PERSONAL FINANCE SERIES: Sheila Cao, a personal finances consultant based in New Orleans, will give a series of presentations on financial management at 7 p.m. on the first four Wednesdays in January 2024, at the East Bank Regional Library, 4747 W. Napoleon Ave., Metairie.
Cao says her workshops will focus on the basic financial management that an individual or a family should perform to budget, save, and spend monetary resources over time, taking into account various financial risks and future life events.
Jan. 3: Financial foundation — increasing cash flow; debt management; and more
Jan 10: Understanding how money works — education funds; 529 college saving plan vs. indexed universal life
Jan. 17: Wealth formulas — Rule of 72; emergency funds
Jan. 24: Proper income protection — DIME method, tax-free retirement income
ARTIFACTS ON VIEW: Longtime New Orleans resident Thomas Bernard Mulroy Jr. was an explorer and bon vivant who worked with the likes of Admiral Richard Byrd, Roald Amundsen and Charles Lindbergh. Now you can find out more about him, because his papers and artifacts are on display at the East Bank Regional Library.
Mulroy’s parents emigrated from Ireland. He was born in St. Louis on Oct. 15, 1895. After high school, Mulroy took up railroading in various parts of the country and Mexico.
When America entered the Great War of 1917, he joined the Navy and was attached to the U.S.S. Von Steuben. He continued as chief engineer on various vessels of the U.S. Shipping Board, which became the U.S. Maritime Commission in 1936.
He participated in naval/aeronautical rescues including the Halifax, Nova Scotia, port explosion in 1917; the Roma airship disaster over Norfolk, Virginia, in 1922; and later the S.S. Morro Caste fire off the coast of New Jersey in 1934.
He served as chief engineer in Commander/Admiral Richard Byrd’s polar expeditions to the Arctic in 1926 and Antarctic in 1928-30. He also assisted in the transatlantic flight effort of Floyd Bennett in April 1927.
Between 1927 to 1951, Mulroy served in the U.S. Naval Reserve and in the 1950s, served as the maritime surveyor for the U.S. Commerce Maritime Administration.
He married Sarah D’Antoni on Feb. 11, 1936, in New Orleans. The couple lived with her parents for about 10 years, then purchased property and built a house near City Park.
Mulroy died on June 18, 1962, in New Orleans, at the age of 66, and was buried in Metairie.
The library exhibit includes maps, a diary, at least 35 photos, medals, a medicine kit, and a napkin with numerous signatures. The display was created by Deena Bedigian; Cyril Lagnavex, Ph.D.; Nicholas Caluda; and Ryan Smith, all of the East Bank Regional Library.
MEDITATION SERIES: Rolf van Anders Rolf Van Anders suggests empowering yourself to create by unlocking the power of the right brain.
Sessions will occur at 7 p.m. on Jan. 4, 11, 18 and 25 at the East Bank Regional Library.
Participants should expect to perform basic chair yoga and will learn the basics of healing meditation and basic mindfulness. He will focus on four points: Customizing your zone with music, flowers, sunlight, or whatever energizes you; deep-breathing time; yoga asanas; and meditation.
Research shows that meditation changes the physical structure of the brain in significant ways. Meditation and reflection have been shown to increase frontal cortex activity (linked to focus, calm and concentration) and even enlarge that front-and-center part of the brain.
Van Anders is a health and wellness coach. He is on staff at the LSU Health and Science Center.
MAHJONG: Diane Schleifstein, the immediate past president of the Friends of the Jefferson Public Library, will lead a series of mahjong classes at the East Bank Regional Library. The sessions will occur in the Jefferson Room at 2 p.m. on Dec. 26, Jan. 2 and Jan. 9.
Mahjong is a tile-based game that was developed in the 19th century in China and has spread throughout the world since the early 20th century. It is commonly played by four players. Mahjong is a game of skill, strategy and luck.
COMPUTERS AVAILABLE: Did you know? Every JPL branch features publicly accessible computers with the Windows 10 operating system and the full suite of Microsoft Office 2016 programs, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher and Access, as well as Microsoft Edge, Firefox, Google Chrome, Windows Media Player and more.
Customers can use public computers for an unlimited amount of time during regular library hours, as long as no one is waiting to use a computer.
Chris Smith is manager of adult programming at the Jefferson Parish Public Library.