For details and schedules for all libraries, go to www.randolphlibrary.org/summerreadingkids.html, visit your local library or call 318-6804.

Teens: Own the Night

The library also is lining up big events for teens, including the 4^th Annual Lego Mania on Thursday, August 2, at the Asheboro library; survival skills; making zombie masks; monster cartooning with Rich Powell, screen printing with Derek Toomes and more. A public mural project also may be in the offing for Asheboro teens.

Archdale will host Carolina Supernatural Investigations and Dr. Phil Senter, the Dinosaur Guy, and Randleman will offer weekly “Mad Science” programs at 4 p.m. Wednesdays beginning June 20.

Register to participate and for reading rewards at any library, and find schedules and details at www.randolphlibrary.org/summerreadingteens.html.

Adults: Between the Covers

Adults can bolster their summer reading with book discussions and author appearances. Our State Editor Elizabeth House will visit the Randleman library, and Ghosts of the Triad authors Michael Renegar and Amy Spease will haunt the Asheboro library.

Poets Pat Riviere-Seel and Bill Griffin will read their work and share the floor with local poets as part of the Poetry of Conservation project, and “Ebooks on the Go” workshops will provide guidance on ebooks and e-readers. Find full schedules and details at www.randolphlibrary.org/summerreadingadults.html.

The Summer Reading Program is sponsored by the Friends of the Library supported in part by a North Carolina Arts Council Grassroots Grant via the Randolph Arts Guild. Local sponsors are Kiwanis International, Weston’s Feed and Seed, Something Different Restaurant and Advisors Financial Center. Prizes, reading awards, programs or program materials are provided as of this writing by  Chick-fil-A, Hardees, First Bank of Archdale, Lowes Foods,  North Carolina Aviation Museum, McDonalds, North Carolina Zoological Park, Walmart and Wendy’s.

Friends to host Dickens expert Dr. Elliot Engel

It’s the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Dickens, and who better to celebrate it than scholar, performer and lively lecturer Dr. Elliot Engel?

The popular Dickens expert will keynote the Friends of the Library annual meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 10, in the second-floor meeting room of the 1909 Historic Courthouse at 145 Worth Street in Asheboro. Engel’s talk is free and the public is invited.

Using anecdote, analysis and large doses of humor, Engel will bring Dickens to life in an imaginative, delightful presentation filled with infectious enthusiasm and radiant wit.

Engel, who lives in Raleigh, has taught at UNC-Chapel Hill, North Carolina State University, Duke and UCLA. He is author of ten books, and his lecture series on Dickens ran on PBS stations across the country.

Proceeds from the sale of his books, CDs and DVDs have raised funds for the Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital in London, which Dickens helped found in 1852.

Asheboro library to exhibit pre-k student art in May

Art by children in local preschools will be on display at the Asheboro library May 5-May 21, with a reception featuring performances by the children at 5 p.m. Tuesday, May 15.

The exhibit, entitled “The Hundred Expressions of Children,” sponsored by the Randolph County Partnership for Children, will travel to the Randolph Arts Guild after its stay at the library.

It includes work from The Children’s Center of Asheboro, The Growing Place, Precious Memories Preschool and the Early Childhood Development Center. The artwork arose from projects that kids in each school have undertaken to learn more about a topic or interest.

Each project incorporates skills that promote cognitive, language/communication, physical, social and emotional development.

During the reception, three of the preschools will present performances based on their projects. Precious Memories will present “Hula Hoop Extravaganza at 5:15 p.m.; The Growing Place will present “Rockin’ Alaskan Guitarists” at 6 p.m.; and The Children’s Center will present “Mail by Rail” at 6:30 p.m.

The exhibit and the reception are open to the public.

Elder law specialist to present free seminars at library

Asheboro attorney Bob Mason will present three seminars on elder law and care during May at the Asheboro library.

Sponsored by the Friends of the Library, the seminars are free and the public is invited.

The first session, “How to Avoid and Elder Law Train Wreck,” 2 p.m. Thursday, May 10, will cover wills and trusts, powers of attorney, health care advance directives, long term care planning and more.

The second session, “How to Pay for Nursing Home Care Without Losing Your Shirt,” 2 p.m. Thursday, May 17, will address planning for nursing home costs, which can reach more than $7,000 per month.

The third session, “Make Sure Your VA benefits Aren’t AWOL,” 2 p.m. Thursday, May 24, will raise awareness about often-overlooked long term care benefits for veterans and the spouses of deceased veterans.

Mason is a Board Certified Specialist in Elder Law by the North Carolina State Bar Board of Legal Specialization, and a Certified Elder Law Attorney by the National Elder Law Foundation. He also is a past chair of Hospice of Randolph County.

              

He is a frequent speaker on elder and disabilities law issues.