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The Warner Stage Company will present "Matilda the Musical" on the Main Stage, July 30-Aug. 14.

Harwinton resident, author and poet Jack Sheedy.

TORRINGTON — “Matilda the Musical” opens July 30 at the Warner Theatre, presented by Stage @ the Warner.

“Inspired by the twisted genius of Roald Dahl, the Tony Award-winning musical is the captivating masterpiece that revels in the anarchy of childhood, the power of imagination and the inspiring story of a girl who dreams of a better life,” the stage company said in a statement.

Performances are at 8 p.m. July 30, Aug. 6, 11-13, and at 2 p.m. July 31, Aug. 7 and Aug. 14.

For tickets, go to warnertheatre.org or call the box office at 860-489-7180.

Harwinton writer’s poem accepted for anthology

HARWINTON — Jack Sheedy, longtime Harwinton resident, has had his poem, “Reading Signs (After Walt Whitman, ‘The Multitude’),” accepted for publication in “National Beat Poetry Foundation & Friends Remembering Jack Kerouac on his 100th Birthday 3-12-2022.”

The anthology will be published by New Generation Beat Publications, an imprint of the National Beat Poetry Foundation, Inc., headed by Debbie Tosun Kilday, owner and CEO.

According to its website, the National Beat Poetry Foundation, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization, which includes its festivals, National Beat Poetry Festival (NBPF), International Beat Poetry Festival (IBPF), and Kerouac Café. Its purpose is to preserve the writings of the original Beat Generation and to “strive to keep evolving to create a new ‘Beat Generation’ of Poets, Writers, Artists, and Musicians.”

Sheedy is the author of three books, including a 2021 poetry chapbook, “The Wanting Place.” His poetry has appeared in several anthologies, including “BEAT-itude: National Beat Poetry Festival 10 Year Anthology,” “Poets to Come: A Poetry Anthology Celebrating Walt Whitman’s Bicentennial,” and “Mad River Anthology 2018 and 2019.”

He is the author of “Guardrail Nikes,” a winner in the Warner Theatre’s Connecticut One-Act Play Festival in Torrington, Conn., in 2000. His play “Moratorium” was recognized by Pittsburgh New Works Festival with a virtual staged reading in 2021.

Sheedy’s memoir, “Sting of the Heat Bug,” was published by Signalman Publishing in 2012. In 2020, he published “Magical Acts in Two Suitcases,” a collection of essays.

As a journalist, he has won awards from the Society of Professional Journalists-CT Chapter and the New England Newspaper and Press Association. He is a former news editor for The Catholic Transcript, the magazine of the Archdiocese of Hartford. He is a frequent contributor to The Register Citizen and other local newspapers.

Sheedy is a member of the Writers Guild and the Connecticut Poetry Society. He said, “While I dabbled in lighthearted poetry as a teenager, I did not realize until recently that it can be a vehicle to express serious themes and powerful emotions. I am grateful to Debbie Kilday and the National Beat Poetry Foundation, Inc. for this opportunity to have my voice heard.”

For more information, go to https://nationalbeatpoetryfoundation.org and www.jacksheedy.com.

LITCHFIELD — White Memorial Conservation Center, Litchfield, has scheduled a number of outdoor programs in August. Pre-registration and pre-payment are required; call 860-567-0857 or go to www.whitememorialcc.org for more information.

Celebration of the Bantam River with Kelly Orr and Gerri Griswold, Aug. 6, 6:30 a.m. Meet at the boat launch on Whites Woods Road for an early morning interpretive paddle down the Bantam River led by Kelly Orr. Be on the lookout for herons, beavers, otters, turtles and other wildlife. End at Litchfield Town Beach for breakfast prepared by Gerri Griswold. Arrive at the boat launch by 6:30 a.m.; the Paddle begins promptly at 7 a.m., The cost is $15 for members, $30 for guests.

Beaver Fever Talk and Walk with Gerri Griswold, Aug. 13, 6 a.m.

“Gather in the museum at dawn’s early light for coffee and muffins in front of our spectacular Beaver Lodge and learn a bit about North America’s largest rodent,” Griswold said. “Although beavers are abundant today, their story was quite different in the 1800’s. Today you will learn fascinating beaver facts in the Museum and then head out on foot to a few of our resident beaver haunts in hope of seeing these industrious creatures in action.”

Meet in the A. B. Ceder Room. Free for members, guests pay $10. pre-registration and pre-payment are required. or register online.

Biological Invasions Even at the “Uttermost Ends of the Earth”: The Case of North American Beavers in Southern Patagonia with Dr. Christopher Anderson, at noon, Aug. 13.

According to White Memorial: In 1946, the Argentine government brought 20 beavers from Canada to Tierra del Fuego to 'enrich' the local fauna. The initiative was part of a broader way of thinking at the time that sought to 'develop' the country, which included importing species from North America and Europe that were perceived to have more value. This effort to create a fur industry failed, and since then the biological invasion caused by beavers in both Argentine and Chilean portions of southern Patagonia has created the largest alteration to sub-Antarctic forests since the retreat of the last ice age. Furthermore, the invasive beaver has evidenced the fact that biological invasions have both ecological and social causes and consequences. Therefore, they must be addressed as part of a 'social-ecological system.' Besides the beaver, southern Patagonia hosts an array of other invasive exotic species, making this an ideal natural laboratory to better understand the human dimensions of conservation, even in what are ostensibly considered pristine wilderness areas.

Dr. Christopher B. Anderson has worked and lived in southern Patagonia since 2000. He is a research scientist in the Argentine National Scientific and Technical Research Council, and an associate professor at the National University of Tierra del Fuego, both in Ushuaia, Argentina. Previously, he worked for 12 years in the Chilean portion of Patagonia, where he was part of the creation of the UNESCO Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve. He is a specialist on biological invasions, but his work focuses more broadly on applying inclusive strategies to research, education and conservation that allow the incorporation of multiple disciplines and stakeholders.

This program is on Zoom; free to members, $10 for guests. Pre-registration is required by calling 860-567-0857 or register online: www.whitememorialcc.org A Zoom link will be emailed with your receipt.

Sunday Guided Museum Tour with Tom Saunders, 2 p.m. on Sundays. Learn more about Alain and May White and their generous gift by spending time with Museum Docent, Tom Saunders. He is available to give tours on the first and third Sundays of every month at 2 p.m. or by appointment. Admission is free to members, $6 for adult guests, $3 for children, free under 12.