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Blood Drive

July 6, 2022, 12 - 6 pm

in the 2nd Floor Community Room at Middletown Thrall Library

New York Blood Center will be holding a blood drive at the library:

• Here is the sign-up link to schedule your appointment.

If you have any concerns or medical questions, please follow this link for NYBC's contact page.

view event flyer → Middletown Thrall Library invites you to our next

Remarkable Reads Book Discussion

Wednesday, June 22, 2022 at 3 PM

in our 2nd floor Community Room at Thrall

Hosted by Matt Pfisterer This event is free but limited to 25 attendees.

Registration required

Please call 1-845-341-5485 or visit thrall.org/register.

About the Book

Hidden Valley Road by Robert Kolker:

• NONFICTION. From the publisher’s description: "The heartrending story of a midcentury American family with twelve children, six of them diagnosed with schizophrenia, that became science’s great hope in the quest to understand the disease. Don and Mimi Galvin seemed to be living the American dream. After World War II, Don’s work with the Air Force brought them to Colorado, where their twelve children perfectly spanned the baby boom: the oldest born in 1945, the youngest in 1965. In those years, there was an established script for a family like the Galvins–aspiration, hard work, upward mobility, domestic harmony–and they worked hard to play their parts. But behind the scenes was a different story: psychological breakdown, sudden shocking violence, hidden abuse. By the mid-1970s, six of the ten Galvin boys, one after another, were diagnosed as schizophrenic. How could all this happen to one family? What took place inside the house on Hidden Valley Road was so extraordinary that the Galvins became one of the first families to be studied by the National Institute of Mental Health. Their story offers a shadow history of the science of schizophrenia, from the era of institutionalization, lobotomy, and the schizophrenogenic mother to the search for genetic markers for the disease, always amid profound disagreements about the nature of the illness itself. And unbeknownst to the Galvins, samples of their DNA informed decades of genetic research that continues today, offering paths to treatment, prediction, and even eradication of the disease for future generations."

Available copies of this book can be borrowed from or reserved at Middletown Thrall Library.

About the Presenter: Matt Pfisterer is the Director of Thrall Library. Matt earned a Master's Degree in Library Science from the State University of New York at Albany. He is the moderator of the Remarkable Reads book discussion group at Thrall Library, and he has moderated numerous book discussions covering both fiction and nonfiction titles from popular authors.

This event is free and limited to 25 attendees.

Masks recommended but not required.

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Chair Yoga

Balance, breathe, flex, relax...


Sign up for one of these free classes (10- 11 am):

• June 3, 2022
• June 10, 2022
• June 17, 2022
• June 24, 2022

All classes will be held in our 2nd floor Community Room. Registration required:

• please call Tracy Allen at 1-845-341-5454, extension # 5467
• or register online.

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Your Life Story

with Donna J. Atkins, “The Life Story Lady”


Everyone has a story to tell...

Some don't know where to start.
Some don't know what to include.
Others don't want to spend weeks or months attending writing classes, and that's where these two exhilarating programs come in...

• "Relatively Speaking"
  Thursday, May 12, 2022, 6:30-7:30 PM

  A one-hour interactive lecture with music and humor. 12 Reasons to Document Your Life Story & How to Begin. Free Handouts.
  

• "Then, Now, and Forever"
  Thursday, June 9, 2022, 6 - 8 PM

  An innovating two-hour workshop. Outline Your Entire Life Story in Only Two Hourse. Free workbook.

Take either one or both of these compelling programs!

How to Register:

Visit www.thrall.org/register or call 1-845-341-5454, ext. 5467.


About the Presenter: "Donna J. Atkins, The Life Story Lady, is an award-winning communications specialist who has spent a lifetime working with individuals, groups, and organizations in the application of storytelling and narrative."

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Floral Arranging Basics

with Patti Martellaro & Lori Lotito

Tuesday, May 10th, 6 - 7:30 pm

in our 2nd floor Community Room

This entertaining and informative lecture will include a helpful demonstration to show you how to have fun arranging flowers from your garden or with purchased flowers.

You will learn about...

• designing different types of floral centerpieces
• types of flowers you can select
• conditioning flowers
• arrangement supplies

This program is free and open to the public.

Please register by following this link or calling the number below.

Questions? Please call 1-845-341-5454, ext. 5467

About the Presenters: "Patti Martellaro is a Senior Master Gardener. She enjoys meeting people through Workshops and Speaker Bureau demonstrations. Some of her favorite programs involve working with flowers, arranging flowers, container gardening, and several nature craft programs. Lorie Lotito is a Master Gardener since 2015. Into the woods she goes! Collecting natural materials to create organic art is a favorite pastime. Sharing her love of flowers and nature with others to spark their creativity is a joy!"

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The Three B's of Music

presented by Barry Wiesenfeld

There's an expression in the classical music world, The Three B's, and it refers to Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms. But this is a broader, modernized version of that esteemed list, and there's been a small substitution. A variation on a theme, if you will. These Three B's are Bach, Beethoven, and The Beatles.

Why do The Beatles deserve to be in this lofty club of musical pioneers? Simple: they, like the others, changed the course of the music to follow. Join us. Find out why they deserve to be in the company of greats!

This FREE event will be held in our 2nd floor Community Room at Thrall.

• Session one (May 7, 2022, 1 - 2:30 pm): Back to Bach.
  Bach wrote the book (literally and figuratively) on how music works. He explored and refined chord progressions, harmony, form, and much of the music theory we still use today, three hundred years later. Join us to learn about his world and some of his most monumental works!
• Session two (May 14, 2022, 1 - 2:30 pm): Learning Ludwig.
  He took the musical world into which he was born, mastered it, and then yelled, "Hey, everybody, follow me!". And he transformed the Classical era into the Romantic Era. He lived a tragic life, but he gave us gifts that we treasure still, and the emotion in his music is unrivaled. We'll delve into his life and his gifts.
• Session three (May 21, 2022, 1 - 2:30 pm): The Beatles - 50 Years Later.
  In this single session class we'll explore the phenomenon that was The Beatles - their growth, originality, musical innovations and lyric depth. Join us for the discussion!

To register, please visit www.thrall.org/register.

Questions? Please call 1-845-341-5454, ext. 5467., or e-mail tallen@rcls.org

About the Presenter: "Barry Wiesenfeld is an internationally recognized award-winning musician, a published author, and is on the music faculty of SUNY and Ramapo College. He has accompanied Grammy- and RMI-winning artists, performed on three continents and has played on numerous recordings, radio and TV. Barry's lecture series has been enjoyed both around the U.S. and abroad. For more information or to contact Barry, please visit www.barrybassist.com."

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AARP Defensive Driving
6-Hour Courses at Thrall

Courses will be provided *in-person* by class instructor Tom Barrone on these dates at 9 AM sharp:

• July 27, 2022
• August 10, 2022
• September 14 2022

Additional details...

• Classes will be held in the 2nd floor Community Room at Middletown Thrall Library
• Registration required: to register, please call 1-845-341-5461.
• Classes are limited to 20 participants each.
• AARP Member Price (must have ID Card): $25.00
• Non-AARP Member Price: $30.00
• Pay by cash, or bring a check or money order made out to AARP.
• You can bring lunch and a beverage/thermos. No coffee provided.
• Face mask recommended.

view event flyer → The Friends of Middletown Thrall Library, Inc. Present

Repair Café 2022

Clothes, furniture, electrical / mechanical, toys, sharpening, etc.

Event dates:

10 AM to 1 PM in the 2nd floor Community Room at Middletown Thrall Library on:

• March 19, 2022
• June 18, 2022
• September 17, 2022
• December 17, 2022

What do you do with

• A lamp that no longer lights?
• A vacuum that can't suck it up?
• A scissors that can't cut it?

Toss it away? No way!

Repair Café is

• repairing broken items together
• professional advice
• encounters and inspiration

Costs? A voluntary contribution.

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Broadway Magic!

with Francine & Joel

Saturday, April 30, 2022, 2 - 3:30 pm

in our 2nd floor Community Room

Join us for an entertaining afternoon of Broadway show tunes!

This program is free and open to the public!

Questions? Please call 1-845-341-5454, ext. 5467

view event flyer → Middletown Thrall Library Proudly Presents

Garden Design for Your Home

with Gerda Krogslund

Thursday, April 28, 2022, 6-7:30 pm

in our 2nd floor Community Room

It's time to think Spring! This informative presentation will introduce gardeners and homeowners to the fundamentals of garden design for year-round beauty!

You will learn...

• Garden design basics
• Proper site preparation
• Keys to plant selection
• Helpful small-space gardening tips

This program is free and open to the public.

Please register by following this link or calling the number below.

Questions? Please call 1-845-341-5454, ext. 5467

About the Presenter: "Gerda Krogslund has served the gardening community since 2005 and is an active Senior Master Gardener Volunteer at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Orange County, NY. Gerda retired in 2003 from her career as a high-school math teacher and she often uses her teaching skills to help her grandchildren with their on-line education. Gerda loves traveling, presenting to local community groups and reading. She still finds a few moments to maintain lovely gardens at her homes in NY and Martha's Vineyard."

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Meet Martin Luther King, Jr.

Civil Rights Leader / Minister

a live performance by G. Oliver King

April 16, 2022, 2 PM

in 2nd floor Community Room at Middletown Thrall Library

This event is free and open to the public.

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Meet Frederick Douglass

Civil Rights Leader / Minister

a live performance by G. Oliver King

April 9, 2022, 2 PM

in 2nd floor Community Room at Middletown Thrall Library

This event is free and open to the public.

Middletown Thrall Library's Youth Services Dept. invites you to a live theatrical performance of

The Merry Tales of Robin Hood

Presented by Traveling Lantern Theatre Company

April 14, 2022, 11 AM

in our 2nd floor Community Room

Heroic deeds and jolly adventures!

Enjoy the exuberant tale of intrepid Robin Hood and his Merry Men, who are ever jauntily escaping from the clutches of the ill-disposed Sheriff of Nottingham!

This is a free in-person event for the entire family!

Registration is required.

To register, please call (845) 341-5470.

About the Presenters: "Traveling Lantern has been educating and entertaining children nationwide since 1985. Our mission is to bring great stories to children, to draw them into an active theater experience, to excite their minds and to tickle their imaginations." For more, please visit www.travelinglantern.com.

*ONLINE Event*

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The Harlem Renaissance

presented by Rena Tobey

Monday, February 28, 2022, 6:30 - 7:30 PM *ONLINE*

Harlem flourished in the 1920s, energized by the Great Migration of African Americans from the South who were looking for jobs in New York City.

The first generation of photographers, painters, and muralists tapped into new calls for expressing racial pride and optimism; the second worked through the Depression and World War II, carrying on this inspiration and deepening the depictions.

This is the story of the art of the Harlem Renaissance, which is still influencing artists today.

As we embark on a journey through the art of the Harlem Renaissance, which celebrated Harlem and its people through a flowering of creative inspiration, our virtual showcase will include:

• A look at the diverse styles of artists working in Harlem from the 1920s to 1940s.
• An overview of two generations of Harlem Renaissance artists - some well-known, others less familiar.
• An understanding of how contemporary African American artists stand on the shoulders of these breakthrough artists.

About the Presenter: Rena "has a PhD in Human and Organizational Studies, with 14 years experience as an organizational coach, trainer, and consultant. Recently, Rena completed her MA, art history program at Hunter College, with a thesis on Elizabeth Okie Paxton and her provocative 1910 painting The Breakfast Tray."

*To register for this FREE online event, please sign up through this link or contact Tracy Allen:

• telephone: 1-845-341-5454, ext. 5467
• e-mail: tallen@rcls.org

*ONLINE Event*

Jazz in the Civil Rights Movement

Thursday, February 10, 2022, 7 - 8 pm

Join us online for this outstanding program that is both lecture and performance!

Jazz musician and speaker Galen Abdur-Razzaq of Flute Juice Productions will take you on a journey from the turn of the century through the Civil Rights Movement, highlighting how jazz itself and jazz musicians became advocates for civil rights and the influence they had on the movement. Seats are limited!

To register, please do one of the following:

• fill out our online registration form
• send e-mail to tallen@rcls.org
• call: 1-845-341-5454, ext. 5467.