ATHOL — Allen Young plans to host a screening of “Strange Fruit” at the Athol Public Library at 7 p.m. on Tuesday.
According to pbs.org, “Strange Fruit” explores the history and legacy of a song of the same name. Best-known from Billie Holiday’s 1939 rendition, the song is a portrayal of the lynching of a black man in the American South.
The film tells a dramatic story of America’s past. It examines the history of lynching and the rise to the civil rights movement.
“Strange Fruit” was written by Abel Meeropol, a Jewish schoolteacher and union activist from the Bronx who later set it to music. The screening is made possible by the Friends of the Athol Public Library.
ATHOL — Problem Pregnancy Center of Athol has recently reopened after reorganizing.
The office is staffed Thursdays between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., or by appointment. Call 978-602-5617 to get in touch with a volunteer.
The Problem Pregnancy Center, next to St. Francis Church on Main Street, offers free pregnancy testing, and provides clothes, diapers, and furniture for infants up to age 2. The center is available to help any mother, regardless of age or circumstances, by providing new, gently-used clothes and equipment. Mothers are encouraged to bring clothes home for a three-month period, and exchange them as the child grows.
The center accepts infant and children’s clothing, as well as nursery equipment and supplies. The center is also looking for more volunteers so it can expand its service hours.
ORANGE — The Orange Recycling Center/Transfer Station will be closed on Tuesday in observance of Labor Day. It will be open from 8 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday.
ORANGE — St. Mary’s Women’s Club is planning its annual “Mystery Ride” and dinner for Sept. 13. The group plans to meet at the parish center and then follow the leader to the location for a chicken dinner.
This is the first meeting of the new club year, and membership booklets with the annual program will be distributed. Members will also receive raffle tickets for the $100 cash/100 scratch ticket raffle to be held at the Oct. 8 parish fair. Plans for the 94th parish fair will be discussed and members will sign up for fair duties.
The Rev. Peter Naranjo, the new parish administrator, will be the guest speaker at the Women’s Club meeting.
ORANGE — The Literacy Project, North Quabbin has relocated and opened a new classroom in Suite 100 of the Orange Innovation Center at 131 West Main St.
Classes begin Tuesday. Students age 16 and over who are in need of a high school equivalency diploma or who want to brush up on basic skills in reading, writing and math are welcome to enroll anytime in the next few weeks.
“The space is more conducive for utilizing our SMARTBoard and computers, and the OIC itself offers many community resources. And because the local bus system actually stops here, it will make it much easier for our students to get to and from class,” said Cathy King, site director of Literacy Project, North Quabbin.
Call 978-544-8917 for more information about The Literacy Project, North Quabbin or to enroll.