The Corrigan Connection

What do Maureen Corrigan, Pat Corrigan and Kelly Corrigan have in common?  As far as I know, these three extraordinary women have no family ties, but together they demonstrate the quality and range of the Library’s adult programming.

Maureen Corrigan, book reviewer for NPR’s Fresh Air, came to Ridgefield in 2014 to share the insights in her newly released book “So We Read On: How the Great Gatsby Came to Be and Why It Endures,” adding a fresh and timely element to our community-wide Big Read that fall of the Fitzgerald masterpiece. 

Pat Corrigan does not have the nationwide fan base Maureen enjoys as a radio celebrity, but she has a very loyal following among Ridgefield Library patrons. A retired high school art teacher from Pawling, NY, Pat teaches regular crafting and sewing programs that fill up as soon as they are announced. 

Acclaimed speaker, best-selling author and cancer survivor Kelly Corrigan will be appearing at the Ridgefield Playhouse on March 8^th as part of the Library’s Noreen L. Papa – Mothers: Live your Life health and wellness series. Admission is free but registration at the Library’s website at www.ridgefieldlibrary.org is required for this inspirational presentation by our latest Corrigan connection.

To Your Health @ the Ridgefield Library

Free blood pressure screenings by the Ridgefield Visiting Nurse Association (RVNA) are the latest health and wellness service being offered by your Library.  From July 13^th through the end of December, RVNA volunteers and nurses will be on hand on the 2^nd Wednesday of each month from 11:00 AM to 12 noon.  Look for the sign-in table in our Main Lobby; no appointments are required, and the service is provided free of charge.

This new service is a perfect fit with several other initiatives currently underway, including our two-year partnership with Lyme Connection and Smart Revenue to build a model community response to end Lyme Disease. In addition to continued Lyme awareness and prevention education, our Summer Reading Program theme of exercising your mind and your body will include several meditation and healing workshops for adults and entertaining and educational encounters with bugs for children.

Also on tap is a series called Summer of Running, supported by our Noreen L. Papa: Mothers Live your Life Fund and featuring a wealth of activities related to running in Ridgefield and around the world. Watch also for announcement of a date for this year’s RVNA flu shot clinic at the Library in the fall.

Teens Can Learn Tools to Enhance Their Health and Wellness

April really is the cruelest month, especially if you are in high school. AP exams begin soon, there are recitals, concerts, dances, and research papers galore. All this activity can cause stress, stress can cause illness, and no one has time for that!  The Ridgefield Library has partnered with the Ridgefield Chamber of Commerce Health and Wellness Council to offer a series of programs for high school students who are looking to lead healthier lives. These programs will teach teens some “Life Hacks” they can use at any time.  On April 27^th a yoga instructor and a meditation teacher will lead a program on Calming the Chaos. They’ll show teens how to center themselves with movement, breath, and mindfulness. May 20^th brings a program that will help teens look and feel their best. A nutritionist and skin care expert will show some simple approaches to eating healthily. Finally, on May 25^th, the RVNA’s director of community health and wellness will teach teens some time management skills to maximize their downtimes. All the programs will run from 4 to 5 PM at the Ridgefield Library. High school students are encouraged to sign up through the Library’s website at ridgefieldlibrary.org. 

Contributed by Teen Services Librarian Geri Diorio