March programs at the Waterbury Public Library
February 24, 2024 | By Judi Byron Feb. 27: This post was updated with an additional event and date correction on the watercolor series.
The Waterbury Public Library hosts many regular and special programs and events each month. Here are a just a few highlights for adult programs happening in March.
Be sure to check the complete listings for adults and children at WaterburyPublicLibrary.com.
March 2 - April 30: Learn mah-jongg
Mah-jongg is an ancient Chinese game, similar to gin rummy that is played with tiles and originated over 2,500 years ago. There are two versions, the Chinese and the American. If you’ve ever wondered what mah-jongg was about and wanted to try your hand at it, Pauline Nolte will be giving a 7-week class series teaching both styles on Saturday mornings in the Steele Room, beginning March 2 and running through April 30 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. There is no class on March 23. To register, email judi@waterburypubliclibrary.com to reserve your space.
March 7: Author visit explores Vermont’s eugenics history
Book cover image
In the book “Vermont for the Vermonters, The History of Eugenics in the Green Mountain State” published by the Vermont Historical Society, historian and author Mercedes de Guardiola examines how the state’s eugenics movement emerged out of the public policies of the 19th century and led to state-sanctioned programs of institutionalization, sterilization and family separation aimed at the most vulnerable Vermonters. She explores the social and political legacy of the movement, bringing new scholarship and context to one of Vermont’s darkest chapters.
On Thursday, March 7, de Guardiola visits Waterbury for this free event co-hosted by the Waterbury Public Library, the Waterbury Historical Society, and Bridgeside Books.
She will be joined by Vermont State Archivist Mariessa Dobrick and state Rep. Tom Stevens, D-Waterbury, a key lawmaker behind the state legislature’s eugenics apology in 2021. Each has unique context, history, and modern updates to add to the conversation.
The event is free to attend and will be held at in the Steele Community Room adjacent to the library in the municipal center, starting at 6 p.m.
March 12 - April 20: Watercolor painting series
Watercolor by Pauline Nolte
Discover your creative self through watercolor painting. Perhaps you have wanted to put paint to paper, but didn’t know where to start. Pauline Nolte undertstands and will be teaching this 8-week class in March/April at the Waterbury Public Library. She says she remembers when she discovered her creative self through the dabbing of paint on paper. Though she considers herself an amateur, she has published a collaborative project illustrating a friend’s poems called “Sea Shells: Soulful Journeys, 2nd Edition.” She calls it “a most fun and fulfilling endeavor.”
Watercolor by Pauline Nolte
Nolte wants to pass that fun and fulfillment on to aspiring painters and artists. No experience is necessary to sign up for this series. Whether you are a beginner and have never painted before or you have painted in the past and want to get back into it and need a little encouragement, there is a seat for you at the table.
Class provides instruction and demonstration, followed by time to create. All supplies (paint, paper, brushes) are provided by the library for those new to the program. Anyone who has attended prior classes with Pauline is invited to bring your supplies.
Register with judi@waterburypubliclibrary.com to reserve a space for the 8-week series beginning Tuesday, March 12, and running weekly through April 20, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the library.
March 19: Coming of Spring meditation, harp
While it may not look like spring, the vernal equinox is the turning point toward longer days. We celebrate a new season of growth, life, and new earth. Join River Buffum to Celebrate the Coming of Spring with guided meditation, accompanied by Judi Byron on harp, as we honor the cyclical nature of the seasons and commemorate these natural turning points in the earth's cycle.
Tuesday, March 19, from 6:30 to 7:15 p.m.
March 25: Get ready to view the total solar eclipse
Courtesy photo
On April 8, 2024, a total eclipse will cross parts of North America including part of Vermont. The astronomical spectacle is what happens when the moon passes between the sun and Earth and completely blocks the sun, darkening the sky during the daytime.
The eclipse will start in the South Pacific Ocean and will cross North America, passing over Mexico, United States, and Canada. Weather permitting, the phenomenon will be visible in Texas before traveling through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, before exiting continental North America at 5:16 p.m. NDT (Newfoundland Time Zone).
What does that mean for Vermont? The Waterbury Public Library has invited the Vermont Astronomical Society to give a presentation on “How to Safely View the Total Solar Eclipse.” Society president Jack St. Louis will cover information on the sun, dates and times of the eclipse, why eclipses happen, where to look, what to expect, and tips on safe viewing.
The free program starts at 6 p.m. on Monday, March 25, at the library. Attendees will receive eclipse glasses to take home. Eclipse glasses are solar viewing glasses with specialized lenses that block harmful radiation from penetrating your eyes. Regular sunglasses, no matter the darkness or thickness, are unsafe to use to look at the sun. Improperly looking at the sun during an eclipse can harm vision or even cause blindness.
Judi Byron is the Adult Program Coordinator at the Waterbury Public Library. Reach her at 802-244-7036 or judi@waterburypubliclibrary.com