Berne Library Notes for Wednesday, January 20, 2021

“How about I tell you a story?”

Having a little sister asking tons of questions was Nancy Payne's diving board to storytelling at a young age. As her life circled into teaching within Albany's classrooms, students did all manner of moaning and groaning when told to take out their history books.

So Nancy came up with a plan. “OK,” she would begin, “how about I tell you a story?”

Growing up in Schenectady where her father worked at General Electric, Nancy remembers doing lots of outdoor family activities like picking blackberries in the woods, hiking in the hills, and setting up a lemonade stand outside the local baseball stadium on Jackson Avenue.

Now a Hilltowner, Nancy's been a member of the Story Circle of the Capital District since 1984, threading storytelling performance opportunities through Proctors Theatre to historical societies to libraries.

“Mining Our Common Heritage” is Nancy Payne’s story conversation in the “TEDxBernePublicLibrary — Life On the Hill” experience scheduled from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 27.

Also in the lineup is Pastor Bob Hoffman with “When In Doubt Call the Pastor.” Being the spiritual leader for the First Reformed Church of  Berne since 1976, Pastor Bob has mastered the public speaking scene.

Like Payne, Hoffman enjoys outdoor meanderings where kayaking, hiking, and landscaping add elements of zen to his day. When asked "What makes you happy no matter what?" a contemplative moment was followed with: “Helping people. I’m happy no matter what when I’m helping people.” 

When I asked myself that question, my gut response was pizza. I really like to eat.

So, there you have it. Two more of the eight personalities you’ll meet virtually at the TEDx mixer on Feb. 27. Mark your library calendar now.

Kids explore

Cooperative Extension is providing an interactive virtual experience in a partnering coup with the Hilltown Libraries. This free “4-H Virtual Exploratory Series” is zooming on all the February Wednesdays — 3, 10, 17, and 24 — from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.

Project kits, picked up at the library ahead of time, supply your child with instructions with or without virtual participation. Topics include agriculture, animal science, STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) and creative arts.

For Berne library members, email director@bernepubliclibrary.org to register your 6 to 12 year olds.

Photo contest

Three cheers for the indomitable spirit wrapping the Friends of the Berne Library group! Forging on with their sixth Juried Photography contest virtually, email your entries to donna@bernepubliclibrary.org by the Jan. 30 deadline.

Call us

For any library questions about curbside pick-me-ups, hours, events or services, please call 518-872-1246 and someone will get back to you. Thank you.