Late October events at Westlake Porter Public Library

Wednesdays, Oct. 16, 23 and 30 (9:30 & 10:15 a.m.) Let’s Sing and Dance! – Sing and move to the music with Miss Nancy! For children ages 2-6 with a caregiver. Please arrive early to receive a ticket.

Wednesday, Oct. 16 (3-4 p.m.) Ocean and River Cruising – Which type of cruise is right for you and your family? Karen Kulow helps you figure out which cruise will maximize your fun and time. Please register.

Wednesday, Oct. 16 (3-4:30 p.m.) Tween Scene – Drop in after school to play board games and video games with your friends. Snacks will be provided. Grades 5-6.

Wednesdays, Oct. 16, 23 and 30 (4-5:30 p.m.) and Thursday, Oct. 17 (6:30-8 p.m.) Bow Wow Books – Stop by Youth Services to sign up for a 10-minute reading time with a reading therapy dog. Dogs will stay for 10 minutes past the last registered reader or 1.5 hours, whichever comes first. Sign-ups begin Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. and Thursday at 6 p.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 16 (6:30-8:45 p.m.) Cuyahoga West Genealogical Society – Dorothy Titera from the Westlake Family History Center will present "Genealogical Roundtable: Honoring Our Military Ancestors."

Wednesday, Oct. 16 (7-8:30 p.m.) Garden Club Presents Medical Marijuana – Dr. Dvora Nelson of Lakewood Medical Clinic will discuss the benefits of medicinal marijuana for some common diseases that fall under Ohio’s qualifying conditions. Please register.

Thursdays, Oct. 17, 24 and 31 (4-5 p.m., Grades 3-4) and Mondays, Oct. 21 and 28 (4-5 p.m., Grades 3-8) Code Club! – Learn how to build an app, design a video game, and change the world through code! Registration begins a week before each session. Please register for just one session per week.

Thursday, Oct. 17 (Preschool session: 6:30 p.m.) and Friday, Oct. 18 (Preschool session: 9:30 a.m.; Toddler session: 11:30 a.m.) Teach Me to Play – Do you want to help your child learn to play with others? Are you looking to give your child more social opportunities? Your child will enjoy playing with other children while practicing language and social skills. Since you attend together, you will have the opportunity to interact with experts who can provide strategies for dealing with problem behaviors and offer tips for increasing your child’s communication skills. Specifically designed for children ages 18 months-6 years who are struggling in an area of development. Register at connectingforkids.org/register or by calling 440-250-5908.

Friday, Oct. 18 (10-10:45 a.m.) Come Play With Me! – Open playtime with age-appropriate toys. For children ages 2-5 with a caring adult. Siblings welcome.

Saturday, Oct. 19 (10:30-11 a.m.) Family Storytime – An interactive family storytime featuring books, rhymes, songs, movement and a small craft. For families with children ages 2-6. Siblings welcome.

Saturday, Oct. 19 (11 a.m.-1 p.m.) Escape Artists Writers Group – This group meets monthly to provide guidance, encouragement, inspiration and feedback for those looking to improve their writing skills.

Saturday, Oct. 19 (1-2 p.m.) Did You Know That Stress Can Cause Cognitive Decline? – Learn how stress affects your brain and ways to reduce and deal with the stressors in your life. Join us and Kemper Cognitive Wellness and change the way that you feel. Please register.

Saturday, Oct. 19 (2-2:45 p.m.) All Aboard the LEGO Train – The LEGO Coding Train has arrived! Hop aboard and learn through play about coding concepts while building your train’s adventure. Ages 4-6. Please register.

Saturday, Oct. 19 (2-4 p.m.) Craftapalooza – Come to the library and help us clean out our craft closet. A variety of make-it and take-it crafts will be available in the Youth Services Department. All ages.

Saturday, Oct. 19 (2-5 p.m.) Queer Flicks @ Porter – Join us for a screening of the film "Tomboy." A mix-and-mingle session complete with refreshments will follow the screening. Please register.

Saturday, Oct. 19 (3:30-5 p.m.) STEAMMaker Lab: Marvelous Metals – During 2019’s International Year of the Periodic Table, Celebrate Chemistry Week we’ll take a look at metals! Grades 3-5. Please register.

Sunday, Oct. 20 (2-3 p.m.) American Girl Doll Club – 2018 Girl of the Year Luciana Vega is a girl with a head for science and her heart set on exploring Mars. We will talk about space, play games and do a theme-related craft. Ages 6-11. Please register.

Mondays, Oct. 21 and 28 (3:30-5:30 p.m.) Teen Lounge – We have computers, video games, board games, snacks and more! For grades 7-12 only.

Mondays, Oct. 21 and 28 (7-8:30 p.m.) American Sign Language Basics – If you ever wanted to learn ASL, now is your chance! Join us for drop-in sessions on Mondays. Instructor June Pritchard will teach the basics of this visual, gestural language used most often by the hearing impaired.

Monday, Oct. 21 (7-8:30 p.m.) Investors’ Interest Group: Why Is Market Timing So Difficult? – Market timing implies attempts to predict future price behavior and trend changes, using some form of modeling to create the forecast. Past efforts have had limited success because modeling typically assumes some form of linear behavior, while reality is much more complex. The resulting conundrums will be discussed, along with some alternative solutions. Please register.

Tuesday, Oct. 22 (10:30-11 a.m.) Tree Tale Teller – Tree Tale Tellers from Holden Arboretum are sharing special stories all about trees! For children ages 2-1/2 to 5, siblings welcome.

Tuesday, Oct. 22 (1-1:45 p.m.) Sensory Stations – Engage your child’s senses by scooping, pouring, sorting and more with a variety of fun materials. For children (ages 2-7) with special needs, their families, and their typical siblings or peers.

Tuesdays, Oct. 22 and 29 (2-3:30 p.m.) Conversational Spanish – Learn Spanish vocabulary and pronunciation with an expert instructor.

Tuesday, Oct. 22 (5:30-8:30 p.m.) Understanding Mindfulness – Mindfulness is the practice of being aware of your mind and body moment by moment to create a feeling of well being. Why would we want to become aware of depression, panic attacks, chronic pain, stress, depression, anger or fear? What we resist, persists. Awareness gives a sense of control and calm to these feeling and emotions and changes the chemistry in the brain. This class will include the scientific facts, explanations as well as demonstrations with class participation. Please register.

Tuesday, Oct. 22 (7-8:45 p.m.) Paul Landis: Mrs. Kennedy’s Secret Service Detail – Paul Landis, as a young Secret Service agent, was attached to Jackie Kennedy’s Secret Service detail on that fateful day in November 1963. Please register.

Wednesday, Oct. 23 (2 p.m.) Wednesday Afternoon Book Discussion – The October selection is "The Great Alone" by Kristin Hannah.

Wednesday, Oct. 23 (7-8 p.m.) Tech Lab: e-Health Devices – Discover the latest tech gadgets for health such as smart watches, home EKGs, and meditation devices in a blended lecture and hands-on demo. Please register.

Wednesday, Oct. 23 (7-7:30 p.m.) Mix-It Up! – Let’s mix it up with fun fall activities! We’ll be getting messy so be sure to wear play clothes! Ages 4-16. Please register.

Thursday, Oct. 24 (noon-1:30 p.m.) Small Business Lunch & Learn: Email Marketing Quickstart – Email marketing: can’t live with it, can’t survive without it! Kick start your email marketing strategy with today’s step by step walk-through of an email marketing tool. Please register.

Thursday, Oct. 24 (6:30-8 p.m.) Connecting for Kids’ Speaker Series – Does your child struggle with self-doubt? Is motivation an issue? Is schoolwork completed to the best of his or her abilities? Learn how encouraging a growth mindset for your child, and developing a growth mindset in parenting, can help your child develop resilience in thinking and actions. Free, supervised children’s activities are available, but adults and children must register separately. Register at connectingforkids.org/register or by calling 440-250-5908.

Friday, Oct. 25 (10 a.m.-noon) Fiber Fanatics – A time for needlecrafters to share, solve problems, and show off.

Friday, Oct. 25 (11-11:45 a.m.) and Thursday, Oct. 31 (6-6:45 p.m.) Adapted Storytime – Children with varying learning styles and abilities learn together in a safe supportive environment where respect and appreciation for differences is encouraged. This 30-minute storytime followed by a time for socialization is designed for children who may not be successful in a typical storytime experience. Content is geared to ages 3-7 but all ages are welcome. Siblings may also attend but must register separately. Registration begins one week before each session.

Friday, Oct. 25 (4-4:45 p.m.) Got Science? – Challenge yourself to build a stable structure with the items provided. Grades 1 and 2. Registration begins Oct. 18.

Saturday, Oct. 26 (10-11:30 a.m.) Digital Photography – Take your pictures from drab to fab! Learn the techniques and fundamentals of producing amazing photographs from the experts at Dodd Camera. Bring your own digital camera or smartphone to use. Please register.

Saturday, Oct. 26 (10 a.m.-noon) Basic Flower Arranging – Create a fall flower arrangement in a small glass bowl using fresh flowers. Please register.

Saturday, Oct. 26 (10 a.m.-4 p.m.) Halloween Fun! – Join us for some spook-tacular Halloween crafts! All ages. While supplies last.

Saturday, Oct. 26 (10:30 a.m.-noon) Investing Demystified!: Why Buy Stocks? – Kathleen Richards, director of NEO Better Investing, will talk about how to build wealth, buy more stock and pay less, be safe by “not putting all your eggs in one basket,” and have long-term success with quality growth stocks. Please register.

Saturday, Oct. 26 (1:30-3 p.m.) Medicare Update – Medicare Open Enrollment is Oct. 15-Dec. 7. Join us for an Ohio Department of Insurance OSHIIP presentation providing timely information regarding Medicare coverage options. Please register.

Saturday, Oct. 26 (2-4 p.m.) Chainmaille Bracelet or Earrings – Learn how to make a Chainmaille bracelet or pair of earrings. Chainmaille is a special way of putting jump rings together to make jewelry. Please register.

Saturday, Oct. 26 (2-3 p.m.) Brick Builders – Love those bricks? Bring your ideas and imagination! Lego and Duplo bricks provided. For ages 3-12.

Sunday, Oct. 27 (2-4 p.m.) Chess Club – Hone your chess skills or learn how to play the game. Recommended for ages 6+, but all ages are welcome. If you have a chess set, please bring it with you.

Sunday, Oct. 27 (3-4 p.m.) Art Smarts – Explore works of a well-known artist and then use what you’ve seen to create an art piece of your own! Grades 3-6. Registration begins Oct. 20.

Monday, Oct. 28 (1-1:30 p.m.) Yoga Time! – This is a perfect way to introduce yoga and practice simple poses. Remember to wear comfortable clothing and bring a towel or yoga mat. Ages 3 and up with a caregiver; siblings welcome.

Tuesday, Oct. 29 (7-8:30 p.m.) Hanging Out with Lee Harvey Oswald – Meet Joseph Reardon, who met Lee Harvey Oswald prior to his assassinating President Kennedy. Please register.

Tuesday, Oct. 29 (7-8 p.m.) Breakout: Haunted Halloween Edition – Similar to an escape room, this breakout challenge will test your ability to work together, solve the clues and escape from the demons of the night. Grades 7-12. Registration begins Oct. 22.

Wednesday, Oct. 30 (7-8 p.m.) An Evening of Poetry with Elise Panehal – Join local writer and musician Elise Panehal for an evening of poetry! Elise will bring copies of her book, "The Girl Who Couldn’t Talk Dirty," which can be purchased following the event. Please register.

Wednesday, Oct. 30 (7:30-9 p.m.) Westlake Westshore Arts Council: FYI Opera – The Arts Council presents students from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music.

To register for any of the programs, please call 440-871-2600 or visit events.westlakelibrary.org/events.