Clapp Memorial Library

Make Your Own Tea Blend
2024-04-12 18:00 - 19:00 (America/New_York) | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
PROGRAM IS FULL
On Friday, April 12 at 6pm at the Clapp Memorial Library, join Dave Wheeler from Therapy Gardens for a journey into the art and science of tea blending. Participants will explore a variety of herbs, spices, and teas, learning about their flavor profiles and health benefits. Attendees will then craft their own unique tea blend, mastering the balance of flavors and aromas. Whether you’re a tea enthusiast or a curious beginner, this workshop provides the tools and knowledge to create your own soothing or invigorating blends. Take home your custom tea mixture and the confidence to continue experimenting on your own. This program is made possible by the Friends of the Clapp Memorial Library.
Space is limited and registration is required.

The Rabbit Run Railroad: An Art and History Project
2024-04-16 19:00 - 20:00 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
On Tuesday, April 16 at 7pm at the Clapp Memorial Library, Ken Levine of Petersham, an artist and railroad fan will present a program about the Rabbit Run Railroad, his creation of a 24’ diorama at the Swift River Valley Historical Society in North New Salem, and a brief history of the era of steam railroads in America.
The 4 Lost Towns that the creation of the Quabbin Reservoir required removal of were the inspiration for this memorial to those communities who were forced to relocate in the early 20th century. Using archival photos from the archives of the MDC and other sources, Ken spent over 5 years creating a miniature recreation of the Swift River Valley, its towns, farms, industries and landscape, including working HO model trains of the steam era, 1871-1930, the Rabbit Railroad. As the train journeys from South Athol to Enfield the seasons unfold and the various towns go about their business. In a brief video using Go-Pro mini cams on the trains you are actually aboard the train as it winds its way along the Swift River, which completes the illusion of riding the Rabbit.
A NBC Boston Affiliate interviewed Ken for a movie, The Scar which was shown on TV and relates the story of the Quabbin and the Swift River Valley and the Lost Towns. Also, the SRVHS Facebook page has the video of the diorama and other information about the history of the Quabbin Reservoir.
Program made possible by the Friends of the Clapp Memorial Library

Stories Told & Untold: Writing Between Memory & History
2024-04-23 19:00 - 20:00 | Parks & Recreation, 66 State Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
Tuesday, April 23, 2024, 7pm
Belchertown Recreation Center Front Room
Stories Told & Untold: Writing Between Memory & History will feature three local authors, Uzma Aslam Khan, Thérèse Chehade, and Hannah Moushabeck. Each author will read from and discuss their work in light of the panel’s focus and then we will open up the discussion to q&a with the audience. Justine Dymond will be introducing the panelists and helping moderate the q&a. The Clapp Memorial Library is co-sponsoring this event with Belchertown Voices for Justice.

Earth Day Ceremony with Ray LaChance
2024-04-29 15:30 - 16:30 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
Community members from age 10 through adult are invited to join us on the front lawn of the Clapp Memorial Library on Monday, April 29 at 3:30 pm for a very special Earth Day Ceremony and Celebration of Indigenous People presented by Raymond LaChance (Nouba Tewk Tomakwa). The program will include a recognition of the land being the territory of the Indigenous Nipmuc People, flute playing and other music, interactive smudging of a tree in recognition of Earth Day and seed planting, and the making of an Indigenous Necklace.
This program is made possible by the Friends of the Clapp Memorial Library.
Space is limited and registration is required, sign up here: https://forms.gle/xQiLqvCu25mQ3DKD8. In the event of rain, the program will take place in the Town Hall Auditorium.

Poop Museum #2
2024-05-10 18:00 - 19:00 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
PROGRAM FULL – WAITLIST ONLY
May 10th at 6PM
Ages 4 -11
This past fall, we hosted the Poop Museum with Susie. The audience filled the library and laughed and ewwww-ed while learning so many facts about poop, but we didn’t learn it all! Poop Museum #2 will teach about pooping in space, pooping underwater, poop from the past, and more!
If you missed the Poop Museum, you will not want to miss #2. If you attended the Poop Museum, we know you don’t want to miss #2!
Registration & confirmation required. This program is for ages 4-11. Sign up for the waitlist here: https://forms.gle/HvZoTSMywN5YFS4f9
Program made possible by the Friends of the Clapp Memorial Library.

Project Mishoon: Underwater Treasures of the Nipmuc
2024-05-11 15:30 - 16:30 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
Discover the untold history of Lake Quinsigamond’s submerged treasures! Join us on Saturday, May 11 at 3:30pm for an engaging presentation by Cheryl Stedtler, Nipmuc tribal member and director of Project Mishoon, as she unveils the fascinating journey behind the discovery of ancient dugout canoes known as mishoonash. Delve into the rich heritage of the Nipmuc tribe and their ancestral navigation of the lake using these unique vessels. With scientific documentation, underwater imaging, and captivating insights, Cheryl will unveil the mysteries surrounding these rare mishoonash, dating back to the 1600s. Learn how these remarkable finds are rewriting the narrative of New England’s archaeological landscape. Don’t miss this opportunity to uncover the link between these submerged treasures and the historic mishoon discovered at Morton Lake during the construction of the Quabbin Reservoir. Join us as we embark on a journey through time and heritage with Project Mishoon!

Herb Garden
2024-06-10 18:00 - 19:00 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
PROGRAM FULL – WAITLIST ONLY
Learn the joy and multitude of benefits that come from keeping an herb garden. Whether you want to grow an herb garden for culinary, medicinal or cosmetic uses, or just to create something beautiful to look at, this course is for you. Instructor Lindsey Baird of Oak & Ash Farm designed and planted her first herb garden at 11 and has been passionate about them ever since! She will talk you through the basics of growing herbs, as well as some simple garden layouts. You’ll leave with a collection of herb plants and the knowledge to create your own herbal oasis. Attendees will go home with martials on basic herb garden plans, list of herbs to try and their seasonality (annual, bi annual, perennial) as well as a pack of herb plants to bring home (basil, thyme, parsley, chive)
Registration required – sign up here: https://forms.gle/oxUc2cjUHC2wEVTq7
This program is made possible by the Friends of the Clapp Memorial Library.

Leading Men with author Christopher Castellani
2024-06-11 18:30 - 19:30 | Virtual, MA
Virtual Event – click here to sign up.
Join author Christopher Castellani for a presentation of his book Leading Men and the real-life characters who feature in it.
“In July of 1953, at a glittering party thrown by Truman Capote in Portofino, Italy, Tennessee Williams and his longtime lover Frank Merlo meet Anja Blomgren, a mysteriously taciturn young Swedish beauty and aspiring actress. Their encounter will go on to alter all of their lives.
Ten years later, Frank revisits the tempestuous events of that fateful summer from his deathbed in Manhattan, where he waits anxiously for Tennessee to visit him one final time. Anja, now legendary film icon Anja Bloom, lives as a recluse in the present-day U.S., until a young man connected to the events of 1953 lures her reluctantly back into the spotlight after he discovers she possesses the only surviving copy of Williams’s final play.”
*This program will NOT be recorded*
This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Joshua Hyde Public Library in Sturbridge, Charlton Public Library and the Jacob Edwards Library in Southbridge, who we are partnering with for this event.

LGBTQ+ Inclusion 101
2024-06-12 18:30 - 19:30 | Virtual, MA
Virtual Event – click here to sign up
Knowledge can empower individuals to make cultural change. This program encourages individuals at all levels of understanding to learn about what it means to be LGBTQ+ and how to be stronger allies so our entire community feels welcome to be their authentic selves.
Ali Kane (she/they), of ALK Consulting, is a Queer nonprofit leader and lifelong learner committed to creating an inclusive, equitable, and accessible world for individuals with diverse identities and experiences.
This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Joshua Hyde Public Library in Sturbridge, Charlton Public Library and the Jacob Edwards Library in Southbridge, who we are partnering with for this event.

Birds of Prey with Wingmasters
2024-06-15 10:00 - 11:00 | Town Hall Auditorium, 1 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
This program is strictly for ages 5 and up.
Families, teens and adults are welcome as we kick off our summer reading programs.
Birds of prey, also known as raptors, are hunting birds characterized by hooked beaks and powerful grabbing feet armed with sharp talons. With some of the best eyesight and the sharpest hearing in the animal kingdom, raptors include eagles, hawks, falcons and owls. Learn about these different categories in a presentation that incorporates five live birds, including predation, the birds’ place at the top of the food web, their different hunting adaptations and their status in a rapidly changing world. Because many birds of prey are declining in number, this presentation also features one or more of the endangered raptors that we care for, and explains why these species face an uncertain future.
Wingmasters is a partnership of two people dedicated to increasing public understanding and appreciation of North American birds of prey. Julie Anne Collier and Jim Parks are both licensed raptor rehabilitators based in Massachusetts. Together they care for injured birds of prey. Most of the birds they rehabilitate can ultimately be released back into the wild, but in some cases the birds are left permanently handicapped.
This event is part of our Summer Reading Program and attending is worth a Kids SRP Raffle Ticket! Make sure to sign your child up for Summer Reading at clapplibrary.beanstack.com or via the Beanstack app.
Made possible by the Friends of the Clapp Memorial Library and our Community Sponsors

Fresh Tea Gardens
2024-06-18 19:00 - 20:00 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
Grow your own cuppa with your very own fresh tea garden! Host Lindsey Baird of Oak & Ash Farm has been growing and experimenting with her own herb and tea gardens since she was a kid and wants you to learn how fun it can be. Learn to think outside the box of the basic culinary herb garden and grow your own herbal teas for enjoying fresh or dried. Lindsey will go over the multitude of plants you can grow to add to your blend, and you’ll leave with a bouquet of fresh herbal tea to enjoy at home while you plan your own garden.
Attendees will go home with a list of plants to try growing, a basic tea garden plan and a small bouquet of fresh tea to make at home (enough for one pot of tea).
Registration required, sign up here: https://forms.gle/sii24NkG4FfHRiNH9
This program is made possible by the Friends of the Clapp Memorial Library.

Magical Girls & Fighting Dreamers: An Exploration of Queer Representation in Manga & Anime
2024-06-18 19:00 - 20:00 | Virtual, MA
The Clapp Memorial Library is partnering with the Morrill Memorial Library and other MA libraries in offering a virtual program for teens for Pride Month! Click here to sign up!
On Tuesday, June 18th from 7:00-8:00PM, teen anime and manga fans are invited to watch as the MML’s Youth Services Librarian, Dina Delic, presents “Magical Girls & Fighting Dreamers: An Exploration of Queer Representation in Manga & Anime” on Zoom. Attendees will learn about the history of queer representation in manga and anime. This program will give an overview of queer representation throughout various series, from The Rose of Versailles to Yuri on Ice, and will answer your most pressing questions: What is shipping? What is the difference between yaoi and yuri? Why are the greatest love stories in anime always platonic?
Please note that this program may contain spoilers for some series. Interested adults are also welcome to attend this presentation.

1969 Stonewall Rebellion
2024-06-26 18:30 - 19:30 | Virtual, MA
Virtual Event – click here to sign up!
Join author Milo Todd on Zoom as he discusses the Stonewall Rebellion, a grassroots movement that sparked LGBTQ+ rights across the country.
What happened during the multi-night rebellion around the Stonewall Inn in June of 1969? What was the first thing thrown and who threw it? Who took part and who stayed away?Hear the details of what happened and how this ultimately led to the creation of Pride Month.
Note: This session includes mention of transphobia, racism, police brutality, slurs, murder, sexual assault, and misgendering/deadnaming
This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Joshua Hyde Public Library in Sturbridge, Charlton Public Library and the Jacob Edwards Library in Southbridge, who we are partnering with for this event.

Edible Flowers
2024-06-27 19:00 - 20:00 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
Thursday, June 27, 7pm
Smell your flowers, and eat them too! Learn about the many types and uses of edible flowers in this class hosted by Lindsey Baird of Oak & Ash Farm. Lindsey will go over which varieties and parts of flowers are edible, and then teach you how best to enjoy them. You’ll leave with recipes and a collection of edible flowers to try at home.
Attendees will go home with a list of edible flowers and their seasonality, as well as a box of edible flowers to enjoy!
Registration Required, sign up here: https://forms.gle/uYNog4Aw1JrbFwZj6
This program is made possible by the Friends of the Clapp Memorial Library.

The Rescue of Angeline Palmer
2024-07-08 18:30 - 19:30 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
On Monday, July 8th at 6:30pm, come to the Clapp Memorial Library for a presentation by Cliff McCarthy, Stone House Museum archivist and author/editor of several books on Belchertown’s history. “The Rescue of Angeline Palmer” is the true story of a free-born, African American girl who was nearly kidnapped and sold into slavery in the pre-Civil War South. Orphaned at a young age and declared a ward of the town of Amherst, Angeline Palmer was “bound out” to work in the home of the family of Mason and Susanna (Dwight) Shaw of Belchertown. Only the desperate actions of three heroic Black men kept Angeline from bondage.

Gross, Cool, Weird Science
2024-07-17 18:00 | Town Hall Auditorium, 1 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
Join us at 6PM on July 17th at the Town Hall Auditorium for Gross, Weird, Cool Science – Things to make you go “EW!” “What?!” and “WOW!!!”
The world is full of gruesomely gross, wildly weird and incredibly cool things. Animals, insects, microbes, plants, even the earth itself is full of unbelievable wonders waiting to be explored. In this program we uncover incredible things like…

real world zombies
fish that can climb trees
a creature that can grow a whole new body out of it’s head
an animal that can come back to life after being frozen solid
a worm with more butts than any other animal
the world’s most indestructible creature
pink lakes

Life on earth is endlessly fascinating and this program is designed to spark curiosity to discover more, and never stop discovering! Packed full of amazing examples of grossness, weirdness and coolness, this is a fast paced, fact filled program, with the same trademark blend of science and silliness as The Poop Museum!
This event is part of our Summer Reading Program and attending is worth a Kids SRP Raffle Ticket! Make sure to sign your child up for Summer Reading at clapplibrary.beanstack.com or via the Beanstack app.
Made possible by the Friends of the Clapp Memorial Library and our Community Sponsors

Belchertown’s Connection with China
2024-08-05 18:30 - 19:30 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
On Monday, August 5th at 6:30pm, come to the Clapp Memorial Library for “Belchertown’s Connection with China,” a presentation by Cliff McCarthy, Stone House Museum archivist and author/editor of several books on Belchertown’s history. Belchertown has a deep, historic connection to China. Elijah Coleman Bridgman was the first American Protestant missionary to China beginning in the 1830s. He and his Connecticut-born spouse devoted their lives to bridging the chasm between the two worlds. Then in the 1870s, a group of Chinese students came to live in Belchertown as part of the innovative experiment called the “Chinese Educational Mission.”

Introduction to Homesteading
2024-08-16 18:00 - 19:00 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
Adults, teens, and children aged 10+ are invited to attend our series of Homesteading Workshops led by local Zackery W. Zawalski. You can come to one, two, or all three, and learn about ways to grow and raise your own food and make use of the land you live on.
Friday, August 16: Introduction to Homesteading
Friday, August 23: Livestock Basics
Friday, August 30: Gardening Basics
Zackery Zawalski has raised livestock since 2010, including ducks, chickens, goats, doves, dogs, and a pig. He has helped his parents with their local 4-H club and has been a member of 4-H since 2013. Zackery takes pleasure in helping with his family garden since he could walk and still enjoys it to this day.
All workshops start at 6:00 PM at the Clapp Memorial Library and include a presentation and activity. These programs are funded by the Friends of the Clapp Memorial Library.

Livestock Basics
2024-08-23 18:00 - 19:00 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
Adults, teens, and tweens are welcome to attend the second session in our series of Homesteading Workshops by local Zackery W. Zawalski: Livestock Basics. In this session, learn the basics of raising your own livestock and meet (at least) one very special guest from Zack’s own farm.
Friday, August 16: Introduction to Homesteading
Friday, August 23: Livestock Basics
Friday, August 30: Gardening Basics
Zackery Zawalski has raised livestock since 2010, including ducks, chickens, goats, doves, dogs, and a pig. He has helped his parents with their local 4-H club and has been a member of 4-H since 2013. Zackery takes pleasure in helping with his family garden since he could walk and still enjoys it to this day.
All workshops start at 6:00 PM at the Clapp Memorial Library and include a presentation and activity. These programs are funded by the Friends of the Clapp Memorial Library.

Gardening Basics
2024-08-30 18:00 - 19:00 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
Adults, teens, and tweens are welcome to the third and final session in our series of Homesteading Workshops by local teen Zackery W. Zawalski. In this session, Gardening Basics, learn how to start your own garden and pot your own plant to take home.
All workshops start at 6:00 PM at the Clapp Memorial Library and include a presentation and activity. This program is funded by the Friends of the Clapp Memorial Library.
Friday, August 16: Introduction to Homesteading
Friday, August 23: Livestock Basics
Friday, August 30: Gardening Basics
Zackery Zawalski has raised livestock since 2010, including ducks, chickens, goats, doves, dogs, and a pig. He has helped his parents with their local 4-H club and has been a member of 4-H since 2013. Zackery takes pleasure in helping with his family garden since he could walk and still enjoys it to this day.
All workshops start at 6:00 PM at the Clapp Memorial Library and include a presentation and activity. These programs are funded by the Friends of the Clapp Memorial Library.

Belchertown & the California Gold Rush
2024-09-09 18:30 - 19:30 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
On Monday, September 9th at 6:30pm, come to the Clapp Memorial Library for “Belchertown and the California Gold Rush,” a presentation by Cliff McCarthy, Stone House Museum archivist and author/editor of several books on Belchertown’s history. The California Gold Rush was an important event in American history, having an enormous impact on migration, land development, the slavery debate, and the nation’s economy. At least nineteen Belchertown men went west in pursuit of their dreams. Some played important roles in the development of California; some returned to New England and built on their western adventures to achieve positions of stature and importance in our communities.

Nine Neighbors You Should Know
2024-10-07 18:30 - 19:30 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
On Monday, October 7 at 6:30pm, come to the Clapp Memorial Library for “Nine Neighbors You Should Know,” a presentation by Cliff McCarthy, Stone House Museum archivist and author/editor of several books on Belchertown’s history. Do you know which Belchertown native has had a full-length Hollywood movie devoted to his life and has been portrayed by actors John Carradine and James Coburn in other films? Do you know what Belchertown woman drew the plans for remodeling the Stone House into a museum? Do you know of Belchertown’s connection to the first Governor of Kansas? This talk will present nine historical figures connected to Belchertown that will astonish and surprise. Some you will admire, some you will despise, but all have interesting stories to tell.

A Narrative of Dwight Village in Belchertown, Part 1
2024-10-24 19:00 - 20:00 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
Michael Carolan will provide a two-part documented history and geographical genealogy of the indigenous and nonindigenous peoples, notable events, architecture and landscapes, from the Eighteenth to the Twentieth centuries, and the district’s contributions to art, industry, politics, science and religion, on October 24th and November 14th. Known as Logg-town, Hopetown, Dwight’s Station and Pansy Park, this narrowly-defined, eight-square-mile district has been subsumed historically into the larger community. The Rev. Henry Ward Beecher—the “most famous man in America”—gave his first sermon here. The hamlet was celebrated as the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln’s first biographer, J. G. Holland. Rare aquatic flower gardens drew hundreds through Dwight’s two railroad stops. And its chapel was established after a culmination of efforts said to have been initiated by Poet Emily Dickinson’s sister-in-law. There were feuds, accidents, suicides, drownings, fires, the millwright who outlived six wives and the portrait painter who rendered the place and its characters in colorfully detailed letters preserved to this day.
Michael Carolan writes for The Springfield Republican and his essays appear on New England Public Radio. He taught literature and writing at Clark University for 13 years.

Ghosts of the Bridgewater Triangle
2024-10-29 19:00 - 20:00 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
Come to the library for a night of Massachusetts based paranormal mystery and exploration with Tim Weisberg!
Ghosts of the Bridgewater Triangle: How a paranormal vortex in southern New England has captured the imagination of the world through stories of ghosts, UFOs, cryptids, and true crime. Includes real-life ghost stories and ghostly voices captured in the Triangle
Tim Weisberg is the host and executive producer of “Spooky Southcoast” radio and of “Midnight Society with Tim Weisberg”. He is also the former host of “Midnight in the Desert,” the last radio program created and originally hosted by the legendary Art Bell. Tim is the author of “Ghosts of the SouthCoast” and “Haunted Objects: Ghosts On Your Shelf,” the latter co-written with Christopher Balzano.

A Narrative of Dwight Village in Belchertown, Part 2
2024-11-14 19:00 - 20:00 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
Michael Carolan returns for the second part of his narrative history of Dwight Village in Belchertown. Known as Logg-town, Hopetown, Dwight’s Station and Pansy Park, this narrowly-defined, eight-square-mile district has been subsumed historically into the larger community. The Rev. Henry Ward Beecher—the “most famous man in America”—gave his first sermon here. The hamlet was celebrated as the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln’s first biographer, J. G. Holland. Rare aquatic flower gardens drew hundreds through Dwight’s two railroad stops. And its chapel was established after a culmination of efforts said to have been initiated by Poet Emily Dickinson’s sister-in-law. There were feuds, accidents, suicides, drownings, fires, the millwright who outlived six wives and the portrait painter who rendered the place and its characters in colorfully detailed letters preserved to this day.
Michael Carolan writes for The Springfield Republican and his essays appear on New England Public Radio. He taught literature and writing at Clark University for 13 years.

Community Mosaics in Guatemala
2024-11-22 18:00 - 19:00 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
Cynthia Fisher has been making trips to Guatemala since 2013 creating community mosaic murals. Come learn how she got started and how a small lakeside town is filling up mosaics that represent the indigenous community and beautiful natural environment.

Becoming Darlene: The Story of Belchertown Patient #4952
2025-01-08 19:00 - 20:00 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
On Wednesday, January 8 at 7PM, join us at the Clapp Memorial Library for a book talk with Ed Orzechowski. Becoming Darlene: The Story of Belchertown Patient #4952 is Orzechowski’s second account of life within the Belchertown State School following You’ll Like It Here: The Story of Donald Vitkus. After the presentation, books will be available for purchase and signing.
“Born in a Massachusetts mill town in 1956, Darlene Rameau is number eight of what would become 14 children. When she is three years old, a social worker reports that Darlene is segregated from the rest of the family in a filthy room, treated like an animal, and unable to walk. At age seven, Darlene is sent to Belchertown State School, a de-humanizing institution where she meets a sister she didn’t know she had. Darlene considers herself an “it,” unworthy of a name. Little Girl, Boy, and Brains are voices in her head who help her survive. Her dream is to raise a family of her own, but at 17 she is discharged into a world where she has no idea how to make that dream a reality.”

Legacy with Cliff McCarthy
2025-02-03 18:30 - 20:00 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
For the first time, local historian Cliff McCarthy will speak publicly about his mixed-race family, telling the story of his grandfather’s “passing” over the color line, his accomplished family members, and describing how his family’s incredible story illuminates many aspects of African American history and the history of our nation – from Negro League baseball to the violence of the Red Summer of 1919. He will relate what he has learned about his enslaved ancestors in Georgia and their enslavers. He will share the adventure of his fifty-year genealogical journey and its moments of discovery, heartache, joy, and dumb luck.
This program is funded by the Friends of the Clapp Memorial Library.

NEW DATE: Be Ready to Save a Life with Hands Only CPR
2025-02-13 15:00 - 16:00 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
NEW DATE – program has been moved to 2/13 at 3PM.
More than 350,000 cardiac arrests occur outside a hospital each year. Learn how to deliver lifesaving CPR care without rescue breaths. When you immediately provide Hands-Only CPR, you can increase the chance of survival.
Program will take place in the Town Hall Auditorium. Registration required, sign up here: https://forms.gle/UHZmg5ikZHu7mjfB9

Create Better Health
2025-03-10 18:00 - 19:00 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, in partnership with SNAP-Ed, offers a nutrition education program at the Clapp Memorial Library. Learn about Explore MyPlate healthy eating guidelines, learn to decipher the nutrition facts labels and how to make a budget-friendly meal, and get tips to add more exercise into your daily routine.
