The snow has melted, and the crocuses are emerging. Spring is in the air, and so is music with several cool concerts coming up (think jazz). If you haven’t had a chance to explore the Blackstone Library – a town treasure without a doubt – take a tour on Saturday. Plus there are opportunities to get reacquainted with local flora and fauna with garden tips and must-know information about our seacoast. Got a Cool Event? Email [email protected] by Wednesday at noon.
Saturday, April 1
Blackstone Library Tour: An Insider’s Look
Take a tour of the Blackstone Library on Saturday, April 1, from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Learn historical tidbits, and get an insider’s peek into the day in the life of a Blackstone library employee.
If you miss this month’s tour, don’t worry. Tours are offered the first Saturday of each month.
Register at http://www.blackstone.lioninc.org/events/blackstone-library-tour-an-insiders-look‑4/
Wednesday, April 5
How to Critter Proof Your Garden
The Branford Evening Garden Club will host a presentation by Laura Simon, president of the Connecticut Wildlife Rehabilitators Association, about the wild animal species that live in our backyards at the Branford Police Station starting at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 5. Learn how to better co-exist by using effective strategies and novel devices that protect gardens and yards. Everyone is welcome.
Call Maria Storm at 203 – 481-5765 with any questions.
Jazz Fundraiser
The Branford Jazz Concert Series and Stony Creek Brewery are hosting a fundraiser to benefit The Branford Jazz Music Scholarship Fund.
This year’s event will be held Wednesday, April 5, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Stony Creek Brewery, 5 Indian Neck Ave., and will feature the Jay Rowe Trio. Rowe has performed as part of the Branford jazz on-the-green summer concert series and has released five CDs as a solo artist.
Tickets for this once-a-year benefit concert are $25 and include a “Branford Jazz” pint glass, with the first beer on the house, and an evening of some of the best jazz heard anywhere.
In addition to having Stony Creek Brewery’s selection of local food trucks on site, patrons are welcomed to bring in their own picnic dinners to enjoy during the concert. For tickets and details, call 203 – 488-8304 or go to www.branfordjazz.com.
Sunday, April 1
Fundraiser for Hope
Poochie’s Parlor Dog Grooming and Pet Valu are partnering to raise funds for Hope and her friends at the Dan Cosgrove Animal Shelter. The event will be held at Pet Valu, Branhaven Plaza, 1061 West Main St., from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Hope is the black lab/pit bull mix that was found wandering and emaciated at Branhaven earlier this month. She is making a wonderful recovery.
Poochie’s will offer professional nail clippings for $10 and Pet Valu’s self-service dog wash will be available for $10 (cash only). All proceeds will go toward the shelter.
Saturday, April 8
Families College Admissions: Building a Successful Application – For Teens and their Families
Join Michael Newcomer (PhD.,Yale University), founder and president of Bulldog Tutors, for a discussion on college admissions and how to build a strong application at the Blackstone Library, 758 Main St., from 2 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 8.
Bulldog Tutors is composed of Yale graduates that have scored in the top 1 percent of what they teach. They create one-on-one tutoring opportunities in a wide variety of subjects and have worked to build awareness around college prep for those that are entering higher education.
This discussion is appropriate for students and their families. Registration for this program is required. Call 203 – 488-1441, extension 323.
BCC’s Spring Bake Sale
Branford Compassion Club will hold a spring bake sale from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, April 8, at its Feline Rescue & Adoption Center, 2037 Foxon Road.
An assortment of home-baked goods will be available for purchase. Stop by for a tasty treat and meet the many kitties waiting to be adopted.
Springtime is also kitten season, and many kittens will be born outside to unspayed and undernourished females in need of help to survive. All proceeds from the bake sale will go toward veterinary care, food and shelter supplies for rescued cats and kittens.
For more information, visit www.branfordcompassionclub.org.
Annual Chili Challenge for a Cause
The fifth Annual Chili Challenge for a Cause is returning to the Branford Green, scheduled for Saturday, April 8, from noon to 3 p.m. The event is a competition between local Branford restaurants – each of the restaurant chefs will be cooking for a charity of their choice. Each restaurant chef will be setup in an indoor location around the Branford Green. This setup encourages the attendees to stop by local merchants and businesses that they may never have visited in the past.
Attendees of the event will pay $10 to stroll Main Street, sample each chili and vote for their favorite. Some attendees will vote for their favorite tasting chili while others might vote for the chef that is cooking for their favorite charity.
When the votes are counted, the winning chef will be awarded a trophy “Branford Best Chili 2017” and a donation will be made to the winning chef’s charity of choice. This event is a community coming together to promote local restaurants, local merchants, and local charities.
To register, go to http://bit.ly/2jR3bep.
Sunday, April 9
Annual Stan Wheeler Memorial Jazz Concert
The 10th annual Stan Wheeler Memorial Jazz Concert will take place Sunday, April 9, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at Levinson Auditorium, Yale Law School, 127 Wall St., New Haven. The event is named after a stalwart of the ensemble as well as a pioneering legal thinker and researcher. It begins at 2 p.m. in the law school’s Levinson Auditorium at 127 Wall St. Doors open at 1:30 p.m. (See top video).
Featured will be the Yale Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Music Director Thomas Duffy, and the Reunion Jazz Ensemble.The event is named after a stalwart of the ensemble as well as a pioneering legal thinker and researcher.
Doors open at 1:30 p.m. Admission is free.
Rave On! Concert
Hear the music of Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison, and other legends of early rock-n-roll at the Blackstone Library, on Sunday, April 9, at 2 p.m. This is the music that paved the way for rock-n-roll and influenced The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and countless other artists. Performers include Chris Roselle, guitar and lead vocals; Pete Farley, bass guitar and background vocals; and Don Guinta, drums and background vocals.
Wednesday, April 12
Menunkatuck Audubon: Sea Level Rise
Sea Level Rise and How It Is Changing Our Beaches and Coastlines will be presented by Dr. James Tate on Wednesday, April 12, from 7 to 8 p.m. at the Blackstone Library, 758 Main St. The talk is sponsored by the Menunkatuck Audubon Society.
Connecticut’s beaches play a number of important roles. They provide recreation, stimulate economic activity, and serve as buffers to storm wave damage. One of the challenges that coastal communities face is that our beaches are systematically erosive due to differences in the nature of Long Island Sound’s waves as the Sound shifts back and forth from periods of storm activity to fair weather conditions. This systematic loss of beach sand leaves many coastal structures and infrastructure vulnerable to severe wave damage during large storms. Recent research documents that the coastal towns that suffered the greatest damages during Irene and Sandy were the ones that had highly eroded and very narrow beaches. In a time of sea level rise, and potentially a time of intensified storm activity, Connecticut’s shoreline is increasingly vulnerable.
Dr. James Tait received a Ph.D. in Earth Sciences, with a specialization in coastal oceanography, from the University of California at Santa Cruz. His current research focuses on coastal resilience and the impacts of large storms on the coast. He is a professor in the Department of the Environment, Geography and Marine Sciences at Southern Connecticut State University. In addition, he is a co-founder and co-coordinator of Southern’s Werth Center for Coastal and Marine Studies. As part of his work, he consults with the towns of West Haven and East Haven on coastal resilience.
Tuesday, April 18
Literature of the American South Continues
“Literature of the American South: Four Novels by Women” presented by Mark Schenker, senior associate dean of Yale College and dean of Academic Affairs, Spring 2017, continues on Tuesday, April 18, at the Willoughby Wallace Library, 146 Thimble Island Road, with “The Optimist’s Daughter” by Eudora Welty will be discussed, and “Salvage the Bones” by Jesmyn Ward will be discussed on Tuesday, May 16.
The discussions are free and open to all. Copies of the books are available at the Circulation Desk.
Saturday, April 22
Reconnect With the People and Places of Branford
The Blackstone Library is offering a new program, “Uncover Branford,” this spring, which is designed to help participants reconnect with the people and places that make Branford home. Uncover Branford is a collaboratively designed program shaped by feedback from the community. Those who want to explore, make friends, and uncover the hidden gems of Branford are invited to the Uncover Branford kickoff meeting on Saturday, April 22, at 1 p.m. at the Blackstone Library, 758 Main St. to meet others who want to exchange stories about their favorite places in town and explore new places as a group.
Participants are invited to share favorites such as walking trails or interesting stories from restaurants. They’ll break into small groups to create an exploration plan, then visit those places with their group. Stories and experiences will be shared with the community with a simple display and in a printed booklet at the library on Saturday, May 13 at 1 p.m.
The Uncover Branford Open House and Reception will take place on Tuesday, May 23, at 6 p.m. where photos and stories will be displayed for the public.
Visit www.blackstonelibrary.org to register and to get more information.
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