Grooving To The 80s
Moonwalking, Big Hair & Sally Ride
By Becky Corning
Librarian, Pauline Robinson Library
The air was filled with the sounds of children and adults belting out songs like Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” and The Bangles’ “Walk Like An Egyptian.” The trivia questions addressed topics ranging from the name of the first American woman in space to the name of Bobby McFerrin’s 1988 song. The style of dress included legwarmers, lots of plastic bangle bracelets, neon colors, animal prints … and very big hair!
What am I describing? The “Groovin’ to the ‘80s” party at the Pauline Robinson library on Friday, Aug. 5.
Attendees enjoyed activities that included ‘80s karaoke, a giant Connect Four game, a photo booth, ‘80s trivia, a moonwalk contest and costume contest. Participating in events allowed people to “earn” Chipotle burritos. The event was part of the City and County of Denver’s Denver Days 2016.
Judith Bergquist, one of our circulation clerks at the library, organized the event. She said she especially enjoyed the dance contest. She was excited to see the diversity of people who participated – young and old.
Circulation/Security Clerk Raheim Crowley also enjoyed the dance contest. In fact, he somewhat reluctantly decided to participate. “While enjoying the 80’s party, I had the pleasure of judging the dance contest, or ‘Moon Dance contest,’ a pleasure I would have politely turned down if I knew I’d be looking like a Home Alone 3 victim,” he said, laughing.
His official role began as judge of the contest, but “somehow while judging this great contest, children and adults giving it their best and flaunting their best moves … as the competition started to draw to a close, I thought it’d be a good idea to get a few others involved and called for any last entries.
“For the life of me, I am not sure why I really did it, as this was met with cheers for me to be the one to join in the reindeer games.”
Raheim remembered a small voice calling out, “Hey mister, you should go!” followed by a symphony of other voices. “I could feel the energy boiling up inside me,” he recalled. “At that moment I couldn’t let the cheers of my future adoring fans down!”
Library Program Associate Mary Trujillo noted everyone seemed to love the life-size Connect Four game as well.
“It’s not often you get to play a life-sized game, and people kept coming back to play over and over,” she said.
“It was great to have the community come together and have fun,” said Pauline Robinson Senior Librarian Leslie Williams. “I really liked how the Hills Church donated time and brought their popcorn machine and popped popcorn for everyone. It really made me feel good.”
We hope to make this an annual event.
Pauline Robinson Branch Library – September programs
One-on-One Computer Help | Mondays and Wednesdays, 12 p.m.-1 p.m.
Learn the basics, such as email, social networking, word processing and eMedia. Call the library at 720-865-0290 to schedule an appointment for Monday or Wednesday.
Preschool Storytime | Wednesdays Sept. 7, 14, 21, 28 10:30 a.m.
Stories, songs, rhymes and fun for 3-5 year olds and their parents or caregivers.
R.A.D.A ~ Read. Awareness. Dialogue. Action | Saturday, Sept. 10, 2:30 p.m. @Dahlia Campus for Health and Well-Being, 3401 Eudora St., Denver.
The R.A.D.A. book discussion series provides a safe space to discuss some of the issues and movements of the day with respect and compassion. Library staff are partnering up with the Dahlia Campus to discuss The Price of Silence: A Mom’s Perspective on Mental Illness by Liza Long. Long takes a devastating look at how we address mental illness, especially in children, who are funneled through a system of education, mental health care, and juvenile detention that leads far too often to prison. Call the library for more information.
Anime Club | Saturday, Sept. 10, 3 p.m.
Anime watchers, Manga readers and Anime Lovers alike come join us the second Saturday of the month. For grades 8-12.
Frozen Greatness: Ice Cream, Sorbet, Granita with local caterer Monica Kadillak | Thursday, Sept. 15, 5:30 p.m.
Want to make a favorite dessert? This class will highlight great frozen treats you can make at home.
The Pauline Robinson Book Club | Saturday, Sept. 24, 12 noon
This month’s selection: Midnight Crossroad by Charlaine Harris. Drop-ins are welcome.
Welcoming Week with Denver Art Museum | Saturday, Sept. 24, 2p.m.
Welcoming Week is Sept. 16-25 is designed to connect neighbors and welcome families into the community. Join us as we make art with the Denver Art Museum as part of their Rhythm and Roots Display. Arrive early, supplies are limited to first 20 participants.
Park Hill Branch Library – September programs
“Uke” Can Do It! Ukulele Lesson Series | Saturdays, Sept. 3, 10, 17, 24, 2:30 p.m.
We’ll strum a little, plink out a tune or two; and of course, you’ll be ready to tiptoe through the tulips. Each class builds on another in the following order: Tablature and getting to know the ukulele, chords and singing, chord-melody, and the performance. Come to all four or drop in if you can. Loaner ukuleles available, or bring your own.
Stories on Stage: Dogs v. Cats | Wednesday, Sept. 7, 7 p.m.
Stories on Stage is a Denver theater company that brings great fiction to life, presenting professional actors in dramatic readings of short works by exceptional authors. Join us for this humorous and heartwarming program that will attempt to determine which pet can really lay claim to the title “Man’s Best Friend.”
No Strings Attached Book Club | Saturday, Sept. 10, 11 a.m.
Read whatever you want and attend whenever you can. Share a recent read, an old favorite, or anything in between.
Divided Plant Exchange | Tuesday, Sept. 13, 6:30 p.m.
Bring divisions of your plants and take home some new ones. Meet other gardeners too. Anyone is welcome to attend the plant exchange, and we would like to encourage all to bring plants so that there is something to exchange.
Colorado Crimes and Real-Life Mysteries with Authors Joyce and Stephen Singular | Wednesday, Sept. 14, 6:30 p.m.
Stephen and Joyce Singular, forensic journalists, have written books about some of the highest-profile crimes in Colorado history including the assassination of Alan Berg (made into the Oliver Stone film Talk Radio), JonBenet Ramsey, the 2012 Aurora theater shooting, and, most recently the murder of Aspen heiress Nancy Pfister. The Singulars will take you through the process of finding the right story, getting the right sources, and working together to produce a finished book and a potential TV movie or feature film. Books will be available for purchase and signing.
Batman Day | Saturday, Sept. 17, 11 a.m.
Biff! Boom! Ka-pow! Holy sharks, Batman, it’s time for another Batman Day. Quick! To the library for a day of crafts and activities perfect for any fan of the Dark Knight.
Jaipur Literature Festival presents Stories on Stage: An Evening with the Authors | Thursday, Sept. 22, 7 p.m.
Stories on Stage, in partnership with the Jaipur Literature Festival, performs theatrical readings from participating authors Erika Krouse and Sarah Elizabeth Schantz. Krouse is a nationally known author and her books include Contenders and Come Up and See Me Sometime. Schantz’s debut novel, Fig is a Colorado Book Award winner. Stories from both the authors will be performed by professional actors. The authors will join us after the show for a talk-back. Doors open at 6:30pm for this after-hours event.
Sewing Lounge | Saturday, Sept. 24, 10 a.m.
Need a sewing machine for a special project? Grab your supplies and head on over to use ours. We’ll be here to answer your questions.
The Basics: Memory Loss, Dementia and Alzheimer’s | Tuesday, Sept. 27, 4 p.m.
If you or someone you know is affected by Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, it’s time to learn the facts. This program provides information on detection, possible causes and risk factors, stages of the disease, treatment, and much more. Presented by Karen Moravek, MSW, community education coordinator with the Alzheimer’s Association of Colorado.