Three Hancock residents spent Thursday’s snow day advancing their table tennis skills in the back room of the Hancock Library, as part of an ongoing competition between 26 residents that stretches across February and March. It’s just one of many special events the library’s scheduled to mix up the late winter doldrums.
Katie Cousins retrieved errant balls and watched as Tom Gloudemans beat Bob Vaillancourt in an energetic but friendly match. “It’s something fun to do in the winter,” she said, although she was hoping there would be a beginner’s division as this is her first year in the league. Cousins is a teacher, and was taking advantage of the snow day to get some practice in before squaring off with her assigned opponent later in the day.
“This is our fourth annual ping pong tournament,” librarian Amy Markus said. “It’s very popular.” This year, there are 22 league participants in the intermediate and advanced under-65 divisions, and four participants in the over-65 division. “They are killer good,” Markus said, and she’s always encouraging other table tennis players in town to come out for the league.
“It’s a community builder,” Markus said. She’s heard from competitors that they relish the opportunity to meet other people in town through the tournament. Every player matches every other in a round robin-style tournament before progressing to single-elimination, she said, and contestants are responsible for contacting who they want to play to set up a game.
Peter Andersen is the reigning champion of advanced ping pong in the under 65 category, winning the championship three years running. “Nobody can really beat him,” Markus said. In the past, local artist Kim Cunningham has made category winners’ trophies out of found items from the dump, she said.
The Hancock Library is hosting a diverse spread of events through the end of the winter. The Harris Center’s Susie Spikol is scheduled to speak on the woolly mammoths and mastodons that used to roam New England on Thursday, Feb. 20 at 7 p.m.
March’s events include a talk on a visit to Antarctica, a compelling family story about World War II from a local resident, and how-to sessions on repairing window screens and making tiny books. In addition, Markus said the library will be accepting submissions to the annual Peep literary diorama contest in March through the first week of April. Contestants are instructed to re-create scenes from books, using marshmallow Peeps. “People really get into this,” Markus said, and around Easter, visitors will be encouraged to vote for the year’s “Peeples Choice Award.” Entrants don’t need to be Hancock library members, she said, and there’s an adult and children’s category.