Whose Water Is It? Talk & Visual Presentation by the Washington Environmental Council

Thursday, February 28 @ 6:30 pm

The Washington Environmental Council will present, as part of the Harwood Lecture Series, Whose Water Is It? What to Know about CT’s Water & How to Protect It?

Water, one of the three, vital, natural resources, is around us, over us, in us, and beneath us. How we balance the water needs of human activity and those of the natural world will determine our present and our future. Is our water supply and quality protected? What is the State Water Plan, and what is it intended to do? Is water a public trust resource or a private commodity? And who decides? This presentation will explore these complex issues around this simple, but all important natural resource. Light refreshments will be served at the end of the presentation.

Since its founding in 1971, the Washington Environmental Council’s (WEC) mission has been to be an advocate for and provide leadership in maintaining, protecting and enhancing the environmental quality of the Town of Washington and the surrounding area. For more information on WEC visit wec-ct.org

Hugh Rogers is a retired public school teacher who has been interested in river health ever since he was a boy. He is currently a board member at Rivers Alliance of Connecticut, where he works on public outreach and advocacy for the preservation and conservation of clean water. He has been a resident of Washington, CT for over 30 years.

Traditional Roles of Native American Women in Southern New England Tribal Societies

Thursday, March 7 @ 6:30 pm

Snow date: Thursday, March 14 @ 6:30 pm

In traditional Native American societies, women were and still are considered major assets to their communities and are respected as the social equals of men for a number of reasons. Dr. Lucianne Lavin, Director of Research for the Institute for American Indian Studies, will provide a short introduction to the indigenous communities in southern New England, and then focus on the traditional roles of women in those communities. Women’s roles and status will be compared to that of indigenous men and to their European female contemporaries. This presentation will also discuss how those roles changed in response to the devastating effects of European colonization and briefly touch upon the lives of some 20th & 21st century traditional indigenous leaders in Connecticut.

Lucianne Lavin, Ph.D is an anthropologist and archaeologist with over 40 years of research and field experience in Northeastern archaeology and anthropology and currently works as the
Director of Research and Collections for the Institute for American Indian Studies in Washington, CT. She received her M.A. and Ph.D in Anthropology from New York University and her B.A. from Indiana University and has written over 150 professional publications and technical reports.

Shaping Shepaug: Part II Agricsience Expectations

Tuesday, March 12 @ 6:30 pm

The Shepaug Agriscience program has exceeded application expectations for the incoming ninth-grade class. Seventy-five students from Washington, Roxbury, Bridgewater, and six sending towns have applied for admission to the program. Region 12 administrators and staff are pleased with this response, and they wish to continue their mission to inform the community about the program and gather community ideas as they move forward. Region 12 Superintendent Megan Bennett, Principal Kim Gallo, and Agriscience teacher Lori Trovato will continue a community conversation about the future of Shepaug Valley School.

This conversation will focus on the status of the program, curriculum expectations, and the integration plan for new students of Shepaug Valley School. Community members are encouraged to ask questions and share ideas that will help school leaders, faculty, and families guide their vision of the new program. They look forward to seeing many community members!

Movie Matinees

A Star is Born

Monday, February 25 @ 1 pm

In “A Star Is Born,” Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga fuse their considerable talents to depict the raw and passionate tale of Jack and Ally, two artistic souls coming together, on stage and in life. Theirs is a complex journey through the beauty and the heartbreak of a relationship struggling to survive. In this new take on the iconic love story, four-time Oscar nominee Cooper makes his directorial debut, and also stars alongside multiple award-winning, Oscar-nominated music superstar Gaga in her first leading role in a major motion picture. Cooper portrays seasoned musician Jackson Maine, who discovers and falls in love with struggling artist Ally. She has given up on her dream to become a successful singer, until she meets Jack, who immediately sees her natural talent.

R / 2hr 15 min

Bohemian Rhapsody

March 4, 2019 @ 1 pm

A foot-stomping celebration of Queen, their music and their extraordinary lead singer Freddie Mercury, who defied stereotypes and shattered convention to become one of the most beloved entertainers on the planet. The film traces the meteoric rise of the band through their iconic songs and revolutionary sound cementing the legacy of a band that were always more like a family, and who continue to inspire outsiders, dreamers and music lovers to this day.

PG-13 / 2 hr 14 min

Can You Ever Forgive Me?

March 11, 2019 @ 1 pm

In CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME? Melissa McCarthy stars as Lee Israel, the best-selling celebrity biographer (and cat lover) who made her living in the 1970’s and 80’s profiling the likes of Katharine Hepburn, Tallulah Bankhead, Estée Lauder and journalist Dorothy Kilgallen. When Lee found herself unable to get published because she had fallen out of step with the marketplace, she turned her art form to deception, abetted by her loyal friend Jack (Richard E. Grant).

R / 1 h 47 min

The Favourite

March 18, 2019 @ 1 pm

Early 18th century England is at war with the French. Nevertheless, duck racing and pineapple eating are thriving. A frail Queen Anne (Olivia Colman) occupies the throne and her close friend Lady Sarah Churchill (Rachel Weisz) governs the country in her stead while tending to Anne’s ill health and mercurial temper. When a new servant Abigail Masham (Emma Stone) arrives, her charm endears her to Sarah. Sarah takes Abigail under her wing and Abigail sees a chance at a return to her aristocratic roots. As the politics of war become quite time consuming for Sarah, Abigail steps into the breach to fill in as the Queen’s companion. Their burgeoning friendship gives her a chance to fulfill her ambitions and she will not let woman, man, politics or rabbit stand in her way.

R / 1 h 39 min

Green Book

March 25, 2019 @ 1 pm

When Tony Lip, a bouncer from an Italian-American neighborhood in the Bronx, is hired to drive Dr. Don Shirley, a world-class Black pianist, on a concert tour from Manhattan to the Deep South, they must rely on “The Green Book” to guide them to the few establishments that were then safe for African-Americans. Confronted with racism, danger-as well as unexpected humanity and humor-they are forced to set aside differences to survive and thrive on the journey of a lifetime.

PG-13 / 2 hr 10 min

All programs are free and open to the public, but registration is requested.
Please call 860-868-7586 for further information or visit www.gunnlibrary.org
The Gunn Memorial Library is located at
5 Wykeham Road at Route 47 on the Green, in Washington, CT.