MENU

Sections

More

November 29, 2023

Talbot Spy

Nonpartisan Education-based News for Talbot County Community

Education Ed Notes

Talbot County Free Library offers Computer Help Sessions

by Leave a Comment

The Easton branch of the Talbot County Free Library (TCFL) is now offering a digital specialist to help the community to navigate through the basics of computer, internet, and online forms and applications.

The one-hour sessions are free and pre-registration is required. Computer sessions will take place on the following Mondays: November 27, December 4, December 11 and December 18.

The public can sign up at www.tcfl.org or call 410-822-1626 to register for a session.

“With basic computer skills no longer an optional skill set for daily, modern life, these classes are the perfect on-ramp to get help with technology or a computer application with which patrons may need assistance,” said Dana Newman, Talbot County Free Library Director.

Over the years, TCFL has worked to make using a computer as well as eResources easier to use for residents and library card holders. MyTech Clinic also offers their services once a month at both library branches to assist with laptop, cell phone, and even Microsoft Office questions.

For the future, Newman discusses plans to expand the one-on-one computer sessions to the St. Michaels Branch as well as to offer classes at other locations like the senior centers.

“At the Talbot County Free Library, we want to expand our resources to the public to cater to their schedule as well as their location,” Newman said. “We are taking this one successful step at a time.”

All programs are free and open to the public. For more information about the Talbot County Free Library, visit www.tcfl.org.

 

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

St. Michaels Branch’s December Lunch & Learn Presents Photographer Kristin Rutkowski

by Leave a Comment

Photographer Kristin Rutkowski will be the speaker for the December Lunch & Learn at the St Michaels Library on Monday, December 4th at noon.

Rutkowski is the founder and photographer of Her Helm, a portrait celebration of women leading the way on the water. Dedicated to sharing the inspiring stories of female captains, each portrait share their own unique backgrounds and experiences. 

The project honors these women for their resilience and determination in forging their own path in the maritime world.

She raises the voices and highlights the lives of women through insightful interviews and powerful portraits. Rutkowski traveled the length of the Chesapeake Bay for over 2 years to include women boat captains in this project.

The Chesapeake Bay edition of Her Helm project culminated in a fine art portrait book. The first half of the book features each of the 51 women in the project, while the second half of the book includes invited writers and artists around the Bay sharing their own perspective of living on the water.

The Lunch & Learn Speakers series is sponsored by the Friends of the Library. Coffee and dessert will be provided. For more information, visit www.tcfl.org  or call 410-745-5877.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

TCFL Town Hall to Tackle Opioid Crisis in Talbot County

by

Representatives from Maryland’s primary opioid response coordinating office, the Opioid Operational Command Center (OOCC), are hosting a town hall meeting on November 16th at the Talbot County Free Library to provide the community with the opportunity to share their ideas for how we can do more to address the opioid and overdose crisis. 

The meeting will include presentations from the Special Secretary of Opioid Response, Emily Keller as well as local community leaders including Talbot County Health Officer Dr. Maria Maguire and Talbot County Sheriff Joe Gamble. 

The town hall is open to the public with time being reserved for questions and comments via registration at: https://oocc-talbot.eventbrite.com. Doors open at 6:00pm and presentations begin at 6:30pm. Included topics are the importance of community participation in addressing the opioid crisis, care/recovery services availability within the county and racial disparities in overdose outcomes.  

For more information, please visit https://beforeitstoolate.maryland.gov/town-halls/ or you can view the event details on Facebook at https://fb.me/e/2YnkdEEXq.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Talbot Hospice will be speaking at St. Michaels Branch in November

by

Lisa Rizia, Clinical and Outreach Educator for Talbot Hospice will be speaking at the St. Michaels Branch on Thursday, November 16th at noon. 

She will explain what Hospice care truly is designed to be; and look at the benefits of Hospice when it is received earlier versus later when someone has a life-limiting disease. 

“Our goal is to present the fact that individuals who take advantage of Hospice care actually live longer with an improved quality and comfort of life,” Rizia said.

The Palliative care program will be explained as well, with an explanation of the difference between the two services. Information about the support groups and services that are ongoing at Talbot Hospice will also be available. 

Rizia has been a RN for 40 years, starting as a hospital nurse and moving on to Community Home Health and Hospice after 13.5 years. Hospice became her main passion early in that transition. 

She was a visiting bedside Hospice RN until she came to Talbot Hospice 10 years ago. She began as the Pathways nurse, then the Clinical Manager for 7.5 years before her current role as Clinical and Outreach Educator. 

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

St. Michaels Branch’s November Lunch & Learn Series will be featuring Dr. Andrew Thaler

by

The November Lunch & Learn series will be having guest speaker Dr. Andrew Thaler, CEO of Blackbeard Biologic: Science and Environmental Advisors, on Monday, November 6 at noon at the St. Michaels Branch.

There will also be a miniature museum of deep-sea animals, including a giant deep-sea isopod, the world’s largest pillbug. St. Michaels is currently one of the few places in the country where you can see one of these enormous animals.

In this mini museum, library patrons can get close to a giant isopod, deep-sea tube worms from hydrothermal vents and methane seeps, blind shrimp from the world’s deepest hydrothermal vent, scale worms that survive in near boiling water, glass sponges, squat lobsters and a menagerie of other creatures from the Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic Margin, and Western Pacific. The deep-sea mini museum will be on display until November 30th at the St. Michaels Library. 

This collection is from the research archives of Dr. Thaler. He is deep-sea ecologist and adjunct faculty at the University of Maryland Horn Point Lab and represents 20 years of deep-sea exploration, most of which was led by ecologist and the first woman to pilot the DSV Alvin, Dr. Cindy Van Dover.

The Lunch & Learn Speakers series is sponsored by the Friends of the Library. Coffee and dessert will be provided. For more information, visit www.tcfl.org  or call 410-745-5877.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Stamp Collector Ron Lesher to Speak at St. Michaels Branch on October 2nd

by

Ron Lesher will be the guest speaker for the October Lunch & Learn series at the St. Michaels Branch on Monday, October 2nd at noon.

Ron Lesher is a long time stamp collector, exhibitor, and a nationally and internationally accredited judge of stamp exhibits. His column, The Tax Collector, has appeared more than 170 times in The American Stamp Dealer & Collector. 

He is a life member of the American Philatelic Society, which in 2021 bestowed upon him the Luff Award for distinguished philatelic research. Lesher will discuss The Taxation of Legal Alcohol During National Prohibition, 1920 – 1933. 

Legal alcohol during National Prohibition included medicinal alcohol which could be gotten with a doctor’s prescription and sacramental wines, both of which were taxed. In addition to the tax stamps for alcohol and wine, there will be examples of prescriptions for alcohol that were filled at the Jackson Pharmacy on Tilghman Island.

The Lunch & Learn Speakers series is sponsored by the Friends of the Library. Coffee and dessert will be provided. For more information, visit www.tcfl.org  or call 410-745-5877.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

First Female Chief of the Nause-Waiwash Tribe to Speak at Easton Library

by

The first female Chief of the Nause-Waiwash Tribe, Chief Donna Wolf Mother Abbott, will be speaking at the Talbot County Free Library-Easton Library on Eastern Shore Native American history and culture on Tuesday, October 10th, at 6:00 p.m.

“We are delighted to have Chief Abbott come to the library to discuss both her tribe’s past and present, and the preservation of its history, culture, and traditions,” said Talbot County Free Library Assistant Director Scotti Oliver.

Topics will include the history of the resources that came from the land & waterways of the Eastern Shore, European Contact and Post-European Contact, current projects, and future plans.

Chief Abbott also wishes to invite those interested to attend the 31st Annual Native American Festival in Vienna, MD on September 16 from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

This event is part of One Maryland One Book, a statewide program from the Maryland Humanities and the Maryland Center for the Book. Maryland Humanities partners with public libraries, high schools, colleges, museums, bookstores, and others to bring book-centered events to communities across our state. This year’s selection is “There There” by Tommy Orange.

The critically acclaimed novel follows the experiences of twelve Native people as they gather for the Big Oakland Powwow.  It is a depiction of the modern Urban Indian experience and the challenges facing many Native communities in the United States today.

Talbot County Free Library’s book discussions of “There There” will be facilitated by a Talbot County Free Library volunteer and will be held:

Monday, September 18, at 6:30 p.m. at the Easton Library with the Easton Library Book Group
Thursday, September 28 at 6:00 p.m. at the Easton Library
Thursday, October 5, 2:00 p.m. at the Easton Library
Thursday, October 26, 2:00 p.m. at the St. Michaels Library

No registration is required for any of these programs. All library programs are free and open to the public. www.tcfl.org.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Talbot County Free Library Highlights Library Card Sign-up Month, joins forces with Talbot Goes Purple

by

September is finally here and the Talbot County Free Library (TCFL) invites you to participate in Library Card Sign-up Month.

To honor this important month, TCFL is giving new patrons, and patrons that request a replacement card, purple library cards.  There will not be a charge this month for replacements, and we will also be giving book bucks to all new patrons. The book buck can be used for one book from the book sale at the library.

September is also Talbot Goes Purple Month, a substance abuse awareness program that engages our community and youth to stand against substance abuse. Talbot County Free Library Director Dana Newman said it was important for the library to honor both important missions.

“During this month, the Easton Library will also have an Opioid Awareness display up in the teen area with Project Purple items that patrons can take,” said Newman. “At the library, we believe it is crucial to raise awareness about literacy and standing up against substance abuse.”

Since 1987, Library Card Sign-up Month has been held each September to mark the beginning of the school year. During the month, the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries across the country, unite in a national effort to ensure every child signs-up for their own library card.

Throughout the school year, public librarians and library staff will assist parents and caregivers with saving hundreds of dollars on educational resources and services for students. From free access to STEAM programs/activities, educational apps, virtual homework help, technology workshops to the expertise of librarians, the Talbot County Free Library will make sure that children receive everything they need to have a good school year.

“A library card is free and gives our patrons access to not only books but many eResources that allow you to learn a language, take an online course, get help from a tutor, get a resume reviewed, take a practice test, read an e-book, learn about a new craft or hobby, and much more,” Newman said. “If you are a teacher or a homeschooling parent, you can also get a teacher’s card which allows you to check out books to keep in a classroom library for your students or child.”

A library card is one of the most cost-effective back-to-school supplies available. For more information, visit www.tcfl.org.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Talbot County Free Library Presents 15 Books/15 Years

by

Author/Illustrator Timothy Young will be giving a presentation of his creative journey at the Talbot County Free Library-Easton Library on Thursday, October 12 at 6 p.m.

The year 2023 was an important year for Young. It marks the 15th anniversary of his first book, “I’m Looking For a Monster!” and the 10th anniversary of the publishing of “I Hate Picture Books!” He will talk about how these books were conceived, written, illustrated and published. He will also discuss his creative career in animation, toy design and other professional projects that lead to him becoming a published author.

As a child, Young always wondered who made the toys he played with, who wrote and illustrated the books he read and who made the cartoons he watched. He grew up to be someone who got to do all of them with 16 books under his belt.

Since his first job out of college, Young has designed and sculpted animation models for the television show, “Pee-Wee’s Playhouse,” and a large number of other creative projects. He worked freelance for one of his childhood heroes, Jim Henson.

He was the first person to sculpt The Simpsons characters for toys that were sold when the show premiered in 1990 and he continues to design toys, his most recent being the creation of The Chicken Fight Game, a hilarious inflatable pool toy.

Young often thought that he would like to illustrate children’s books, but never thought he would be an author. During his presentation, he will tell the audience how an assignment to write some poems for a toy product led him to think otherwise. He’ll also tell the story of how he got lucky, twice, in getting his first book published by Random House in 2008.

Locally, he has worked with a number of organizations creating logos, ads and illustrations for many events. He is one of the founders of the Chesapeake Children’s Book Festival and designed the banners that hang on the side of the library. For more information, visit www.tcfl.org.

 

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Library Launches Free Community Wi-Fi Center in Trappe

by

Talbot County Free Library (TCFL) has created a free Community Wi-Fi Center at Home Run Baker Park in Trappe, MD, providing access to high-speed internet for Talbot County students and residents.

The project was made possible thanks to TCFL’s partnership with the Talbot Parks and Recreation, and the Maryland State Library.

“We want to thank Preston Peper, Director of Talbot Parks and Recreation and Brian Moore, Superintendent of Roads and County Facilities for Talbot County Government, and the Town of Trappe for helping to make this project possible,” said Talbot County Free Library Director Dana Newman. “The Trappe Community Wi-Fi Center meets our library’s strategic direction to develop and expand library services to build strong connections in our community.”

There are two access points for Wi-Fi at the Home Run Baker Park, one at the Concession Stand and one in the parking lot. There are two ways to access internet:

Home Run Baker            Open. No password required.

Home Run Baker Secure     Encrypted. Password: hrb-wpa2

This project was funded in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Maryland State Library. For more information, visit www.tcfl.org.

About Talbot County Free Library

It is the mission of the Talbot County Free Library to enrich and renew the lives of the people it serves. There are two locations: The main library in Easton is located at 100 W. Dover St.; and the St. Michael branch is at 106 Fremont St. The Maryland Room in the Easton branch holds a voluminous collection of genealogical resources and historical documents. Services at both locations include the circulation of books, DVDs, and digital devices, as well as free Wi-Fi, public computers, exhibits, and programs for both children and adults. Many of the Talbot County Free Library’s programs are made possible by the generous support of the local community.  For more information, please visit www.tcfl.org. Be sure to like the library on Facebook and follow us on Instagram @Talbotcountyfreelibrary.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.