Rhino conservation expert from Kenya plus ski and snowboard maintenance on tap

Posted

By Carole Howard | PREVIEW Columnist, and the library staff

Rhino conservation expert James Mwenda will speak next Wednesday, March 29, from 4:40 to 5:30 p.m. about his rhino unit at Ol Pejeta Conservancy in central Kenya. 

He and his team provide care and protection for the last northern white rhinos in existence on the planet. A 2018 recipient of the African Ranger of the Year award, Mwenda has become a global ambassador for conservation and the realities of extinction. 

Our expert speaker was featured in “Kifaru,” a documentary film about the Ol Pejeta Conservancy work that has won many awards, including the grand jury prize and audience award at the Sundance Film Festival in 2019.

Ski and snowboard
maintenance clinic

As we approach the end of another wonderful ski and snowboard season, outdoor enthusiasts will want to note next Thursday, March 30, from 6 to 7 p.m. for a ski and snowboard maintenance clinic. 

It will cover tips on maintaining your alpine and Nordic ski and snowboard equipment, including storing, troubleshooting and care. 

Library seeking chess sets

On April 8, we will launch a new intergenerational chess club and, to help make it a success, we are collecting chess game donations. Our preference is for complete sets in good shape, with both the board and the pieces. If you have a chess set you are no longer using, please donate it to the library. 

Library fundraiser
coming soon

Saturday, April 15, is the second annual gala Library Affair fundraiser for our building campaign to expand and renovate your library. This elegant event will happen at 6 p.m. at the Pagosa Springs Center for the Arts and feature an auction of different table settings designed by some of Pagosa’s most creative artists. 

Book themes for the tables range from delightful children’s stories such as “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” to adult classics like “The Great Gatsby.” Food will be courtesy of Todd Stevens and the Pagosa Springs High School culinary class with acoustic guitar music by Steve Blechschmidt. Tickets are $50 each, on sale now at the library and online.

Final spring break events

Our free spring break event at 1 p.m. today, Thursday, March 23, is bingo. Tomorrow, Friday, is a two-hour session from 1 to 3 p.m. because we’ll be showing the movie “The Mitchells vs. the Machines,” rated PG, and providing free popcorn.

Board games tomorrow

Tomorrow, Friday, March 24, is Board Game Central from 3 to 4 p.m. If you love board games, we invite you to bring your favorite game or explore the library’s collection.

LEGO contest deadline

LEGO enthusiasts will want to note the 5 p.m. deadline tomorrow, Friday, March 24, for you to enter your creation in our free LEGO contest. Winners will be announced in five age categories at the LEGO Club on Saturday, March 25, from 11 a.m. to noon. Contest details are available at your library.

Knit and crochet
on Saturday

Everyone aged 8 and older is invited to a Learn to Knit and Croquet gathering on Saturday, March 25, from 1 to 3 p.m. All supplies are provided. This event will happen on the fourth Saturday of every month.

More online author talks

There will be one more talk this month in our free online virtual series featuring New York Times bestselling authors. You will have an opportunity to ask questions of the authors. Tuesday, March 28, at 5 p.m. will feature Pam Jenoff, author of historical fiction often set during World War II and featuring strong women; her latest, published last month, is “Code Name Sapphire.” There will be two more author talks in April.

Children’s Spanish
class on Monday

Join us next Monday, March 27, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. for a Spanish class for kids aged 6 to 11 to help youngsters learn and improve their Spanish.

Knowledge Bowl 

Our free middle school Knowledge Bowl takes place next Thursday, March 30, from 4 to 5 p.m. for tweens and teens. Participants form teams of up to six people to compete against each other by answering questions that cover a range of topics from math to spelling to pop culture. Knowledge Bowl runs every second and fourth Thursday for the remainder of the school year. It is open to students in grades four through eight, or ages 11-14. No registration is required.

Local short stories

“Silverton Stories” by Cynthia Chertos is a collection of 14 short stories about life in this San Juans mountain town from the 1880s to the 2010s. 

Nonfiction

“The Curse of the Marquis de Sade” by Joel Warner tells how a notorious novel became a historic scam. “Always Ireland” by Jack Kavanagh is a travel guide by a local illustrated with National Geographic photographs. “Gender Queer” written and illustrated by Maia Kobabe is a memoir of her journey exploring gender identity from adolescence to adulthood.

Large print

“All the Dangerous Things” by Stacy Willingham tells of a woman trying to find her kidnapped baby. “The Mitford Affair” by Marie Benedict follows two sisters as the Nazis rise to power in Germany. “Hell Bent” by Leigh Bardugo is book two in the Alex Stern dark fantasy series. “Steeped in Secrets” by Lauren Elliott is book one in the new Crystals and CuriosiTEAS mystery series set in a tea and psychic shop. “Riding the Nightmare” by William W. and J.A. Johnstone is a Duff MacCallister western. “Maame” by Jessica George features a young black woman setting out on her own to escape her family. 

Thrillers and mysteries

“Cartographers” by Peng Shepherd focuses on a rare map that’s causing murder and mayhem. “It’s One of Us” by J.T. Ellison follows a couple dealing with news that the husband’s sperm-donated son may be a killer. “The Dangerous One” by Lori Foster is book one in the new Osborne Brothers mystery romance series. 

Other novels

“Dreamland” by Nicholas Sparks is a love story. “Nightcrawling” by Leila Mottley features a young black woman who becomes a witness in a massive scandal. “A Country You Can Leave” by Asale Angel-Ajani features a biracial 16-year-old confronting her family legacy. “The Tyranny of Faith” by Richard Swan is the second book in a fantasy trilogy. 

Donations 

We are grateful to Sandy Kobrock and Mark Mueller for their generous monetary contributions, and to Joanne Ferko for her materials donations. 

When we are open, material donations are accepted for the Friends of the Library at the front desk — not through the outside returns slot at the library or the drop box at City Market, please. 

The Friends take fiction published in 2013 or newer and nonfiction that is 2018 or newer. Limited workroom space means we can only accept one or two small boxes at a time. 

Quotable quote

“Life is change. Growth is optional. Choose wisely.” — Karen Kaiser Clark, author of three bestselling books on growing through change.

Website

For more information on library books, services and programs — and to reserve books, e-books, books on CD and DVDs from the comfort of your home — please visit our website at https://pagosalibrary.org.