Roxbury library to hold tasting, reading

Wine tasting planned at Hodge Memorial Library

ROXBURY — John Bordeau, owner of the Owl Wine Bar in New Preston, will be at the Hodge Memorial Library and Museum in Roxbury on Dec. 18 at 6 p.m. With a roaring fire and light refreshments, Mr. Bordeau will share some of his favorite wines and discuss what makes them special. The program is free and open to the public; however, reservations are required. Reservations can be made at the Minor Memorial Library website www.minormemoriallibrary.org.

The mission of the Minor Memorial Library is to enrich the lives of the Roxbury community by providing free access to ideas and information through diverse services, experiences, and programs of educational, historical, and cultural value. We aim to offer a safe, secure, and inviting atmosphere with current and well-organized collections in a welcoming, professional manner. The library is handicapped-accessible. Call the library at 860-350-2181 or visit the website at www.minormemoriallibrary.org for information and directions.

Winter Solstice Reading at the Hodge Memorial Library in Roxbury

ROXBURY — Actor Doug Schlicher returns to Roxbury with a Winter Solstice/Christmas reading from the children’s classic “Wind in the Willows”, on Saturday, Dec. 16 at 3 p.m. To match the coziness of the tale, the reading this year will be held at the Hodge Library & Museum, where a fire will be blazing in the inglenook and refreshments will be served. All are invited to enjoy this reading, which offers delights for every age.

The chapter “Dulce Domum” tells of Rat and Mole heeding the call of Home and returning to Mole’s cozy little den named “Mole End”, where they find food and drink and share the celebrations of the season with a group of field mice carollers. The story describes the particular charms of English cottage life and the coziness of early winter, even as it relates these things from the perspective of small, wild animals.

Douglas Schlicher is known locally for his beloved annual reading at the Hurd House, in Woodbury, of Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”, now in its 27th year. Formerly a professional actor, Mr. Schlicher has performed onstage with the New York Shakespeare Festival, the New Jersey Shakespeare Festival, and has performed at Lincoln Center, Off-Broadway, and at the Public Theater in New York as well as in Central Park. In addition to his stage work, he has appeared in over 400 television and radio commercials and voice-over narrations. Locally he has lent his talent to the Gunn Memorial Museum in Washington where he has narrated exhibit-related videos.

Call the library at 860-350-2181 or visit the website at www.minormemoriallibrary.org for information and directions.

Parenting class begins on Jan. 5

TORRINGTON — The Torrington Area Youth Service Bureau, in conjunction with New Opportunities, Inc. will be offering a free, 10-week parenting course, “The Parent Project”. This is a nationally recognized curriculum designed to give parents of older children tools to deal with difficult behaviors including skipping school, substance abuse and defiance. This course will take place on Fridays from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at New Opportunities, Inc. (Field St. location) beginning Jan. 5.

Dinner, childcare and Spanish language manual/translation will be provided, thanks to the generosity of the Torrington Club Fund, a fund of the Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation and the City of Torrington. Other funding for this program is provided through the Torrington LIST (Local Interagency Service Team).

Anyone interested in finding out more or to register can contact Jaimee Eldred at 860-496-0356 ext.4, or e-mail jaimeetaysb@snet.net, or Maria Gonzalez at New Opportunities, Inc. at 860-482-9749.

Red Cross prepares for Heroes Ball

HARTFORD — The American Red Cross Connecticut and Rhode Island Region presents the 13th Annual Red Cross Heroes Ball on Saturday, March 3, 6-11 p.m. at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford. This year’s event will honor the brave, selfless, and strong humanitarians who supported the Red Cross during the 2017 hurricanes.

The 2017 hurricane season was among the top 10 all-time most active seasons on record. Hurricanes Maria, Harvey, and Irma left millions without food and shelter, displaced from their homes, separated from their families, and in the most devastating of cases, lost their lives. In the face of this great devastation, the Red Cross has been there. Like a hurricane, humanitarians from all over rushed to the affected areas, heading straight into the storm to provide care, shelter, and hope to those affected.

“We are excited to host this year’s ball to honor individuals, companies, and foundations that worked with the Red Cross to provide relief to those affected by hurricanes this year,” said Mario Bruno, CEO, American Red Cross Connecticut and Rhode Island Region. “Each year, we celebrate the lifesaving mission of the Red Cross. This year, we are proud to recognize the heroes who provided hope to those who lost everything during the devastating hurricane season.”.

The Red Cross Ball will feature an evening full of fun and inspiration featuring a live and silent auction and live band. Mohegan Sun is a proud sponsor of this year’s Red Cross Ball.

Sponsorship opportunities are now available. For more information, contact Libby Richardson at Libby.Richardson@redcross.org or 860-678-4310. Tickets can be purchased at www.redcross.org/RedCrossBall.

Master Gardening class to begin

TORRINGTON — Applications are now available for the 2018 Master Gardener Program through the UCONN Extension program. Master Gardener interns will receive horticultural training from UCONN and then share their knowledge with the public through community volunteering and educational outreach efforts.

There will be three to four hours of online work before each weekly class and then a half-day course from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for 16 weeks or a total of 16 class sessions with online course work and half day class each week beginning Jan. 8. Master Gardener certification will be awarded upon successful completion of coursework. For more information contact UConn Extension at 860-570-9023.