Category: Local Interest

We had 28 children attend our afternoon of reading today. The kids all made rock concerts. Everyone had fun, and each concert was unique.

We’re so excited. The summer reading program doesn’t start until June 1^st, but we are currently doing all of the prep work. This year’s theme is “Libraries Rock!” and each child from birth to 5^th grade will receive a Back Stage Pass booklet. Included in this booklet are lots of coupons that kids can use to get free stuff around town. (Pizza, ice cream, balloons, hamburgers, swimming passes, books, etc.) In order to have these coupons activated, the child must practice reading each week, and then come into the library to have their booklet stamped.  The parents and child can decide how much reading they need to do each week.

Coupon booklets will be given out to the kids at school. If your child doesn’t attend Sargent Public Schools, you are welcome to come in the library and pick up a booklet.

Be sure to show your appreciation to the following businesses that have agreed to provide prizes: Sargent Swimming Pool, Trotters, The Ritz, Forget Me Not Shoppe, Sargent Post Office, and Mr. Rudy’s. Also  Emily Jandreau has been a big help for lining up the prizes, and helping with the booklet.

Get ready to “rock” this summer!

The Sargent Library will be hosting a book signing for Jason “Jake”  McKown on Saturday, April 21^st from 9:00 a.m. till 12:00 noon.

“Nature’s Wrath” is Jake’s first published book. For those who don’t know Jake, he is blind, and yet he is able to vividly describe scenes in the story. The subject deals with the horror of what can happen when scientists experiment with cloning and genetic engineering.  It is purely fictional, but very scary. It’s not the type of book that you want to read before bedtime. One of the horrible creatures in the book is a cross between a jungle mosquito, a cicada, and an earthworm. That doesn’t sound very ferocious, but it terrorizes the whole country.  Jake even managed to include Sargent, Nebraska and Comstock Nebraska in his story.

Be sure to come and congratulate Jake on his new book, and also to learn about some of the exciting books he has planned for the future

We held our first book club last Wednesday evening, and it was a lot of fun. Eleven ladies showed up to discuss February’s featured book “Girl with a Pearl Earring”.

For the month of March we are reading “The Meaning of Names” by Karen Gettert  Shoemaker (Nebraska author). This is a historical fiction book set in Stuart, Nebraska around 1918. It deals with the country’s prejudices against German immigrants during World War I, and also the terrible flu pandemic that killed millions.

We still have multiple copies of this book available for check out. Everyone is welcome to come get a book and join us. Our next book club will meet March 28^th at 5:30 p.m. 

There are exciting things happening at the library. Recently five very enthusiastic women (Emily Jandreau, Emily Tobias, Kallie Morse, Gwen Bye, and Tess Sinner) have been working on forming a Friends of the Library group in Sargent.

The purpose of a Friends group is to support the services and programs of the Sargent Township Library by raising funds, public awareness and community support. Previously any money donated to the library was not tax deductible because the library is not a 501c3 organization. The Sargent Friends group is a non-profit 501c3 organization that is a legally distinct entity with their own board of directors. They are organized under the umbrella of the Sargent Economic Development. All money raised by the Friends group will be given to the library to purchase new computers, for building repairs, and to help fund educational activities for children and adults at the library such as the summer reading program.

Now that they are organized, the group is looking for additional members to help with fundraising ideas and library promotion. Be sure to “like” them on Facebook, and consider including the Friends of the Sargent Library in your end of year giving.

All around Sargent are memories of the past that have been forgotten or overlooked. The other day I was reminded of this when someone asked me where the library’s bird bath came from and how old it was. For anyone who has ever noticed, this is a beautiful lawn ornament, and it turns out there is quite a bit of history behind it.  

The bird bath was purchased for the library in 1931 by the Justamere Club.  Charles Swanson was the person who created and designed the stone structure.  The history behind Mr. Swanson is what makes this story so interesting.

Charles Swanson was a Swedish immigrant who homesteaded some land in the Cummings Park area (12 miles NW from Sargent).  In his later years, he and his wife Maggie moved to Sargent.  The couple loved to travel, and everywhere they went, Mr. Swanson would bring back rock specimens – lots of rocks.  It made sense then, that he would become an artist in cement.  He started building cement/rock structures for his home in Sargent. He designed the front steps, fireplace, and numerous lawn ornaments, and he was able to tell visitors exactly where each rock came from. In addition to his home, he built cement structures all around Sargent and Loup County. According to the Sargent Leader (12/20/34), “it would take volumes to describe all the things he made with his rock specimens set in cement.”

Here is the challenge. How many structures made by Charles Swanson still exist? His artistry was placed in Sargent, Loup County, and the surrounding countryside.  You may have passed by one of his works every day and just didn’t know where it came from. Take a picture and send it to sargentlibrary@gmail.com, text it to 402-316-2201, or post it to the library’s Facebook page.

Loup County Museum in Taylor, NE

Gravestone at Madison Square Cemetery

Right now it is cloudy outside. It is not exactly the weather that we wanted. Hopefully the clouds will dissipate later in the morning and we will be able to see the sun. If we have a little cloud cover, we may still be able to see the 360 degree sunset during the eclipse. However even if we have total cloud cover during the eclipse, be sure to get outside anyway and experience the effects of the eclipse. Many people have experienced an eclipse on a cloudy day, and they all say they would rather be in the shadow of totality when it is cloudy than to be outside of the shadow on a clear day. Even under cloud cover, you will be able to see the shadow rushing toward you. Then it will suddenly get very dark. The temperature will drop, and finally you will see the shadow rushing away from you. As I write this, the sun is trying to peek out. No matter what happens it will be an awesome experience, so get outside!