Open New Year's Eve 11 am to 3 pm

The library will be open New Year's Eve (Wednesday, December 31) from 11 am to 3 pm.

Happy New Year!

Reminder: Closed on Dec. 24 and Dec. 31

The library will be closed on Wednesday, December 24 (Christmas Eve), and Wednesday, December 31 (New Year's Eve.)  Be sure to stop by Saturday morning  or Monday evening to stock up on books and movies for the holiday week.

"Rosy cheeked apples and a brimming mug of cider"

Two new books in the Heath Free Public Library 

Growing apples and making cider have a long history in Heath. On page 38 of the Heath, Mass. Centennial Aug 19, 1885 book, a passage from the Historical Address by John H. Thompson reads

Orchards were set out early, and in the virgin soil soon bore a bountiful supply of apples, and there was a cider mill in every neighborhood. In the autumn the farmer rolled into his cellar a dozen or twenty barrels of cider, and the neighbor who dropped in of a long winter evening would have felt himself inhospitably received, if he had not been entertained with a dish of rosy cheeked apples and a brimming mug of cider.

 

You can learn about the great variety of apples that are available and how to use them in Apples of Uncommon Character: 123 Heirlooms, Modern Classics, & Little-Known Wonders, Plus 20 Sweet and Savory Recipes. Library catalog listing:  http://bark.cwmars.org/eg/opac/record/3422290

Ready to try your hand at cider making? Check out this new book:  The New Cider Maker's Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide for Craft Producers by Claude Jolicoeur. Library catalog listing:  http://bark.cwmars.org/eg/opac/record/3156571


Want some hands-on apple or cider experiences? The 20th Annual Franklin County CiderDays is coming soon:  Friday, October 31st through Sunday, November 2nd, 2014. Schedules and more details at http://www.ciderdays.org/

Two CiderDays events related to the books featured above:

• Fruit Exploring with John Bunker and Rowan Jacobsen, author of Apples of Uncommon Character, on Saturday at Apex Orchards, Shelburne FREE 
• Ice Cider Making with Claude Jolicoeur, author of The New Cider Maker's Handbook, on Saturday at the Shelburne Buckland Community Center. Claude will also present a workshop on Apples for Juice and Cider on Sunday at Bear Swamp Orchard in Ashfield. FREE (taste hard cider with the purchase of a $5 glass)

Bake Sale

A tempting assortment of baked goods at the Memorial Day Weekend Bake Sale last May.

The Friends of the Heath Free Public Library will be holding its annual Columbus Day Weekend Bake Sale on the front porch of Sawyer Hall on Saturday, October 11, from 10:00 to noon.

This is one of the primary fund raisers for the Friends of the Heath Free Public Library. We need donated baked goods, sweet or savory. They can be delivered Saturday morning, October 11, to Sawyer Hall.

Coffee and a scone to start your day?

We need bakers and eaters/buyers to make this fund raiser a success! All baked goods are sold for a donation of "Whatever your library is worth to you". Please consider baking or buying to help support YOUR LIBRARY.

Thanks for your support,

Rol Hesselbart
President
FRIENDS OF THE HEATH FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY

Rol welcomes visitors to the Heath Fair Book Sale tent, August 2014.

Town of Heath Weather Station

Weather Station mounted on the east end of Sawyer Hall.

News from Town Coordinator Kara Leistyna via the Town of Heath website:

WEATHER STATION IN HEATH IS LIVE!!!

National Grid has been modeling storm response on data collected from area Weather Stations on the Earth Networks system. There are a number of pockets in the Western portion of Massachusetts that have very light radar coverage, so National Grid has made the decision to purchase additional Weather Stations and Heath has been chosen to provide a location.

The Weather Station will be a donation to the Town and will become the property of the Town. It is now located on top of Sawyer Hall as of Sept. 24th. National Grid has agreed to pay for any basic maintenance that is needed to support the operation of the Weather Station, but Heath will be responsible for minor “housekeeping” such as emptying the rain catch, clearing leaves, etc.

The Highway Dept. as well as the entire community, will be able to view the data through the internet or on an LCD display located in the first floor hallway of Sawyer Hall. You may also get an app on your cell phone: for android phones search Weatherbug in the Google Play store and iPhones search Weatherbug in the iTunes store.

The school may also use the data as a learning opportunity.

Screenshot of the Online Weather Center that uses data from the new weather station installed on Sawyer Hall.

WEATHER STATION WEB LINK CLICK HERE!

Come to the Library and Sit a Spell

Lincoln Rocker

If you admired Deb Porter's Lincoln Rocker on display in the Exhibit Hall at the Heath Fair you now have an opportunity to sit in it at the library.

Heath Fair Exhibit Display Board

This antique rocking chair was reupholstered by Hilma Sumner, whose exhibit of the process won a Blue Ribbon at the Fair.

Brief history of the chair style, and a description of methods used in the reconstruction.

The chair will be in the library until Columbus Day weekend – please stop by and sit a spell.

Welcome Library Sidewalk Crawlers!

The Heath Free Public Library welcomes the Friends of West County Seniors to beautiful Heath Center  on Wednesday, September 10 at 1:00 pm for the beginning of their Fall Library Sidewalk Crawl program.

For the next 8 weeks the Friends will meet at a West County Library and "Walk, stroll, roll, sprint, or crawl on the sidewalk (if there is one) for an hour or so, enjoying the gradual arrival of fall, then turn around and head back to the library for refreshments - and to peruse the bookshelves!"

Sawyer Hall

1 East Main Street in Heath Center.

Home of the Heath Free Public Library.

The Friends Library Sidewalk Crawl schedule:

 Weekly at 1 pm at the library in the following towns

• Sep. 10 - Wed - Heath
• Sep. 17 - Wed - Rowe
• Sep. 30 - Tue - Ashfield
• Oct. 6 - Mon - Colrain
• Oct. 14 - Tue - Charlemont
• Oct. 20 - Mon - Conway
• Oct. 29 - Wed - Shelburne Falls

Summer Reading Program Wrapup

Children who signed up for the Summer Reading Program are reminded to bring in their Reading List to receive the $10 book store gift certificate and other prizes.

Also, the raffle prizes will be drawn on Saturday, September 6, so if you haven't entered your free 5 tickets yet please stop by and ask for your tickets.

Raffle Prizes

1. Children's size small t-shirt
2. Children's size medium t-shirt
3. Children's size large t-shirt
4. Fizz Boom Read canvas tote bag
5. Two tickets to the Big-E Fair
6. A certificate to make a Yankee Candle wax hand
7. Bird lover's magnetic poetry set
8. Coupon for a free Friendly's ice cream cone

The Summer Reading Program is sponsored by the Friends of Heath Free Public Library, the Massachusetts Library System, the Boston Bruins, and the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners.

Reminder: Closed for Labor Day

Late August sunflowers

The library will be closed on Monday, September 2, in observance of Labor Day. Be sure to stop by this evening, Wednesday afternoon, or Saturday morning to stock up on books and movies for the holiday weekend.

 The Post Office and Town Offices in Sawyer Hall will also be closed on Monday.

Summer? What summer?

Quilt Raffle

Center block in the quilt

Friends of the Heath Free Public Library

Quilt Raffle

Tickets:  $1 each or $5 for seven.

A beautiful patchwork quilt has been donated to benefit the efforts of the Friends and is on display at the library.

Tickets are available at the Library, and will also be sold at the Friends Book Sale Tent at the Heath Fair.

Drawing on Sunday, August 17, 2014 at 2:30 pm at the Heath Fair. You do not have to be present to win.

Front of the quilt. Size: 53" x 58"

Back of quilt

Friends Festive Potluck Supper Invitation

The Friends of the Heath Free Public Library

Invite You

to a festive potluck supper

at Cal and Jan Carr's Party Barn

Hosmer Road

Friday, July 18, 2014

6:00 pm short informational meeting

6:30 pm dinner

 

The Heath Free Public Library is an important part of our town life. We hope you will bring a dish to share and celebrate what the library means to all of us.

Fizz! Boom! Read! Summer Reading and Crafts Program

It's time to gear up for a summer of reading! Fizz! Boom! Read! is this year's Summer Reading theme. Children ages 5-12 are invited to sign up for the Summer Reading and Crafts Program at the library. Stop by and pick up a reading log to keep track of the books you and your family read together. Later in August, turn in your log to receive a gift certificate to World Eye Bookstore and other prizes!

Also, we will be meeting at the Heath Fairgrounds in the blue exhibit hall on Wednesday evenings from 6:00-7:00 to do some fun science experiments! Join us July 16, 23, 30, and August 6 & 13. Come Fizz, Boom, & Read with us!

Both programs are free and sponsored by the Friends of Heath Free Public Library, the Massachusetts Library System, the Boston Bruins, and the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. Please call the library for more information: 413-337-4934 ext. 7.

Broadband Fiber in Heath Center!

Screenshot showing Speedtest.net results using a laptop in the library at Sawyer Hall and the wireless internet connection with the new Broadband Fiber. Compare this to the speed we got with the DSL connection:  2.0 Mbps download and 0.7 Mbps upload. 5 times faster! Bring your smartphones, tablets, and laptops to Sawyer Hall or the front porch or parking area near the building and enjoy the high-speed wireless access.

You may know that Sawyer Hall (Heath's Town Hall) is a Community Anchor Institution (CAI) as part of the new fiber optic network deployed in western Massachusetts through the MassBroadband 123 network project. CAIs are municipal buildings and part of the ‘middle mile network’ bringing fiber access into the town. Sawyer Hall and the Heath School were considered eligible CAIs in Heath.

As of May 30, 2014, Sawyer Hall internet service was switched from DSL to the high speed fiber network. Other than faster speed, nothing will seem different and the wireless service will be available as always.

 As soon as they get the okay from Axia NGN Network, the network operator, Crocker Communications, Inc. will install new VoIP (voice over internet) telephones in Sawyer Hall. With the exception of some lines, our service will no longer be handled by Verizon. Instead, our service will be provided by Crocker Communications, Inc.

The fiber optic network is not yet available to residents in Heath. WiredWest continues to work with the state in trying to find funding for residential service.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to call. Thank you.

Kara M. Leistyna
Town Coordinator
Town of Heath


Note from the Library Director:  we expect the Library's desktop computers be connected to the Broadband Fiber this summer or fall through our Internet connection provided by C/W MARS. Stay tuned for updates!

STEM Workshop for Young Children

 STEM Workshops

Bring your young children to the Library for a fun-filled hour of hands-on STEM; science and nature exploration activities . This will be part of a series of workshops being offered at all West County Public Libraries . STEM focuses children’s natural curiosity on pre-scientific observations and discoveries as they play with water, look at bugs, experiment with smells and sounds ,use magnifying glasses and otherwise have a good time! Every family that participates will take home a STEM Kit with materials to continue their explorations at home.

Saturdays: 11:00-12:00, at the following Libraries:

May 3 Buckland Public Library

May 10 Shelburne Free Public Library

May 24 Griswold Memorial Library, Colrain

  ** May 31 ** Heath Free Public Library **

June 7 ARMS Library, Shelburne Falls

June 14 Tyler Memorial Library, Charlemont

June 21 Belding Memorial Library, Ashfield

June 28 Rowe Town Library

 

Every family that participates will take home their own STEM KIT.

Please contact Melissa Pincus - CFCE Coordinator to register

413-625-6194 or mepincus@mohawkschools.org

Holiday Closing Reminder

The library will be closed on Monday, May 26, 2014 for Memorial Day.

Friends' Bake Sale Saturday May 24

Please come to the Friends of the Heath Free Public Library Spring Bake Sale on Saturday, May 24, 2014 from 10 am to noon on the front porch of Sawyer Hall. Cookies, pies, cakes, mini-pizzas, and more.

The Friends support the library in many ways, including funding preschool Story Hour and the Summer Reading Program, and paying for new books, DVDs and magazines. Last October they purchased a new Book Return to replace the old rusted leaky one. 

New Book Return

Pysanky Easter Eggs on Display

The library display case has a wonderful collection of colorful locally-crafted Pysanky Easter Eggs.

The eggs were decorated this spring by an informal group called The Crafty Ladies of Heath.

 

The egg cups were provided by Sheila Litchfield from her personal collection.

Holiday Closing Reminder

The library will be closed on Monday, April 21, 2014 for Patriots' Day.

New Preschool Story Hour Dates Announced

Lyra has released the Preschool Story Hour schedule for March, April, May, and June

• Friday, March 14, 10:30-11:30am
• Friday, March 28, 10:30-11:30am
• Friday, April 4, 10:30-11:30am
• Friday, April 18, 10:30-11:30am  Egg Hunt! With Special Guests Jessica Van Steensburg & her farm birds. Jessica will treat us to her original story “Dorris Byrd.” Jessica and her family operate We Can Farm in Heath.
• Friday, May 23, 10:30-11:30am
• Friday, May 23, 10:30-11:30am
• Friday, June 6, 10:30-11:30am (last one until September!)

Children (birth to age 5, older siblings welcome) and their care-givers are invited to share stories, songs, sign language, crafts and a snack. Story hour is hosted in the Heath Free Public Library by Lyra Johnson-Fuller. A great way to meet other local parents and have some fun with your baby/toddler/young child!

Winter Solace

It's starting out as a long cold winter. Come to the library to get some Winter Solace  to see you through to the longer, brighter, warmer days of spring.

Books, movies, magazines and more. We have what you need to find comfort and cheer.