Boxford celebrates National Library Week, April 13 through 19: To celebrate the contributions of libraries, librarians and library workers in schools, campuses and communities nationwide, the Boxford Town Library is celebrating National Library Week with the following events:
r Drop-in craft program for children of all ages, Tuesday, April 15, 11 a.m. All craft supplies will be provided.
r Poetry circle, Tuesday, April 15, 7 p.m. Read and talk about poetry; no special skill is needed, just an interest in poems and other people.
r Poem in your pocket, a family poetry craft program, Thursday, April 17, 3:30 to 5 p.m. Bring a copy of a favorite poem, or find one in the library, to fit in the afternoon's craft project — a paper pocket to carry a special poem
r Books in bloom artist reception, Saturday, April 19, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Residents of any age are invited select a book from the library and create a floral or natural arrangement depicting either the content or idea of the book. Submit the book and arrangement to the Boxford Town Library on Elm Street on Friday, April 18, between noon and 5:30 p.m. A reception for the artists will be held on Saturday with light refreshments. Please pick up an informational sheet and register at the either the Boxford Town Library on Elm Street or the West Branch Library on Washington Street.
r Call the Library at 978-887-7323 for program registration.
r For more information, visit the Boxford Town Library at 10 Elm St., call 978-887-7323 or see the library's Web site at www.boxfordtownlib.org
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Ongoing registration for NABC teams: North Andover Booster Club online registration is open for the following sports:
r Track and Field (NEW), fifth- through eighth-grades, open through 4/22
r Football, fifth- through eighth-grades, open through June 30
r Cheering, fifth- through eighth-grades, open through May 31
r Field Hockey, fifth- through eighth-grades, open through June 30
Please visit the North Andover Booster Club Web site, www.eteamz.com/nabc, for more information and to register. Track and Field will hold a one-night registration on Tuesday, April 8, at Atkinson School, 111 Phillips Brooks Road, North Andover, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
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"A Knight's Tale" at the Boxford Library: On Wednesday, April 23, the Higgins Armory Museum will present "A Knight's Tale" at Boxford Village Library at 11 a.m. This introduction to weapons and armor from a bygone era is recommended for kids in fourth grade and older.
Space is limited; call 887-7323 to register for this school vacation week event. Sponsored by Ye Olde Friends of the Library.
Nutrition expo for parents: Nutritionist Trisha Silverman will speak April 3 at 7 p.m. at a Tri-Town nutrition expo for parents of students in kindergarten through high school. The talk takes place in the Masconomet cafeteria, 20 Endicott Road, Topsfield.
Are you having trouble getting your child to eat breakfast? Have you tried to pack a "healthy" lunch and been confused by labeling? Are you sick of sending in the same old snack? Don't want to send in sugar laden sweets for parties but don't know what else to do? You're not alone.
Nutritionist Trisha Silverman will address these and other difficult issues faced by parents and their kids every day.
Healthy snacks will be provided by Market Basket, Farmer Brown's, New Meadows Market, Trader Joe's and Stop and Shop Supermarket.
The program is jointly sponsored by Masco's K-12 Social Emotional Development Advisory Council, the Boxford, Middleton and Topsfield PTOs and the Masco Parent Advisory Council.
For more information, contact Melissa West, registered nurse, at Steward School 978-887-1538.
Turn your garden in to a florist shop: Master Gardener Karen Garlepy will show and describe how to turn your perennial garden in to a cutting garden for fabulous floral arrangements all season long at a North Andover Garden Club event on April 8.
"Flowers for cutting in a perennial garden" will be held at Ashland Farms, 700 Chickering Road, North Andover, on April 8, 7 to 9 p.m. The event is free and open to the public and is hosted by the North Andover Garden Club.
For more information, e-mail northandovergardenclub@yahoocom, call Sorena at 978-794-1811 or Martha at 978-685-1568.
Learn to knit over April vacation: The North Andover Historical Society will run "Adventures in Time Knit Away Part II," a vacation workshop for children to learn to knit.
Held Wednesday, April 23, from 1 to 3 p.m., children ages 8 and up can explore simple machine knitting techniques. The workshop will be a fun and unique way to create knitted fabric without worrying about handling knitting needles; the afternoon will also have a little role playing about the factory system. Children who attended the February workshop should bring their work and learn the purl stitch.
Open to children over 8 years old from any town. Cost is $5 for historical society members, $7 for nonmembers. Space is limited; reservations are required.
The workshop will be held at the North Andover Historical Society, 153 Academy Road. Visit www.northandoverhistoricalsociety.org for more information, or call 978-686-4035.
The League of Women Voters candidate's night: The Topsfield-Boxford-Middleton chapter of the League of Women Voters will host candidates nights in the Tri-Town area in time for this spring's local elections.
Boxford's candidate forum will be held on Wednesday, April 30, at the Boxford Town Hall, 7A Spofford Road, at 7:30 p.m. All candidates are invited to present their qualifications and views on issues confronting the towns. The candidates running for contested positions will be seated on panels to respond to written questions from the audience.
The League is also canvassing the communities for those wishing to give short presentations for and against the local ballot questions. Presenters are asked to call Karen Sheridan at 978-887-5519, e-mail at sheridanjk@aol.com.
The League would like to remind citizens not previously registered to vote that special voter registration sessions are set up in each town prior to town meeting and town election. Call the Boxford Town Clerk for the dates and times at 978-887-6000. Mail-in voter registration forms are also available at town halls, libraries and post offices.
Brain Gym: Learn to Exercise Your Child's Mind: The Tri-town SEPAC has organized a hands-on demonstration for parents of the benefits of "Brain Gym" movement on April 16 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Topsfield Public Library on Main Street.
Julie Morris, a physical therapist in the North Andover public schools, will lead a demonstration on Brain Gym, which theorizes that specific movements stimulate the flow of information along three dimensions of the brain: laterality (side to side), focus (back to front) and centering (top to bottom).
These exercises have been known to help individuals who have difficulties focusing, staying on task, crossing midline, or who have been diagnosed with a learning disability and/or ADD/ADHD. This year's presentation will also include information on craniosacral therapy.
Call Linda at the Tri-Town School Union office, 978-887-4119 x 232, by April 11 to register for the event.
Historical society event goes "behind the scenes" of history: How do you make history come alive? Join the North Andover Historical Society for an informative session on what goes into creating the many kinds of interactive history programs for children that the North Andover Historical Society offers. Following this overview, long-time volunteer Marty Larson will introduce audience members to the art of creating a more authentic looking costume by using fabrics which have period look and feel. Free and open to the public.
Event: Behind the Scenes: History for Children
When: Thursday March 27, 10 to 11:30 a.m.
Where: North Andover Historical Society, 153 Academy Road, North Andover
Contact: Carol Majahad, 978-686-4035, nahistory@juno.com
Snowdate: April 3
Community Giving Tree collection: During March, items such as lotions, baby linens, baby clothes, diapers, baby powder, pacifiers, picture frames, baby sleepers, socks and bottles will be collected and made into Mothers Day Gift Baskets and given to struggling mothers on the North Shore. Collection sites include Spofford and Cole elementary schools and ReMax Village Properties next to Boxford House of Pizza. If your organization or business would like to be a collection site, contact communitygivingtree@gmail.com.
Grief and loss support group: Merrimack Valley Hospice and St. Michael Parish sponsors a support group for those who have experienced the loss of a loved one on March 27, April 3, 10, 17 and 24 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in St. Michael Church Parish Hall, 196 Main St., North Andover. Topics include the definition of grief, bereavement and mourning; theories about stages of grief; common signs of grief response including physical, emotional, behavioral and spiritual; and myths about grief. This program is free to the public. For more information or to register, call Jean Guyer at 978-686-4050.
Rain Barrels are available to North Andover residents at the discounted price of $56.50 thanks to a grant from MassDEP. Place an order through New England Rain Barrel by April 13 for pick up on Saturday, April 19, at the North Andover DPW, 384 Osgood St., between 9 a.m. and noon. Order online at www.nerainbarrel.com, or by calling them directly at 978-977-3135.
Earth Day in North Andover: The North Andover 6th annual townwide Earth Day Clean-Up will take place on Saturday, May 3, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Volunteers are needed to pick up litter in any part of town. Trash bags and canvas gloves will be provided as well as snacks and water. Please show your support for North Andover and sign up today. Contact Norm Bagley at 978-208-7068 or recycle@townofnorthandover.com. Sponsored by North Andover Solid Waste Advisory Committee, Whole Foods, and Wheelabrator North Andover.
Improving teen relationships: The Tri-Town Council on Youth and Family Services is hosting a program designed to enlighten, empower and energize young people in seventh and eighth grades.
Time4u2bu is a one-day program including two follow-up sessions that incorporate activities and interactive games to give kids valuable life skills, build self esteem, connection and empathy.
Registration for the seminar, which runs on several dates in April and May, is due April 4.
The program, which takes place at the Emerson Center in Topsfield, is designed for teens to improve peer, sibling and adult/parent relationships, clarify values, learn to relax and reduce stress, discuss the power of choice and responsibility and create ways to serve the community. Empowering young teens with these skills will set the stage for more integrity, fulfillment, happiness and success as they mature, according to seminar organizers.
Program leader Janet Parker has more than 20 years of experience working with teens and adults in the Boston area and around the world. She is a certified coach and is the mother of a teenage daughter.
Program dates and times are April 12 from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; April 28 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. and May 5 from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
Cost is $75, which includes materials and follow-up.
To reserve a spot in the seminar, please contact the TTC office (978-887-6512) by April 4. Space is limited, so call and reserve early. Registration forms are available at www.tritowncouncil.org. Checks should be made payable to Tri-Town Council and sent to P.O. Box 293, Topsfield, MA 01983. For information, please call Lisa Teichner at 978-887-0785 or Parker at 978-887-5460.
Healthy Kids' Day: This celebration will be April 8 from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Andover/North Andover YMCA, 165 Haverhill St., Andover, and from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Methuen YMCA, 129 Haverhill St., Methuen. Children and adults will participate in activities that celebrate the day's key call to action, "Put Play in Your Day." Activities will include sports clinics, arts and crafts projects, games, aerobics demonstrations, face painting and more. For more information, call 978-725-6681 or visit www.mvymca.org.
New story times in Boxford: New six-week storytime sessions for kids ages 3 to 5 have now begun. Come for great books, puppets, and crafts. You may sign up for Tuesdays at 11 a.m. at East Boxford Library, Wednesdays at 11:30 a.m. at East, or Thursdays at 1:30 p.m. at West Boxford Library. Tiny Bookworms for kids under age 3 will happen on Fridays at 11 a.m. at West Library. Call 978-887-7323 to register.
Explore-A-Story, a book and activity program for kids in grade kindergarten through second-grade, will happen Mondays at 3:30 p.m. at East Boxford Library, March 10 through April 7. Call 887-7323 to register.
Visit the library's Web site at www.boxfordtownlib.org.
Gotta sing? Gotta dance? North Regional Theater Workshop invites all adult singers and dancers, especially all who have performed with the workshop in the past, to join a celebration of its 30th anniversary year.
Rehearsals for "A Sondheim Celebration" have begun. Show dates are April 25 through 27 in the Great Hall of Methuen's Nevins Memorial Library.
North Regional Theatre Workshop is a nonprofit community organization dedicated to presenting quality music and theatrical productions to the communities in and around Merrimack Valley. It is always looking for singers and calling upon the talents and contributions of all those who love to perform, on either side of the curtain. If you would like more information, call 978-397-1481 or visit www.nrtwinc.com.
North Andover book sale: The annual book sale of the Friends of the North Andover Library will be Friday, May 2, from 4 to 7 p.m.; Saturday, May 3, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Sunday, May 4, from noon to 3 p.m. Bargains include more than 2,000 books for children priced from 25 cents to $2.50, as well as adult books (fiction and nonfiction), DVDs, CDs, tapes, and records.
On Sunday, books and media will be sold for $3 per bag. Proceeds pay for museum passes, summer reading program and special events. Donations may be left at the library at the staff room door at any time the library is open.
The sale is at Stevens Memorial Library, 345 Main St., North Andover. Volunteers are needed to help with publicity and book sorting. For information or to volunteer, contact Marty Larson, president of the Friends, at Larsonml@aol.com or 978-686-1557.
Bicentennial celebration: Representatives from the 11 parishes of Vicariate III of the Merrimack Region have joined to plan a local celebration of the Bicentennial of the Archdiocese of Boston. With a theme of "Journey Together in Christ," everyone is invited to a Mass and family gathering on Sunday, Sept. 7, at Saint Michael Parish in North Andover. Merrimack Regional Bishop Emilio Allue will preside at a noon Mass to be concelebrated by priests of the vicariate. A family picnic celebration will immediately follow with activities for all ages.
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Volunteers needed: Community Giving Tree is seeking volunteers every Tuesday and Thursday between 9:30 a.m. and noon at its headquarters in West Boxford. Volunteers would sort donated items such as baby clothing, winter coats, toiletries, and toys to make them available for social service workers to distribute to families in need. For more information, visit www.communitygivingtree.org.
ESOL classes: Registrations are now being taken for English for Speakers of Other Languages, citizenship preparation, parenting and preschool classes at the Asian Center, 1 Ballard Way, Lawrence. Anyone interested in signing up for either morning or evening classes should call the Asian Center at 978-683-7316. Check out the Asian Center's Web site at www.asiancentermv.org for directions and more details.
Summer history camp: The North Andover Historical Society is accepting reservations for its children's summer enrichment program, Adventures in Time. The series is geared to boys and girls ages 7 through 12.
The first week, "Working in Time", will be July 7 through 11. During this week we will explore various jobs of earlier time. Field trips to the Andover Historical Society and the Wenham Museum will provide role playing in different trades and vocations.
In the second week, "Our Bright New Age", August 4 through 8, we will compare the good time and the challenges of the early 20th century, including the labor movement, the birth of the movies, the impact of the automobile and the "making due" of the Great Depression. Visits to the Lawrence Heritage State Park and the Larz Anderson Auto Museum will help bring the period alive.
Fee is $140 a week, $250 for two weeks; North Andover Historical Society members receive a 20 percent discount and a second child receives a 10 percent discount
There will be a supervised lunch period each day; children must bring their own brown bag lunch
r For details or to request a reservation form, call the society at 978-686-4035 or e-mail nahistory@juno.com. Visit the society on the Web at www.northandoverhistoricalsociety.org.
Volunteer opportunity: Horizons for Homeless Children is looking for volunteers to play with great children for two hours a week. Your time can make a world of difference for children living in homeless shelters in Massachusetts. Several shelters are on the North Shore, including Lynn, Revere, Malden, Lowell, Lawrence, Tewksbury, Peabody, Salem and Gloucester.
A commitment of six months and attendance at a training session are required. New volunteers will be trained at the Peabody Library on March 29 from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
For information, visit www.horizonsforhomelesschildren.org, call 978-557-2182, or e-mail northeast@horizonsforhomelesschildren.org.
Volunteers needed: Windrush Farm in Boxford, which provides therapeutic horseback-riding for disabled children and adults, is looking for volunteers. Volunteers will help groom and tack, lead or sidewalk horses. No horse experience necessary, will train. A willingness to commit for 11/2 hours a week, for whole season. Must be 14 years or older, and able to walk/jog for an hour. Immediate needs are Tuesday afternoon at 1, 3:45 and 4:45 p.m. and Friday at noon, 2:15 p.m. and 4:45 p.m. For more information call Gina at 978-682-7855 or e-mail gina@windrushfarm.org.
Boxford Library news: All Boxford children, age preschool through grade two, are welcome to join in the Boxford Celebrates Reading program. Read, mark your monthly calendar, and win prizes. Preschoolers and homeschool children can pick up their reading calendars in the library. Kindergarten through grade 2 should watch back pack mail from school for their calendars. A new calendar is available each month. Boxford Celebrates Reading is a program sponsored by the Friends of the Boxford Town Libraries.
Boxford baseball registration opens — players, coaches wanted
r Players, it's time to sign up for the 2008 season. Go to the Boxford Athletic Association website (www.baasports.com) for a link to online baseball registration. Boxford Players ages 5 to 15 are eligible to participate in the instructional, farm, minors, majors or Babe Ruth programs. The spring baseball program runs from late April until late June. Optional summer baseball is available in July and August.
r Instructional Softball is a noncompetitive offering for girls currently in kindergarten through second grade. The emphasis is on fun while building basic playing skills such as throwing, fielding, running, and hitting. For information/registration contact Doug Balek email dbalek@comcast.net.
r Adults interested in volunteering as a coach or assistant coach, please let us know of your interest by going to www.baasports.com and registering. Click on the coach registration button. Once you have registered online, you will be contacted about your interest in coaching opportunities by one of our league directors.
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Coats available for the needy: Anton's Cleaners' 13th annual Coats for Kids drive has a large assortment of warm, gently-worn kids and adult-sized coats ready to be picked up by those in need. These coats have all been cleaned at no charge by Anton's Cleaners. The coats are available for immediate pickup at a large network of social service agencies throughout eastern Massachusetts, including Community Teamwork, 167 Dutton St., Lowell, and Greater Lawrence Community Action Council, 305 Essex St., Lawrence. For more information, call 800-659-0069 or visit www.antons.com.
Andover/North Andover YMCA events and programs:
Parents' Night Out is a program, which runs once a month on Saturday nights from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., where kids enjoy a spaghetti dinner and participate in such activities as arts and crafts, sports, games and watch movies. While the kids are having fun, parents can enjoy a night out. This program is for children ages 4 and older. Cost is $5 for members, $9 nonmembers. Upcoming date: Feb. 9.
Friday Family Nights are a great way to meet other families and have fun at the YMCA. Each month features a different theme and offers a wide variety of unique activities and snacks. Activities run from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m., followed by free swim from 8 to 8:45 p.m. There is no cost for members, $5 per family for nonmembers. Upcoming nights: Dinosaur Rumble on Feb. 15.
Ballroom dancing class on Fridays from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Class will cover the waltz, foxtrot, meringue, rhumba and swing, and are taught by instructor Tom Webster from Dance New England School of Dance in Chelmsford. Classes will take place in the studio. Cost is $65 per person for members, $115 nonmembers. Interested parties can sign up at the front desk.
Child Watch Center, which provides a great environment for children ages 6 weeks to 2.6 years of age while parents work out, now has expanded hours. The Center is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 4 to 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to noon. There is no fee for members, $2.50 per hour nonmembers. The cost for a second child in the same family is $1.25 per hour.
The Andover/ North Andover YMCA is located at 165 Haverhill St. For more information on any event or program above, call 978-685-3541.
Pet adoptions will be held every Thursday from 4 to 7 p.m. at Petco in North Andover on Route 114 with the Animal Rescue Merrimack Valley. The cats and kittens are pre-neutered, tested, microchipped and have shots up-to-date. A one-month pet health insurance is also included. The adoption fee is $175 for kittens and $125 for cats 6 months and older. Special needs cats are $75. For more information on adopting and registering for the Animal Rescue Merrimack Valley adopt-a-thon, visit www.ARMV.org or call 978-374-SAFE.
Hospice support group: Merrimack Valley Hospice offers a monthly drop-in support group for those caring for a loved one with a dementia or illness on the fourth Tuesday of each month at Ashland Farm, 700 Chickering Road. For information or to register, call Lois Marra 978-552-4537 or Nancy Thornton 978-552-4528.
Baby equipment donations: Community Giving Tree is seeking donations of gently used baby equipment to help families throughout the North Shore. Consider donating cribs, strollers, swings, highchairs, baby gates, monitors, port-a-cribs, bassinets and toddler beds.
All donations are tax deductible and will be given directly to families in desperate need. Call or email to schedule a convenient pick-up time, or for directions to a drop-off location.
You may contact the Community Giving Tree at communitygivingtree@comcast.net or at 978-500-5527. Community Giving Tree is a non-profit organization sponsored by the Tri-Town Council on Youth and Family Services.
Playgroup for preschoolers: Playful People Playgroup is a nonprofit drop-in play group for children preschool age and under. It provides interaction for children and caregivers. Children play with toys, make crafts to take home, eat snacks and participate in music time with sing-alongs and occasionally some parachute play. The group is run by volunteers and meets Wednesdays from 9:30 to 11 a.m. at the Trinitarian Congregational Church, Elm Street, North Andover.
Cost is $1.50 per person. Age 9 months and younger and snack and craft-time volunteers are admitted free. The group follows the North Andover public school calendar for holidays and snow-day announcements. Call Donna Phaneuf at 978-688-4613.
Down syndrome playgroup: Morning Travelers, a playgroup for children with Down syndrome and their families, meets the third Saturday of every month from 10 a.m. to noon at First Calvary Baptist Church, 586 Massachusetts Ave. For information, call Sharon at 978-974-0191.
Bottoms up! Merrimack Toastmasters meetings are on the second and fourth Thursday of the month from 7 to 9 p.m. at Stevens Memorial Library, 345 Main St. Guests are welcome. Call 617-753-3473 for more information.
YMCA winter hours: Andover/North Andover Branch of the Merrimack Valley YMCA winter hours are Monday through Friday, 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Saturday, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The YMCA is at 165 Haverhill St., Andover. For more information about any programs offered, call 978-685-3541 or visit www.mvymca.org.
North Andover Thrift Shop: At 172 Sutton St., at the corner of Main Street in the historic Scholfield Mill building, the shop has been a North Andover fixture since 1955. Volunteer run and nonprofit, all profits are donated to scholarships and community programs.
Articles of clothing in very good condition, as well as small household items, jewelry, books, are accepted on a space-available basis during shop hours (no toys, puzzles, or electronics please). Please call the shop, 978-689-9520 to check on space availability.
Hours are: Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Closed Sundays and Mondays.
ALA accepting vehicle donations: The American Lung Association is accepting used cars, trucks, motorcycles and boats in every condition to help support Massachusetts residents living with chronic lung disease. ALA will pick up the vehicle free of charge. For more information, call 800-577-5864 or visit www.lungne.org.
Elders Need Volunteer Drivers: Have you ever thought about how difficult life would be if you were confined to your home without transportation? Interfaith Caregivers of Greater Lawrence, a coalition of faith communities, social service agencies, and health organizations, is looking for volunteers to drive elders to medical and "quality of life" appointments. Volunteers serve through the Friends in Deed program at Elder Services of the Merrimack Valley. Elder Services provides training and additional liability insurance for its drivers. Volunteers decide when they drive. To help, please call Elder Services at 1-800-892-0890. Ask for Eileen at ext. 463 or Jerry at ext. 445 (and mention Interfaith Caregivers).
