The Lane Memorial Library in partnership with a grant from the New Hampshire Humanities, will present an online program Granite State Gallery: New Hampshire Art and Artists through the Years featuring art scholar Jane Oneail on Wednesday, October 21, at 7 p.m.  This is a virtual program and will be presented via the Zoom app available on most PC and handheld devices. Patrons may follow this link to register now, after which a confirmation email will be sent containing information about joining the meeting.

New Hampshire has attracted and inspired artists since the colonial era, but what is distinctive about the art made here? Oneail will answers this question as well as reflect on works by itinerant and folk painters, landscape artists drawn to the state’s scenic vistas, and modern artists that adopted bold styles to depict everyday life in the Granite State. Augustus Saint-Gaudens, Childe Hassam and Maxfield Parrish are some of the artists discussed in this program.

Oneail is an independent scholar and holds a master’s in art history from Boston University and a master’s in art in education from Harvard University. She is a New Hampshire native and has worked at some of the state’s most esteemed cultural institutions, including the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen, where she served as executive director, and the Currier Museum of Art, where she held the roll of Senior Educator. Oneail has also taught at the college level for more than a decade, most recently at the NH Institute of Art.

The presentation is free and available to members of the Hampton community.

The staff of Lane Memorial Library have served the community of Hampton for over 130 years. This winter, they’re aiming to serve up some good, warm food to residents in need. “Read to Feed,” is a reading challenge that will benefit the St. Vincent de Paul Community Kitchen. The library will urge children and adults to “earn” donations by reading great books. Local Hampton businesses are sponsoring the program.

"It's a winter reading program that mirrors our summer reading program. The difference is we're giving back to our community, instead of earning prizes for ourselves," said Lane Library Assistant Director Stacy Mazur.

The all-ages reading program will run from February 1st through March 31st, 2020. The library will have bookmarks available at the end of January for readers to track their progress. Students in grades K-5 read for 20 minutes, on 4 different days, per bookmark. Older students, in grades 6-12, and adults will read 4 books per bookmark. For every bookmark, a donation of $5 to the Community Kitchen will be made in the reader’s name.

The library’s initial goal is to earn $500. If the community reaches $500, the library has a “stretch” goal, where every book or 20 minutes read (by the younger kids) will earn $5 each, to reach $800. Library patrons can also make extra monetary contributions or donate non-perishable items for the Food Pantry.

"This is a great opportunity to promote literacy and encourage generosity within the Hampton community," Mazur said.

The Community Kitchen is in downtown Hampton at the Seaside Elderly Day Out Center. They serve five meals a week from mid-October to mid-May. “Clients have a sit-down dining experience when they come,” said Lisa Parker, volunteer coordinator.

Volunteers and local community organizations prepare the meals off site.  On days when volunteers are not able to meet the demand, monetary donations help to make sure a hot meal will be available for clients.  Parker spoke about the continued need for volunteers to cook meals and staff the dinner service. “We operate completely on donations and through volunteers,” she stated. “There are between three to four volunteers here every time we serve.”

The funds raised by “Read to Feed” will help in part with on-going supply costs. "I’ll come in to check and see if we have plates, silverware, or paper towels, and we’re out again. Supplies are a constant need," Parker said. Donations also go towards upkeep and maintenance of the space as well as providing food supplies for volunteers who wish to prepare a cooked meal, but do not have the funds.

The Community Kitchen is an invaluable resource to the Hampton community, serving 40 to 60 people per night. “We get many donations over Thanksgiving and Christmas but find it harder to manage through the rest of winter. We still have people coming, but not as many donations or volunteers,” Parker noted.

The Community Kitchen experienced the hardship of losing their long-time space at Hampton Beach to fire. The Hampton Fire Department and Chamber of Commerce offered temporary spaces in 2018/2019. The library looks forward to helping them continue to serve the Hampton community in their new downtown location.

The library is partnering with Marston School’s Good Citizens Club on this project. Their members will make posters for the school to encourage their fellow students to take part, and they are also planning a food drive. Student representatives will be on hand to present the donations to St. Vincent de Paul at the completion of the reading campaign.

The library would like to thank local business sponsors, the Law Office of Eileen A. Nevins, Parsons Electric Co. Inc., Remick & Gendron Funeral Home-Crematory, Hampton Beach Casino, Bean Insurance Agency LLC of Hampton, NH, Pauline Maloney of Stoney Knoll Realty, Lions Club International of Hampton, NH, Tom Muldowney, Strategic-Partner of Schooley Mitchell.

AARP Tax Help runs February 5th thru April 9th.

AARP will be unable to do face-to-face tax returns this tax season due to COVID‑19. The IRS has given AARP permission to prepare taxes via a "Drop-Off" method where you consolidate your tax documents as described below and then deliver them to an AARP Tax Aide representative at the library.

Take one envelope per filing.  Refer to the Scope Poster which identifies what AARP can and cannot do. If you are self-employed, make sure you take a self-employment worksheet in addition to the tax envelope.  If you have employees, losses, expenses that exceed $35,000, depreciation, business use of home, 1099 filing requirements, or other complicating factors, AARP Tax-Aide is unable to complete your return.

You may return your completed package to an AARP representative at the Hampton Library.  Please maintain social distance of 6 feet.  A counselor will inventory your documents before you leave. 

Days and times for dropping off completed packages are as follows:

Wednesday:  1:30pm-3:30pm
Thursday:  2:30pm-5:30pm
Saturday:  10am-11 am 

All forms must be completed before you arrive to drop off your tax package. Incomplete packages will not be accepted.

What to bring for drop off: 

1) Copies of all social security cards associated with the return;

2) Official government identification;

3) Completed Intake/Interview, Form 13614;

4) Completed and signed Form 14446, Virtual VITA/TCE Taxpayer Consent;

5) 2020 tax forms and documents, Economic Impact Payment and Advanced Child Tax Credit Payment letters, and a copy of your bank information if requesting direct deposit of refund or direct withdrawal of amount due; and

6) Last year's completed return.  

When in doubt, include documents in the envelope. 

A tax counselor will contact you by telephone for an intake interview. 

Exhibit
November 2 - 27
Reception
Tuesday, November 19th at 6:30 PM

Ethel Hills grew up in rural Hollis, New Hampshire amidst farms, apple orchards, hayfields and woods. After high school, she attended Dickinson College for two years before taking some time off. During this break in her schooling, she explored black and white photography, primarily the natural forms in the landscape around her parents’ home in Hollis. She briefly toyed with the idea of returning to school to learn more about photography, but panicked when she found out that meant art school.

Instead, she enrolled at the University of New Hampshire to complete her BA. While at UNH, she fell in love with the seacoast area, the beaches, the rocks, the marshes, and the solitude of the area in the off season. After graduating, she moved to Hampton, eventually settling next to the salt marsh.

Shortly after moving to Hampton, she took up traditional rug hooking. As she learned more and more about rug hooking, she wanted her rugs to become more her own creation. Although she learned to plan her own colors and dye her own wool, she was still working with commercial patterns. It was her pursuit of more personal and creative hooked pieces which brought her to her love of art. Her goal was simple, to learn just enough drawing to be able to produce the very simple line drawings that are the basis of rug designs.

One thing led to another, first a couple of books on drawing, then a drawing class at a high school, then a watercolor class, then a workshop and on and on. There was always something new to learn. After getting a feel for watercolor, the next step was to strengthen her drawing skills. She went back to UNH, only this time studying in the Art Department. She’s worked hard to develop her skills by taking traditional classes at both UNH and the New Hampshire Institute of Art, and also by studying with well-known watercolor artists and teachers, Dustan Knight, Don Andrews, DeWitt Hardy, Ed Betts, Skip Lawrence, and Gerry Brommer.

Hills came to art later in life and through a circuitous route, but has no regrets about it. She has been painting seriously for almost twenty years and is currently pursuing her art career from her small studio in downtown Hampton. She is an active member of the Ogunquit Artist Association, Abstract Artists’ Group of New England, Women’s Caucus for Art, Arts League of Lowell and the New Hampshire Art Association. She has exhibited in numerous juried, group and solo shows in New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Maine. She is represented by Paula Estey Gallery in Newburyport, MA.

WHEN: Monday, October 14, 2019
WHERE: Library Main Floor

Carol & Crew Puppet Show kicks off our fabulous soup day at 10:00 AM in the Lane Room. Patrons praise Carol for her fun story telling, fabulous puppets, easy rapport with children, and the many ways youngsters are able to interact with the show.

SOUP TIME: Soups will be served to the public @ 12:00 PM
Enter your family favorite soup featuring 2 ingredients unique to the New World to win!  New World food examples include Corn, Potatoes, Cranberries, Chocolate, Vanilla, Maple Syrup, Pumpkin, Chilies, Allspice, Black beans, Turkey.  Soups will be judged by popular vote and Chef’s Choice. ENTRY DEADLINE: Friday, October 11th.

SOUPS MUST ARRIVE BY 11:00 A.M. ON THE MORNING OF THE COMPETITION IN A SLOW COOKER. A complete list of ingredients must be disclosed for an allergen statement.

Voting will close at 12:45 PM.  The library will hold a Chocolate Tasting at 12:30 PM, followed by a professional soup demonstration by Chefs John Amodie and Nick Grandmason from Ronaldo's Italian Restaurant in North Hampton at 1:00 PM.  We will announce the winners of both the People's Choice and chef's Choice following this presentation.

Chef’s 1st - $50 Gift certificate to Ronaldo's in North Hampton
Chef’s 2nd - $25 Gift certificate to to Ronaldo's in North Hampton
People’s 1st - $50 Gift certificate and gift basket to On the Vine
People’s 2nd -$25 Gift certificate to Seacoast Soups

Last Year's Winners: Djamel Hafiani, Stacy Mazur, Josiah Howard with assistant Annika Howard, and Jenn Beigel