Happy New Year from The Ashby Free Public Library
2024 leaves us this week and 2025 begins.
Hi Friends,
I hope that all of you have a wonderful New Year. 2024 was a great year for the library and I hope that 2025 will be an even better one. Because of the scheduling of the holidays this year, first Thursday Cooking Club and First Friday Movie Night will not occur this week. They will return in February. The library is doing a bit of reorganization this month, so if you do not find things in the places you expect them, please ask. They have likely just moved to a new location. We are excited for the changes in store.
Happy New Year.
Tuesday
New Year’s Eve Library Closing at 1PM
If you would like books put out for 24/7 pick up please email hperry@cwmars.org and I will put your books out before we close for you to pick up later.
Wednesday
Happy New Year-Library Closed
Thursday
Chair Yoga 11:30
Join Roberta for a chair yoga class that adapts for all bodies. Improve balance and flexibility with gentle movements.
Open to new members.
MarioKart Club 6:30
Join Kierstyn and all your MarioKart friends for a fun racing adventure.
New members are always welcome.
Upcoming Events
“Books that Speak to Us”
Wednesday January 8th at 6PM
Join us at the Ashby Free Public Library for a unique and heartfelt book discussion experience. In this group, each participant brings a book that resonates with them—whether it’s a novel that helped them through a challenging season or a story that inspires joy. Rather than all reading the same title, we celebrate diverse perspectives by sharing personal recommendations and reflections. This is a space for connection, inspiration, and discovery. All are welcome—let’s explore the power of stories together!
Office Hours with Selectboard Member Jessica Kallin
Wednesday January 8th 6 to 7PM
The library will be open late to offer everyone the opportunity to speak directly with selectboard member Jessica Kallin. Take advantage of this opportunity to meet directly with your selectboard members.
Gratitude Group
January 9th 1-2PM
Join Krishnabai for the second meeting of our new gratitude group. It is a discussion group exploring the role of gratitude in our lives with suggestions and structure to support this practice, hopefully with a large dose of humor.
It is an invitation for people to gather for kind-hearted support on their own paths. Gratitude is a natural antidote to loneliness, fear and isolation, especially in the darkest days of Winter.
Winter Hiking Group
Thursday Mornings-Dates to come
Join community members and members of the Ashby Land Trust and Conservation Commission in exploring Blood Hill (the Wiita Conservation Area). The Town Owned area is 170 acres that include part of a field, the peak of Blood Hill, innumerable stone walls, a few streams and wetlands, and lots and lots of trees, birds and mammals.
Hiking in the winter has lots of advantages: NO BUGS!! and, if there is snow cover, the ability to see the tracks of all the animals that occupy the property. We'll learn how to dress to stay warm. We'll also discuss hiking poles, snow shoes and cross country skis.
We'll map the area according to its myriad stone walls that crisscross and divide the area in to identifiable parcels. Hopefully, with a few common sense tips, you'll become comfortable in hiking off-trail. Hiking off-trail makes the entire property available to your explorations - staying on the one trail that goes from bottom to top can get a bit boring. AND, hiking off trail gives your eyes and ears much more chance to see and hear the animal life on Blood Hill.
The final project of this series of hikes will be to conduct a bird inventory in late May/early June. We had one done back in 2005 by the retired State Ornithologist, Brad Blodgett. Now we all have access to that birding knowledge through Merlin, a free phone app, that identifies birds by song alone. It will be really interesting to see if and how the bird population has changed. Brad Blodgett gave predictions, so we'll see if they've be realized 20 years later!