Stratford Farmers Market opens Monday 6/29

Stratford's 2009 Farmer's Market will feature Connecticut-grown fruits and vegetables, locally made baked-goods, and several other items from area farmers. The Artisan Alliance will also provide a variety of crafts for purchase. The market will be held every Monday from June 29th to October 2nd (1 - 6 pm) at DeLuca Field's overflow parking lot in the South End of Stratford.

Senior coupons and WIC coupons are accepted. For seniors who participate in the Senior Nutrition Program, coupons are available through the Salvation Army at 367-0605. WIC coupons should be obtained for the month of July at the WIC office at 752 East Main Street, Bridgeport or by calling 576-8072.

Look for the Stratford Library's Tent - stop by and say Hi!

We need your help! Gov. Rell's proposed budget will CUT essential Library services

The state budget proposed by Governor Rell on May 29th eliminates state support for a number of programs that are very important to the services of the Stratford Library Association. What is at stake?

• Connecticut Education Network provides every public library with free Internet connection, reduced funding jeopardizes this essential service
• Interlibrary Loan Service reduced funding for the statewide delivery system between libraries. If local libraries had to mail these items it would cost over $5 million a year
• ICONN, the state-wide Digital Library provides access to thousands of journals, magazines, newspapers and other research resources affecting every school, public library and college in Connecticut
• Connecticard allows free access residents to borrow from any library in the state making many more books and other library resources available at great savings to taxpayers
• ReQuest, the statewide catalog which allows citizens to locate over 4.4 million titles in libraries across the state
• Grants to Public Libraries- basic grants to local libraries fund books, technology, and staff training
• Service Centers provide training, consulting services, professional collections and early literacy materials to Connecticut’s libraries
• Connecticut Library Consortium (CLC) negotiates discounts with vendors, including book and media distributors saving libraries and schools hundreds of thousands of dollars

PLEASE let Governor Rell and our state Senators & Representatives know that you value the library and do not want to see these cuts happen. Let them know that money spent on public libraries is money wisely spent Governor M. Jodi Rell (R) Governor.Rell@ct.gov State Senate District 21: Dan Debicella (R) Dan.Debicella@cga.ct.gov State Senate District 23: Edwin Gomes (D) Gomes@senatedems.ct.gov State House District 120: John A. Harkins (R) John.Harkins@housegop.ct.gov State House District 121: Terry Backer (D) Terry.Backer@cga.ct.gov State House District 122: Lawrence G. Miller (R) Lawrence.G.Miller@housegop.ct.gov Thanks!

Summer Reading - it's not just for kids anymore!

Be Creative: Find Time to Read!

Adult Summer Reading Program 2009 · No meetings! · Read any book you like! · You could win a gift! Do you have time to read just one book this summer? Let the Stratford Library help you find terrific books and audiobooks (so you can read “on the go!”).

Each time you read a book, stop by the Reference Desk to fill out a ticket which will make you eligible for drawings throughout the summer. You could win: Brakettes tickets, Square One Theatre tickets, YMCA Weekend Family Fun passes, gift certificates to local restaurants such as Blue Point Bar and Grill, Shell Station, Stephen’s Pub & Grill, plus gifts or gift certificates from Millers Hallmark, Janet Kemp Fine Yarns & Needlework, Sikorsky Financial Credit Union, and more! Be creative about finding time to read this summer! Registration begins Monday, June 22 at the Stratford Library Adult Reference Desk. Call 203-385-4164 for more information

Historic Lordship Tour on Saturday, June 13

On Saturday June 13, 2009 (10am to 4pm) a coalition of Lordship community groups will host a celebration of Lordship's history and its present, the "Historic Lordship Tour," to remember and celebrate those days of long ago when the Trolley brought tourists to enjoy the beach and the new-fangled horseless carriages ran along Prospect Drive.

For one day, the trolleys will come back to Lordship, bringing the community together for some old-fashioned fun. The trolley cars will circuit Lordship with guided tours, stopping at the three churches (with free parking and bathroom facilities), Audubon Center, the firehouse, Stratford Point Lighthouse, and Civil Air Patrol.

The Audubon Society will conduct tours of the old Remington Gun Club and the Firehouse. The Father's Club Building and the retired firemen will give tours of their facilities. And for the first time in decades, the Stratford Point Lighthouse (a fully functional Coast Guard operational lighthouse) and the Civil Air Patrol will be open to the public.

Each stop will feature a special display of historical highlights via video, photographs and special events lik a storyteller impersonating Igor Sikorsky. Eateries and booths along the way will provide ample opportunity for folks to go home full of goodies and memories. An antique car show, roller skating demonstration, live music by the Stratford High School Jazz Band, a quilt exhibition, and a booth about local history resources at the Stratford library will add to the fun. The participating organizations are the Lordship Fathers’ Club, Our Lady of Peace Roman Catholic Church, St. Joseph National Catholic Church, and the Lordship Community Church, and the Stratford Civil Air Patrol.

Tickets are $10 per person or $20 per family and can be purchased at the Stratford Library by check or cash. For more information please see http://www.lordshiphistory.com/ or call: Christine Griffin -203-378-3537.

Memorial Day

The Library will be open on the Saturday before Memorial Day, from 10 am - 5 pm, but we will be closed on both Sunday, May 24 and Memorial Day, May 25. Maya Lin's design for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC is one of the most well-known pieces of sculpture in our country, despite the fact that it is less than 30 years old. The Library of Congress holds the archives of papers relating to the design contest which Lin won and to the building of the memorial. Looking at Lin's original submission to the contest, it seems somewhat amazing that the judges were able to visualize how profound and moving her design would be once built. In her text that accompanied her drawings, Ms. Lin wrote that "these names, seemingly infinite in number, [would] convey the sense of overwhelming numbers, while unifying these individuals into a whole." After Lin's design was chosen as the winner, the contest committee evidently felt that a more conventional drawing was needed in order to convey a sense of what the monument would look like to the visitor. Architect Paul Stevenson Oles was asked if he could create several drawings in just a matter of hours that would show the Lin's design in a more conventional manner. Oles checked with Lin to make sure that his drawing fit her conception. She asked him (shyly, as he recalls) if she could be included in his drawing. She seems to be the young lady standing at the top of the Wall looking down. More details of this story, and more pictures of her sketches, can be found at the Library of Congress's American Treasures website.

"Eating Healthy on a Budget" - May 19th

The Health & Wellness series continues at the Stratford Library in May. This is a free series presented by the Office of the Mayor & the Stratford Health Department. Join us on Tuesday, May 19th at 5:30 pm in the Lovell Room for: "Eating Healthy on a Budget" with Dr. Susan Rzucidlo, a Naturopath from The Center for Naturopathic Medicine, Inc. in Stratford. The talk will provide information on how to shop, eat and cook in a healthy way. "In todays' economy many Americans are looking for ways to lower their grocery bill," said Dr. Rzucidlo. "Eating healthy when on a budget is easier than you may think. It is important to keep in mind that health is the untimate wealth." Dr. Rzucidlo's talk is free & open to the public. Please contact Jennfer Sloat at the Stratford Health Department at 203-385-4090 or jsloat@townofstratford.com to register.

Glass Menagerie -at Stratford Library & at Long Wharf Theatre

Join us to discuss "The Glass Menagerie" on May 12th, then purchase a ticket to the Long Wharf production (running May 13th -June 7th) & get $5 off with your Library Card!

Script Talk - at the Stratford Library:

"The Glass Menagerie” by Tennessee Williams will be discussed on Tuesday, May 12th beginning at noon in the library’s Lovell Room. The Emmy Award winning film version of “The Glass Menagerie” starring Katharine Hepburn and Michael Moriarty will be shown after the talk. Discussion is moderated by area theatre and library programming director Tom Holehan. Patrons are invited to bring a bag lunch to the program – coffee and tea will be served. For further information, call the Stratford Library’s Public Relations and Programming Office at 203.385.4162 or http://www.stratfordlibrary.org/

The Play - at Long Wharf Theatre (May 13th - June 7th) :

Starring Judith Ivey of “Designing Women”, Josh Charles of “Dead Poet’s Society” and “Sportsnight”, Patch Darragh and Keira Keeley.

Get $5 off all tickets to Long Wharf Theatre’s production of The Glass Menagerie with a library card or a receipt from one of the following bookstores: The Book Trader Café, Labyrinth Books, Atticus Bookstore (New Haven); RJ Julia Booksellers (Madison); and Breakwater Books (Guilford). Or, for groups of 10 or more, get up to 35% off the regular ticket price. Call Leah Dudley at (203) 772-8242 for more information or www.longwharf.org