LAWRENCE: Calendar

Thurs., April 24
   Fiction Writing Workshop from 2 – 4 p.m. at Lawrence Headquarters Branch of the Mercer County Library System, at 2751 Brunswick Pike, Lawrence. In his book “The Art of Fiction” John Gardner discusses psychic distance — how close the narrative consciousness is to the character in the story. A first sentence like “Henry J. Warburton had never much cared for snowstorms” sets a different distance than “God, how he hated these damn snowstorms.” Join librarian Donna Wolfe to discuss five degrees of separation for the monthly meeting of this fiction writing group in this encouraging and supportive environment in which to share our writing. Members are encouraged but not required to submit their work. Registration is suggested. Call 609-989-6920 or email [email protected].
Fri., April 25
   Arbor Day Celebration at Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road (crossroad Carter Road), Lawrence, is at 10 a.m. Bring the little ones to the farm to listen to a “tree” story and receive a free blue spruce seedling to take home and plant. Enjoy the farm, the orchards in bloom, and fields being planted and celebrate the wonder of trees. No admission fee. Call 609-924-2310 or visit www.terhuneorchards.com.
   Cook Talks: Dishin’ with Donna from 11 a.m.- 12 p.m. at Lawrence Headquarters Branch of the Mercer County Library System, at 2751 Brunswick Pike, Lawrence. What is flavor? Join librarian and experienced cook Donna Wolfe for this four-part discussion about flavors in cooking. In this final discussion we will learn how to use brining, marinating and rubs, essential flavoring techniques for any cook and all cuisines. Bring your favorite recipe. We will make copies to discuss and share. Registration suggested. Call 609-989-6920 or email [email protected].
   The Lawrence Township Office on Aging is offering a Yoga Class for Seniors 60 years of age and older at the Lawrence Township Senior Center, 30 East Darrah Lane, Lawrence. The spring session starts April 25. with 12 prepaid senior registrants. The cost is $24 for Lawrence residents for eight sessions. The class is offered Fridays from 9 –10 a.m. To register contact the Lawrence Township Senior Center at 609-844-7048.
Sat., April 26
   6th Annual One-Act Playfest from 7- 9 p.m. at Lawrence Headquarters Branch of the Mercer County Library System, at 2751 Brunswick Pike, Lawrence. This annual free festival provides an entertaining evening for the audience and a venue for local playwrights and actors to showcase their talent. Local actors will perform the staged script-in-hand readings of the one-act plays selected for performance at the library. Seating is limited and registration is required. To reserve your seat, please call 609-989-6920.
   Meet a Metasequoia at Lawrence Nature Center, 481 Drexel Ave., Lawrence Township, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Celebrate Arbor Day with the Lawrence Township Shade Tree Committee. The Nature Center grounds have amazing trees, including a majestic Metasequoia, or dawn redwood, a tree that once was thought to be extinct. Light refreshments will be served.
Wed., April 30
   Poetry Reading at 7 p.m. at Lawrence Headquarters Branch of the Mercer County Library System, at 2751 Brunswick Pike, Lawrence. Daniel Harris will read from his recently published collection of poems, “Random Unisons,” and from “Loose Parlance” (2008). His poetry has been nominated for a Pushcart award. Some of his poems have been published in The Threepenny Review, Blueline, and The Silt Reader. During a long academic career, Mr. Harris wrote books of literary criticism on William Butler Yeats, Gerard Manley Hopkins, and Alfred Tennyson. Registration suggested. Call 609-989-6920 or email [email protected].
Sat., May 3
   Emerging Choreographers’ Showcase, the culmination of an extensive choreography competition – featuring dances of the six winning choreographers will be held Sat.,, May 3, at 7:30 p.m. in Rider University’s Bart Luedeke Theater, 2083 Lawrenceville Road. The event is open to the public. Tickets are available online at www.rider.edu/wcc/events.
   6th Annual Family Fun Day sponsored by PrincetonKIDS and Gymland School of Gymnastics will be held 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Center Court of the Quaker Bridge Mall, Lawrence. Visit www.princetonkids.com .
Sat., May 3
Sun., May 4
   Kite Day at Terhune Orcards, 330 Cold Soil Road (crossroad Carter Road), Lawrence, is Sat., May 3, and Sun., May 4, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free. Bring your own kite or choose a ready-made kite from the wide selection in the store. Or better yet, make a “guaranteed to fly” kite. Whichever you choose, test fly your kite in our wide-open 10-acre pasture with all the farm animals looking on. There will be special activities and games for children in the barnyard. 609-924-2310 or visit www.terhuneorchards.com.
Mon., May 5
   Friends of the Lawrence Library meeting is at 7 p.m. at Lawrence Headquarters Branch of the Mercer County Library System, at 2751 Brunswick Pike, Lawrence.
Thurs., May 8
   Small Treasures: Every Button Has a Story at 7 p.m. at Lawrence Headquarters Branch of the Mercer County Library System, at 2751 Brunswick Pike, Lawrence. Barbara Figge Fox and Carol Meszaros of the New Jersey Button Society will present this program about the beauty and history of buttons and how to start a collection of your own. There will be a display of buttons made from a variety of materials.
   Poetry Circle: at 7 p.m. at Lawrence Headquarters Branch of the Mercer County Library System, at 2751 Brunswick Pike, Lawrence. Rabindranath Tagore (1861?1941) A native of Calcutta, India, Rabindranath Tagore won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913 — the first Asian to receive the honor. He wrote poetry, fiction, drama, essays, and songs; promoted reforms in education, aesthetics and religion. Seating is limited, please call 609-989-6920 or email [email protected] to reserve your space.
Sat., May 10
   St. Lawrence Rehabilitation Center is hosting its annual Bicycle Safety Rodeo and Safe Kids Day from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Children ages 3-12 can register to be fitted for and receive a free bike helmet, have their bikes inspected, ride a safety course, and participate in interactive safety games and exhibits by many organizations. There will also be a limited number of Personal Flotation Devices that will be distributed.Children MUST pre-register to receive helmets and have their bikes inspected. To register, call (609) 896-9500, ext. 2212 or email mailto:[email protected]@slrc.org (email preferred).
   A Rummage Sale & Car Wash will be held at Lawrence High School,2565 Princeton Pike, Lawrence, to benefit the LHS Music Booster Organization. Shop the sale from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the LHS Cafeteria. During the sale, get your car ready for Spring at the LIMBO Car Wash, outside of the cafeteria. Donations of clothing, household goods, toys, books, games, electronics, sports equipment, etc. can be dropped off Friday, May 9, from 4 to 8 p.m. in the LHS cafeteria.
Mon., May 12
   Movie Matinee: “Captain Phillips” (2013) 2 p.m. at Lawrence Headquarters Branch of the Mercer County Library System, at 2751 Brunswick Pike, Lawrence. Actor Tom Hanks plays Captain Richard Phillips in this true story about the 2009 hijacking by Somali pirates of the US-flagged MV Maersk Alabama, the first American cargo ship to be hijacked in two hundred years. PG-13. 134 minutes. Refreshments served. Registration is suggested. Call 609-989-6920 or email [email protected].
Thurs., May 15
Local Author Event: Berlinda A. Love at 6:30 p.m. at Lawrence Headquarters Branch of the Mercer County Library System, at 2751 Brunswick Pike, Lawrence. Ms. Love will speak about her book “My Mother’s Stroke and Miracle Recovery” which was written to raise the consciousness level about strokes; their causes, preventive care, and the recovery process. Refreshments served. Registration is suggested. Call 609-989-6920 or email [email protected].
Mon., May 19
Morning Book Club discusses “Unbroken,” by Laura Hillebrand at 10 a.m. at Lawrence Headquarters Branch of the Mercer County Library System, at 2751 Brunswick Pike, Lawrence. in 1943, an Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific Ocean and disappeared, leaving only a spray of debris and a slick of oil, gasoline, and blood. Then, on the ocean surface, a face appeared. It was that of a young lieutenant, the plane’s bombardier, who was struggling to a life raft and pulling himself aboard. Registration required. Call 609-989-6920 or email [email protected]. Off the Page at 7 p.m. at Lawrence Headquarters Branch of the Mercer County Library System, at 2751 Brunswick Pike, Lawrence. Try out your acting chops (or indulge your secret passion) to play one of the great characters from dramatic literature or contemporary comedy—without the threat of performing in front of a live audience.We will “cast” and read a play aloud, around a table, as actors and production teams typically do at the first rehearsal of a play. Registration suggested. Call 609-989-6920 or email [email protected].
Tues., May 20
Science Fiction Book Club at 7 p.m. at Lawrence Headquarters Branch of the Mercer County Library System, at 2751 Brunswick Pike, Lawrence, discusses “Dancing with Bears,” by Michael Swanwick. It follows the adventures of notorious con-men Darger and Surplus: They’ve lied and cheated their way onto the caravan that is delivering a priceless gift from the Caliph of Baghdad to the Duke of Muscovy. Refreshments served. Registration is suggested. Call 609-989-6920 or email [email protected].
Wed., May 21
Three Documents You and Your Loved Ones Should Have: 3 to 4:30 at Lawrence Headquarters Branch of the Mercer County Library System, at 2751 Brunswick Pike, Lawrence, Hamilton attorney Carl Archer, who specializes in elder law, will speak about wills, powers of attorney, and healthcare directives. Registration is suggested. Call 609-989-6920 or email [email protected].
Thurs., May 22
Shipwrecked: at 7 p.m. at Lawrence Headquarters Branch of the Mercer County Library System, at 2751 Brunswick Pike, Lawrence, historian Rochelle Christopher, of Victorian Vanities, will present this interactive media program about the historic maritime disasters off the coast of the New Jersey shore. Refreshments will be served. Registration is suggested. Call 609-989-6920 or email [email protected].
Thurs., May 29
Fiction Writing Workshop: 2 to 4 p.m. at Lawrence Headquarters Branch of the Mercer County Library System, at 2751 Brunswick Pike, Lawrence. Join librarian Donna Wolfe to discuss this month’s topic: creating a character’s voice. The monthly meeting of this fiction writing group is an encouraging and supportive environment in which to share your writing. Members are encouraged but not required to submit their work. Registration is suggested. Call 609-989-6920 or email [email protected]. Come Away: A Musical Journey for Voice and Violas da Gamba to Renaissance Europe and Beyond at 7 p.m. at Lawrence Headquarters Branch of the Mercer County Library System, at 2751 Brunswick Pike, Lawrence. A musical concert for voice and Violas da Gamba will be performed by the early music ensemble LaSpirita. The music will include Baroque numbers by Bach, Pachelbel, Lully, Vitali and more. A contemporary piece inspired by Renaissance traditions will also be performed. Registration is suggested. Call 609-989-6920 or email [email protected].
Fri., May 30
Cook Talks: Dishin’ with Donna at 11 a.m. at Lawrence Headquarters Branch of the Mercer County Library System, at 2751 Brunswick Pike, Lawrence. What are the four essential knives you need in the kitchen? Which sharpeners work and how do you work them? Join us as Cook Talks explores the world of knives and knife skills with Personal Chef Anita Constantine. Registration suggested. Call 609-989-6920 or email [email protected].
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