Blue Hill Public Library Play Reading

Where:  Blue Hill Public Library 

When:  Wednesday May 15th, 4:00 to 6:30 PM

Cost:  Admission is Free

Calendar Listing:  Play Reading Group, American Buffalo, by David Mamet, no experience necessary. Wed. May 15, 4-6:30 PM, Blue Hill Library.


BLUE HILL-- The public is invited to participate in the Blue Hill Public Library Play Reading Group on Wednesday, May 15th, the group’s third meeting at an earlier time than in the past, from 4:00 to 6:30 PM. This month the group will read American Buffalo, by David Mamet.

The play is about the owner of a junk shop who believes he sold a buffalo nickel for much less than it was worth, and gets a couple friends to help him plan a heist to steal it back.  The three end up fighting among themselves and the whole plan goes awry when things erupt into violence.

The group welcomes inexperienced and experienced readers alike. The only criteria are the love of plays and the joy of reading them aloud among like-minded theater fans. For further information, contact the Blue Hill Library at 374-5515.

“Panels & Pizza,” Graphic Novel Discussion Group For Teens

Where:   Roland Howard Room, Blue Hill Public Library

When:  Friday, May 17th, 3:30 to 5:00 PM, and every 3rd Friday of the month 

Cost:  Admission is Free

Calendar listing: “Panels & Pizza” Graphic Novel Discussion Group for Teens will discuss The Prince and the Dressmaker, by Jen Wang, copies avail. now, Fri. May 17, 3:30 PM, Blue Hill Library, 374-5515.

BLUE HILL — The Blue Hill Library invites teens to a new graphic novel book club, “Panels & Pizza,” on Friday, May 17th at 3:30 pm. Each month will feature a different graphic novel and gathering on the 3rd Friday of the month to discuss thoughts on the story, art and the work as a whole. Pizza will be served!

This month’s book will be The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang. In the story, Prince Sebastian has a secret. He loves to put on extravagant dresses and explore Paris as Lady Crystallia. Sebastian befriends his talented dressmaker, but will she manage to keep his secret?

Copies of the book are available now at the library. For more information, contact the library at 374-5515.

Opera Preview: Dialogues des Carmelites

Where:  Blue Hill Public Library 

When:  Friday, May 10th, 1:00 PM

Cost:  Admission is free

Calendar item: OPERA PREVIEW: Francis Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmelites, simulcast of the Met Opera will be previewed by Linda Lesko and David Porter, no experience necessary, Fri. May 10, 1 PM, Blue Hill Library. Info: 374-5515.

BLUE HILL — Bagaduce Music and Friends of the Blue Hill Public Library will present a preview of Francis Poulenc's opera, "Dialogues des Carmelites," at the Blue Hill Public Library on Friday May 10th at 1:00 PM. A live performance of the opera will be simulcast at The Grand in Ellsworth the following day, Saturday, May 11th, from the Metropolitan Opera in New York.

According to the Met's website, "Yannick Nézet-Séguin leads the classic John Dexter production of Poulenc’s devastating story of faith and martyrdom. Mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard sings the touching role of Blanche and soprano Karita Mattila, a legend in her own time, returns to the Met as the Prioress."

Local opera enthusiasts Linda Lesko and David Porter will summarize the plot, introduce the music and offer some ideas of special ways to enjoy the Saturday simulcast. All are welcome, no previous opera knowledge is needed, and admission is free. For more information, call the library at 374-5515.

Community Issues Forum: Young Adults with Intellectual Disabilities

Where:   Roland Howard Room, Blue Hill Library 

When:  Wednesday, May 8th at 6:30 P.M.

Cost:  Admission is Free

Calendar listing: Blue Hill Peninsula Community Issues Forum: The Rights and Needs of Young Adults with Intellectual Disabilities, Wed. May. 8, 6:30 PM, Blue Hill Public Library, 374-5515.

BLUE HILL – The Blue Hill Public Library’s Community Issues Forum continues on Wednesday May 8th at 6:30. The topic will be: “‘Forgotten Americans’ Among Us?: The Rights and Needs of Young Adults with Intellectual Disabilities.” This forum will present state and regional experts as well as parents who are concerned about continuing education, job training and benefits information for post-high school neurologically diverse young adults. Panelists will include Annie Sargent, Director of Ellsworth Adult Education; Lisa Sturtevant, Employment Services Manager, Office of Aging and Disability Services, DHHS; Lorrie Mitchell, Regional Manager (Bangor) Division of Vocational Rehabilitation; and Linda Lee, Parent, RN, BSN, Co-Founder of Jonno’s Place, Belfast.
The series is organized and moderated by retired history professor, Dr. Gregory Bush, with the goal of stimulating in-person civic dialogue about important but sometimes overlooked issues on the Blue Hill peninsula, in Maine and across the nation.

This event is sponsored by the library, and is free and open to everyone. For more information contact the library at 374-5515.

Blue Hill Library Film: High Noon

Where:  Roland Howard Room, Blue Hill Public Library 

When:  Thursday May 9th at 7:00 PM

Cost:  Admission is Free

Calendar listing:  Film: High Noon (1952): starring Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly, Thu. May 9, 7:00 PM, Blue Hill Library. Info: 374-5515.


BLUE HILL – The Friends of the Blue Hill Public Library’s second-Thursday-of-the-month film series will continue on Thursday, May 9th at 7:00 PM with the western, High Noon (1952), directed by Frank Zinnemann and starring Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly.

In the story a local town marshall has just gotten married and heard that a criminal he sent away to be hung had been pardoned and was coming back to exact revenge.

All films are shown free of charge on the library’s “pretty big” screen in the Howard Room. For more information, call the library (374-5515).

Explore Outdoors! Storytime at the Blue Hill Public Library

Where:  Blue Hill Public Library 

When:   Tuesday, May 7th, 10:30 AM 

Cost:  Admission is Free

Calendar listing: Storytime: The Secret Pool, Tue. May. 7, 10:30 AM, Blue Hill Library, 374-5515.


BLUE HILL- –Julianne Taylor, education coordinator for Explore Outdoors! -– a collaboration between Blue Hill Heritage Trust, Downeast Audubon and Great Pond Mountain Conservation Trust – will be doing a special edition of the Blue Hill Public Library’s Storytime on Tuesday May 7th at 10:30 AM. She will read the story, The Secret Pool by local author Kimberly Ridley and illustrator Rebekah Raye. Through this story kids will be introduced to the different inhabitants of a vernal pool, including spotted salamanders, spring peepers, and turtles. After the story they will create a craft and check out a traveling vernal pool.

This program is co-sponsored by the library and Explore Outdoors! There is no charge and everyone is welcome. For more information call the library at 374-5515.

Blue Hill Library Book Sale May 4th

Where:  Basement “Book Nook,” Blue Hill Public Library 

When:  Saturday, May 4th & every first Saturday of the month, 9AM to 2 PM. 

Calendar listing: MONTHLY BOOK SALE: bios half price/paperbacks 4 for $1, Sat. May 4, 9 AM- 2 PM Blue Hill Library.


BLUE HILL—The Friends of Blue Hill Public Library will hold their first-Saturday-of-the-month book sale on May 4th in the library’s basement “book nook” from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Biographies and memoirs will be half price, and paperbacks 4 for a dollar. Most books are still only a dollar or two, and paperbacks only 50 cents. Each child visiting the sale may select a free book.  There will be a second sale this month, of plant- and garden-related books as part of the library’s plant sale event on May 25, 8:00 to 11:00 AM.

The Friends wish to thank the many donors who keep the sale supplied with quality books, and welcome contributions - big or small. Book sale proceeds enable the Friends to sponsor many of the special programs offered at the library, and to make special purchases of books, DVDs, and equipment for the library. To donate books that are in good condition (please no moldy or soiled books!) or for more information, contact the library at 374-5515.

Author Event: Beth Gutcheon Tuesday, July 31st at 7:00 P.M.

Where:   Blue Hill Public Library

When:  Tuesday, July 31st at 7:00 P.M.

Cost:  Admission is Free

Blue Hill, Maine - Blue Hill summer resident and author Beth Gutcheon will read from her recently published book The Affliction on Tuesday, July 31st at 7:00 PM at the Blue Hill Public Library. This book "delivers the second installment in her clever romp of a mystery series combining social comedy and dark-hearted murder—a novel set at a girls’ boarding school in a picturesque Hudson River town with more than its share of secrets."

Since 1978 when her first novel, The New Girls, was published, Gutcheon has made her living full-time as a storyteller. She is the author of nine previous novels, including Still Missing, More Than You Know, and Gossip, and of many commissioned screenplays, including for the 20th Century Fox feature film, Without a Trace, based on Still Missing. She has also contributed to New York Magazine, Savvy Magazine, The New York Times, the NYT Book Review, the San Jose Mercury News, the San Francisco Chronicle, Conde Nast Traveler, and many other periodicals. When not in the area, Beth Gutcheon lives in New York City with her husband and also her elderly poodle, Daisy Buchanan.

Books will be available for sale and signing. This event is sponsored by the Library and Blue Hill Books. There is no charge, and everyone is welcome. For more information, call the library at 374-5515.

Author Event: Implosion: A Memoir of an Architect’s Daughter Wednesday, July 25th at 7:00 P.M.

Where:   Blue Hill Public Library

When:  Wednesday, July 25th at 7:00 P.M.

Cost:  Admission is Free

BLUE HILL, Maine – Author and poet Elizabeth Garber will give a reading from her new book, Implosion: A Memoir of an Architect's Daughter, on Wednesday July 25th at 7:00 PM at the Blue Hill Public Library.  Garber’s father was visionary architect Woodie Garber, whose masterwork was the family’s glass-walled house.

In this powerful memoir, Elizabeth Garber describes her father’s mental illness, the destruction of her family, and her own slow healing from his abuse. Beautifully written and heartbreaking, Garber's memoir is also a survivor's story—about a young woman trying to rescue her family and herself. Now a mother and a healer, Garber’s story offers the hope that we can process trauma and move on, that we can each become the architects of our own lives.

Elizabeth W. Garber is the author of three books of poetry. She was awarded writing fellowships at Virginia Center for Creative Arts and Jentel Artist Residency Program in Wyoming. Garber has a Master of Fine Arts in creative non-fiction from University of Southern Maine’s Stonecoast Program. She has maintained a private practice as an acupuncturist for over thirty years in mid-coast Maine, where she raised her family.

This event is co-sponsored by the library and Blue Hill Books. There is no charge, and everyone is welcome. Books will be available for sale and signing. For more information, call the library at 374-5515 or check Garber’s website, www.elizabethgarberpoetry.com.

Afterschool Teen Film Series: The Maze Runner

Where:  Roland Howard Room, Blue Hill Public Library


When:  Friday May 4th, at 4:00 PM


Calendar listing: Teen Film Series: The Maze Runner,  Fri. May 4, 4 PM, BH Public Library, 374-5515.


BLUE HILL, Maine – The Blue Hill Public Library invites teens to the film The Maze Runner on Friday, May 4th, at 4:00 PM, the last in a monthly afterschool film series for teens, until fall. The film, based on the 2009 novel of the same name by James Dashner, is a dystopian science fiction thriller. The story follows sixteen-year-old Thomas, who is trapped with other boys in an intricate maze, with no memory of who he is. The boys try to find their way out of the ever-changing labyrinth, and set up a functioning society in what they call “the Glade.”


Movies in the library’s Teen Film Series cover a wide range of subjects and styles, and we encourage teens and their families to research them in advance and decide which ones are right for each teen. For more information call the library at 374-5515.

Seed Stewardship: Cultivating Pollinator Pathways & Saving Heirloom Seeds

Where:  Roland Howard Room, Blue Hill Public Library


When:   Saturday, May 5th, 2:00 PM


Cost:  Admission is Free


Calendar listing:  Cultivating Pollinator Pathways & Saving Heirloom Seeds,

a workshop on Saturday, May 5, 2 PM, BH Public Library.


BLUE HILL, Maine – The Blue Hill Library and the SEED Barn will co-sponsor a workshop on cultivating pollinator pathways and saving heirloom seeds, at the library on Saturday May 5th at 2:00 PM.


This workshop will offer information on how to grow out heirloom vegetables with the intention of saving seeds, including isolation distances for different types of plants, overwintering for biennial roots and brassicas, and seed harvesting. Seeds granted by the Seed Matters program (http://seedmatters.org) will be freely available for community members who would like to try their hand at seed saving.

Since augmenting pollinator habitat helps increase crop yield, the workshop will also cover the needs of pollinators, including access to food, water, shelter and space to raise their young in order to thrive.


Local artist Lee Lee founded the SEED Barn to engage a network of schools and land stewards, at the intersection of art and ecology, to promote long-term restoration of natural habitats.  Building habitat for birds and pollinators through providing accessible platforms for community participation develops a sense of our relationships with the natural world, which the SEED Barn feels is essential to the effectiveness of conservation work. For more information, contact the library at 374-5515.

Choices that Matter: Optimizing Healthcare Choices for Difficult Times

Where:   Blue Hill Public Library
When:  Wednesdays, May 2nd & 9th 4:00 to 6:00 PM
Cost:  Admission is Free


Calendar listing: Optimizing Healthcare Choices for Difficult times: workshop with local experts on advance care planning, Weds. May 2 & 9, 4:00 PM, Register @ bhpl.net, BH Public Library, 374-5515.


BLUE HILL, Maine – Retired local M.D. Susan Ostertag and retired clinical psychologist Barbara Sinclair will facilitate a discussion exploring people’s goals, values, and options for future healthcare decisions at the Blue Hill Public Library on two Wednesdays, May 2nd and 9th from 4:00 to 6:00 PM. The program is free of charge but space is limited to 15 participants so registration is required and can be done online at www.bhpl.net or by calling the library at 374-5515.


As people age, they are often presented with increasingly complex healthcare decisions. Healthy Peninsula’s “Choices That Matter” campaign aims to help people explore how to sustain the best possible quality of life while maintaining control over healthcare decisions which safeguard patients’ values. Participants in this program will discuss advanced care planning and explore views, attitudes and options for medical and comfort care during the latter part of life or when confronted with a serious illness.


Real-life scenarios will be used to generate lively, and interesting discussions. This workshop is appropriate for individuals thinking about their own healthcare, as well as that of loved ones they may be assisting. This event is sponsored by the library and Choices That Matter campaign. For more information, call the library at 374-5515.

Genealogy Help Desk at the Blue Hill Public Library

Where:  Blue Hill Public Library


When:  Saturday, May 5th  and 19th   , 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM


Cost:  Admission is Free, registration is required


Calendar listing:  Drop-In Genealogy Help Desk at the Blue Hill Public Library, with Liffey Thorpe, Sat. May 5th and 19th, 10:00AM-1:00PM, BH Public Library, 374-5515.


BLUE HILL, Maine — The Blue Hill Public Library will host a “Drop-In Genealogy Help Desk” on two Saturdays, May 5th and 19th, from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM in the library’s main room next to the reference desk. Local expert Liffey Thorpe will be on hand to answer questions from the public on library and online resources for doing genealogy research, as well as offering advice on particular issues or “brick walls.” Participants are encouraged to come with focused questions, such as identifying family members in an old photograph, discovering when their ancestors arrived the country, or finding evidence to support family lore.


Liffey Thorpe has been doing genealogy for many years. She has taken courses at Boston University and Salt Lake Community College, and recently received certification from the Board for Certification of Genealogists in Washington, D.C.. She holds a doctorate in Classics from Stanford University. For more information call the library at 374-5515.

Two New Exhibits: Renga Scrolls and Traditional Japanese Clothing

Where:  Britton Gallery, Blue Hill Public Library


When:  Renga Scrolls: May 1st to 31st; Traditional Japanese Clothing: May 1st to July 31st; Reception: Friday May 18th, 5:00 to 6:30 PM


Calendar listing: Exhibit: Renga Scrolls, by Frederica Marshall and the Haiku Project, May 1-31, BH Public Library


Calendar listing: Exhibit: Traditional Japanese Clothing, from the collection of Frederica Marshall May 1-July 31, BH Public Library.


Calendar listing: Reception for 2 exhibits: Renga Scrolls and Traditional Japanese Clothing, by Frederica Marshall and the Haiku Project, May 18, 5-6:30 PM, BH Public Library.


BLUE HILL, Maine –Deer Isle artist Frederica Marshall will present two exhibits at the Blue Hill Public Library in May.  In the Britton Gallery will be an exhibition of Renga Scrolls by Marshall herself along with local poets, members of the “Haiku Project;” and a display of traditional Japanese clothing in the Howard Room glass cases.  The public is invited to a reception for the shows on Friday, May 18th from 5:00 to 6:30 PM.


Renga are groups of haiku written about one theme. Frederica and her Haiku Project students organized haiku they had written into themes, and arranged them into longer poems that were then written onto scrolls with motifs painted in sumi ink by Marshall herself and her student Mike De Matteo. This exhibit will be in the Britton Gallery during May.


The display of traditional Japanese clothing includes an embroidered wedding kimono, shibori haori jackets, silk obi belts, brocade geta, and hairpins; all items collected by Frederica when she lived in Japan. This display will be in the Howard Room cases for the months of May through July.


Frederica grew up in Japan, and lived there for 28 years.  She studied brush painting, Ikebana flower arranging, calligraphy, Bingata textile dying, pottery and language.  She has exhibited her work in Japan and the US in more than 100 group shows and 28 solo shows. She is an artist, teacher and researcher.  She has a BFA in Painting from Miami University in Ohio and an MA in Art Education from Michigan State University. 


For more information, call the library at 374-5515.

Presentation: Pedaling with a Purpose

Blue Hill, Maine - Recent George Stevens graduate Bella Cimeno will give a presentation at the Blue Hill Public Library on Friday January 12th at 5:00 PM about her a solo bicycling trip across the United States. She completed this impressive undertaking just two months ago.


Bella’s completely self-supported solo cycling journey across the United States began on August 23 in Astoria, Oregon. She followed the Trans America trail, a cycling route that crosses the nation through small towns over back roads highlighting rural America. Bella says, "I set out to see the country I live in, challenge myself, and ultimately learn that goodness exists everywhere." She was fundraising for The Maine Women’s fund with a goal to raise a dollar for each mile pedaled. Her trip ended at the coast of Virginia.


The presentation is sponsored by the library, and is free and open to everyone. For more information contact the library at 374-5515.


Photos: Bella Cimeno at Hoosier Pass on her cycling trip; Pages from Jill Lee's children's book "Sunny Makes Kimchi with Halmi"

Author Event: All about Kimchi (Including Tasting!) at the Blue Hill Public Library

Blue Hill, Maine - Bar Harbor resident Jill Lee will give a presentation about the regional varieties of kimchi and have samples available for tasting at the Blue Hill Public Library on Saturday, January 13th at 2:00 PM. She will have copies of her recently published children’s book, Sunny Makes Kimchi with Halmi, available for purchase and signing. The book was designed to teach anyone, child or grown-up, how to make kimchi.


Kimchi is the unequivocal staple in Korean cuisine, and every household has its own recipe and secrets. Today, people worldwide are discovering the flavor and health benefits of kimchi, with enthusiasts in all corners of the United States learning to make their own. In this presentation, author Jill Lee will explore the science and evolution of many varieties of kimchi, and pose the question, "What is the regional kimchi of Downeast Maine?"


Jill Lee is a graphic designer, illustrator, photographer, and tinkerer who grew up partly in Korea and partly in the United States. After leaving high school in Los Angeles, she followed her love of nature and winter to Maine. When not designing or painting, Jill can be found learning new plants, writing recipes, reading books about math, playing video games, or traveling.

This event is open to all ages, and is sponsored by the library. There is no charge, and everyone is welcome. For more information, call the library at 374-5515.

Blue Hill Library Film: High Sierra

Blue Hill, Maine - The Friends of the Blue Hill Public Library’s second-Thursday-of-the-month film series will continue on January 11th at 7:00 PM with the 1941 action adventure High Sierra, starring Ida Lupino and Humphrey Bogart. The film follows the story of a notorious thief, recently released from prison, who is hired by his old boss to help plan and carry out a robbery.

All films are shown free of charge on the Library’s “pretty big” screen in the Howard Room. For more information, contact the Library (374-5515) or Michael Donahue, 374-5248 or Donahue.mg@gmail.com.

Art: History and Hands-On at Blue Hill Public Library

Blue Hill, Maine - Local artist and gallery-owner Margret Baldwin will host a five-week series of art history film screenings at the Blue Hill Public Library, each paired with an optional, related hands-on workshop two days later. The film screenings are Wednesday nights at 7:00 PM, January 10th through February 7th.  The related workshops are each subsequent Friday at 7:00 PM, beginning January 12th and going through February 9th.

These events are free and open to all, but space in the hands-on art workshops is limited. Registration for the art workshops will be taken at the film screening the previous Wednesday, and is limited to those who attend the films.

The complete schedule is as follows: January 10: Cave of Forgotten Dreams, paired with a cave painting art project on January 12; January 17: Michelangelo: Love and Death, followed by a subtractive sculpture art project on the January 19; January 24: Mr. Turner, followed by an atmospheric painting art project on January 26; January 31: Vincent: The Life and Death of Vincent Van Gogh with a brushstrokes art project on February 2; February 7: Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child will cap off the series with a graffiti art project on February 9.

Margret is a certified art instructor with 25 years in the public school system and private teaching experience. She expanded her exposure to art and artists through her curatorial experience during eight years of employment at the Blue Hill Public Library. She has exhibited widely and in the summer runs her neighborhood “Little Gallery” in Surry.

These events are sponsored by the library and supported by an “Arts and Humanities” grant from the Maine Humanities Council and Maine Arts Commission. For more information, contact Hannah at the library at hannah.cyrus@bhpl.net or 374-5515.

Workshop for Kids: Making Clay Bunnies

Blue Hill, Maine - Kids 5 and up are invited to a workshop at the Blue Hill Public Library by local artist and beloved teacher Margret Baldwin on Saturday March 18th at 2:00 PM.  Margret will show children how to sculpt a spring bunny from soft gray clay provided by Rackliffe Pottery, dug right here in Blue Hill. Potter Dennis Rackliffe will then bake the bunnies in the “Big Kiln” until they are ready to hop out, baked hard, and changed to that beautiful Terra-cotta color.

Margret is a certified Art Instructor with 25 years full-time in the Public School System and private teaching experience. She worked here at the Library for some eight years before she decided to go back to her first loves, creating and teaching art, and encouraging artists of all ages.

The workshop is free but space is limited so registration is required. To register use the library’s web calendar at www.bhpl.net or call the library at 374-5515.

Caption info: Clay bunnies.

Canine Myth Busting: Understanding Dog Logic

Blue Hill, Maine - Blue Hill area dog trainer Whitney Thurston will give the third in a series of presentations on dog ownership and training at the Blue Hill Public Library on Saturday March 18th at 11:00 AM. The title of the seminar is Canine Myth Busting: Understanding Dog Logic.

Are you worried your dog is trying to dominate you? Scared of your neighbor's pit bull? Have you wondered if some breeds are smarter than others or if different breeds need different types of training? Worried that you shouldn't play tug of war with your pup or that you shouldn't use food to train because then your dog will never listen to you without it? Join us for some good, old fashioned myth-busting--we'll talk about these and other controversial topics in the dog world and help you get a better understanding of how dogs think, what they want, and how to co-exist with them in your homes and on your beds.

This is a FREE seminar but also a fundraiser to sustain a pet food pantry at the Tree of Life food pantry, located in Blue Hill. Donations of cash or pet food will be collected at the door from anyone who would like to contribute.

Whitney Thurston is a local dog trainer and owner of Salty Dogs Obedience & Adventure. Whitney specializes in working with fearful and reactive dogs, and is very passionate about building a community on the peninsula of well behaved, socialized dogs, and educated, empowered owners.

This human only event (no dogs please—they already know this material!) is sponsored by the library. For more information, call the library at 374-5515.