WESTFIELD — The Westfield Memorial Library, located at 550 East Broad Street, kicks off the month of May with programs for all ages, from tweens to senior citizens.
The new Tween Crafting Club will meet this Saturday, May 4, from 10 to 11 a.m. Librarian Miss Carey will show 9- to 12-year-olds how to make a zipper pouch and wallet out of duct tape. Pre-registration is required.
The Fundamentals of Tai Chi with Dr. Gang Huang also will be taught on May 4, from 3 to 4 p.m. An ancient practice that originated in China, Tai Chi is believed to boost both mental and physical health. Dr. Huang will lead a hands-on session to work on Tai Chi fundamentals such as joint health, standing meditation, weight shifting and balance, and Tai Chi walking.
The popular Visual Arts Class for Seniors will continue this Sunday, May 5, from 2 to 4 p.m. Artist Alicia Cotter will lead students in working with mixed media to create their own unique piece of art.
On Tuesday, May 7, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., Jodi Bloom, a certified college funding specialist and founder of Cornerstone College Solutions, will present “Don’t Risk your Retirement: 7 Roadblocks to Success.” Ms. Bloom will cover such areas as assessing if savings will withstand a 25- to 30-year or longer retirement, a plan to combat inflation’s damaging effects on purchasing power, and whether retirement income is completely dependent on market performance.
Also covered will be the amount that can be withdrawn from retirement savings each year without running out of money, if Social Security benefits are optimized, strategies to cover rising healthcare costs and potential long-term-care needs, and a tax-allocation strategy to help minimize the impact of taxes during retirement.
The Virtual Author Series will continue with Nina Simon, author of the New York Times bestselling “Mother-Daughter Murder Night,” on Wednesday, May 8, from 7 to 8 p.m. The community is invited to join Ms. Simon online as she discusses her lighthearted whodunit about a grandmother-mother-daughter trio of amateur sleuths.
Ms. Simon writes crime fiction about strong women. Her debut novel, “Mother-Daughter Murder Night,” is a Reese’s Book Club pick and a “Best of 2023” selection for Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Crime Reads and Library Journal. It is necessary to register for this program to receive the Zoom link.
On Thursday, May 9, from 1 to 3 p.m., librarian and craft expert Marge Barkan will present a craft workshop for adults entitled “Floral Painting on Canvas.” Participants will learn some simple tricks and techniques to create a beautiful picture of lavender flowers on canvas using acrylic paints. No prior painting experience or skill is required. Registration for the class currently is open. A new, six-week series, “Introduction to Mindful Meditation,” will begin on May 9 and will be offered from 4 to 5:30 p.m. It is described as suitable for adults with no prior meditation experience. Each class will include a talk on a topic of mindfulness followed by a guided meditation and group discussion. Participants will explore practices to use in daily life, to cultivate mindful awareness of the body, breath, thoughts and emotions, and learn techniques to establish their own continuing mindfulness meditation practice. Registration is required for the series, which will continue on consecutive Thursdays, May 16, 23, 30 and June 6 and 13.
Instructor Elaine Manganello presently is a student in the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program. She has a doctorate in physical therapy and certifications to teach yoga, meditation and Buteyko breathing.
Additionally on May 9, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., “The Gut-Brain Connection: Through the Functional Medicine Lens” will be presented by mental-health and gut-health experts Cheryl Schmid, AFMC-SLP, and Elana Mundorff, LCSW-AFMC.
The presenters will discuss how mental health and gut health are interconnected by the well-documented Gut-Brain Axis. They will explore what they describe as the three most common health challenges today — anxiety, depression and gastrointestinal issues — their interconnection, root causes and steps needed to overcome them.
These programs require registration, which may be done by visiting the library’s website at https:// wmlnj.org/. Library hours are Monday through Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; and Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m. The library will be closed on Sunday, May 12, for Mother’s Day and May 25 to 27 for Memorial Day weekend.
