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QUESTION & ANSWER WITH:
MARIBETH MORRISSEY AND LESLIE MARCI
Women run Marathon for
the Ashland Public Library
Two Ashland moms are train-
ing to run the Boston Marathon to
raise money for the Ashland
Library. Leslie Marci and Mari-
beth Morrissey hope to raise
$100 per mile, or $2,600, for the
Friends of the Ashland Public
Library to buy books.
The friends and neighbors start-
ed running together last fall.
Marci, a veterinarian and mother
of four, ran the Marathon in 2007.
This is the first race for Morris-
sey, a stay-at-home mother of
two. She answered a few ques-
tions on their cause.
Please explain why
Q: you chose the library
as your cause.
A: We chose the library
because we wanted to
find something that would bene-
fit all members of our communi-
ty. We both love to read and take
our children there often — it is
one activity that anyone young or
old can use at no cost. By choos-
ing the library, we are showing
our kids how to give back to the
Library friends’
Documentary Film and
Discussion Series
Burning the Future: Coal in
America, April 9: Ashland
Friends of the Library presents
the film Burning the Future:
Coal in America. The film will
be shown at 7 p.m. in the Com-
munity Room, Ashland Public
Library, 66 Front St., and is free
and open to the public. Viewers
are invited to stay for discussion.
Coal burning generates 55 per-
cent of the electricity in the U.S.
Long before supplies run out,
either restrictions will be
imposed on burning coal or the
planet will be uninhabitable.
Thirty-six percent of U.S. global
warming emissions come from
approximately 501 coal-burning
power plants. Every 11fi days,
the explosive equivalent of the
Hiroshima atomic bomb is
unleashed upon the mountains of
southern West Virginia and east-
ern Kentucky to blast off entire
mountain tops. Entire mountain
ecosystems, fresh water,
wildlife, trees and plants are
destroyed.
This isn’t a remote story,
unconnected to Ashland. There
are three coal burning power
plants in Massachusetts—Som-
erset, Salem, and Holyoke.
Bruce Nilles, Sierra Club’s
national coal campaign director,
has said, “This film burns
through the ‘clean coal’ rhetoric,
showing the harsh truth of the
coal story.”
The Sustainable Table: The
True Cost of Food, Tuesday,
April 28: Fifty percent of our
ecosystems are now unsustain-
able. Modern agricultural prac-
tices and animal factory farming
are a major source of the prob-
lem. The Sustainable Table
relates how food is produced to
what we eat: a high protein diet
laced with poisonous chemicals,
antibiotics, and genetically mod-
ified organisms. And it relates
what we eat to our health.
Sustainable Table also critical-
ly examines alternatives, such as
organic farming. Organic, under
current regulations, does not nec-
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community. Won’t it make them
proud to go there and see the
books that their parents helped
them buy? What you are teach-
ing the kids is a three-part lesson
— evaluating the needs of a
community, trying to help solve a
problem, and then becoming
active and doing something
about it.
How have you been
Q: training and has it
been difficult?
We have been following
A: a novice training sched-
ule we found online and using
advice and support from the
Hopkinton Running Club. We
have been running three to four
days a week and cross-training
other days. Leslie has run the
Marathon before and she has
been able to share her experi-
ence. It has been very challeng-
ing — we have been running in
snow, rain, sleet, sub-zero tem-
peratures, you name it. Some-
times we would come back from
a run with icicles on our eye-
LIBRARY NOTES
essarily mean chemical-free.
Sulfur, for example, is permitted
on grapes marketed as organical-
ly grown.
Local food production and
knowing your farmer are keys to
sustainable agriculture
practices. Making the transition
to local food production will not
be easy and may cost more. As
prices skyrocket and the Oil Age
draws to a close, are you willing
to pay a little more for fresher,
healthier food to support local,
more sustainable farming?
The Documentary Film & Dis-
cussion Series meets every sec-
ond Thursday and fourth Tues-
day of the month for an in-depth
look at important topics of our
day. The discussions are often
lively and thought-provoking.
All points of view are welcomed.
For more information, visit
www.friendsoftheapl.com.
Friday night films
No film April 10 for Good Fri-
day.
The Visitor, April 17: Won-
derful film with Richard Jenkins,
one of the year’s best.
Michael Clayton, April
24: Excellent thriller with
George Clooney, Tilda Swinton,
Tom Wilkinson, Sydney Pollack.
Ghost Town, May 1: Funny
dialogue, Greg Kinnear, Tea
Leoni, Ricky Gervais.
Early release programs
Whale Tales, April 29: A Red
Cross safety program, from 2
p.m. to 3 p.m. for grades 1-5. The
American Red Cross believes
one way to help reduce drown-
ings in children ages 5-12 is to
teach water safety education in
elementary schools and other
youth programs. The American
Red Cross created Longfellow’s
Whales Tales to help teach chil-
dren about safe behavior in, on
and around the water.
This program will help give
children an awareness of being
safe around the water and to help
promote healthful aquatic recre-
ation. This program will intro-
duce participants to various safe-
ty topics through lecture, discus-
$
4.00 Off
Winter Coats
brows and heads. Training in
Ashland on all of the hills has
prepared us well for Heartbreak
Hill.
Having someone to train with
has been a huge, great support
for each other — we have
laughed for probably 300 miles,
and cried for about two. Typically
we run between 20 and 40 miles
per week.
Q: Why the Marathon
instead of a different,
less grueling fundraiser?
A: I started running with
Leslie this past fall. We
were running four to six miles on
Fridays. Leslie mentioned casu-
ally on one of our runs, “We need
a goal. We should run the Boston
Marathon this year.” In between
breaths, I said I did not think I
had it in me, and she said, “Why
not?”
I couldn’t answer her, so I
thought about it more. If I can run
this Marathon, I can do
anything. I had the time to train
this year and I began to get excit-
sion, worksheet and hands-on
activities.
Early release day programs
take place at the Ashland Public
Library, 66 Front St., lower level.
For more information, e-mail
president@friendsoftheapl.com
or visit www.Friends
oftheAPL.com. Children under
10 must be accompanied by an
adult. Programs are free, but
space is limited.
Children’s programs
Children’s Lap Sit for
Infants and Toddlers: Every
Wednesday from 10:15 to 10:45
a.m. Drop in and join us for sto-
ries, songs and finger plays.
Space is limited.
Saturday Story Time: For
ages 3fi to 6 at 11 a.m. Drop in.
Parents may either sit with the
child in the Program Room or
wait in the Children’s Room.
Family movies: On Saturdays,
at 2 p.m. April 11, April 18 &
April 25. School Vacation Week:
Tuesday, April 21 and Wednes-
day, April 22 at 2 p.m. Please
check with the Children’s
Department for titles, ratings and
movie length. Children under
age 10 must be accompanied by
an adult. You may bring snacks.
Teen Events
Young Adult Author Book
Talk, Saturday, April 18:
Come meet local author Alisa
Libby and enjoy a book talk and
reading from one of her novels,
10 a.m. to noon. Alisa Libby
grew up in Natick and is the
author of two young adult nov-
els, The Blood Confession and
The King’s Rose. The Blood
Confession is the dark tale of a
countess who will go to extreme
and frightening lengths to pre-
serve her youth and beauty. The
King’s Rose tells the story of
Catherine Howard, who married
King Henry VIII and met a grim
fate.
Please register for this event in
advance by calling the library or
visiting the Reference Desk.
Appropriate for age 13 and up.
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Ashland residents Leslie Marci, left, and Maribeth Morrissey, right, go for a 12-mile training run Tuesday.
ed about the prospect of having
the bragging rights. When we
really thought about it, we were
week to take out books, movies
also teaching our kids to reach for
and computer games. The kids
goals that may seem impossible,need to read books every week
but when broken down into partsfor their school assignments. In
became surmountable. the past they could take books
out at their school library, but
How do your own those libraries were closed last
Q: families benefit from year due to budget cuts. We both
the library? belong to book clubs and love to
Young Adult Wii Games
Thursday April 23, at 4:30
p.m.: Young adults, ages 11 and
up, are invited to play Super
Smash Brothers Brawl, Carnival
Games, or Wii Sports. Games
will be selected based upon inter-
est and number of players. If
desired, participants may bring
their own controllers. Snacks
will be provided.
Sunday Concert
Christopher Pouliot, May 10,
2-4 p.m.: Please join us for a solo
piano recital given by Christo-
pher Pouliot, which will open
with three miniatures by Bela
Bartok to be followed by
Mozart’s Rondo in D. To round
out the first half of the program,
Pouliot has chosen the Three
Novelettes, a charming work by
Francis Poulenc. After intermis-
sion, Pouliot will end the recital
with a beautiful work by Enrique
Granados. This piece is a suite of
pieces evoking 19th century
Spain known as Six Popular
Spanish Folk Songs.
For more information, call
508-881-0134 or visit
www.friendsoftheapl.com
Art in the Library
Downstairs:
Colors and Rhythm, watercol-
ors by Carolyn Kiefer, March 30
to April 30. Longtime Framing-
ham resident and artist Carolyn
Kiefer will be exhibiting her
vibrant watercolors this month.
For many years, Carolyn
dreamed of being an artist, but it
wasn’t until she summoned up
the courage to take an art class
that the reality started to unfold.
“The first time I put paint to the
paper was thrilling,” she said. “It
felt like I was experiencing cre-
ation for the first time.”
Carolyn enjoys watercolor
“because there is so much that
happens in the process of paint-
ing that is accidental.” She has
developed a technique using
paints wet into wet, a hair dryer
and large hake brushes, and
occasionally works in pastel and
colored pencil.
Replace that rotted
leaking problem,
now for Spring.
We can fit any size:
flat or sloped
foundations.
We do full digouts!
LEAK
DETECTION
EXPERTS
April 9, 2009 The Ashland TAB, Page 3
STAFF PHOTO BY ART ILLMAN
Our families visit the read. Our kids beg to go to the
A:
library about once a
library, and so it was great to be
able to connect two separate
goals.
To sponsor Marci and Morris-
sey, visit www.friendsofth
eapl.com and click on the mem-
bership link. — David Riley
Garden
For Carolyn, “the painting is a
journey into the unknown. The
challenge is always to trust my
meeting
inner voice while constantly
dealing with a changing reality.”
Finding this path has been “a
packed
About 50 people met in the Ash-
gift” to her.
land Public Library Community
Some of the paintings on
Room on Sunday to take further
exhibit will be from her “Spirit
steps toward establishing a com-
Vessel” series, which Carolyn
munity garden. Facilitated by
has exhibited at the Danforth
Cathy Rooney and Leslie Githens,
Museum’s Round Room Gallery
the group discussed possible sites
and at 60 Nobscot Gallery in
that would allow them to get start-
Sudbury. She works out of her
ed this season.
Tripp Street studio in Framing-
Three working groups were
ham.
formed to tackle governance and
Display case:
management, design and layout,
Lil’ David Williamson, walk-
and site preparation and resources.
ing stick carver, March 17 to
Action items included site design,
May 30. Framingham folk artist
preparation, and development and
Lil’ David Williamson will be
garden management. The group
displaying his unique hand-
also formed a coordinating com-
carved walking sticks in the
mittee of Cheri Valone, Laura
upstairs display case. He started
Rund, Paul Savard, Florence
carving these sticks almost 20
Siedell and Leslie Githens.
years ago as a result of the recur-
The Sunday meeting grew out
rence of childhood polio: the
of a speakers’ forum held March
stick was needed for him to stay
14, where 70 people listened to
mobile.
speakers from Westborough and
Each stick is unique and fol-
community gardens in Southbor-
lows a theme which could be
ough and Somerville. Young and
dragons, firefighters, mermaids,
old, some with yards of their own
reptiles, flowers, battleships, etc.,
and others who live in condos,
or images based on a particular
turned out to learn how they can
friend who the stick was carved
establish a community garden in
for (such as a doctor, pilot, etc.).
Ashland.
Each walking stick branch is
These meetings were co-spon-
selected for its uniqueness, and
sored by three local groups — We
through a lengthy process, is
Love Ashland, the Ashland Gar-
carved creating relief images
den Club and the Friends of the
which are then painted with
Ashland Library, who see com-
vibrant colors and sealed.
munity gardening as a way to
These are truly very special
build community, share knowl-
creations that Lil’ David has
edge and resources, and provide
agreed to share with us at the
nutritious food and healthy liv-
Ashland Library. In the case
ing.
there will also be a more detailed
For more information, contact
description of the process that
Cynthia Whitty at
Lil’ David goes through in creat-
cynwhitty@aol.com.
ing his fascinating folk art.
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