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America 250 celebration goes on
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courtesy photo Children learn about the Fourth of July at the Nora Larabee Memorial Library in Stafford.

STAFFORD — What a beautiful evening we had out at the lake on the 4th of July. I hope you all had a nice place to sit, enjoy, and reflect on this one-of-a-kind jewel we have, the United States of America. I hope everyone was inspired by the 250th celebrations to work together to keep America strong.

Sandy has made a 250th celebration table at the library with some of our beautiful and informational books on America. From Cokie Roberts’ book “Ladies of Liberty,” to “America, I’m So Glad You Were Born,” a picture book by Ainsley Earhardt celebrating the country we love.

Many media events have been developed to celebrate America’s 250th:

CBS Sunday Morning has a list of 250 Essential America Songs. Find the list at cbsnews.com/songbook

TV - “Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness” on HBO and HBOmax is a humor-filled look at American history

Big Screen - “Young George Washington”

Next week is Calvary Baptist’s Vacation Bible School (VBS), so we skip Summer Reading this week, then continue on the 14th. The Kansas Wetlands Education Center brought a Cheyenne Bottoms program on June 30, where we enjoyed Unearthing Stories about the wetlands. The star of the program was a rat snake that the children got to pet.

Our backyard is looking so much better. Bornholdt Nurseries have put in a landscaping feature. The next step is placing Audrey Hedrick’s reading bench. Todd Taylor has made us a fence to hide the A/C units and it will be in place and decorated by Barn Quilts the kids at the Rec Center Summer Program are making.

We have 350 New Books! Thank you South Central Kansas Library System for providing this service. Thank you, Sandy, for boxing the old 350 and shelving the new ones!

It looks like everything will be ready for First Friday, Our Town Gathering on Aug. 7. Jan Turner and friends are providing live music and there will be free food. Come join us for Friends, Fun, Food AND Music all FREE on Aug. 7th.

Library calendar

  • Monday mornings 10-11 a.m. Preschool Story Hour
  • Lazy Days of Summer - Book Challenge ends Aug. 1
  • Every Wednesday except 2nd Wednesday - ESOL with Rachel Sandoval at 6 p.m.
  • July 28 - Recently Read meets at 5:30 p.m.
  • Next board meeting is July 8.

Gerry Hildebrand is the head librarian for the Nora Larabee Memorial Library, 108 N. Union St. in Stafford. Phone 620-234-5762, email larabeelibrary@gmail.com or visit Facebook at Nora Larabee Memorial Library. Library hours are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday; 2-6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.