The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

The Mary H. Weir Public Library will host Dan Raynor of the critically acclaimed Stevens Puppets performing The Legend of Sleepy Hollow on Saturday, October 5th at 1:00 p.m. in the library’s Activity Room. Celebrating their 80th year of producing unforgettable and one of a kind marionette productions for children of all ages, Stevens Puppets specializes in classic children's literature and fairy tales. The programs are intended for all age levels.  The stories are educational and have a moral or life skill woven cleverly and discretely throughout.

In this silly and non-scary version of Washington Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, children of all ages will follow the lanky school master, Ichabod Crane, as he sings, dances, and falls in love with a giggly, Katrina Van Tassel.  Students will watch breathless as Katrina's father, Baltus, and the village goof ball, Brom Bones, try to run Ichabod out of town by telling him the tale of . . . The Headless Horseman.  The Stevens Puppets bring this ever-popular classic tale delightfully to life with beautiful wooden marionettes authentically created in the traditional old world style. The entire production is underscored by classical music, and a fun time is had by all! 

This program will be presented free of charge. For further information, call the library at 304-797-8510.

Author Visit

Tyler County, West Virginia, the birthplace of Weirton author Susan Spencer-Smith, will be her topic at a book signing at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 19^th at the Mary H. Weir Public Library, 3442 Main Street.

“Middlebourne, where both my parents grew up, is the inspiration for Biddlbourne, the hamlet featured in my inspirational mystery Death in the Parsonage,” Spenser-Smith said. “I was born in Sistersville, an Ohio River town where oil and gas were discovered in the 1890s.”

Spencer-Smith will chat about Tyler County’s history, quirks, and landmarks – including her memories of crawdadding on Middle Island Creek as a child – at the library event.

She is a 1964 graduate of Weir High School and the daughter of the late Jack and Fay Kearns of Weirton. She worked 28 years in newspaper journalism, including 11 years at The Weirton Daily Times, before graduating from United Theological Seminary in Dayton and being ordained a United Methodist Church pastor. She served congregations in western Ohio before retiring in 2006.

She has written The Preacher Lady’s Cookbook for a Hungry Heart, a collection of prayers, scriptures and recipes gathered from hundreds of church events, and Death in the Parsonage, an inspirational mystery based on the true story of a woman who faces her childhood demons.

The books are published through Spencer-Smith’s production company, Hoopie Girl Press. Both books will be available at the library event. They may also be purchased at Penn-Way Pharmacy, 3159 Main St., Weirton and at Amazon.com.

Her second novel, The Good Old Babes, a story of twelve women who challenge the “good old boys” of Biddlebourne for town leadership, is scheduled for publication in 2014.

Spencer-Smith resides in Weirton with her husband, Grant Beamer, and their cat Thud. She may be contacted at hoopiegirl@comcast.net.