Welcome to Fall! Cooler weather, warmer colors, shorter days, and longer sleeves are currently in style. Now is the time to enjoy all that Mississippi County has to offer. Even with COVID19 restrictions, our community is coming together to celebrate with fun, fellowship, and festivities. As we approach Thanksgiving, let’s be sure to thank the people around us who are working hard to enrich lives in our community.
A few weeks ago, the Blytheville Library was honored to participate in the Reading is Fun-to-Mental event held for area students. Children and families toured through the library on a scavenger hunt and learned about the great resources and programs on offer. Students of all ages were excited to hear about study help offered through tutor.com (login with your library card and PIN at bit.ly/MCLStutor), about the free eBooks and audiobooks available for checkout through Libby, and about the hundreds of graphic novels ready for checkout. Thank you to Brice and Brandi Leaks for their hard work in organizing this event.
Last Saturday, my kids and I enjoyed watching The Addams Family at the Ritz’s first drive-in movie night. It was fantastic to see so many families gathered together for common fun and entertainment. What a great way to provide a safe, socially-distanced event in a time when in-person gatherings are hard to find. Thank you to the Ritz Commission and volunteers for a wonderful evening.
Tonight is Halloween! Blytheville Trick or Treating will look a bit different this year: costumed kids can drive through Walker Park and solicit treats from local business and organizations. Look for the Mississippi County Library System (MCLS) booth. Captain Picard and a Roman gladiator will be handing out candy…and will be so excited to see your costumes! Drop by the Blytheville library in your costume for another treat and enter your guess in the candy-in-a-jar contest! Thank you to Mailboxes and Beyond and participating organizations for making a safe Halloween possible this year.
Many in our community are hungry. Organizations like the Mission, the Blytheville/Gosnell Area Food Pantry, the Blytheville Ministerial Alliance, local school districts, and area churches and organizations are working tirelessly to meet the needs of Mississippi County families. Various organizations sponsor meals for the Blytheville Chickasaw Football team every Thursday evening. Thank you to everyone who donates, volunteers, and distributes food to support these local families and athletes.
This year’s Blytheville Leadership Institute (BLI) class is sending teams to volunteer at the Haven, the Lights of the Delta, and the Blytheville Library! The library volunteer team will be working to renew our main floor by removing ancient carpet and polishing the original slate tile. They are also working to create a new Teen Lounge area, install a dishwasher to help maintain our Library of Things inventory, and help with other building repairs. Thank you to BLI volunteers and to the Blytheville Chamber of Commerce for sponsoring this program.
Everywhere I look, I see people, businesses, and organizations casting a vision for a better Mississippi County. MCLS wants to be an active partner in helping us reach for this new reality. The Mississippi County Library System is working hard to enrich life in our community. If you have an idea for a service or resource we could provide, let us know! As always, feel free to contact me at broberts@mclibrary.net anytime with questions or suggestions.