Cow Neck in the Revolution

The area we now call Port Washington was occupied by the British for seven years during the Revolutionary War. Local families suffered immense hardship: they were forced to quarter enemy troops, had their children pressed into service, and even endured pirate attacks. Some Cow Neck Patriots bravely fought for American freedom while others assisted the revolutionary cause in secret – and some yet remained loyal to the Crown. These stories are explored in Cow Neck in the Revolution, presented in collaboration with the Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society in celebration of 250 years of American independence. On display in the History Center Annex June through December 2026.

12:00am - 12:00am View Details

Adventures in Classic Readings Sponsored by the FOL's Ruth D. Bogen Memorial Fund

This reading group, facilitated by Dr. Laury Magnus, Professor of English, will feature great classic works -- ancient to contemporary -- as well as participatory reading out loud of selected passages. 

This month's selection is The Mighty Red by Louise Erdrich.

In the Red River Valley of North Dakota, several lives revolve around a wedding fraught with desire, jealousy, and uncertainty. Gary Geist, a terrified young man set to inherit two farms, is desperate to marry Kismet Poe, an impulsive, lapsed goth who can’t read her own future but will settle for fulfilling his. Her best friend, Hugo, a gentle, red-haired, homeschooled giant, also loves Kismet and is determined to steal her away and build a life together. Kismet’s mother, Crystal, drives a truck for Gary’s family, and on her nightly runs, tunes in to the darkness of late-night radio, experiences visions of guardian angels, and worries about what’s to come, for her daughter and herself.

The Mighty Red is Louise Erdrich at her consummate best. A novel of tender humor, disquietude, yearning, community, and family, it is about ordinary people who dream, grow up, fall in love, struggle, endure tragedy, carry bitter secrets; men and women both complicated and contradictory, flawed and decent, lonely and hopeful. Human time, deep time, Red River time, and geological time are explored alongside the impact of crises in our own time—climate change, the depletion of natural resources, the economic meltdown of 2008. It is a story about our tattered bond with the earth, and about love in all of its absurdity and splendor.

Copies of the book will be available at the Information Desk. All registrants will receive a complimentary copy of the book provided by the Friends of the Library’s Ruth D. Bogen Memorial Fund (while supplies last).

1:30pm - 3:30pm View Details

Art Lecture with Thomas Germano - The Art of Oaxaca

Join Professor Thomas Germano who will present centuries of the art of Oaxaca in a visual lecture.

Oaxaca, Mexico’s art is renowned for its vibrant, intricate craftsmanship rooted in centuries-old indigenous traditions, particularly those of the Zapotec and Mixtec peoples. The southern state is famous for ancient Zapotec cities such as Monte Alban, the many tombs that preserved painting and ceramics. The region’s later people, The Mixtec imported gold from South America and produced codices that read like graphic novels telling histories and origin myths. The “greca” designs of Mitla mirror the geometrical patterns found in codices and Zapotec carpets.  

Frida Kahlo’s Mother was born in Oaxaca, and her family manufactured the beautiful regional dresses later worn by the artist and seen in her many self-portraits. Natural pigments like cochineal originate from Oaxaca, later becoming a coveted and precious color in 16^th century Europe.  More recently, Oaxaca produced “Alebrijes,” or brightly colored folk art sculptures depicting fantastical animals with a unique twist replacing papier-mâché with a local Oaxaca wood. The street art of Oaxaca today is deeply rooted in Mexico’s continued political struggles using revolutionary and historical characters from Mexico’s colorful past using traditional printmaking techniques, poster design, and mural scale for impact. 

This program is part of the Library's celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month.

PLEASE NOTE: This is a 'hybrid' event that can be attended either "In-Person" or "Online" on the Zoom platform. You can choose which option you wish to register for below in the "Attend In-Person" OR "Attend Online" choices below.

2:00pm - 3:30pm View Details

Cricut Family Craft: Monogram Makeup/Pencil Case

Design a cute, versatile case that you can use for pencils, makeup, or whatever you dream. Learn how to use the Cricut Maker 3 for simple vinyl projects! This class is for school age children and their family.  

Please take some time to install the Cricut Design Space software before the program, https://design.cricut.com/#/. This class is for all ages, anyone younger than 11 must be accompanied by an adult. All supplies will be provided. 

Registration begins on September 1^st.  Priority will be given to Port Washington card holders.

Please note: Chromebooks are not compatible with the Cricut Design Space software, so will not work for this program. Laptops (both Mac and PC) and iPads work well. If you are 15 minutes late for the class, your spot will be given up. 

4:00pm - 5:30pm View Details