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The nonprofit advocacy group To the Moon and Back “finally” has a home base in Plymouth, after recently receiving a grant of nearly $1 million, reports founder Theresa Harmon, a licensed social worker and nurse. The organization – which advocates for children affected by prenatal opioid exposure – will show off its new digs at 6 Main Street Extension, Suite 615, in the Post Office Square building on Thursday, Nov. 14, from 3 to 4 p.m., with a ribbon cutting ceremony and celebration.
Moving into a space of its own and being able to hire additional staff were on Harmon’s wish list since she launched the organization in 2017. To the Moon and Back says it aims to “develop best practices in care for children born with prenatal opioid exposure.” The services it offers include a monthly children’s group, care packages for families of newborns with neonatal abstinence syndrome, a grant of up to $500 per child for children born with substance exposure, and other forms of guidance and education for affected families.
It recently received a $958,440 grant from the Massachusetts Community Health & Healthy Aging Funds, enabling the expansion. The Nov. 14 ribbon-cutting event will also introduce two new part-time clinicians – hired thanks to the grant.
“I wanted something that reflected how much we cared for our kids and how far we would go to fight for them,” Harmon said in explaining the nonprofit’s name.
The free event is being catered by local chef Stephen Coe. Visitors are encouraged to ask questions about resources and services, meet the clinicians, and learn more about the organization during the event.
Wednesday, November 6
Pilgrim Hall Museum presents a prize-winning historian and author, Arthur Lipman, who will present a lecture titled Squanto: A Native Odyssey, from 7 to 8 p.m. at the museum on Court Street. Lipman, who has written a biography on Squanto, takes a fresh look at his epic life. Squanto was a real-life historical figure who is associated with the Plymouth Colony’s early survival. Lipman, an associate professor of history at Barnard College, reconstructs Squanto’s upbringing, his transatlantic odyssey, his career as an interpreter, surprising downfall, and enigmatic death. There will be a social hour from 6 to 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 each, $5 for members, and free for students with a valid ID. To find out more or get tickets, call 508-746-0220, ext. 3, or go here.
Thursday, November 7
Craving some jazz in Plymouth? Pianist and composer Laszlo Gardony – a music professor from Berklee College of Music in Boston – performs on the piano at the Spire tonight at 7:30 p.m. Gardony has been noted for his “fluid pianism” by the New York Timesand called a “formidable improviser who lives in the moment,” by JazzTimes. The concert is sponsored by the Eastern Bank Lobby Jazz Series. Expect creativity and innovation in Gardony’s playing, which is influenced by European folk roots and jazz standards. Doors open at 6:30. Tickets are $15, and you can buy them here.
Friday, November 8
Celtic Thunder is ready to roll on its 15th tour of the United States and Canada. Its concert at Memorial Hall is titled “Odyssey,” and starts at 7:30 p.m. The concert is an exploration of Irish music and culture, with a “voyage” through traditional Irish music, visiting the rhythmic pulse of contemporary Irish music, and combining uniquely original arrangements. Celtic Thunder’s lead vocalists add harmony to the musical “journey.” Tickets are $49, $69, $79, and $99 and you can buy them here.
Saturday, November 9
If you enjoy the toe-tapping music of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli, check out the 440 Gypsy Jazz Quartet at the Plymouth Center for the Arts, 11 North St., at 7 p.m. The quartet offers a night of jazz and swing music in the tradition of the aforementioned musicians. The band will perform its original compositions and arrangements with a “swinging, hot jazz” style. Tickets are $25, and you can buy them here.
Travel back through culinary history with a Thanksgiving meal worthy of the Pilgrims. Plimoth Patuxet Museums offers up a New England Harvest Feast, based on the foods enjoyed by the early settlers today from 5:30 -7 p.m. The menu promises to be full of “culinary delights” inspired by carefully curated historical recipes. The feasts will continue at the same time on Saturdays until the week of Thanksgiving, when there will be feasts the day before and the day after the holiday (Wednesday, Nov. 27 and Friday, Nov. 28). Plimoth Patuxet is located at 137 Warren Avenue. Tickets are $57.95 for adult members, $84.95 for adult non-members, $42.95 for child members, and $59.95 for child non-members. View some of the menu items and buy tickets here.
Do some good and have fun at the same time at a fundraising dinner to support the nonprofit Health & Education for Vietnamese Youth. Come to the Plymouth Moose Lodge to enjoy a tasty meal, live music, a cash bar, and hear an uplifting story about the work of volunteers and Shriners to change Vietnamese children’s lives for the better. The lodge is located at 601 State Road. Dinner will be served from 1 to 5 p.m. Tickets are $20 at the door, or call Thuy Trask at 508-989-4929 for more information.
Wednesday, November 13
If you’re intrigued by decorating ideas for fall centerpieces, the Plymouth Garden Club is presenting some samples with a “Fall Tablescape” by Grace Whittemore at 1 p.m. at the Chiltonville Congregational Church on River Street. Get tips on decorating your table for the holidays. Whittemore, who owns Primrose Floral and Event Design, has spent years designing flower arrangements throughout New England. New member inquiries to the Plymouth Garden Club are welcome. The guest fee is $5 and includes a traditional English tea.
For those who have tickets, Comedian Liz Moniz tonight kicks off the sold-out South Shore Conference for Women at Hotel 1620, 180 Water St. Moniz, a comedian and writer from Rhode Island, performs regularly at the Comedy Connection in East Providence, and has been the opener for performers such as Big Jay Oakerson, Jim Norton, and “Morbid: A True Crime Podcast.”
Thursday, November 14
The sold-out Sixth Annual South Shore Conference for Women, produced by the nonprofit She’s Local, takes place from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Hotel 1620 Plymouth Harbor, 180 Water St. This year the conference features stellar speakers and panelists from the South Shore, including emcee and executive coach, Karen Marinella Hall, and keynote addresses from Femita Ayanbeku, the fastest female amputee in the U.S. Paralympic Track and Field, as well as keynote speaker and organizing expert, Lisa Dooley. For more information, go here.
To the Moon and Back invites the public to a ribbon cutting ceremony and celebration this afternoon. See the lead item in this column for more information.
Friday, November 15
“Cooked—Survival by Zip Code,” a 2018 documentary about the perils of natural disasters – especially for people living in poverty – will be shown tonight at 7 p.m. at the First Parish Plymouth chapel, 12 Church St. This event is free. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m., with light refreshments available. A Q&A session will follow the film, which covers a heat wave in Chicago that resulted in the deaths of more than 700 people in lower-income neighborhoods, and “shines a light on the issues of poverty, race, class, and education that underlie how natural disasters take lives.” This event is co-sponsored by the Citizens’ Climate Lobby, the Southeastern Pine Barrens Alliance, Sustainable Plymouth, and the First Parish Social Action Committee.