Allen Public Library

Presented by Allen Public Library, learn the story about a female spy who worked for the CIA and FBI. Listen to a live virtual program presented by Tracy Walder at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 23 at https://allentx.swagit.com/live/ . Audience can submit questions until 8:30 p.m., July 23 at liveonstage@cityofallen.org. Tracy Walder brings us her thrilling new book, The Unexpected Spy: From the CIA to the FBI, My Secret Life Taking Down Some of the World’s Most Notorious Terrorists, an audio bestseller. She has been both a counterterrorism Staff Operations Officer with the CIA and an FBI Special Agent specializing in Chinese counterintelligence operations. Tracy Walder is a graduate of USC and Chapman University, an adjunct professor of Criminal Justice at TCU, and sits on the Board of Girl Security. Call 214-509-4911 for further questions.

Do you recall when friends and neighbors sat on the porch and entertained themselves and each other by playing tunes on their own instruments and as well as household objects such as jugs and washboards? Long to relive those days or experience music without batteries or earbuds? Treat yourself to a live virtual concert presented by the E-Flat Porch Band at 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 10, at https://allentx.swagit.com/live/ —it’s sure to boost your spirits and energize the start of your weekend. Rudy Littrell and Duane Brown’s “porch music” is played on acoustic instruments and pays homage to our varied Texas musical roots. Their style is influenced by country blues, Texas folk music, jazz and swing standards, and Depression Era country songwriters. Guitar playing styles include finger picking and slide guitar. Other instruments include the acoustic bass, harmonica, cymbal, and a drum-like instrument of their own design made out of a wooden soda pop box. This is a small band with a big sound--up to eight instruments will be heard simultaneously, along with harmonizing vocals. This concert is free. Call 214-509-4911 for information.

A doctor, financial counselor and a psychologist discuss what it means to live with intent at 4 p.m. Thursday, June 25 at Facebook (@allenpubliclibrary) or AllenCityTV’s https://allentx.swagit.com/live/. Presented by Dr. Shahan Chowdhury, Board Certified Physician, Heena Khan, Licensed Professional Counselor, and Shahmeen Khan, Certified Financial Coach. Recommended for ages 18 and up. No registration required to participate. Recommended for ages 18 and up. Call 214-509-4905 for additional information.

Blackland Prairie Raptor Join us for a live virtual up-close experience with the Blackland Prairie Raptor Center at 2:30 p.m., Wednesday, June 17. This program will be broadcast on the Allen Public Library’s Facebook page (@allenpubliclibrary) and AllenCityTV’s https://allentx.swagit.com/live/. Learn more about birds of prey, including owls, hawks and falcons. This delightful raptor show is especially for families with elementary age children. Submit your questions to be answered by the presenters to us via email at liveonstage@cityofallen.org or through our the Library’s Facebook page. No registration is required to participate. Call 214-509-4906 for additional information

This year marks the 400th anniversary of Mayflower's sailing to America and the resulting founding of Plymouth Colony by the Pilgrims. Many of the stories of this great adventure stay with us today. One of the best-known passengers on the Mayflower was Miles Standish, commander of the colony’s militia immortalized in the fictional The Courtship of Miles Standish by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Another popular tale recounts the Pilgrims’ shock when an Indian sachem fearlessly strolled into their fledgling campsite and declared the now famous words, “Welcome, Englishmen.” Listen to a live virtual program presented by Judie Allen and Captain James Battles USN at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 25, at https://allentx.swagit.com/live/ Audience can submit questions until 8:30 p.m., June 25 ay 21 at liveonstage@cityofallen.org. A direct descendant of Mayflower passengers William, Alice and Pricilla Mullins, John Alden and Richard Warren, Ms. Allen is the Governor for the Texas Society of Mayflower Descendant and has served the Society as Assistant General to the General Society of Mayflower Descendants. In 2020, Judie co-edited the book Gone to Texas – How Mayflower Descendants Got to Texas published by the Texas Society for the 400th Commemoration of the Mayflower voyage. She explains, “The Texas Society of Mayflower Descendants’ goal is to educate and promote an accurate, historical, and sometimes, unromantic account of our amazing Pilgrim ancestors.” Captain Battles, retired Unites States Navy, earned a Ph.D. in Educational Communications and Medical Education. He has served the on faculty of Ohio State University, the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, and the Uniformed Services University of the Heath Sciences in Bethesda, MD as a medical educator. While researching family history, Captain Battles discovered that he was a descendant of Mayflower passenger James Chilton. Using his expertise in educational communications, he wrote and produced a video entitled Chilton’s Challenge that tells the story of Chilton and his daughter Mary, which is available on YouTube. Call 214-509-4911 for additional information.

Live but virtual program presented by former Associated Press reporter Rusty Williams at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 21 at https://allentx.swagit.com/live/ Audience can submit questions until 8:30 p.m., May 21 at liveonstage@cityofallen.org. Fifty years ago the world held its breath as three American astronauts drifted through space in a crippled command module. With depleted oxygen tanks and only a trickle of electric power, only gravity, precise navigation, and a miracle of engineering could save them from a dark and lingering death in deep space. The dramatic story of Apollo 13 has been told in books, documentaries, and a movie, but writer-historian Rusty Williams witnessed events first-hand from the Mission Operations Control Room at the Manned Spacecraft Center. As a junior reporter for the Associated Press, Williams observed ─ and wrote about ─ the backstage magic eventually brought the astronauts home safely. Williams will tell his exciting story through a virtual presentation for the first time at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 21 at https://allentx.swagit.com/live/. Former KERA-FM news editor and CBS Radio broadcaster B. J. Austin will interview Williams on-stage at the Allen Public Library, asking for details and stories not generally known to the public. Questions from the audience will be accepted until 8:30 p.m. May 21. Please submit your questions to liveonstage@cityofallen.org. Rusty Williams is an award-winning writer and speaker, the author of four history books. His Red River Bridge War: A Texas-Oklahoma Border Battle (Texas A&M University Press, 2016) was named “Best Book of Oklahoma History, 2016” by the Oklahoma Historical Society. My Old Confederate Home—A Respectable Place for Civil War Veterans (University Press of Kentucky, 2010) won the 2011 Douglas S. Freeman Award for Southern History. Call 214-509-4911 for additional information.

POSTPONED Daily Life in the Scottish Highlands Colorful kilts. Skirling bagpipes. Brooding castles in the mist. Learn much more about the Scottish Highlands with Sharon Hudgins at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 26 at the Allen Public Library! This illustrated lecture by Sharon Hudgins looks beyond the stereotypes about Scotland to show how people have lived in the Highlands from the Stone Age to the present. She also shares her own personal stories about daily life in an old stone cottage on the remote and rugged north coast of Scotland. Sharon Hudgins is an award-winning author and journalist who has lived in 10 countries, including Scotland. A former university professor, she has also been a lecturer on numerous tours for National Geographic, Smithsonian, Viking Cruises, and other companies, including a recent cruise around the British Isles to the Scottish Highlands and the Shetland and Orkney Islands. Her next book will be about the changes that have occurred in village life on the north coast of Scotland during the past 50 years. Sponsored by the Allen Public Library, this event is free. Refreshments will be served. The library is located at 300 N. Allen Dr. For additional information, phone 214-509-4911.

Celebrate Celtic Night at the Allen Public Library with Skeleton McKee at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 14. Bringing the best of rock and rollicking Celtic roots/folk/rock, pub songs, and a wee bit of traditional blues and country, this band keeps your toes tapping and your hands clapping with a dose of comic relief on the side. Skeleton McKee is a popular band in the DFW music scene, with Celtic infused entertainment featuring outstanding vocal harmonies, precision instrumentation and intricate rhythms. Skeleton McKee comprises jovial, experienced musicians who combine impressively diverse backgrounds to deliver the cream of the Celtic tradition. Once you experience a live show, you’ll know why their slogan is “All for fun and fun for all!” The Dallas Observer declares, “Skeleton McKee’s influences range from Irish fo bluegrass to country to swing—Skeleton has an original, smoky, bluesy quality to them that makes their music addictive, but satisfyingly traditional .” Band members include: Marj Troyer (mandolin, banjo, electric guitar, vocals); Betsy Cummings (piano accordion, bodhran, vocals); Garren Bagley (acoustic guitar, vocals); Patrick McGuire (electric bass, vocals); Trae Hamilton (drums, percussion). Sponsored by the Allen Public Library, the concert is free. The library is located at 300 N. Allen Dr. Call 214-509-4911 for more information.

Enjoy a program that is written and presented by Mexican poet Jorge de la Parra del Valle at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 13 at the Allen Public Library. Adapting his poetry book When The Stars Are Aligned into theatrical monologues in the style of Alfred Tennyson and TS Elliot, he will be accompanied by Cuban born pianist Denny Robinson. An intimate and emotional connection with the audience is created with this dramatic style. Music and poetry are the lengua internácional (international language). Mr. de la Paara del Valle performed for the Mexican Ministry of Arts in Mexico City and throughout Mexico. In addition, the Cervantes Institute of Madrid Spain, University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, New Mexico and the University of Texas at El Paso hosted this event. In October 2018, he appeared at Harvard & Duke Universities. Mr. Guido Arochi, the Consulate General of Mexico in Dallas declares, “Mr. Jorge de la Parra is a Mexican poet, graduated from Enriqueta Ochoa’s poetry workshop -one of the most important Mexican poetry writers of twentieth century-. sponsored by Mexico's National Institute of Fine Arts, INBA”. Sponsored by the Allen Public Library, the program is free. The library is located at 300 N. Allen Dr. Call 214-509-4911 for additional information.

Award-winning author John Balaban discusses his books Empires, Locusts at the Edge of Summer: New and Selected Poems and more at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 12 at the Allen Public Library. John Balaban is the author of twelve books of poetry and prose, including four volumes which together have won The Academy of American Poets' Lamont prize, a National Poetry Series Selection, and two nominations for the National Book Award. His Locusts at the Edge of Summer: New and Selected Poems garnered the prestigious 1998 William Carlos Williams Award from the Poetry Society of America. In 2005, he was a judge for the National Book Awards. His latest book of poetry, Empires, from Copper Canyon Press was published in 2019. In addition to writing poetry, fiction, and nonfiction, John Balaban is the most prominent translator of Vietnamese in the United States. During and after years as a relief worker in Vietnam, he has focused on the nearly extinct ideographic script, Nôm, His book Spring Essence, was the first translation of Nôm ever printed as type. In the past twenty-five years, John has saved that script from extinction. Ancient Nôm writing has now been digitized and stored in the national museum in Hanoi. Dr. Eileen Tollett declares, “His poem "For the Missing in Action" makes me cry every time I read it, though I have probably read it a hundred times. His poetry is not flowery or sentimental; it is to the point, which makes it more touching than any other I encounter.” Sponsored by the Allen Public Library, the program is free. The library is located at 300 N. Allen Dr. Call 214-509-4911 for additional information.

The Allen Philharmonic welcomes you to the spring Concerts for Young Audiences performance at 3:00 p.m. Saturday, March 7 at the Allen Public Library. This free concert is designed to welcome children and their families to enjoy a fun musical program designed solely for them. Special guest soloist will be Derek He, the gold medal winner of our very own Roger & Ella Jo Adams Concerto, performing the first movement of the Dvorak Cello Concerto. This will offer an opportunity for kids in the audience to view a performance by someone not much older than they are, and it’s sure to jumpstart their excitement about learning music! Featured programming will include a new work entitled A Family for Baby Grand, the story of a Baby Grand piano who leaves home to join an orchestra. The Allen Philharmonic is excited to partner with the Allen High School Theater program for this performance. Arranged by Brad Ross, the story is written by Sharon Dennis Wyeth. Pre-Concert activities will feature the Instrument Petting Zoo in the Meeting Room. The library is located at 300 N. Allen Dr. Call 214-509-4911 for additional information.

Leap into 2020 with the Allen Community Band (ACB), under the direction of Mr. Craig Logan, when it presents its Midwinter Concert on Friday, February 28, 2020 at the Allen Public Library. Doors open at 7:00PM and downbeat is at 7:30PM. Patrons are encouraged to arrive early as the ACB often performs to a full house. You may have seen the bumper sticker that reads “If you can read this, thank a teacher”. This will be a good time to do just that! The ACB will honor area Educators, past and present, from all segments of the Education spectrum at this concert. Educators will be recognized and there is always a surprise or two for these special people. Featured will be themes from “Movies and Musicals” that have been suggested by members of the Band and area Educators. Selections include a medley of George Gershwin’s music, Fiddler on the Roof, Star Wars themes by John Williams, Chicago, and other hits from stage and screen. Sponsored by the Allen Public Library, the concert is free. The library is located at 300 N. Allen Dr. Call 214-509-4911 for additional information.

Listen to biologist and paleontologist Dr. Adam Hartstone-Rose describe how using fossils and an understanding of modern species’ anatomy can create photorealistic reconstructions of the appearances of extinct species and their environments at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, February 20 at the Allen Public Library. During February, The Perot Museum of Nature and Science will feature a fascinating display of fossils in the library’s gallery. The exhibit can be viewed during normal business hours. Dr. Adam Hartstone-Rose is Associate Professor of Biological Sciences and Principal Investigator of the Hartstone-Rose Comparative Anatomy and Functional Morphology Research Lab at North Carolina State University. He and his team investigate the relationship between anatomy and behavior, especially in diet and chewing. Dr. Hartstone-Rose says, “I study the fossil carnivores that lived alongside our evolving ancestors, including Australopithecus sediba. Did these carnivores consume our ancestors? Did they also provide scavengable remains that hominins consumed?” Using the findings from his research on ancient and contemporary animals, he creates photorealistic reconstructions of past environments. His murals of southern African environments 2 million years ago and 300,000 years ago can currently be seen in the Origins: Fossils from the Cradle of Humankind exhibit at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science. Dr. Hartstone-Rose earned his BA and PhD at Duke University and got his start in paleoanthropology at the American Museum of Natural History when he was 12 years old. Sponsored by the Allen Public Library and The Perot Museum of Nature and Science, the program and the exhibit are free. The library is located at 300 N. Allen Dr. Call 214-509-4911 for additional information.

Enjoy the enthusiasm and inspiration of African-American Gospel music with blues and gospel artist Shake Anderson at 3:00 p.m. Sunday, February 16, at the Allen Public Library. Music historian Donte Ford will open the concert by giving a brief history of African-American Gospel music. Nominated for four Grammys, Shake Anderson has played with or produced for performers Curtis Mayfield, B. B. King and Aretha Franklin. Performing in Carnegie Hall, The Apollo Theatre and Radio City Music Hall, this multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter and producer has also worked on numerous films. Anderson garnered gold and platinum albums for his work on Blue Streak, Dr. Doolittle, Boys on the Side, and Austin Powers. He also spent six years as musical director for soul music legends “The Impressions,” and later formed the Grammy-winning gospel group New Breed with Israel Houghton. Guest stars for this afternoon are Charles Walter "Chuck" Rainey III and Cat Garner. Rainey is an American bass guitarist who has performed and recorded with many well-known acts. He toured and/or recorded with King Curtis, Sam Cooke, Etta James, the original Coasters, Jackie Wilson, Harry Bellefonte, the Supremes, Aretha Franklin, Roberta Flack and Quincy Jones. Of special note—as a member of ‘The King Curtis All Stars’, Chuck was on the second Beatle Tour of the U.S. Cat Garner, a singer, songwriter, and recording artist with a sultry and sophisticated performance style, wrote Compromise in 2009 and recorded it in 2010 with music producer Connor Conrad. The library is located at 300 N. Allen Dr. Sponsored by the Allen Public Library, this concert is free. Call 214-509-4911 for more information.

Ready for an unforgettable knee-slapping bluegrass experience? Then come to the Allen Public Library’s annual Bluegrass Festival that will feature Ioni Creek. The event is hosted at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, January 18, in the Allen Public Library auditorium. Ioni Creek is a local group of bluegrass folk, classical and country musicians, united by a passion to express their talent and musical experience to enjoy bluegrass music together. Primary band influences are Kentucky Thunder, Doyle Lawson and authentic bluegrass music from the front porches of the Arkansas Ozarks. Ioni Creek is a regular at The Frogg Coffee shop at Waters Creek, The Union Gospel Mission Dallas and Senior Centers. Sponsored by the Allen Public Library, the concert is free. The library is located at 300 N. Allen Dr. Call 214-509-4911.

Listen to Dallas icon and Texas legend Rose Mary Rumbley discuss a vintage Christmas at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 19 at the Allen Public Library. In addition to author and speaker, you will find stage and screen acting credits on her resume. At the Dallas Music Hall, she played opposite such famous actors as John Davidson and Ginger Rogers. and then to the big screen where she appeared as Aunt Billie in “Paper Moon” with Ryan and Tatum O’Neal. Also, she appeared with Roy Rogers during his last film, Mackintosh and T.J. Her second book, “The Unauthorized History of Dallas,” was published in 1991. On her next book, “Dallas, Too,” the dust jacket reads, “Stories I’m telling again because I want to hear them myself.” At a recent program at the Highland Park Methodist Church, Rose Mary reviewed Susan Orlean’s bestseller, The Library Book and received a standing ovation. Sponsored by Allen Public Library, the program is free. The library is located at 300 N. Allen Dr. Call 214-509-4911.

Come see Sarah, Pamela and Randy Copus at the Allen Public Library Theatre for the Celtic Christmas Show on December 20th, Friday, starting at 7:30 pm. This is a FREE show, so come early to get a seat. Sarah Copus is an award-winning and billboard charting singer/songwriter. She has had some extraordinary success: two albums that hit the Billboard charts and feature her as a lead singer with radio airplay across hundreds of stations worldwide, and she won two Best Vocal Album awards from the Zone Music Reporter Awards Show in 2015 and 2019. Sarah's 2017 album “Moorland Winds” was accepted into the first-round voting for the 60th GRAMMY Awards. She has performed with Emmet Cahill of Celtic Thunder and with Irish musical sensations, Téada as an opening act for their Irish Christmas in America tour. She has been featured as a soloist at concerts of major touring artists like Celtic Woman and The Irish Tenors. She is joined by her father Randy Copus, who sings and plays piano, electric cello, guitar, bass, and keyboards, and her mother, Pamela Copus who also sings and plays flutes, harp, keyboards, and a wind instrument called a WX5. Other performers will join Sarah with Matthew Cook on bouzouki, Nathan Kennedy on fiddle. Irish dancers will be in the line-up with Kendall Thomas and Colin Troy. The show will open with a bagpipe processional by Jimmy Mitchell, then followed by Shaun Young of the KelticDead who will explain how the Celtic Grim Reaper became what we know as "Santa Claus" and play the only "real" Celtic Yule Tide tune known. The Allen Public Library is located at 300 N. Allen Dr. Call 214-509-4911 for additional information

Christmas on the Prairie Bring your entire family and join the Allen Heritage Guild at 2:00-4 p.m. Sunday, December 15 at the Allen Heritage Village, 450 E. St. Mary Dr. for old fashion festivities. Step back in time to savor the historic buildings decorated in vintage Christmas accessories. The Wetsel, Bolin and Lynge Houses will be open for viewing. All buildings and the property will be dressed in holiday decorations--matching their historic time period. Drop by the Village to see "Jesus as the Good Shepherd" stained glass window and participate in craft activities. The Village includes various architectural styles from different eras in Allen’s history. Take a photo of your family adjacent to a period building for your Christmas card! Enjoy gingerbread and cider and create new memories. Sponsored by the Allen Heritage Guild, this is a free event, but donations are welcomed. Call 972-740-8017 for more information.

It’s time for the 2019 Allen Community Band Christmas Concert! The concert begins at 3:00 p.m. Sunday, December 15, at the Allen Public Library Auditorium. Free! Early arrivals will enjoy one of the woodwind ensembles performing holiday selections in the Foyer. The ACB Jazz Band kicks off the concert with jazz and swing arrangements of holiday music. Comprised of members of the parent organization, the Allen Community Jazz Band brings a unique perspective to many of the traditional holiday songs, including Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree and an enjoyable selection entitled Trombones Under the Tree. Arranged by Mark Woodward, the Saxophone Section will perform How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Under the leadership of Craig Logan, the Allen Community Band will perform medleys of popular Christmas songs that begin with A Christmas Fanfare, followed by Strike Up The Band! With its quick, upbeat tempo, it is one of George and Ira Gershwin’s most famous pieces. More classical selections include Alfred Reed’s arrangement of Greensleeves, which dates from circa 1360, and is better known today as What Child Is This? The Liberty Bell by John Phillip Sousa brings the ensemble back to the traditional Band idiom. This is one of Sousa’s most famous and recognizable marches. The concert will conclude with Leroy Anderson’s Sleigh Ride. Sponsored by the Allen Public Library and the Allen Community Band, the concert is free. The library is located at 300 N. Allen Dr. Call 214-509-4911 for additional information,

Watch the delightful film Toy Story 4 at 4:00 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 21 at the Allen Public Library. Arrive early and meet Allen Police Officers as they distribute popcorn and greet guests. Santa Claus makes a surprise appearance at 3:30 p.m. but departs for the North pole at 4:30 p.m.to continue packing toys on the sleigh. Directed by Josh Cooley, voices include Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Annie Potts When a new toy called "Forky" joins Woody and the gang, a road trip alongside old and new friends reveals how big the world can be for a toy. Sponsored by the Allen Police Department, this is a free event. The library is located at 300 N. Allen Dr. Call 214-509-4911.

Can reindeer really fly? Learn the answer to that question—and many more—In this illustrated lecture about the life and lore of these legendary animals, from ancient times to the present. Long before Santa hitched reindeer to his sleigh, they were ridden by people, raced for sport, and even milked for food. Speaker Sharon Hudgins will also tell stories about her personal contacts with reindeer and their herders, from Scotland to Scandinavia, from Texas to Mongolia. So get into the spirit of the season by bringing yourself, your family, and friends to this special holiday lecture at the Allen Public Library. An award-winning author and journalist, Sharon Hudgins has been a lecturer on numerous tours to Europe and Asia for National Geographic Expeditions, Smithsonian Journeys, and Viking Ocean Cruises. She also enjoys photographing reindeer around the world. DATE: Thursday, December 12, 2019 PLACE: Allen Public Library – Civic Auditorium, 300 North Allen Drive, Allen, TX 75013 TIME: 7:30 p.m. This event is open to the public and free of charge. For additional information, phone 214-509-4911. --

In Texas, football is king during the fall. So when World War II broke out and coaches enlisted in the Armed Forces, high school football was in trouble. One exception was Brownwood, Texas, where a woman agreed to coach the team. Marjorie Herrera Lewis will discuss her inspiring novel When the Men Were Gone at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, December 5, at the Allen Public Library. Insisting young men be offered an opportunity to play during their senior season before confronting the battledfield, Tylene Wilson was, and still is, one of the very few women in the nation to serve in such a role. When the Men Were Gone is based on Tylene’s experience coaching. An award-winning sportswriter, Marjorie Herrera Lewis was a Dallas Cowboys beat writer when she was with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. She later joined the SportsDay staff of The Dallas Morning News where she covered college and professional sports, including the Texas Rangers and Dallas Mavericks, the Superbowl, Wimbledon, NCAA men’s basketball tournament and college bowl games. In addition, she teaches Media Ethics at the University of North Texas. Sponsored by the Allen Public Library, the program is free. The library is located at 300 N. Allen Dr. Call 214-509-4911 for additional information.

Speaking at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, November 14 at the Allen Public Library will be Mark Shaw, the author of 25+ books, four about the JFK and Oswald assassinations including the bestselling “The Reporter Who Knew Too Much” being produced as a motion picture, and its follow-up, “Denial of Justice.” Each chronicle not only his 12 years of research but most importantly, the life and times and mysterious death of What’s My Line? TV star and crack investigative reporter Dorothy Kilgallen and her 18-month investigation of the Dallas tragedies which included being the only reporter to interview Jack Ruby at his trial. Shaw will also speak about his controversial exposure of the most important JFK assassination documents in history, the Jack Ruby trial transcripts which prove without doubt a plot to kill the president and how these documents have been hidden from public view for five decades and counting. More about Mr. Shaw may be learned at www.markshawbooks.com and about Ms. Kilgallen at www.thedorothykilgallenstory.org. To date, more than one million people have watched Shaw’s interviews and presentations about the assassinations on YouTube. Mark Shaw is a former criminal defense attorney specializing in high profile murder cases, and the legal analyst for CNN, ABC, and ESPN for the Mike Tyson, O. J. Simpson and Kobe Bryant cases. His books include “Melvin Belli: King of the Courtroom” and “The Poison Patriarch,” each about the assassinations, as well as “Down for the Count,” “Miscarriage of Justice,” “Beneath the Mask of Holiness,” “Stations Along the Way” and the novel, “Courage in the Face of Evil.” He lives in the San Francisco area. Sponsored by the Allen Public Library, the program is free. The library is located at 300 N. Allen Dr. Call 214-509-4911 for additional information.

World War II flight instructor Lt. Commander J. Waymon Rose and Sgt. Eugene Pugh will share their fascinating stories from World War II and Vietnam at 7:30 pm Monday, Nov. 11, at the Allen Public Library. In addition, the Allen Community Band will perform a medley of patriotic songs for the event. Listen to a creative version of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture that will be replete with celebratory acoustics. All veterans are encouraged to participate. During the program, veterans will be invited to present the colors and stand when the theme song of their branch of service is performed. Lt. Commander Rose trained over 800 pilots during World War Two, many of whom became aces. After the war, Mr. Rose served another 19 years in the U.S. Air Force Reserves. A Green Beret, Sgt. Pugh was assigned to MACVSOG the highly classified organization during the Vietnam war, also known as the widow making unit. Sgt. Pugh is the author of Surrender Not An Option, a novel based upon his dangerous reconnaissance missions into Laos, Cambodia and North Vietnam. Hear the harrowing saga of his venture into North Vietnam to rescue POWs. General Bernardo de Galvez Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) will provide refreshments after the program. Sponsored by Allen Public Library, VFW Armistice Memorial Post 2195, General Bernardo de Galvez Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), and Allen Community Band, this program is free. Call 214-509-4911 for more information. The library is located at 300 N. Allen Dr.

The “fine biography” and “compelling personal story” (The Wall Street Journal) of arguably the most influential member of Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s administration, Marguerite “Missy” LeHand, FDR’s de facto chief of staff, who has been misrepresented, mischaracterized, and overlooked throughout history…until now. Listen to Kathryn Smith who authored The Gatekeeper: Missy LeHand, FDR, and the Untold Story of the Partnership That Defined a Presidency at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, November 7 at the Allen Public Library. Widely considered the first—and only—female presidential chief of staff, Marguerite “Missy” LeHand was the right-hand woman to Franklin Delano Roosevelt—both personally and professionally—for more than twenty years. Although her official title as personal secretary was relatively humble, her power and influence were unparalleled. Everyone in the White House knew one truth: If you wanted access to Franklin, you had to get through Missy. She was one of his most trusted advisors, affording her a unique perspective on the president that no one else could claim, and she was deeply admired and respected by Eleanor Roosevelt. With unprecedented access to Missy’s family and original source materials, journalist Kathryn Smith tells the “fascinating” (Publishers Weekly) and forgotten story of the intelligent, loyal, and clever woman who had a front-row seat to history in the making. The Gatekeeper is a thoughtful, revealing unsung-hero story about a woman ahead of her time, the true weight of her responsibility, and the tumultuous era in which she lived—and a long overdue tribute to one of the most important female figures in American histor Sponsored by the Allen Public Library, the program is free. The library is located at 300 N. Allen Dr. Call 214-509-4911 for additional information.