On December 30th, singer-songwriters George Wirth and Janey Todd performed at the Central Library.

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Library schedules programs for adults

The Old Bridge Public Library will offer a variety of programs for adults at the Library Main Branch, Route 516 and Cottrell Road.

The schedule is as follows:

Dec. 30 at 1:30 p.m.: folk music concert with singer-songwriter George Wirth;

Jan. 8 at 7 p.m.: “Global Warming,” presented by activist Tina Weishaus;

Jan. 12 at 1:30 p.m.: a guest speaker from the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities will discuss ways to save money on heating and cooling while cleaning up the environment;

Jan. 13 at 1:30 p.m.: jazz singer Rosemary Conti will present a concert of jazz, swing, standards, blues and pop;

Jan. 27 at 1:30 p.m.: “New Jersey’s Endangered Wildlife,” with Maria Grace of the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey discussing protecting New Jersey’s endangered and threatened wildlife;

Jan. 29 at 7 p.m.: “Decorate and Accessorize Your Home,” with Lori Elkins Solomon demonstrating how to change one’s home using four basic decorating elements.

All programs are free of charge and open to the public.

For more information, call (732) 721-5600, ext. 5033, or log on to www.lmxac.org/obpl.

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Congratulations to OBPL Friends of the Library president Alice Hans, who was profiled in the Newark Star-Ledger in an article entitled One sale at a time, she keeps Old Bridge Library going.

Senior Fridays - Free events for older adults Fridays at 1:30 p.m. On December 29, Kwanzaa Video & Talk. Light refreshments will be served. For more Senior Fridays, visit our events page.

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On Saturday, December 30 at 1:30 p.m., The Old Bridge Library will present a free concert by singer-songwriter George Wirth. A lifetime resident of New Jersey, Wirth’s debut CD The Lights of Brigantine was released in October, 2005 and was selected as one of the best CD’s of that year by New Jersey’s Upstage Magazine. The Old Bridge Central Library is located at the intersection of Route 516 and Cottrell Road in the Old Bridge Municipal Complex. For more information, please call (732) 721-5600 ext. 5033.

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Teens show off their creations from the Gingerbread Night program.

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Just a Reminder - Both the Central and the Laurence Harbor libraries will be closed for the Christmas holiday, Sunday, December 24 and Monday, December 25. They will open at their usual times on Tuesday, December 26. Both the Central and the Laurence Harbor libraries will be closed for New Year's on Sunday, December 31 and Monday, January 1. They will open at their usual times on Tuesday, January 2.

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On December 15, as part of the Senior Fridays celebration, Fred Miller told the fascinating story of Cole Porter, the Indiana farm boy turned international sophisticate who chronicled the foibles and fancies of the cafe society in which he himself moved. Porter has, with time, emerged as one of the great song craftsmen of his era, with a full roster of songs created for film and theatre classics.

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Senior Fridays! Free events for older adults Fridays at 1:30 p.m. On December 22, Knitting Instruction. The art of knitting for beginners - learn to knit or improve your skills! Bring needles, yarn, and your enthusiasm! Light refreshments will be served For more Senior Fridays, visit our events page.

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Chanukah Happening: Monday, December 18 at 7:00 p.m. Come listen to the music Learn about the story and eat some potato latkes (pancakes), too!

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Senior Fridays: Free events for older adults on Fridays at 1:30 p.m. On December 15, listen to Fred Miller talk about the life and music of Cole Porter. Light refreshments will be served. For information on upcoming Senior Fridays, please visit our events page.

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The hand bells concert originally scheduled for Thursday, December 14th has been postponed at the artist's request. A make-up date has not yet been scheduled.

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Family Game Day! Need some gift ideas? Bring the whole family on Sunday, December 10 from 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. and try out some games you haven't played! For more information call 732-721-5600 ext. 5028

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Senior Fridays - Free events for older adults on Fridays at 1:30 p.m. This Friday, December 8: DJ & Music - Holiday Coffee Klatch with DJ Ted. Sit back and chat or get up and dance! This event is open to all ages Light refreshments will be served. For more Senior Fridays, visit our events page.

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Activist Leslie Klein of the New Jersey Committee on Conscience presented Raising Consciousness about Darfur a program aimed at drawing attention to the humanitarian crisis in this war-torn area of Sudan.

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Coming on Monday, December 4!

Time for Chess Grades 1 through 12: 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. Beginners though advanced players are welcome to participate. Free chess instruction for children in grades 1 through 6 will be offered. Please register in advance for chess instruction at the Children's Desk. Open chess players please bring your own chess boards.

Raising Consciousness about Darfur: 7:00 p.m. The Old Bridge Public Library will host a DVD presentation and lecture on the history of the genocide in Darfur, and the response of the international community by the New Jersey Committee on Conscience. The talk will educate the public, raise awareness, and provide information so people can take action.

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Senior Fridays! Free events for older adults on Fridays at 1:30 p. m. December 1st: Musical Film Hello Dolly starring Barbra Streisand. No registration required, light refreshments will be served. For more Senior Fridays, visit our events page.

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During the month of December, the Old Bridge Public Library will host an exhibit from the Old Bridge High School National Art Honor Society. This exhibit will feature paintings, drawings and sculptures by both faculty and students. The exhibit will be available for viewing during the Library’s regular business hours.

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The Central library will close early this Wednesday, November 22 at 5 p.m. We will remain closed for Thanksgiving Day, and will reopen on Friday November 24 at 9:30 a.m. Have a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving!

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The Library hosted a program entitled Citizenship, Why It Matters on Monday, November 20. Dr. Elizabeth Matto spoke about the benefites of becoming a more active citizen. Also pictured are the books the Library received as part of the "We the People " grant.

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Through the end of the month, the Old Bridge Library will be hosting a display called: Domestic Cats and Native Wildlife. The display has information about domestic cat predation on native wildlife, beach nesting birds and regional nature events. For more information, please call (732) 721-5600 ext. 5033.

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The Old Bridge Central Library will host a concert of acoustic music on Saturday, November 18th at 1:30 p.m., presented by guitarist Dave Simmons. Simmons states, “Whenever I play it the sound pulls me from note to note much like words in a book. Until just recently, I couldn't explain how I could write a new song weekly, than I realized, I was writing about my life. My songs are free flowing, emotional and created in a variety of styles, just what you'd expect if you were writing the soundtrack to your life.” For more information, please call (732) 721-5600 ext. 5033.

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Senior Fridays! Free events for older adults on Fridays at 1:30 p. m. November 17: Get Up & Move! Line Dancing with Janet of Janet's Dance Studio No registration required - Light refreshments will be served.

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Come see the film Harvest of Despair, a documentary about the starvation (Holodomor) of over seven million Ukrainians during the years 1932-1933 on Tuesday, November 14th at 7:00 p.m. This film is vivid and extraordinarily well researched with emotional testimony from survivors and witnesses. This fim is presented by the Ukrainian National Women's League of America (UNWLA Branch 98). There will be a discussion afterwards.

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Pictures from the Library. Adrienne Robertiello conducts an autism seminar for the public, and a new display of baseball figurines is available in the Children's Display Case.

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On Sunday November 5th, the Old Bridge Library hosted the opening of "To Tomorrow's Children," a Holocaust exhibit with special guest speaker Sy Siegler, director of the Center For Holocaust Studies located at Brookdale Community College.


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Autism activist Adrienne Robertiello will speak on "Autism, It's Predictable " on November 6 at 7:00 p.m. Vital resources and guidelines for autism safety and emergency preparedness in the home and community will be presented, including:

• abuse & bullying
• emergency alerts
• emergency preparedness
• fire safety
• identification options
• interactions with First Responders
• transportation safety
• poison control safety in the home, school & community
• tracking mechanisms
• traffic control devices (street signs)

No registration is necessary. For more information, please call 732-721-5600 ext. 5033.

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Please join us on November 5 at 2:00 p.m. at the opening of "To Tomorrow's Children," Holocaust Exhibit with special guest speaker Sy Siegler. As time marches on, we are faced with the reality that future generations will not be able to meet Holocaust survivors and hear their stories firsthand. We asked these survivors to provide a story from their Holocaust lives accompanied by their message to tomorrow's children, a legacy they wish to be remembered and taught.

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Senior Fridays - Free events for older adults, Learn, create, sit back and enjoy! Friday, November 3 at 1:30 p. m. No registration required, Light refreshments will be served.

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Autumnal bliss... a pretty tree outside the Library.

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Happy Halloween from the Old Bridge Public Library!

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Our next Non-Fiction Book Discussion is on Tuesday, October 31st at 7 p.m.. We will discuss Ghost Ship: The Mysterious True Story of the Mary Celeste and Her Missing Crew by Brian Hicks.

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This Saturday's scheduled concert with guitarist Dave Simmons has been postponed to Saturday, November 18th at 1:30 p.m.

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Free Events for Older Adults - Fridays at 1:30 p.m., learn, create, sit-back and enjoy! No registration required, light refreshments will be served Join us this week on October 27 for a Video & Discussion: Events to Remember: The Great Depression, bring your memory caps and signing voices with you!

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Congratulations to the Friends of the Old Bridge Public Library, who were named "Best Friends of the Library Group" at last nights Libraries of Middlesex awards dinner. The award honored the Friends "For 30 years of tireless dedication and support with funds for the Library newsletter, reading materials, programming, the annual staff day, and other worthwhile Library functions.

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"A Meeting of the Macabre": "Edgar Allan Poe, played by Tom Worsdale, of Jackson, and Abraham 'Bram' Stoker, aka Farmingdale's James Dyne, describe their lives, inspirations and disappointments to an audience at the Old Bridge Public Library during Monday night's program, 'A Meeting of the Macabre.'"

This week librarian Lynn recommends Alone by Lisa Gardner. This page turner by the bestsellling author of the Killing Hour is a fast paced read filled with suspense and evil twists. A police sniper shooting is just the beginning of an unfolding series of crimes. The killer is loose and a widow has to face her fears from her own childhood abduction. The intricate plot culminates in a violent surprise ending. Recommended to those who are not afraid to be alone.

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The Old Bridge Central Library will be hosting two sessions of the program UnStress for Success: Success in Living, Loving & Working. On Friday, October 20 at 1:30 p.m. and on Monday October 23 at 7:00 p.m., hypnotherapist Rosemary Conte will talk about drugless inexpensive techniques you can do yourself to relieve stress.

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On Monday, October 16 at 7:00 p.m. meet Abraham "Bram" Stoker (1847-1912), the Irish writer, best known for his vampire novel Dracula, and Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849), one of the greatest and unhappiest of American poets, a master of the horror tale and the patron saint of the detective story. These two authors, dressed in authentic period clothing, sip red wine from goblets as they chat about their lives, their inspirations and their disappointments. The lights will be dimmed as these scribes read from their works.

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Identity theft expert Geri Burns presented a program at the Central Library as a part of our "Senior Fridays" program series. For more information on "Senior Fridays" please call the Reference Desk, (732) 721-5600 ext. 5033.

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On Friday, October 6, the Old Bridge Public Library hosted it's third Volunteer Reception to thank those who had given their time to the Library over the past few years. If you are interested in volunteer opportunities in the Library, please call the Reference Desk, (732) 721-5600 ext. 5033.

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During the month of October, the Library will be displaying the artwork of Shilpa Bendre in the Large Display Case near the Library's Reference Desk.

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The finished products from the Reference Department hosted pumpkin decorating activity are slowly coming in. The Passport office salutes their favorite film director with a "Spike Lee Pumpkin" while the Electronic Resources "Ninja Pumpkin" poses in his garden retreat.

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The Old Bridge Central Library will host a program from the Summit Animal Rescue Association on the topics of cat adoption and rescue on Monday, October 9 at 7:00 p.m. The Association will speak about their group’s mission and activities and there will be a few kittens available for adoption that evening. Registration is required, please call (732) 721-5600 ext. 5033.

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Wanda and Bob Panek planting new shrubs donated by Lowe's in Old Bridge in front of the Central Library building. The members of the Club recently donated a bench for the area as well. The Old Bridge Gardening Club meets monthly at the Library; newcomers are welcome.

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