Trick-or-Treat at WPL
Candy Land will come to life at Westchester Public Library on October 24 during the hours of 4-6 pm. Children are invited to come to Thomas Library, 200 W. Indiana Avenue, Chesterton to join the fun.
Come in costume to trick-or-treat on the lower level of Thomas Library during the Duneland Chamber of Commerce’s Downtown Trick or Treat night.
After playing life-size Candy Land at Thomas Library, stop in at the Library Service Center, 100 W. Indiana Avenue, Chesterton, for a treat. Come to the courtyard entrance on Calumet Avenue.
For more information, contact the Children’s Department at Thomas Library, 926-7696, or Technical Services at 921-0964.
Spooky Friday Nights in the Children’s Department at WPL
Friday nights in October are spooky at Westchester Public Library! Are you brave enough to meet some very big snakes? Come to the Children’s Department at Thomas Library, 200 W. Indiana Avenue, Chesterton, on October 17, 6:30 pm, for the Creepy Petting Zoo.
Join Tom McCarthy and meet some of his live boa constrictors. McCarthy will give an informal talk about the types of snakes he has and how to care for them as pets. Attendees will have the opportunity to touch or hold some of the snakes if they desire.
McCarthy got his first boa constrictor in 1978. As a hobby, he has been breeding red-tailed constrictors since 1997. He currently owns 30 snakes, some of which are family pets. Check out www.mccarthyboas.com to see pictures of his snakes.
For more information, contact the Children’s Department at Thomas Library, 926-7696.
Poster Unveiling at the Museum
The Brown Mansion now has its own South Shore poster! The new poster will be unveiled at the Westchester Township History Museum, 700 W. Porter Avenue, Chesterton, on Friday, October 24. Drop in any time from 5:30-7 pm. Refreshments will be served.
Meet the artist, Mitch Markovitz, and the library board that contracted the poster. Posters will be available for purchase (price to be announced).
In 1966, Markovitz was engaged by the Northwest Indiana Forum to be the Founding Artist and Art Director for the renowned “Just Around the Corner” series of posters focusing on life in Northwest Indiana along the South Shore Line. In connection with the project, Markovitz illustrated, in part, and co-authored the book Moonlight in Duneland, which is available for purchase in the museum store. This work is an anthology of the advertising art of the Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad.
The Westchester Township History Museum is an educational and cultural service of Westchester Public Library and is open to the public free of charge, Wednesday – Sunday from 1-5 p.m. or by appointment. For more information call the museum at 983-9715.
Tricks and Treats at the Museum
Children ages 6-12 are invited to a Pumpkin Hunt at the Museum on Saturday, October 25, from 2-3 pm. The hunt will take place at the Westchester Township History Museum, 700 W. Porter Avenue, Chesterton. There is no charge for attendance.
Polly the Pirate has stolen all of the Brown Mansion’s pumpkins! Attendees are asked to help the museum staff find the missing pumpkins in this treasure hunt at the museum.
After the pumpkins are found, participants may paint a pumpkin for their Halloween or fall decorations. Parents or guardians must accompany their children. Costumes are encouraged but not required.
The Westchester Township History Museum is an educational and cultural service of Westchester Public Library and is open to the public free of charge, Wednesday – Sunday from 1-5 p.m. or by appointment. For more information call the museum at 983-9715.
Go Nuts at Hageman Library
Celebrate squirrels with a variety of activities at Westchester Public Library’s Porter branch at Go Nuts! Come to Hageman Library, 100 Francis Street, Porter, on Thursday, October 23, from 1-4 pm. No registration is needed.
Enjoy the antics of Surly the Squirrel in Nut Job at 1 pm. Surly is exiled from the park for bad behavior. He helps Andie and Grayson find a new food source but soon learn there is more going on with the nut store than they thought. Rated PG, Nut Job has a running time of 85 minutes.
At 3pm, attendees will enjoy Over the Hedge. Follow the adventures of RJ and his friends as he convinces them to go over the hedge to find a vast array of food ripe for the taking. But now their life in the woods is threatened. Over the Hedge is rated PG and has a running time of 83 minutes.
Other activities during Go Nuts will include making a tasty snack, finding the hidden squirrels, and craft projects. Popcorn will be served during the films.
For more information, call Hageman Library at 926-9080.
Local Author James Dworkin at Hageman Storytime
Children age 4-6 years old and their parent/caregiver are invited to meet local author James Dworkin at a special story time at Hageman Library, 100 Francis Street, Porter, on Wednesday, October 22 at 10 am. No registration is necessary.
Chesterton resident and Purdue North Central chancellor James Dworkin will present his first children’s book, The Dog and the Dolphin. The book is based on an interaction he observed years ago at Sanibel Island, Florida, between an Irish Setter on the beach and a dolphin frolicking in the water. Children will enjoy hearing Dworkin read from his book.
Copies of the book will be available – courtesy of Horizon Bank – for children to take home.
For more information, contact Hageman Library, 926-9080.
Windows 8.1 Class at Library
Bits and Bytes will continue at Westchester Public Library during the month of November, with four offerings of Introduction to Windows 8.1. The classes will take place in the new classroom located in the Serials/Automation Department on the second floor of Thomas Library, 200 W. Indiana Avenue, Chesterton. Evening classes will be held on Tuesday, November 4 and 11, from 6-8 pm. Afternoon classes will take place on Thursday, November 6 and 13, from 1-3 pm. Classes are free but registration is required.
Registration for the November 4 and 6 classes will begin October 21. Registration for the November 11 and 13 classes will begin October 28. Visit or call the library to register, or register online at www.wpl.lib.in.us; click on the Bits and Bytes link.
This class will be an introduction to Windows 8.1. Learn how to navigate and appreciate all the features of this exciting new operating system. Become familiar with the touchscreen apps and desktop productivity. Learn how to work and play at the same time.
Attendees must have some computer knowledge and must know how to use a mouse. Typing skills are preferred but not necessary.
For more information or to reserve your spot in the Windows 8.1 class, please call the Serials/Automation Department at 926-7696, extension 1125.
Library Film Series to show X-Men: Days of Future Past
Come to Westchester Public Library to enjoy X-Men: Days of Future Past on Saturday, October 25, at 5 pm. Meet at the Library Service Center, 100 W. Indiana Avenue, Chesterton. No registration is necessary; attendance is free of charge.
In X-Men: Days of Future Past , Wolverine’s consciousness is sent back into his 1970s body to stop an event that forever sets history on the course of a dark future. The Sentinels were designed to destroy mutants but are now getting closer to eliminating the last of the X-Men. Can Wolverine convince a young Charles Xavier in time to alter history?
Enjoy munching popcorn while watching the movie.
X-Men: Days of Future Past, rated PG-13, has a running time of 131 minutes.
For more information, call the Audio-Visual Department at 926-7696.