May find your story 2015 May holidays The Library will be closed on Me- Ten years of student support morial Day weekend: Saturday, May 23, Sunday, May 24 and Monday, “It really helps Derrick with his Board member Ellen Fox, and musi- May 25. homework. He loves the socialization, cian and educator Doreen Gamell. the teens and especially the singing. The Center provides teens FOL Book & My wife and I are so happy that he and adults with an opportunity for uses the library and is able to get the meaningful community service by Author Luncheon books he needs for school. This pro- acting as mentor/tutors each week. There’s still time to reserve your seat gram has our entire family using the Volunteers range from high school at the FOL Book & Author Lun- library.” -Manuel S., parent students to retired educators, a mix cheon on Friday, May 15 at 11 a.m. Congratulations to the Port which provides multiple types of The featured authors will be Jules Washington Education Foundation expertise and points of view to share Feiffer and Mary Gordon, with Su- Support Center on its tenth anniver- with the students. It is a unique learn- san Isaacs returning as moderator. sary! The Center provides after-school ing opportunity for all involved: the See page 2 in this issue for more in- academic support, homework as- teens learn how to mentor and work formation. sistance and arts enrichment to forty with adult volunteers, and the third third graders each year, with one-on- graders get the help they need in a one and small group instruction. This positive, nurturing environment. The New Catalog partnership between the PWEF, the enrichment curriculum covers a wide Our online catalog, shared with Library and School District provides range of activities, and benefits from most Nassau public libraries, has a a unique learning opportunity for the diverse backgrounds of the vol- new look and new search functions. all: teens become mentors, they col- unteers. Many local artists, authors, We’ve also added a search bar to our laborate with adult volunteers, and and other experts come to share what website homepage (www.pwpl.org) the third graders work in a positive, they do. to make it easier to access. If you nurturing environment. The Library is proud to partner need assistance with the new cata- On any given Tuesday, you’ll with PWEF and to help further their log, stop in and speak to a librarian, see Director Jane Tafarella gathering goal of fostering academic confidence or call us at 516-883-4400, ext. 136. the children together, Doreen Gamell through positive learning experi- teaching a song and Ellen Fox, the ences. Center’s founder, discussing the day’s Meet Colm Toibin activity with the teen tutors. Then the Save the date: on Thursday, June 11 teen and adult tutors start working at 7:30 p.m., the author will join us with the children and the Lapham to read from and discuss his latest Meeting Room hums with productive novel, Nora Webster. Toibin, whose activity and engaged 8-year-olds. The previous books include Brooklyn PWEF Support Center is in session. and The Testament of Mary, is one of The Center was created in 2005 contemporary literature’s bestsell- by the PWEF with PWPL, which ing and most critically-acclaimed recognized that the goals of the pro- authors. gram fit in well with our own mis- sion. Due to more rigorous demands on students, there is a great need for assistance in third grade, which the Model Boat Regatta Support Center meets at no additional This year’s Harborfest, on June 7, cost to families. The program is run by will again feature the Model Boat PWEF Director Jane Tafarella, PWEF Regatta, which allows Port’s third graders to race their model boats at Baxter Pond. This exciting event is made possible through the sup- port of the Marvin and Elise Tepper Pianist Steven Lin peforms Haydn, Brahms and more Intergenerational Fund of the Port Washington Library Foundation as Pianist Steven Lin is an im- no Competition. well as the Library’s Nautical Advi- mediately engaging and imaginative In 2014, Lin’s dynamic playing at sory Council. young artist, applauded by The New Israel’s Arthur Rubinstein Piano Com- York Times for playing that is “…im- petition was recognized when he was maculately voiced and enhanced by awarded the Silver Medal. This honor Boat Tours admirable subtleties of shading and resulted in numerous performance Summer is on the way and the very dynamics.” prize engagements in Israel and inter- popular Manhasset Bay boat tours His growing list of awards in- nationally. are once again being planned by the cludes the 2012 Concert Artists On Sunday, May 17 at 3 p.m., the Library’s Nautical Advisory Coun- Guild Victor Elmaleh Competition Music Advisory Council is pleased to cil. Dates and registration informa- and the John Giordano Jury Chair- present this renowned pianist perform- tion will be announced in the June man Discretionary Award at the ing selections from Haydn, Brahms newsletter. 2013 Van Cliburn International Pia- and others. You can still reserve your place Joan Kent remembered for the FOL Book & Author Joan Kent once wrote, “I firmly believe the best way of furthering one’s educational or Luncheon on May 15! career goals is through the regu- lar use of a library card.” There’s still time to reserve tor Jules Feiffer, author of the graphic For the 45 years she lived your seat at the Friends of the Li- novel Kill My Mother, and renowned here, Joan advanced the mission brary’s 46th Annual Richard D. novelist Mary Gordon, whose latest of the Port Washington Public Whittemore Book & Author Lun- book is The Liar’s Wife. Port’s own Library with verve, enthusiasm cheon on Friday, May 15 at 11 a.m. bestselling novelist Susan Isaacs re- and perseverance. She reached at the North Hills Country Club in turns as program moderator. The out to readers, researched and Manhasset. Reservation brochures deadline for mailing in ticket requests wrote books and articles, advo- are available in the library or can is May 6. After May 6, late registrants cated for the Library, served on be printed via the library website at should contact the Luncheon’s event the Board and the Foundation, www.pwpl.org/fol. The cost is $75 registrar, FOL board member Mary and supported staff develop- per person. The featured authors will Alice Kohs at 516-883-9434 or email ment and opportunities. Her be Pulitzer Prize-winning illustra- [email protected]. particular love, local history and archives, also benefitted from her vision, intelligence and dedication. Joan made sure that our new building would house a Local History Center, a per- manent place for preservation, learning and discovery. We will always remember her words at the library gala in 2010: “The best love affairs are reciprocal. I’ve loved libraries since I was a small child…But it is to the Port Washington Public Library that I owe my greatest debt and greatest love.” Elly Shodell Looking back on FOL’s Friends & Family Weekend BEST. KID’S LIBRARY. EVER. The planning process for our new Children’s Room is moving ahead! New constructionHave you drawings seen have been the sent to plans?New York State for approval, furnishings and finishings are being chosen, and Port is FOL president Amy Bass, vice president and FOL U co-chair Ellen Zimmerman, Dr. Powell, Dr. Chotiner, and board member and FOL U co-chair Carol Hiller. Photos: Seth Ehrlich. rallying behind the project. www.pwpl.org/anewleaf end”–that drew hundreds of For all the latest, visit www.pwpl.org/anewleaf attendees this past March. The weekend included a lecture by noted horticulturalist and au- thor Thomas Christopher, the return of the popular Paper- back Swap, and an FOL Uni- versity lecture program fea- turing two notable scholars. The Paperback Swap drew hundreds of patrons who exchanged thousands of gently used books, and as usu- al it proved particularly popu- lar with children. FOL U featured NYU professor Dr. Harry Chotiner speaking on the film industry The Friends of the Library (FOL) and BU professor Dr. Russell sponsored a weekend full of events Powell speaking on conver- for all ages–“Friends & Family Week- gent evolution. Soundswap presents singer-songwriter Susan Cowsill On Thursday, May 14 at 7:30 musical cinema.” p.m., Soundswap presents Susan In addition to being the young- Cowsill performing in the Library’s est artist to ever score a Billboard hit Lapham Meeting Room. single, Susan has also lent her voice Cowsill first entered the pop- to albums by Dwight Twilley, Giant culture consciousness at the age of Sand, The Smithereens, Carlene Carter, eight, as the youngest member of the Nanci Griffith, Redd Kross, Jules Shear ’60s musical family The Cowsills, who and Hootie and the Blowfish. She was graced the AM airwaves with such the first artist to cover a song by future enduring pop hits as “Hair” and “The cult legend and current comeback star Rain, the Park and Other Things,” and Sixto Rodriguez, releasing her version who were the real-life inspiration for of his “Think of You” as a solo single TV’s Partridge Family. in 1977. She also recently teamed with In adulthood, Cowsill has fellow troubadours Jon Dee Graham emerged as a singer-songwriter of and Freedy Johnston as the Hobart singular emotional insight and musi- Brothers & Lil’ Sis Hobart on the criti- cal resonance, first as a key member cally lauded album At Least We Have of beloved alt-roots-pop supergroup Each Other.