Restored railroad station on Ash Street in Piermont, NY

Monthly: 4th Monday of every month unless it happens to be a holiday. Meetings are held in the Library's conference room.

The Piermont Historical Society encourages everyone to come to the meetings, join the Society, and help out.

Learn more about upcoming events and projects, and find out how you can help to preserve our Piermont heritage.

Monthly series: the First Friday Film Series presents movies at the Piermont library on the 1st Friday of each month. Movies are FREE and open to the public.

April film: NOTES ON A SCANDAL (2006), directed by Richard Eyre

Dame Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett face off with searing performances in this riveting story of obsession and desire, set in a London public school. Based on the novel by Zoe Heller, directed by British theater master Richard Eyre, and with a score by none other than Philip Glass, NOTES ON A SCANDAL takes what could serve as mere tabloid fodder and plays it out on the level of Shakespearean tragedy. Don’t miss this amazing film, revealing two Academy Award-winning actresses at the absolute top of their game!

Nick Platt in China.

Nick Platt of Paradise Avenue, a former “Asia hand, China specialist, and intelligence analyst in the U.S. Foreign Service,” will join us to share some of his experiences and insights into our relationship with China gained from a long and distinguished career in the diplomatic service.

The program, entitled China Then and Now, will begin with a video of Platt’s own films of Nixon’s historic 1972 trip to China and life in China in 1973, the first year that the U.S. had diplomats resident in Beijing. Platt took part in the visit as staff assistant to Secretary of State William P. Rogers, and the following year helped set up the U.S. Liaison Office, the forerunner of the U.S. Embassy in the PRC. The Platts were among the first American families stationed in Beijing after the reopening of diplomatic relations.

Following the video, he will “conduct an interactive discussion with the audience on current conditions in China and the state of our relationship now.” He will also introduce the new book, which is to be officially launched in Washington, DC, on March 23, to his friends and neighbors in Piermont and the Rockland community.

Fode Sissoko

Please note that the concert has been moved from March 21 to Sunday, April 18, 2010.

“If you don’t move to this band, check your pulse.”

Fode Sissoko, and members of his group Fakoli - African Dance and Drum, will join us in a presentation of his unique brand of World Beat music. Sissoko was born in Senegal, West Africa, to a family of traditional musicians. “Fakoli” means “the ancestor” in Mandinko, Fode’s native language. He is an eighth generation Mandinko Griot (storyteller), who began his training at an early age and later traveled throughout Africa, Europe and the Americas, evolving a style which has been described as “an organic mix of rich polyphonic rhythm, Senegalese and English vocals along with western and traditional instrumentation.” Fode is a master of the Kora, a West African harp, as well as of the djembe & dundun drums. He toured with Baba Olatunji for many years, and is now living in the Hudson Valley where he teaches, records and performs regularly. In this concert he will be joined by Amadou Diallo & Moustapha Diedhiou, both also from Senegal. Amadou is a master drummer and plays the Gongoma, a thumb piano on a gourd, which he has made himself. And Moustapha plays the Souraba drums from his native home of Cassamance. The artists are from three different tribes in West Africa. All sing, and are versed in the traditional music of their cultures, and all were part of the Ballet Bougaraboo, a national dance company in Senegal.

A review of Fakoli’s CD “Mother Love” says:

“Fode Sissoko plays and sings like man who was born to his music, loves it and believes it will heal the world.”

A great way to begin a new season…!

This project is made possible, in part, with funds from the Community Arts Grants program of the Arts Council of Rockland, the Decentralization Program of the New York State Council on the Arts.

The Friends of the Piermont Library have also provided funding for this concert.

Monthly series: the First Friday Film Series presents movies at the Piermont library on the 1st Friday of each month. Movies are FREE and open to the public.

May film: HAPPY-GO-LUCKY (2008), directed by Mike Leith. Dubbed by one critic the British version of Amélie – come watch and you’ll know why.

HAPPY-GO-LUCKY is an exuberant, dazzlingly upbeat character study of a sunny 30-something single woman in London. Poppy (Sally Hawkins) lives her life to the fullest — in the real world, without any clichéd SEX AND THE CITY pretensions. Co-starring Eddie Marsan as a paranoid, rage-filled driving instructor who is Poppy’s ultimate foil — and with whom she has some extraordinarily complex and dazzlingly acted scenes in the front seats of her car. Whip-smart and full of wonderful surprises, this oddball movie from normally über-serious director Mike Leigh will make you blissfully happy!

Monthly series: the First Friday Film Series presents movies at the Piermont library on the 1st Friday of each month. Movies are FREE and open to the public.

June film: THE AGRONOMIST (2003), directed by Jonathan Demme.

Live appearance by author and co-producer (and Nyack resident) Daniel Wolff!

A magnificent documentary about the life of Jean Dominique, a generous, charismatic Haitian radio broadcaster (and, as the title suggests, agronomist) who was a brave and tireless voice for democracy and human rights — until he was gunned down in 2000 outside his station, a crime that remains unprosecuted. His is an unexpectedly moving and exciting story, directed — as always by Demme, a longtime friend of Dominique, who interviewed him several times – with enormous love and positive energy. Demme’s coproducer (and fellow Nyack resident), author Daniel Wolff will appear in person to talk about the film, its subject, and, of course, Haiti.