WESTFIELD — The Westfield Memorial Library, located at 550 East Broad Street, will continue to bring the public programs during November that are designed to educate and entertain.
WESTFIELD — The Westfield Memorial Library, located at 550 East Broad Street, will continue to bring the public programs during November that are designed to educate and entertain.
On Thursday, November 14, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Peter Dizdar will present “Redefining Retirement.” Mr. Dizdar is a senior wealth advisor at Palumbo Wealth Management, LLC. With more than 20 years of experience in the financial-services industry, he has attained the skill set required to help individuals and families implement a sound financial plan.
A virtual author talk also will be featured on November 14, from 4 to 5 p.m., entitled “On Childhood Migration from CentralAmerica — In Conversation with Javier Zamora.” A New York Times bestselling author, Mr. Zamora will discuss his tale of survival and perseverance as told in his award-winning memoir, “Solito.” This program also will be presented in Spanish only this Saturday, November 9, at 2 p.m.
Mr. Zamora’s adventure involved a 3,000-mile journey at age 9 from his small town in El Salvador, through Guatemala, Mexico and the Sonoran Desert, and across the United States border. Leaving behind his beloved aunt and grandparents, he sought to reunite with his parents, who had migrated several years earlier.
Traveling alone amid a group of strangers and a “coyote” hired to lead them to safety, the boy expected his trip to last two short weeks. He could not have foreseen the perilous boat trips, relentless desert treks, pointed guns, arrests and deceptions that awaited him; nor could he have known that those two weeks would expand into two life-altering months alongside fellow migrants who would come to encircle him like an unexpected family. Mr. Zamora has been a Stegner Fellow at Stanford and a Radcliffe Fellow at Harvard and holds fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation. To receive the Zoom link for this author talk, register on the library’s website, wmlnj.org. On Friday, November 15, Dr. Gang Huang will lead the second class in a series of four classes on the Fundamentals of Tai Chi. All classes take place on Fridays between 3 and 4 p.m. The remaining classes will be held on November 22 and December 6. Each class must be registered for individually, and each builds upon skills learned in the previous session.
Tai Chi, an ancient practice that originated in China, is believed to boost both mental and physical health. Often referred to as “Meditation in Motion,” it has been described as a means to promote balance and prevent falls; relieve depression, Parkinson’s disease and dementia; and reverse disease progression in osteoarthritis. Tai Chi also is said to help with insomnia, hypertension and fibromyalgia.
Dr. Huang is one of the formal disciples of Master Yang Jun, who is the direct descendent (sixth-generation) of Yang Cheng Fu and of Yang Lu Chan, the creator of Yang Style Tai Chi. He is an authorized instructor of the Yang Family Tai Chi Association and currently teaches Tai Chi classes in Bridgewater.
To register for programs, sign up for a library card, or to learn more about the library’s resources, visit 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 Monday, November 11, for Veterans Day.
