400 Miles Down the Connecticut River with Michael Tougias - Thursday, May 15

There’s something for everyone in this slide presentation on Thursday, May 15th at 7pm, as Michael Tougias takes the audience on an incredible voyage down the entire 410 miles of the Connecticut River. Discussion of the Native Americans, log drives, steamships, canals, wildlife, and environmental issues are included with natural history, adventure and more. Practical tips will be given including his favorite sections of the river to paddle, fish and camp. Tougias’ slides will also help the viewer find the best spots for photographing wildlife such as moose and bald eagles. Humor is woven throughout the talk as Tougias describes some of his misadventures on the river. For more information visit the author's website, http://www.michaeltougias.com/ .

Vote Tuesday May 13, 2008 – (Regarding Park Street School)

Please remember to vote Tuesday May 13 on the question of the continued use of Park Street School. Polls are at Riverside Middle School Gymnasium and open at 8:00am and close at 7:00pm. For more info please call the Springfield Town Clerk's Office at 885-2104.

Hungrytown Concert Friday April 25 - 7:30pm

Enjoy a welcome back to spring concert at the library Friday night April 25th. The musical duo of Rebecca Hall and Ken Anderson, originally from Manhattan, now live in West Townshend and are happy to be back in Vermont after spending the winter touring. Their music covers a broad range of styles; old time folk balladry, bluegrass, Celtic, classic country and retro pop - enriched by the thousands of miles they have traveled, performing around the US and Europe.

Rebecca has won numerous songwriting awards and has a knack for penning tunes that sound like time tested classics. She has been dubbed, "a new folk classicist" by the Boston Herald. Ken, the producer of the new CD also titled Hungrytown, plays multiple instruments throughout the recording, including drums, B3 organ, harmonica, bass and guitar as well as harmonizing the duo's elaborate vocal arrangements.

This free concert is made possible by the generous support of The Friends of The Springfield Town Library. Doors open at 7:00 pm and the performance will begin at 7:30 pm. Stop by the library and listen to a track from the CD Hungrytown or visit the band's website at http://www.hungrytown.net/.

How to Protect Your Identity

This morning, Laura Dobos from the Vermont Attorney General's office presented a program on Identity Theft and Telemarketing Scams. Laura gave us some general tips for dealing with telemarketers, and ideas on how to protect our documents, credit card information, and other personal information. For those of you who may have missed this program, Laura has left some handouts which are available at the library. The presentation was also taped for SAPA TV and will be aired later this spring. We've asked Laura to do a repeat of this program on a Saturday in the Fall if we have enough interest, so let the folks at the main desk know if you'd like to attend a program on protecting your identity.

Reminder to Vote — Tuesday, April 8

Please remember to vote next Tuesday, April 8, on the revised budget for the Springfield School District. Voting will take place at Riverside Middle School Gymnasium — Polls will open at 8:00 am and close at 7:00 pm. For more info, please call the Springfield Town Clerk's office at 885-2104.

Celebrate Women's History Month at the Library!

We have two special March events sponsored by the Vermont Humanities Council. On Thursday, March 20th at 6:30pm historians Linda Peavy and Ursula Smith will be discussing the medical adventures of frontier women. This program places these women within the context of 19th century medical practice and invites discussion of parallels between folk remedies of yesteryear and alternative medicine practices of today. Please join us in the Flinn Room of the library for this exciting program!

Our second event takes place on Saturday, March 29th at 1pm - Susan B Anthony - The Invincible! will come to life circulating petitions, getting arrested and challenging legislators when she appears at the library courtesty of the VT Humanities Council and co-sponsored by The Springfield Art and Historical Society.

Anthony was an abolitionist and women's rights advocate, fighting for equal pay and property rights, but she is best known as the foremost leader of the woman suffrage movement.

Sally Matson has been touring the country as the fiesty activist for five years, appearing at such diverse venues as Time Warner, Raytheon, the Army Corps of Engineers, Portland State University in Oregon, the Warren Library in Vermont, and the Arthur Brisbane Child Treatment Center, New Jersey.

A graduate of Northwestern University School of Communication, Matson studied writing at the University of Virginia and Manhattanville College. She has been acting and directing for thirty years. Matson performed in a Department of Defense show in the pacific and has been a writer and interviewer on CT Cable TV.

Letters, speeches and diaries are used in the play to reveal both her wit and her fury. Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, William Lloyd Garrison, Lucy Stone, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and many other contemporaries are mentioned in the show. Her words transport the audience to the time of the Underground Railroad, the Civil War, fights over the Constitutional Amendments, and Westward expansion.

"I am on the road now and that is exactly what she did," said Matson, whose current touring somewhat mirrors Anthony's road trips in the 1800s. "Anthony's influence still resonates in our society; women and minorities continue to fight for equity. I am spreading her story, her mission."

American Precision Museum Presentation and Slide Show - March 11 6:30pm

Ann Lawless, the Executive Director of the American Precision Museum will bring this first ever off site program to the library on Tuesday evening March 11th at 6:30pm. You'll get a "behind the scenes" look at the collections care project, preview new exhibits for this year and take a look and ask questions about ongoing projects.

Ann will give us a special preview of an innovative partnership with River Valley Technical Center and the working machine shop exhibit to open in May 2008. Come see some of Precision Valley's local history right at the library!

We Now Have Downloadable Audio Books

The Springfield Town Library is pleased to announce that we are now offering downloadable audio books. These books are offered in conjunction with other member libraries of the Green Mountain Library Consortium.

Currently, 276 titles are available, covering many topics and genres (both fiction and non-fiction). These are available at:

http://www.listenupvermont.org/

A "Quick Start Guide", "Guided Tour", and other information is available at that address. In short however:

• To download a book, you will need a computer running Windows (98-SE or later), with Windows Media Player 9 or higher.
• You will also need to install player software that can be obtained at: http://www.overdrive.com/software/omc/download.asp
• Items are checked out for 7 days, and 2 items may be checked out at one time. Items return themselves at the end of this period — No overdues to worry about.
  
• Once downloaded, items can be transferred to an Mp3 player, and many can be burned to CD (for personal use only).
  
• To check items out, or place a hold, you will need your library card number (entered with no spaces).
• If you still have questions or comments, please call the Springfield Town Library at 885-3108.

Volunteer Tax Preparation Assistance

The Springfield Town Library is pleased to announce that we will be offering assistance with tax form preparation. In cooperation with the AARP (http://www.aarp.org/) we will have two trained volunteers to help with preparing federal and Vermont state personal income tax forms, as well as Vermont state property tax and renter rebate forms.

Assistance will be by appointment only. Currently two appointment dates have been set, Tuesday, March 4 (appointments from 3:15 to 7:00) and Thursday, March 6 (8:15 am to noon). To schedule an appointment, please call or stop in at the Springfield Town Library (885-3108). While additional dates will be announced, appointments are limited, so please call early.

When you come for your appointment, please bring the following (as applicable):

• Current year's tax forms and preparation booklet.
• Copy of last year's tax return.
• W-2 forms from each employer.
• Unemployment compensation statements.
• SSA-1099 form if you received Social Security.
• All 1099 forms (1099-INT, 1099-DIV, 1099-B, etc.) showing interest and dividends, and documentation showing purchase price of sold assets.
• 1099-R if you received a pension or annuity.
• 1099-misc for any miscellaneous income.
• All forms indicating federal income tax paid.
• Dependent care provider information (name, employer ID, Social Security number).
• All receipts and cancelled checks if itemizing deductions.
• Social Security cards or other official documentation for you, your spouse and any dependents.
• Property tax bill.
• Landlord Certificate.
• Any other relevant documents.

Note: Our staff members will be happy to assist you in finding needed forms -- however, if you need assistance with their preparation, you will need to arrange an appointment with one of our volunteers, as our staff is not trained to provide such advice.

Please Remember to Vote — Tuesday, March 4 — (Town Meeting and Presidential Primary)

Please remember to vote in the Town/School District Meeting and Presidential Primary on Tuesday, March 4. Polls open at 8:00 am and close at 7:00 pm. Voting will be at its usual location, the Riverside Middle School gymnasium. If you live outside Springfield, please call your local clerk's office for time and polling place information. For absentee ballot information, please call the town clerk's office at 885-2104.

The actual meeting part of the Town and School District meeting will be held the preceding evening (Monday, March 3) at 7:30 pm, and will take place at the Springfield High School cafeteria.

Copies of the Annual Town and School District Report, as well as the Tech Center Report are available at the Springfield Town Library and at the Springfield Town Clerk's Office.