Poland Community Briefs

Read, rap and snack

Join the Poland library teen book club. For the January meeting on Jan. 12 at 6:30 p.m., they will discuss a book chosen at the December meeting. Look for postings with the book title after the December meeting. There will also be time to discuss any of your favorite books/music/movies/TV shows, so feel free to attend even if you haven’t read the chosen book. Snacks will be provided.

Tie-dye pillowcase party

Transform a white pillowcase into a colorful tie-dye creation at the Poland library at 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 27. Pillowcases and snacks will be provided. Space is limited and registration is required. Register by calling 330-744-8636 and ask for the Poland library. This event is for tweens and teens in grades 4-12.

Snow-who?

Snowmen have come to the Poland library dressed as their favorite book characters. Match each snowman character with the name on the literary character list for chance to win a prize during regular hours in January. Snow-Who? is for tweens in grades 4-6 and teens in grades 7-12.

National kazoo day

Join the Poland library from 2:30-4 p.m. on Jan. 28 as they celebrate the kazoo. Children will learn about the kazoo and play in their very own kazoo band. This is for school-age children, tweens and teens.

Take flight - paper airplanes and more

Investigate the basic principles of flight, make and test a variety of paper airplanes and try on a real flight suit at the Poland library at 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 26. Registration is required. Call 330-744-8636 or visit the Poland librarians’ desk. This event is for children grades 3-8.

Sensational Preschool Science

Watch some neat, easy science demonstrations and join in with other interactive science activities at the Poland library at 6 p.m. on Jan. 14. This event is for children ages 3-5.

Listen and Lego

Listen to a story and then have fun building with Legos at the Poland library at 1 p.m. on Jan. 7. Legos will be provided.

The Art of Ballroom Dancing

Join Joe Sepesy, retired injured veteran, and Linda McPhail, the dance instructor who helped Sepesy overcome physical and emotional challenges through ballroom dancing, at the Poland library at 10 a.m. on Jan. 29. Sepesy is the author of “Word Dances: A Collection of Verses and Thoughts About Ballroom Dancing.” Books will be available for purchase. Reservations are needed.

Now You Know series

Join the Poland library at 6 p.m. on Jan. 21 for the Now You Know Series. This event’s topic will be the latest medical advances in treating opioid addiction.

The presenter will be Dr. Daniel Brown, D.O., Medical Director, at Meridian HealthCare. You can’t miss them — newspaper ads and billboards offering medical treatment for opioid addiction. There are many misconceptions, myths and questions about Medication Assisted Treatment. New for-profit organizations are offering it, but one non-profit organization, Meridian HealthCare has been offering it the longest and for the most people.

Meridian’s medical director, an expert in addiction medicine, will explain how opioid addiction works and the medicines that work to reverse it. He will explain why counseling is critical, length of treatment and resources available in the community. This event is co-sponsored by the library and Meridian HealthCare. Reserve a spot at 330-744.-636.

PLYMC holiday closings

All libraries in the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County system will be closed on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1 for New Year’s Day and on Jan. 18 for Martin Luther King Day.

Gamblers Anonymous to meet

Gamblers Anonymous, a 12-Step fellowship of compulsive gamblers who want to recover from their gambling addictions, will meet twice this week in the Youngstown-Warren area.

A GA meeting takes place every Friday at Westminster Church, located at 119 Stadium Drive in Boardman, and every Sunday at Christ Church Presbyterian, located at 3425 Hopkins Road in Youngstown (in Cornersburg). Both meetings begin promptly at 7:30 p.m. and last about 1 1/2 hours.

Those who believe gambling has affected any part of their lives are urged to attend.

Local business is Toys for Tots drop-off location

Larry’s Drive Thru and Mini Mart is a proud sponsor of the Toys for Tots program and needs your donations to help make a child’s Christmas happier. For your convenience, this location’s toys for Tots box is located in the drive thru so you do not have to get out of your car to donate. Just bring in a new, unwrapped toy, drop it off and help make this magical season a brighter one for those children in need. No gift is too small. Larry’s Drive Thru and Mini Mart is located at 3305 Center Road in Poland. If you have any questions, call them at 330-953-0512.

Bonding with babies and books

Bonding with Babies and Books is for caregivers and their little ones who are 6-23 months. The Poland library will host 20 minutes of language enrichment including rhymes, songs, and stories, followed by time to play and socialize. Children must be accompanied by an adult. This event will take place Dec. 30 at 10 a.m.

Unwrap the gift of reading

Santa dropped in and left some presents at the Poland library. Stop by the library during regular hours in December to grab a gift. On the gift tags are a synopsis of what’s behind the wrapping to give you a hint. Sometimes it’s just fun to be surprised! This event is for tweens, teens and adults.

Carlozzi Financial Services hosts sixth Annual Funds and Food Drive

Carlozzi Financial Services is helping local families in need this holiday season. The public is invited to join Carlozzi Financial Services and their clients to give a monetary donation or a non-perishable food item to Second Harvest Food Bank. Monetary donations or non-perishable food items can be dropped off at Carlozzi Financial Services, located at 831 Southwestern Run, Suite 1, in Poland. For more information, visit www.CarlozziFinancialServices.com.

Playaway Launchpad learning tablets for children

The Library is now offering Playaway Launchpad learning tablets for children. They are currently available for checkout by checkout on Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County adult full-service library cards at Main library and the Austintown, Boardman, Newport and Poland branches. Playaway Launchpads are designed just for children and are pre-loaded with high-quality, ad-free apps that are both fun and educational. For more information, visit www.libraryvisit.org.

Downloadable magazines and newspapers

Magazines and newspapers are now available on the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County website through the Digital Catalog and Download Center powered by Overdrive. The magazines and newspapers are available for digital checkout and can be read on a Nook or Nook app on smartphones and tablets. Magazines from Zinio are no longer available through the library. For more information, visit www.libraryvisit.org.

YWCA receives grant from Second Harvest

YWCA of Youngstown received a $6,500 Ohio Benefit Bank Tax Assistance Capacity Building Grant from Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley. The grant will allow the YWCA to continue assisting members of the community with free filing of income tax returns and other benefits. In 2015, the YWCA has assisted 146 clients through the Ohio Benefit Bank.

The Bistro at MCCTC open to the public

Student-operated restaurant The Bistro at Mahoning County Career Technical Center is open for lunch hours to the public. The Bistro will be open Tuesdays-Thursdays from 10:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. for dine-in or carry out through the winter. The Bistro is run by students enrolled in the Culinary Arts Program at the Mahoning County Career and Technical Center. This gives students the chance to gain experience in all facets of working in the restaurant industry, from working as kitchen staff, line cooks and the Sous Chef to waiting tables and hosting. The Bistro schedule is as follows: Jan. 5-7, 13, 14, 20, 21. The restaurant will also be open in February and March with dates being announced soon. Call the restaurant for more information or to make a reservation.

14th International Exhibition of Botanical Art and Illustration

The Hunt Institute of Pittsburgh brings the work of 35 botanical documentation artists from around the world to the Weller Gallery at Fellows Riverside Garden. The exhibit will run through Jan. 10 from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.

Bits and Pieces of Our History

Through December, the Melnick Museum at Fellows Riverside Gardens will showcase the Bits and Pieces of Our History exhibit, which takes a look at the very early years of Mill Creek Park. The exhibit is open from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.

Bits and pieces of Mill Creek Park

Now though December 2015, visit the exhibit at Fellows Riverside Gardens-Melnick Museum that takes a look at the very early years of Mill Creek Park. The exhibit is open every day from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.