A monthly guide to your community library, its programs and services Issue No. 260, December 2010 December holidays The library will be closed December 24 and 25 in observance of Christmas, and December 31 and January 1 for the New Year holiday. Thanks, Garden Club Gorgeous greens and festive flora brighten the building for the holiday season, courtesy of the Garden Club. We thank you for this gracious display and for your dedication throughout the year. Thank you volunteers As the year comes to a close, we take the opportunity to thank the scores of volunteers who help make our library the wonderful place that it is. Thank PWPL ranked in top 1 percent of libraries nationwide you to members of the Library Board LIBRARY GETS FIVE STARS AGAIN! For the second year in a row, the Port Washington Public Library received the highest rating of 5 stars from Library Journal. Even more impressive is that additional libraries were rated this year — 7,407 compared to last year’s 7,268. Of the 258 of Trustees, Library Foundation Board libraries that received ratings from 3 to 5 stars, just 85 attained the ”Five Star” rank. The areas rated were circulation, visits, program attendance and the Friends of the Library. Thanks and public internet terminal use. Thank you, Port Washington!! to our Advisory Councils in the areas of Art, Music, Children’s, Nautical and Health. Thank you to our ESOL tutors and to the many individuals who give Music Council welcomes Adam Neiman of their time and talents. Pianist Adam Neiman per- Get e-mail alerts forms selections from Liszt and Do you want to get library news via e- Rachmaninoff on Sunday, Decem- mail? Click on “Receive E-Mail Alerts” ber 12 at 3 p.m. from our homepage to get started. If Neiman is hailed as one of you want to receive e-mails about your the premiere pianists of his gen- library account, stop by the lobby desk eration, praised for possessing to update your information. a truly rare blend of power, bra- vura, imagination, sensitivity and FOL honors Vogel technical precision. With an es- The Friends of the Library made a tablished international career and surprise presentation of its Friends an encyclopedic repertoire that of the Library Award to longtime spans over 50 concertos, Neiman library supporter Martin Vogel. FOL has performed as soloist with the vice president Nancy Wright recog- symphony orchestras of Belgrade, nized Martin’s outstanding service Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas, Detroit, and extraordinary contributions to Houston, Indianapolis, Minnesota, the library over so many years. The Saint Louis, San Francisco, Umbria award was announced at a gallery talk and Utah, as well as with the New and documentary on November 4 in York Chamber Symphony and the conjunction with Martin’s photogra- National Symphony Orchestra of phy exhibit, which is on view through Washington, D.C. December 30. A highly-acclaimed recitalist, Neiman has performed in most of the major cities and concert halls throughout the United States and Canada. His European solo engage- ments have brought him to Italy, France, Germany and Japan, where he made an 8-city tour culminating in his debut at Tokyo’s Suntory Hall. This concert is sponsored by the Music Advisory Council with private funds from the Port Wash- ington Library Foundation. Nancy Wright, Martin Vogel and assistant director Corinne Camarata Art Council welcomes musician/artist David Bennett Cohen has his reception. Tim Hardin, Norton Buffalo, Jerry been a professional musician for David began his musical edu- Miller, Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Win- more than 30 years. Best known for cation at 7, studying classical piano ter, Buddy Miles, John Cippolina, his innovative keyboard playing as for seven years. At age 9, he began Huey Lewis, Michael Bloomfield, an original member of the ‘60s rock to teach himself the guitar, and Bob Weir, John Kahn, Johnnie John- band Country Joe and the Fish, he when he was 14, he heard boogie- son, Jimmy Vivino, Jay Owens, Deb- is an equally accomplished guitar woogie piano for the first time and bie Davies, Byther Smith, Bobby player who has been involved in was hooked. Since then, he has Kyle, Rocky Lawrence, Johnny B. numerous music scenes through- explored many different styles of Gayden, Sandra Feva and others. out his varied career. blues and popular music. As a solo performer, he has Cohen’s whimsical pen and Over the years, he has played shared the bill with Country Joe ink drawings will hang in the Main and/or recorded with The Blues McDonald, Kenny Rankin, Bonnie Gallery from December 1 through Project, Mick Taylor, The Luther Raitt, Richard Thompson, Jerry 30. The Art Advisory Council hosts Tucker Blues Band, Elvin Bishop, Garcia, Leo Kottke, Rufus Thomas, a reception on Friday, December 3 Hubert Sumlin, Melvin Van Pee- Meatloaf, Booker T., The Roches, from 7 to 9 p.m. Look for a keyboard bles, Happy and Artie Traum, Arlen Kingfish, J. Giles and Magic Dick performance by the artist during Roth, Eric Anderson, David Blue, and many others. More Silent Classics on DVD This month we present four Sister from Paris. Two romantic rarely screened silent classics from comedies (1924/1925) starring the Warner Bros. Archive. Here Constance Talmadge and Ronald are some more pre-talkie pictures Colman, both directed by Sidney which have been recently added to Franklin. our DVD collection: Prometheus Unbound: A Fugue in the Key of Flesh (2007). When a Au Bonheur des Dames (1930). plague ravages the small hamlet of Orphan girl Denise (Dita Parlo) Birzirkenstadt, a rebellious doctor comes to Paris to work at her (Josh Ebel) reveals a radical cure. uncle’s shop, but instead takes a job Jim Towne scripted and co-directed in the big department store across (with Mike McKown) this tribute the street, which is trying to run to German Expressionist cinema. her uncle out of business. Julien Slow as Lightning (1923). Jim- Duvivier directed this Emile Zola mie March (Kenneth McDonald) adaptation. loses his job as a clerk, but a gypsy Barbara Frietchie (1924). fortune teller predicts that he will Southern belle Barbara (Florence get rich playing his hunches. Gro- Vidor) loves a Northerner, Captain ver Jones directed. William Trumbull (Edmund Lowe). The Temptress (1926). Robledo Lambert Hillyer directed. (Antonio Moreno) falls in love with Bardelys the Magnificent; Elena (Greta Garbo) at a Parisian Monte Cristo (1926/1922). Two masked ball, only to learn that she is long-lost adventure films starring married to his business colleague, John Gilbert. King Vidor directed the Marquis de Torre Bianco (Ar- Port pre-teens find a voice the first; Emmett J. Flynn directed mand Kalliz). Fred Niblo directed. the second. That Certain Thing (1928). with “Let’s Do a Show” Becoming Charley Chase. Over Cigar stand drudge Molly Kelly eight hours of slapstick comedies (Viola Dana) marries Andy Charles In spite of being too old for a Do a Show to fruition with the (1915-1923) on four discs. (Ralph Graves), the son of a restau- piggy back ride and too young for goal of igniting interest among Desert Nights (1929). A mine rant chain owner. When the lad is PG-13, Port Washington fifth and the pre-teens of Port Washington, manager (John Gilbert) must outwit disinherited, he opens a lunch box sixth graders have a lot to say! In who usually feel too old for the a con artist (Ernest Torrence) and stand of his own. Producer/director the Judy Garland/Mickey Rooney Children’s Room and not quite the beautiful woman (Mary Nolan) Frank Capra scripted with Elmer tradition, theater and speech profes- ready for Teen Space. Ms. May, a posing as his daughter. William Harris. sional Elise May helped pre-teens Port resident, is hoping to create Nigh directed. find their voice and put it on stage. a group identity, including logo t- Gaumont Treasures. Disc 1 The library’s new “Let’s Do a Show” shirts, to help the tweens feel that collects 64 short films directed by program completed a 6-week run they have a special community pioneering French filmmaker Alice last month. which understands their needs. Guy-Blaché between 1897 and 1907. Ten, 11 and 12 year olds met Elise May has taught her Disc 2 presents 13 shorts directed on Saturday mornings to create, Arts-in-Education programs to by Louis Feuillade between 1907 write and perform a show. Working children and adults in the United and 1913. Disc 3 offers 2 titles through improvisation and theater States, Canada, Bermuda and (1912/1913) by Léonce Perret. games, participants developed England for over 25 years. Her Sto- He Who Gets Slapped (1924). scenes, monologues, songs, rap and rytime Theater/Bringing Books Inventor Paul Beaumont (Lon poetry. The focus was getting these to Life and Expressive Elocution/ Chaney, Sr.) suffers a breakdown young actors to find their voice and Speaking for Success programs, and changes professions — he is learn how to use it. The series cul- have been in hundreds of class- now a circus clown whose act con- minated in a fantastic performance. rooms reaching thousands of sists of getting slapped by all the The Port Washington Public students. other clowns. Director Victor Sjos- Library, with a generous grant Look for a new series this trom (credited here as Sea-strom) from the Port Washington Library spring. co-scripted. Foundation, has helped bring Let’s Her Night of Romance ; Her Library joins in Stannards Brook Park groundbreaking On October 14, members the water quality in Manhasset Bay, services, spoke of visits to the park Talk book discussion group.