Earth Day Program: Can-do Robots
In celebration of Earth Day, the Hageman branch of the Westchester Public Library will hold a recycling craft program called Can-do Robots on Wednesday, April 22 from 3:30 - 4:30 pm. These gleaming ‘bots are more than just a good looking bucket of bolts. With magnets holding their features in place, they’re the metallic equivalent of a Mr. Potato Head.
There is no fee to attend, but anyone interested will need to register for this event by calling the Hageman branch at 926-9080. There is a registration limit of 15, and the craft is suited for children ages 5 and up.
The Hageman branch of the Westchester Public Library is located at 100 Francis Street, Porter.
Illiana Garden Railway Society Display
The Illiana Garden Railway Society currently has a display at the Hageman branch of the Westchester Public Library. Stop in to see a selection of locomotives, garden railroad models, and learn more about the Illiana Garden Railway Society.
IGRS members are interested in all areas of garden and modular large scale railroading. Among the society’s goals is the education of the public about railroad modeling, garden railroading and the construction and running of model railways.
The Hageman branch of the Westchester Public Library is located at 100 Francis Street, Porter and their phone number is 926-9080.
Book Sale Volunteers Needed
Are you a book lover who is looking for an opportunity to volunteer? The Friends of Westchester Public Library need your help to sort books, and set up their Spring Book Sale on Saturday, April 11, from 9 am until noon, at the Thomas Library, 200 W. Indiana Ave., Chesterton.
Although many books are already sorted and boxed for the sale, the Friends still have hundreds of volumes to categorize and many boxes of books to move and arrange on the sale tables. Books are typically sorted by type of binding, condition and subject.
Volunteers are asked to come to the second floor of the Thomas Library, 200 West Indiana Ave., Chesterton to help. You do not need to be a member of the Friends.
Volunteers are also needed throughout the week of April 13, to help sort last minute donations, and also during the hours of the sale.
The sale will begin with the Friends Only Preview Sale from 4 pm - 8 pm on Friday, April 17. The Public Sale will be held from 9 am to 4 pm on Saturday and Sunday, April 18 and 19.
Donations for the sale may be brought to the collection box in the lobby of the Thomas Library. Donations are collected year round and donated items are reviewed for possible addition to the library’s collection before being placed in the sale.
The Friends of Westchester Public Library wish to thank all of the people who make their sales successful by volunteering or by attending the sales and purchasing materials. Proceeds from the sale support many supplemental and special programming events.
If you have any questions, please call the Thomas branch at 926-7696.
Lost to Time: Duneland Ghost Towns, new exhibit at Westchester Township History Museum
The Westchester Township History Museum, 700 W. Porter Ave., Chesterton, would like to invite the public to view the new temporary exhibit, Lost to Time: Duneland Ghost Towns, on Sunday, April 12, at 2 pm. Refreshments will be served. The exhibit will run through July 5.
Many towns sprouted in the Duneland area in the 1800s. These towns had their own post offices, their own stores, and their own places on the map. Some of these towns thrived while others fizzled, lost to time. Other towns changed, developing into neighborhoods with histories of a more prosperous time.
The Westchester Township History Museum will celebrate the history of these local ghost towns in the new exhibit Lost to Time: Duneland Ghost Towns. The exhibit will tell the stories of some local towns that dotted this area but are no longer part of official maps.
Some, like Crocker and Woodville, have become neighborhoods known to locals, while others, like City West, are only parts of local history stories. Some of the artifacts that will be displayed include a quilt from Burdick, a piece of memorabilia from Crocker Bible Church, and a sign from City West.
The museum is a free cultural and educational service of Westchester Public Library and is open to the public Wednesday-Saturday from 1-5 pm. or by appointment. For more information please call the Westchester Township History Museum at 983-9715.
Knitting Together at the Westchester Township History Museum
Area knitters are invited to gather in the parlor of the Westchester Township History Museum for a cozy afternoon of knitting, conversation, and refreshments on Sunday, April 12, from 1-5 pm for Knitting Together. The program is free of charge and open to the public. Those who crochet or do needlework are also welcome to attend.
The Westchester Township History Museum, a cultural and educational service of Westchester Public Library, is housed in the Brown Mansion at 700 W. Porter Ave., Chesterton. The museum is open to the public Wednesday-Sunday from 1-5 pm. Groups may make reservations for tours by contacting the museum.
For more information about museum programs, events, and reservations please call 983-9715.
Chesterton Writing Group at Thomas Library
Adult writers of all levels are invited to participate in the Chesterton Writing Group, sponsored by Westchester Public Library. The group meets two Thursday evenings each month in the Bertha Wood meeting room at Thomas Library, 200 W. Indiana Avenue, Chesterton. This month’s meetings will be April 9 and 23, from 6-8 pm. Participation is free and open to the public; no registration is necessary.
Published and unpublished writers alike are welcome to share their work, learn more about publishing, and find support and inspiration from fellow writers. The group is for both fiction and non-fiction writers.
For more information on the Chesterton Writing Group, please contact group moderator, Stefan Barkow, at Stefan.Barkow@gmail.com, or Thomas Library at 926-7696.
Sunday Matinee at LSC to screen Wild
Westchester Public Library’s Sunday Matinee will screen the film Wild on Sunday, April 12, 1:30 pm, at the Library Service Center, 100 W. Indiana Avenue, Chesterton. WPL films are free of charge and open to the public; complimentary popcorn is provided as well.
Driven to the edge by the loss of her beloved mother (Laura Dern), the dissolution of her marriage and a headlong dive into self-destructive behavior, Cheryl Strayed (Reese Witherspoon) makes a decision to halt her downward spiral and put her life back together again. With no outdoors experience, a heavy backpack and little else to go on but her own will, Cheryl sets out alone to hike the Pacific Crest Trail -- one of the country's longest and toughest through-trails.
Wild is rated R and has a running time of 120 minutes.
For more information, call the Thomas Library Audio-Visual Department at 926-7696.