Readers' Corner: Program Recordings

Credit Repair Workshop

Get the latest tips and trends on how to repair credit problems and build overall credit. 

This online workshop is ideal for first-time buyers; college students; and anyone who has experienced financial difficulties, divorce, or false reports. Come learn from the pros!

The Peace Corps: A Presentation with Charlie Donahue

Westwood resident Charles Donahue, a Peace Corps volunteer in Malaysia, will discuss his transformational Peace Corps experiences that affected the rest of his life. He will discuss:

• Reasons for joining the Peace Corps
• Learning the local language and other training issues
• The Tuberculosis Control program
• Learning from the people, the cultures, and the religions of other countries in Southeast Asia
• The Peace Corps impact on his career

Makeup & Skin Care for Women 40+

If you have dull, mature skin, wrinkles, age spots, sun damage, or any other signs of aging and want to learn how to use makeup to your advantage, this class is for you. 

• Understand which types of products are best for mature skin.
• Learn simple tricks to help illuminate your skin.
• Master easy techniques that will accentuate your natural features. 
• Get information on the right tools you’ll need to create your flawless, glowing look!

Join Kellye, artist with Seint Cosmetics, for an evening of tips and tricks that are designed to illuminate and accentuate a woman’s natural features.

You’ll find Kellye on Instagram at @Kellye.Essentially where she’s either dancing, sharing fashion and decor finds, hosting makeup tutorials, or chatting about her life with two middle school boys and her husband of 20 years, Mike.

The Quabbin Reservoir and its History

Westwood Historical Society Program – in collaboration with the Westwood Public Library

John Horrigan will present a chronology of the development of Boston’s water system, beginning with the discovery of the Great Spring on the Shawmut Peninsula. The construction of dams and pipelines that connected several ponds and lakes from Western Massachusetts then ensured that the growing population of metropolitan Boston had access to fresh water – all from the massive Quabbin Reservoir in the Swift River Valley.

John Horrigan is a five-time Boston/New England Emmy Award-winner (and twenty-time nominee) for his role as host and writer of the cable television program: The Folklorist. He narrated two popular films: The Bridgewater Triangle (a documentary about an alleged anomalous area in southeastern Massachusetts) and Lions of the East (a film about mountain lion encounters in New England). He is also a voice-over artist, actor and a professional historical lecturer who has over 100 titles in his lecture portfolio.

Evacuation Day: The Story of the Knox Expedition

Westwood Historical Society Program – in collaboration with the Westwood Public Library presents Evacuation Day: The Story of the Knox Expedition and the British Evacuation of Boston

John Horrigan will share the story of the Knox Expedition and the British Evacuation of Boston with us. Specifically, he’ll talk about Henry Knox moving 59 cannons 300 miles from Fort Ticonderoga to Boston by sled, oxen and wagons so that the artillery was mounted atop Dorchester Heights by early March. However, on March 17, 1776, the British decided to abandon their hold on Boston and left the city...hence, Boston’s celebration of Evacuation Day. 

John Horrigan is a five-time Boston/New England Emmy Award-winner (and twenty-time nominee) for his role as host and writer of the cable television program: The Folklorist. He narrated two popular films: The Bridgewater Triangle (a documentary about an alleged anomalous area in southeastern Massachusetts) and Lions of the East (a film about mountain lion encounters in New England). He is also a voice-over artist, actor and a professional historical lecturer who has over 100 titles in his lecture portfolio.

Book Buzz: Beach Reads Edition

Join us to hear about some favorite reads from your Westwood Librarians! We will be telling you all about some great picks to pack with you on your summer vacation: thrillers, mystery, literary, romance, and more!

How To Heal Our Divided Nation

What happens when you get 10 Hillary supporters and 10 Trump supporters in a room?  Join author and attorney Frederick T. Golder for an evening of dialogue about how to Bridge the Divide.  Mr. Golder will talk about his book Reaching Common Ground which covers how to learn the sources of conflict, how to communicate more effectively despite our differences, and how to resolve conflicts more easily while maintaining positive relationships.  Mr. Golder is a Braver Angels Ambassador.  Braver Angels is a citizens' organization uniting red and blue Americans in a working alliance to depolarize America.  For more information about Braver Angels, click here: https://braverangels.org/.

Attorney Frederick T. Golder is an expert in conflict resolution, problem-solving, communication, and relationships. He has taught labor and employment law, conflict resolution, trial practice, alternative dispute resolution, and organizational behavior at Northeastern University, Harvard Law School, Boston College Law School, M.I.T., Emory Law School, Suffolk University Law School, and Massachusetts School of Law. He counsels organizations in conflict resolution, problem-solving, harassment prevention, diversity, organizational behavior, and group interaction. Attorney Golder has appeared on national radio and television and has written extensively in this field. His books include Reaching Common Ground: A Comprehensive Guide to Conflict Resolution (Luminare Press); Uncivil Rights: A Guide to Workers’ Rights (Beachfront Press); Labor and Employment Law: Compliance and Litigation, 3rd Ed. (Thomson-West). 

Author Talk: Stephen F. Knott

Almost 60 years after his death, we continue to debate John F. Kennedy's legacy and impact. Now, Stephen F. Knott will discuss his new book, Coming to Terms with John F. Kennedy.

Stephen F. Knott has spent his life grappling with the legacy of President John F. Kennedy: JFK was the first president Knott remembers, and later he worked at the John F. Kennedy Library in Boston. Moreover, Knott’s scholarly work on the American presidency has wrestled with Kennedy’s time in office and whether his presidency was ultimately a positive or negative one for the country.

Author Talk: Jennifer Lin

In 1973, Western music was banned in the People’s Republic of China. But in a remarkable breakthrough cultural exchange, the Philadelphia Orchestra became the first American orchestra to perform in the closed-off communist nation. Author and documentary filmmaker Jennifer Lin will join us at the Westwood Public Library to discuss her new book, Beethoven in Beijing, a fabulous photo-rich oral history of this boundary-breaking series of concerts. 

Lin draws from interviews, personal diaries, and news accounts to give voice to the American and Chinese musicians, diplomats, journalists, and others who participated in and witnessed this historic event. Beethoven in Beijing shows how this 1973 tour came at the dawn of a resurgence of interest in classical music in China. 

Maximizing Social Security with Michael Graff

Learn the essential elements of Social Security, the claiming options, and when to file for benefits. Social Security represents the foundation of retirement income, and properly coordinating it with other income and asset sources is critical to establishing a retirement cash flow that will be sufficient to last throughout your retirement years. 

Specific topics to be reviewed include:

• How to file for Social Security benefits
• Maximizing benefits
• Avoiding common claiming mistakes
• How to reduce the taxation of Social Security benefits
• Working and collecting Social Security at the same time
• Information for divorces, and widows/widowers

Retirement Income Planning

How much income will you need in retirement, and where will it come from? Social Security, pension, distributions from retirement savings, dividends, interest from banks and bonds, real estate, part time wages, and other options. We will review how to give up your paycheck and replace that income using passive income resources, so you can live your desired retirement lifestyle without running out of money.

We will cover:

• Steps to build a predictable, sufficient, and sustainable retirement income.
• How to plan for when your retirement should start, considering the options of early retirement, delayed retirement, and working in retirement. 
• Steps to estimate the amount of income you'll need in retirement to meet your lifestyle plans and objectives, factoring in health-care costs, taxes, and inflation. 
• How to supplement fixed income sources such as Social Security and an employer pension with your retirement savings, including the products and investment strategies you should consider.   

Book Buzz: Cozy Winter Reads Edition

Join us in person to hear about some favorite cozy reads from your Westwood librarians. We'll share our picks for romantic comedies, escapist thrillers, hearty cookbooks, comfort re-reads, can't-put-down fantasy, and more!