The Milton Public Library announces adult programs for February 2025

In the month of February, the Milton Public Library is hosting a nice variety of programs for adults and families. On Saturday, Feb. 8, starting at 2:00 p.m. in our Keys Community Room, there will be the first concert in the Spring series with a fabulous band called “Mamadou.” No other group performs with such a command of African poly-rhythms and as high an energy as Mamadou! Presenting original songs and arrangements, this band has developed a unique sound that will get you up to dance! The rhythms that emanate from the musicians are infectious, and have to be experienced to be understood. The truly multi-cultural band is led by the immensely talented Mamadou Diop, who is originally from Senegal, West Africa, but who now lives in Salem, MA. Mr. Diop brings 40 years of musical experience with him and today he is one of the most respected rhythm guitarists from his country and also an accomplished sabar (Senegalese hand and stick) and djembe drummer. He has toured all over the world, including Africa, Europe and North America. He is also a member of the Soninke tribe which teaches about African life and culture, and leads drum workshops for all ages. There is no signup required to attend and this concert is suitable for all ages. We hope you will bring the family and join us for a fun afternoon of music!

For our ongoing events, the Library Knitting Group will meet on Saturdays, Feb. 1 and Feb. 22, both starting at 10:00 a.m., in the Conference Room. Come join other knitters to share your project, learn tips and tricks, and make new friends! No signup is required – this is for people who already know how to knit (not beginners) and if you would like to receive updates about this drop-in, Email [email protected] and she will send your addressl to the coordinator.

There will be 2 free yoga classes held this month. “Adult Yoga” with Sheila Armstrong is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 7:00 p.m. and “Chair Yoga” with Marianne Zullas will happen on Thursday, Feb. 27, starting at 3:00 p.m. Both programs require advance signup at our website as space is limited, and they are held in the Keys Community Room. Use these links for more information and to sign up: https://miltonlibrary.libcal.com/event/13897693 and https://miltonlibrary.libcal.com/event/13661722. We hope you might join us for a relaxing and rejuvenating hour with one of these excellent instructors.

We are bringing back the annual entertaining “Handicapping the Oscars” event in person on Tuesday, Feb. 4, from 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m., in the Keys Community Room. However, this year the program will be presented by 2 film critics new to us. Writer and speaker Frank Mandosa, a Weymouth high school teacher who also has his own movie podcast and does lots of film presentations at lots of organizations, will be joined by another experienced movie writer, Jeanne Marie Denizard, who is nicknamed: “the Sleepless Critic.” Ms. Denizard is a performing arts critic who writes for a wide range of organizations in Boston. This knowledgeable duo will banter back and forth about good 2024 movies (and also about the not-so-good sleepers) which may or may not be nominated this year for an award. Bring your movie questions with you! This program should delight and educate us all before the Academy Awards, which happens March 2^nd. You must sign up here to attend, as space is limited and please register using this link: https://miltonlibrary.libcal.com/event/13439172 If you consider yourself a film buff we hope you will join us!

The Milton Council on Aging – in collaboration with the Milton Public Library – is offering a very informative series this Spring, which started Jan. 30^th and runs into early March, called “The Unique Planning Needs of Solo Agers.” This month, there will be 3 Zoom sessions offered of this educational set of events which will happen on Thursday evenings in February. Advance registration will be required to participate. However, please check for more details later about this series as dates and topics have recently changed. We will be issuing a separate release soon to give you more information about how to sign up.

The other MPL ongoing series called the “MA Collaborative Online 50+ Job Seekers Group” will meet twice this month, both on Wednesday mornings at 9:30 a.m. via Zoom. The dates are Feb. 5 for “Mastermind” and Feb. 19 for “Career Story.” This is a free series which is facilitated by Deborah Hope, MBA, PCIC, an experienced executive Career Coach. If you are unemployed and actively looking, underemployed, seeking a new career direction, re-entering the job market after a long employment gap, or recently retired and looking for your “encore career,” this free networking program is perfect for you! Remember: 85% of jobs are found through networking! You must sign up for each session of this series individually, so please use the following links, where you will also learn more: https://miltonlibrary.libcal.com/event/13654916 and https://miltonlibrary.libcal.com/event/13654916. We encourage anyone searching for a job to give this good opportunity a try.

There will be an in-person program to learn the story of Afghan immigrant Sayd Matin Hussainy. Matin came to the USA quite recently and he will speak about his escape from Afghanistan and his challenging experience on Tuesday, Feb. 11 starting at 7:00 p.m. in the Keys Community Room. He was born into an educated family and attended college in Afghanistan. His dream was to become a scientist and he applied to be a travel assistant for the U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan, but unfortunately this all came to a halt when the Taliban took over. Matin’s dream now is to build a library in his home country as he says: “a place where knowledge, culture, and community can thrive.” We encourage you to come to this fascinating presentation where we can all show support for a sincere and hard-working young man who is trying to make a new life in America. Thank you for considering to listen to what this admirable young man has to tell us about his hope for the future. Please register to attend at our website using this link: https://miltonlibrary.libcal.com/event/13441542

The February Monthly Wednesday Movie for Adults will be: “The Woman King.” It will be screened on Wednesday, Feb. 19, starting at 6:00 p.m. in our Keys Community Room. This film stars Oscar-winner Viola Davis as General Nanisca as she trains the next generation of recruits and readies them for battle against an enemy determined to destroy their way of life in the African Kingdom of Dahomney in the 1800s. This is a remarkable true story of the Agojie, the all-female unit of warriors who protected the kingdom with skills and fierceness. Some things are worth fighting for! Please join us for an excellent film, which was rated 99% by audiences at the website Rotten Tomatoes. No sign-up is required so just come and join us. (The movie is rated PG-13 for human trafficking and battleground violence, so is not appropriate for young children.) The running time is 2 hours and 15 minutes.

Next there will be a fun Adult Craft Workshop called “Watercolor Winter Trees” held on Saturday, Feb. 22, from 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m., in our Keys Community Room. Discover the magic of watercolor painting! Create a vibrant wet-on-wet color gradient background with a dreamy bokeh effect, perfect for bringing a sense of depth and atmosphere to your work. You’ll also explore painting delicate birch bark textures on a separate piece of paper, which you’ll then collage into your background for a striking layered effect. 3 different watercolor techniques will be taught and you’ll leave the class with a beautiful seasonal painting! Space is limited for this art class, so you must register in advance here to attend: https://miltonlibrary.libcal.com/event/13678491 We are looking forward to seeing you there!

The Cookbook Club will meet on Wednesday, Feb. 26, from 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m., in the Keys Community Room. Calling all Cooks! The MPL club is led by local Chef Connie Spiros and Assistant Director Sara Truog. They invite you to its next session. Each meeting will feature a selected cookbook, and members will prepare a tasty treat from the book to bring to the Library and share. The cookbook chosen for Feb. is: Vegetable Kingdom by Bryant Perry. In order to participate, you must register through the library events calendar and here is the link to do so: https://miltonlibrary.libcal.com/event/13657566 There you will also learn more details about how to participate in this event, and to obtain a copy of the assigned book, you may call the Reference Dept. at (617) 898-4964 or go online to place a reserve. Bon Appetit!

All of these programs are kindly sponsored by the Friends of the Milton Public Library and are free and open to all. For questions, Email [email protected] or call Reference at (617) 898-4964. We are located at 476 Canton Avenue, Milton, MA.