Meet Jersey Shore Novelist Daniel J. Waters at Ocean County Library Stafford Branch

STAFFORD TOWNSHIP – Few thrillers set at the Jersey Shore are as gripping and engaging as those by South Jersey native and retired Iowa surgeon Daniel J. Waters. Meet this fascinating, award-winning author during a Friends Adventure and book signing at the Ocean County Library Stafford Branch, 10 AM Thursday, May 2.

The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) alumnus began publishing his writings in 1981. During his 30-year career as a heart surgeon, Waters provided fiction and nonfiction works, essays, medical satire and poetry to national and regional medical and literary journals.

In 2020, Waters won the Pacific Northwest Writers Association’s Nancy Pearl Award for Best Book and first place for creative nonfiction in PNWA’s essay competition. His pocket-sized collections of medical observations and aphorisms, A Surgeon’s Little Instruction Book and A Heart Surgeon’s Little Instruction Book, remain consistently popular.

OCL shelf browsers are familiar with Waters’s spellbinding Mickey Cleary mysteries including Surf City Confidential, Ship Bottom Blues, Barnegat Dark, Shore Crimes, and Dunes ‘Til Dead, available at all Library branches and at www.theoceancountylibrary.org.

Please register at https://tinyurl.com/OclStaffordWaters for this free program, sponsored by the Friends of the Stafford Library. The Friends are volunteers who support the Library through programs, fundraisers and advocacy. New members are welcome. Applications are at all OCL branches and at www.theoceancountylibrary.org/oclfriends.

For more information, stop by the OCL Stafford Branch, 129 North Main Street, Manahawkin, call (609) 597-3381, or visit www.theoceancountylibrary.org/events.

Keep up with Library programs and events at www.theoceancountylibrary.org, and on Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, Spotify, and Pinterest.

David Cedeño Sextet to Perform at the Ocean County Library Toms River Branch

TOMS RIVER – You’ll want to dance in the aisles when the Ocean County Library presents the David Cedeño Sextet  in the OCL Toms River Branch, 6:30 PM Wednesday, April 24.

Bring your dancin’ shoes to Mancini Hall! David and his band will bring a sizzling salsa spin to your favorite golden oldies and invite you to show off your moves in a dance contest. Each attendee will receive a free CD single from David’s extensive catalog.

The singer, trumpeter, guitarist, bassist, composer, and arranger has performed since his early teens, creating a niche among Latino crossover artists in the U.S. by infusing English-language pop songs with salsa, merengue and Latin jazz rhythms. He is the recording director of the Brick Township-based Evelyna record label.

The New Jersey-based orchestra tours the world, with solid fan bases in Japan, Germany, the Netherlands, and Central and South America. Fans can find recorded performances, photos, concert dates, and more on Facebook,  YouTube and the David Cedeño Orchestra website.

This performance is part of the Ocean County Library’s Neighbors Connecting Series of Programs and is sponsored by a grant from the OceanFirst Foundation and the Ocean County Library Foundation.

Please register at https://tinyurl.com/OclTrDavid to attend this free program. For more information, stop by the OCL Toms River Branch, 101 Washington Street, call (732) 349-6200, or visit www.theoceancountylibrary.org/events.

Keep up with Library programs and events at www.theoceancountylibrary.org, and on Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, Spotify, and Pinterest.

Discover Andrew Carnegie’s Link to Libraries at the Ocean County Library Long Beach Island Branch

SURF CITY - Gilded Age industrial titan Andrew Carnegie dedicated much of his fortune to the cause of literacy. Historian Rick Feingold will present “Andrew Carnegie: From Steel to the Building of Libraries” at the Ocean County Library Long Beach Island Branch, 2 PM Tuesday, April 30.

Carnegie’s low-cost steel production method allowed railroads to flourish. Employees in Carnegie’s Homestead, PA factory endured primitive conditions. Rick’s program will detail the 1892 Homestead strike which pitted steelworkers against Pinkerton detectives and left 10 dead.

Carnegie eventually sold his steel interests to J. P. Morgan and invested significant sums into the building of more than 2,500 libraries, many of which still stand today.

Rick Feingold teaches American Business History at Bergen County College, Paramus. He holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Penn State University and a Bachelor’s degree in History from Rutgers University.

Please register at https://tinyurl.com/OclLbiFeingold for this free program sponsored by the Friends of the Island Library.

The Friends are volunteers who support the Library through fundraising, programs and advocacy. New members are always welcome. Applications can be found at all OCL branches and reading centers and at https://www.theoceancountylibrary.org/oclfriends.

For more information, stop by the OCL Long Beach Island Branch, 217 South Central Avenue, Surf City, visit https://theoceancountylibary.libnet.info/events  or call (609) 494-2480.

Keep up with Library programs and events at www.theoceancountylibrary.org, and on Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, Spotify, and Pinterest.

Savor Seafaring Sagas with Dan Lieb at Tuckerton Library Association’s Open House

TUCKERTON – Plunge into nearly 300 years of sunken vessels along the Jersey Shore as told by famed shipwreck diver Dan Lieb at the Tuckerton Library Association’s 2024 Open House in the Ocean County Library Tuckerton Branch, 7 PM Wednesday, April 24.

The noted investigative diver will divulge details of many famous ships that fell to ruin along the New Jersey coast and will discuss efforts by the Wall Township-based New Jersey Shipwreck Museum to identify the remains of long-forgotten seagoing craft and discover the stories they contain.

Dan Lieb has led and taken part in New Jersey marine historical expeditions for more than 30 years as a shipwreck mapper. He holds a Divemaster rating by the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) and has executed more than 2,300 dives since 1974.

Light refreshments will be served, courtesy of the Tuckerton Library Association. Food may contain allergens. To register, stop by the OCL Tuckerton Branch, 380 Bay Avenue, or call (609) 296-1470.

The Tuckerton Library Association is the volunteer group that supports the OCL Tuckerton Branch through programs, fundraisers and advocacy. New members are always welcome. Applications can be found at any Library branch or at www.theoceancountylibrary.org/oclfriends.

Keep up with Library programs and events at www.theoceancountylibrary.org, and on Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, Spotify, and Pinterest.

Ocean County Library Stafford Branch to Present Quilting Tales and Memories with Dr. Daisy Century

STAFFORD TOWNSHIP – Popularity never fades for quilting, one of America’s cherished crafting traditions. Hear Dr. Daisy Century‘s personal family recollections and make a small quilt of your own at the Ocean County Library Stafford Branch, 11:30 AM Thursday, April 25.

Feel free to bring your favorite sewing notions. Dr. Century will share her memories of watching her mother quilt at their kitchen table and will display four of her mother’s creations.

She’ll also share the impressions that she gathered from quilting bees, the community events that combine friends, family, food, songs and plenty of gossip.

The teacher, historical interpreter, author and singer is famous for blending creativity and science in her dramatizations of notables including Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, Madame CJ Walker, Princess Hapshetsut and aviator Bessie Coleman.

Seating space for the two-hour craft session is limited. Please register individually at https://tinyurl.com/OclStaffordQuilting. For more information, stop by the OCL Stafford Branch, 129 North Main Street, Manahawkin, call (609) 597-3381, or visit www.theoceancountylibrary.org/events.

Keep up with Library programs and events at www.theoceancountylibrary.org, and on Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, Spotify, and Pinterest.

Teens, Probe Pine Barrens Legends at the Ocean County Library

TOMS RIVER – Much of the enchantment surrounding New Jersey’s Pine Barrens can be traced to stories of many cultures that have grown through time. Storyteller, writer and performer Michelle Washington Wilson spins mesmerizing tales during “Legends and Lore for Teens” at two Ocean County Library branches.

• Lakewood Branch – 6 PM Tuesday, April 16, 301 Lexington Avenue, (732) 363-1435. Please register at https://tinyurl.com/OclLakewoodLegends.
• Little Egg Harbor Branch – 6 PM Thursday, May 9, 290 Mathistown Road, (609) 294-1197. Please register at https://tinyurl.com/OclLehLegends.

Legends sprang from settlers and migrants who brought their cultures, folklore, and traditions to the farms, fields and factories sprinkled through the region. Working hand to hand, shoulder to shoulder, they encapsulated their customs and yarns of ghostly creatures into local lore.

Michelle Washington Wilson, of rural Newtonville, NJ, has traveled throughout the United States and the Caribbean, sharing stories from around the world for more than 30 years. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Speech and Theater Education at Monmouth University, West Long Branch, and is a member of the New Jersey Storytelling Network and the National Association of Black Storytellers.

These performances are part of the Ocean County Library’s Neighbors Connecting Series of Programs and are sponsored by a grant from the OceanFirst Foundation and the Ocean County Library Foundation.

Keep up with Library programs and events at www.theoceancountylibrary.org, and on Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, Spotify, and Pinterest.

Ocean County Library Manchester Branch To Feature Kozak Ukrainian Dance Ensemble

MANCHESTER TOWNSHIP – The Ocean County Library is pleased to present the Kozak Ukrainian Dancers in the OCL Manchester Branch, 2 PM Tuesday, April 23.

Founded in 2007 by Ukrainian-born Artistic Director Nadiya Lemega of Highlands, NJ and Musical Director Lina Karokhina, the troupe entertains throughout New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, Tennessee, Florida and other states.

The company’s performances of traditional Ukrainian songs and dances have been staged in libraries, college campuses, resorts, restaurants and festivals, and television appearances. Fans keep in contact through YouTube, Facebook and Instagram.

This performance is part of the Ocean County Library’s Neighborhood Connecting Series of Programs and is sponsored by a grant from the OceanFirst Foundation and the Ocean County Library Foundation.

Please register at https://tinyurl.com/OclManchesterKozak for this free program. For more information, stop by the OCL Manchester Branch, 21 Colonial Drive, call (732) 657-7600, or visit www.theoceancountylibrary.org/events.

Keep up with Library programs and events at www.theoceancountylibrary.org, and on Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, Spotify, and Pinterest.

Curtain Up! ‘Broadway at the Shore’ at the Ocean County Library Waretown Branch

WARETOWN – Enjoy the melodies that light up New York’s theater district without traveling to New York City. Join singer Cosette Lyncheski for “Broadway at the Shore” at the Ocean County Library Waretown Branch, 6 PM Monday, April 22.

This seasoned professional vocalist will perform memorable music old and new, from Broadway’s Golden Age to the present, that have become part of her repertoire through her 15-year career.

Cosette is an alumna of New York’s Wagner College, where she studied theater arts and trained extensively in classical music. The multifaceted artist avidly participates in local productions and serves as a music director for children’s theater presentations.

Beyond the stage, Cosette’s vocal talents are consistently in demand for weddings and funerals in Ocean County. Performances at libraries, senior centers and assisted living facilities illustrate her dedication to bringing the joy of music to diverse audiences.

Please register at. http://tinyurl.com/OclWaretownBroadway to attend this free program sponsored by Friends of the Waretown Library.

The Friends are volunteers who support the Library through fundraising, programs and advocacy. New members are always welcome. Applications can be found at all OCL branches and reading centers and at https://www.theoceancountylibrary.org/oclfriends.

Keep up with Library programs and events at www.theoceancountylibrary.org, and on Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, Spotify, and Pinterest.

Ocean County Library Toms River Branch to Feature Art by Erin Fallon in April

TOMS RIVER – The Ocean County Library is pleased to present an exhibit of art by Jersey Shore resident Erin Fallon in the OCL Toms River Branch throughout the month of April.

The lifelong Toms River resident’s display in the Second Floor Gallery will be an array of boldly-colored nature and abstract images in acrylics.

Erin says that she finds inspiration by spending time in natural surroundings. She hopes to invoke joy through her art and fills each canvas with a multitude of colors. The artist has attracted a following through her images posted on Instagram.

“Art by Erin Fallon” is free and open to the public during normal Branch operating hours. For more information, stop by the OCL Toms River Branch, 101 Washington Street, call (732) 349-6200, or visit www.theoceancountylibrary.org/events.

Keep up with Library programs and events at www.theoceancountylibrary.org, and on Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, Spotify, and Pinterest.

Hear True Details Behind American Mother in Ocean County Library Virtual Author Talk

TOMS RIVER– The gruesome death of a freelance journalist by terrorists that changed his grieving mother’s life trajectory unfolds in Colum McCann’s stunning American Mother. Meet Diane Foley, the title subject, along with the National Book Award-winning author in a special Ocean County Library Virtual Author Talk, 2 PM Tuesday, April 9.

American Mother is available at the Ocean County Library.

In 2014, Diane Foley’s son Jim was captured and beheaded by ISIS operatives who recorded the execution on video and created one of the starkest images of the early 21st century. Diane’s three days in a Virginia court house with the killer formed the foundation of one of modern literature’s most compelling narratives.

Diane founded the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation a month after her son’s death. She continues to lead efforts to rescue hostages of global terrorism and support groups including Hostage US and the International Alliance for a Culture of Safety. She was instrumental in a Presidential directive that reorganized U.S. hostage recovery policies.

Colum McCann’s seven novels, three story compilations and two nonfiction works have earned him international recognition including the U.S. National Book Award, France’s Chevalier des Artes et Lettres and the International Dublin Literary Prize of his native Ireland. He presides over Narrative 4, the story exchange forum that he co-founded.
  
Please register at https://libraryc.org/theoceancountylibrary to attend this free program, to view the upcoming schedule, and to view previous talks. Registrants will receive links to the program by email and may submit questions for the author when signing up.

Keep up with Library programs and events at www.theoceancountylibrary.org, and on Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, Spotify, and Pinterest.