THINGS ARE HEATING UP AT THE LIBRARY

Hastings Public Library is celebrating Salsa on May 7th as their part in the Hastings’ Girls’ Night Out event. They will be hosting a Siete de Mayo Salsa Contest from 5:00-8:00.

All local salsa aficionados are invited to bring a sample of their favorite salsa recipe for the tasting delight of others. There will be two categories of salsa entries: hot and mild. Prospective entrants need to sign up at the library’s Information Desk.

Rules are simple. 1) Cooks are to prepare salsa in as sanitary a manner as possible. 2) Drop off salsa at the information desk between 5:00 and 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 7th. At the discretion of the library staff, cooks may be asked to taste their own salsa – and any contestant who refuses will be disqualified.

Any visitors to the library between 5:30 and 7:30 may vote on their favorite recipe. Chips and tasting cups will be provided.

Prizes will be awarded at 7:45 and contestants do not need to be present to win.
Call the library for more information at 945-4263.

Suffering from Cyberphobia?

Do you suffer from cyberphobia? Hastings Public Library has the cure!

Beginning April 27th the Hastings Public Library will begin a series of computer classes aimed at those just beginning to master computer skills. These beginning classes, which will be held throughout the spring, will focus on Word (Microsoft’s word processing software), E-mail skills, and Excel (Microsoft’s spreadsheet software for calculations).

The first set of classes will be aimed at those wanting to learn Word and will cover basic formatting skills for letters and reports. All of the classes will be held in the library’s Community Room and each participant will be assigned a laptop computer to use during the class.

One set of classes will be held on Mondays at 2:00 p.m. for three weeks: April 27th, May 4th and May 11th.

Another set of classes will take place on Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. (April 29th, May 6th, and May 13th).

A final set of classes will be held on Fridays from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. (May 1st, May 15th and May 22nd).

The class is limited to six; but a minimum of three must register for the class to be held. Registrants will be able to sign up for further classes in Word at the last session. Call the Hastings Public Library to register (945-4263) or sign up at the library today.

Jazz Festival Friday and Saturday April 17-18 at Library and Throughout Barry County!

Find the Best Hikes in Michigan this Thursday April 16th at 7:00 PM

Tom Funke, a local resident and author, will talk about hiking Michigan trails on Thursday, April 16th at the Hastings Public Library. The program begins at 7:00 in the library’s community room.

Bringing the library’s winter reading club to a close, Tom will speak about his recently published book and about local trails guests may be interested in hiking.

Tom has hiked over 1500 miles of the North Country Trail, including hiking the entire states of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania. He's also hiked hundreds of miles in Minnesota and Pennsylvania. The North Country Trail is 4500 miles long, winding its way through NY, PA, OH, MI, WI, MN, and ND. He is currently in the process of writing the first guide to the trail.

He published his first book, "50 Hikes in Michigan's Upper Peninsula", in 2008 and has another book in process telling the story of his 6 week, 450 mile adventure across the UP in 1998.

Book Club for Adults

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield promises to provide a rich discussion for the Book Club's meeting Thursday, May 7 at 6:30 pm. This first novel pays tribute to the Gothic underpinnings of the Brontes and Daphne deMaurier while maintaining its own freshness. In this venture, Vida Winter is a renowned author who has decided to reveal her life's story to Margaret Lea an aspiring biographer. Separating tale from tale makes this storytelling at its best.