Thank you!
Your support is sustaining the future of local news in our communities.

Authors will sign books at 14th annual event at Hotchkiss Library in Sharon on Aug. 6

SHARON — The 14th annual Sharon Summer Book Signing at the Hotchkiss Library will be held Friday, Aug. 6.

Two of the authors attending will be Rachel McPherson and ABC News reporter Brian Ross.

McPherson’s book, “Every Dog Has a Gift,†is a collection of inspiring stories about how dogs, including animal therapy dogs, service dogs and even plain untrained dogs, have helped humans.

“Anyone who has a relationship with a dog knows nothing is more valuable than the love we give them and the love they give us back in return,†McPherson said. “The most important thing about this book is that it tells stories about how dogs bring these kinds of feelings into people’s lives.â€

McPherson is the founder and executive director of The Good Dog Foundation, the largest animal-assisted therapy organization on the East Coast.

In the book, she draws upon her experiences and those of other people with dogs.

“The book has a fabulous story about a single mother who raises money to train a service dog named Chad,†McPherson said. “She’s getting the dog for her 11-year-old autistic son. When she gets the dog, her son makes  incredible strides. Eventually, he gets off of his medicine, thanks to the dog. The story is about a true gift.â€

McPherson lives in Brooklyn and has a weekend house in Milan, N.Y.  

She has only been to The Hotchkiss Library once, during a fundraiser last fall.

However, she said it made a memorable impression on her.

“It is a beautiful library, and definitely a treasure for Sharon and the surrounding areas,†she said. “I think, in the culture of a community, there is always a need for a library. Even with electronic books and the Internet, it’s still very important to have the written word and the availability of books. There is nothing like holding onto a great book and reading it.â€

Brian Ross, who has been in the broadcast journalism business for more than 35 years, will be signing his book, “The Madoff Chronicles: Inside the Secret World of Bernie and Ruth.â€

“Everyone who got taken thought that Bernie Madoff was something special,†Ross said. “He persuaded a lot of smart people that he had a secret recipe for making money. He was so highly regarded, and even the federal government was afraid to crack down on him.

“I’m not even so sure if people have learned from what happened, but at least for a few years people will be cautious.â€

Ross has lived in Sharon since 1986 and is a member of the Hotchkiss Library board.

“I started going to the Hotchkiss Library when my son was growing up and doing homework on the weekends,†Ross said. “I think the library is the great cultural center of Sharon. My family believes in reading and writing. I think the generations that are growing up need a library, it totally enhances a community.â€

The library building in itself is a historical and architectural treasure, he said.

“We want to keep what’s in the library itself in good shape and we want it to stay current,†he said. “We want it to have all of the advantages of a modern library without it losing its inherent charm.â€

The 14th annual Sharon Summer Book Signing will be held on Friday, Aug. 6, at the Hotchkiss Library, from 6 to 8 p.m.

Admission is $25 and will include a wine bar and hors d’oeuvres.

For more information, call 860-384-5041 or visit hotchkisslibrary.org.

Latest News

Sharon voters split opioid settlement funds between ambulance, regional programs

Sharon voters approved splitting $24,000 in opioid settlement funds at an Aug. 27 town meeting.

Alec Linden

SHARON — Sharon voters unanimously approved splitting $24,000 in opioid settlement funds between the town’s ambulance service and a regional fund supporting addiction prevention, harm reduction and mental health services.

The decision Thursday, Aug. 27, came two months after voters rejected an earlier Board of Finance-backed proposal, 27-11, at a June 18 town meeting. Residents had expressed concern about directing all the money, which must be used for opioid remediation, to a regional organization rather than supporting the town’s emergency medical service.

Keep ReadingShow less
At Peggy Mercury, prep meets punk in ‘Imaginary Concerts’
Greg Fricke and James Boehmer, co-owners of Peggy Mercury in Kent, recently launched their first fashion line, “Imaginary Concerts.”
Provided

Last month, James Boehmer and Greg Fricke of Peggy Mercury launched their first fashion line, “Imaginary Concerts,” wearable art sold exclusively at their store in the Kent Barns section of Kent, Connecticut.

The two fashion industry veterans opened Peggy Mercury more than two years ago, and a quick visit will tell you that people are finding what they’re looking for at the beauty and lifestyle store. But what they’re looking for is never standard.

Keep ReadingShow less

“Girlbomb” at 20

“Girlbomb” at 20
Photo by Jessica YurkoMillerton author Janice Erlbaum will celebrate the 20th anniversary of her memoir “Girlbomb” at Black Rabbit Dispensary on Sept. 5.
Photo by Jessica YurkoMillerton author Janice Erlbaum will celebrate the 20th anniversary of her memoir “Girlbomb” at Black Rabbit Dispensary on Sept. 5.
With memoir...the character only knows what the character knows.
Janice Erlbaum

In “Girlbomb: A Halfway Homeless Memoir,” published in 2006, author Janice Erlbaum wrote about the years after she left her family’s Brooklyn apartment at 15, moving through shelters, group homes, squats, clubs and the streets of 1980s New York while somehow continuing to attend high school. The book has sold more than 75,000 copies, stayed in print for two decades and continues to find new readers.

Now Erlbaum, 57, lives in Millerton and on Saturday, Sept. 5, at 7:30 p.m., she will celebrate the 20th anniversary of “Girlbomb” with a reading at Black Rabbit Dispensary. The event is open to the public and will be livestreamed on Instagram.

Keep ReadingShow less
google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.

Spencertown’s 21st Festival Of Books
Joshua Jelly-Schapiro, author of “Daylight Come: Harry Belafonte and the World He Made” is one of thefeatured authors at the Spencertown Academy Festival of Books on Saturday, Sept. 5.
Mirissa Neff

On Saturday, Sept. 5, the Spencertown Academy Arts Center in Spencertown, New York, will host its 21st annual Book Festival.

With over 20,000 gently used books, CDs, DVDs and vinyl donated by the community, it took volunteers 45 days — and an estimated 750 hours —to set the whole thing up. Most of that time was spent sorting through the vast troves of donations and organizing them by category.

Keep ReadingShow less
Paul Newman racing doc to screen in North Canaan on Sunday
“Winning: The Racing Life of Paul Newman,”will be screened Sunday, Sept. 6, at the Colonial Theatre in North Canaan.
Provided

On Sunday, Sept. 6, Lime Rock Park will host a screening of the documentary “Winning: The Racing Life of Paul Newman” at the Colonial Theatre in North Canaan at 7 p.m.

Newman was one of the most celebrated actors of the 20th century, known for films including “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” “Hud” and “Cool Hand Luke.” His 1969 film “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” also began a decades-long friendship with co-star Robert Redford.

Keep ReadingShow less
Community to take center stage at Dive Barn

A scene from last year’s Dance Barn.

Steven Tayler

On Sunday, Sept. 6, PS21 in Chatham, New York, will host a celebration of community through dance at its second annual Dive Barn performance at the organization’s Dance Barn.

Dive Barn is the brainchild of dancer, teacher and choreographer Sayer Mansfield, who has dedicated her life to contemporary and experimental dance. She studied in the Department of Dance at NYU Tisch School of the Arts and at the Salzburg Experimental Academy of Dance. She’s performed with companies including Pilobolus, Compagnie Marie Chouinardand Mark Morris Dance Group. Her work has been featured in films including “Little Women,” “Maestro” and “Sproutland.” She has served on the faculties of Jacob’s Pillow, Phillips Academy Andover, as well as Harvard and Yale Universities.

Keep ReadingShow less
google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.

google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.