Program Details
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Following My Father's WWII Footsteps in Fila Sneakers
(with Bill Hammond)
Wednesday, April 24 @5:30PM (at Trumbull Hall)
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Two of my brothers and I had long planned to follow the route that my father had taken during World War II. We intended to follow the path of the 142nd regiment, of which Dad was a part, but when we found a trove of his letters to his mother, written from Italy and Germany during the war, we knew we had the detail we needed to create a meaningful replication of his war-time journey. What was he thinking when he anticipated the battles? What was he thinking during them? When his own commander went down and Dad had to assume leadership—while feeling a bullet graze his neck—what did he do to help his troops fight and survive?
The trip, taken during October of 2023, was a way to honor my father, to recognize his and his fellow soldiers' sacrifice, and to reinforce a bond with my brothers. This talk will focus on the marvels of the excursion and the serendipity in finding things we didn't think possible.
Build Your Own Bluebird Nesting Box
Saturday, May 4 @10AM (at the Library)
Enjoy this family event at Hayes Farm Park and the King Bird Sanctuary! We'll build bluebird nesting boxes, have snacks, and read books about birds! All ages welcome; no cost.
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Spaces are limited! Please sign up at:
Live Free or Die: The Contested History of the Words on Your License Plate
Wednesday, May 22 @6:30PM (at Trumbull Hall)
In 1969, when New Hampshire officials decided to put the state’s motto – “live free or die” – on its license plates, many citizens viewed the act as an endorsement of the deeply unpopular war being waged in Vietnam and protested by covering up or altering the motto.
In response, authorities cracked down hard: arresting, fining, and sometimes even incarcerating those who engaged in duct-tape dissent. People appealed their convictions, sparking a legal contest over the First Amendment that went all the way to the United States’ Supreme Court.
In this NH Humanities-supported multimedia presentation, historian and former newspaper reporter Dan Billin tells a uniquely New Hampshire tale illustrating the genius – and the fragility – of the First Amendment.
National Donut Day at the Library
Friday, May 31 from 9am-4pm (in-person at the library)
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​National Donut Day is on June 2nd. Since that's on a Sunday, the Etna Library will be celebrating this delicious occasion the Friday before!
Lots of varieties of donuts, all spread out on our long table, will be available for the taking.
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All free and all tasty... while supplies last! Please stop by!
