Various programs have been offered this summer for children and adults alike at the Marionville branch of the Barry-Lawrence Regional Library.

“We try to have a wide variety of programs to try and meet everyone’s need,” said Janea Coker, Marionville branch supervisor.

Members of the community attended the annual combined country school reunion on Sunday, June 28, at Robinson Elementary School in Aurora.

Glenna Williams, vice president, conducted the meeting in the absence of the president. Clyde Sharp led the Pledge to the Flag, while Mary Jo Henderson led the opening prayer.

The summer heat has arrived and we are still cool at the library!  Come in for a welcome relief from the heat and see what we have going on while you are here!

As always, we have great, new, bestselling books coming in all the time.  Here are a few of our newest additions:

June 30 marked a change in leadership for the Aurora Rotary Club.

Rich Jenkins, who has served as president for the past year, made a presentation to Nina Eads, who serves as a lieutenant governor for this Rotary district, in the form of checks totalling $2,000. The funds are earmarked for the organization’s ongoing efforts at eradicating polio worldwide.

Several things are happening at St. John’s Hospital--Aurora on Tuesday, July 7.

The community is welcome to take part in the events, according to hospital personnel.

The kick-off of the Aurora hospital’s 50th Anniversary Celebration starts with the picnic that day.

Gary Presley, author of the acclaimed memoir Seven Wheelchairs: A Life Beyond Polio, from the University of Iowa Press, will speak on creative non-fiction at the Springfield Writers' Guild meeting at 1 p.m., Saturday, July 25, at the Heritage Cafeteria. 

Presley, a former Aurora resident, came late to writing, first inspired by winning an essay contest sponsored by the Joplin Globe. He wrote a few freelance articles before discovering his love for the personal essay. He has had essays published in the Ozark Mountaineer, Salon.com and other venues.

Since 1917, the Gripka family farm has been a fixture at the crossroads of LC 2175 and 1170. The family has been at the location so long the area is known as “Gripka Corner.”

“We’ve had the power out and called the electric company and just tell them it’s at Gripka Corner,” relates Angie Gripka Sperandio. “They know where we are.”

The current generation of Gripkas running the family farm include siblings AlbertGripka, Paul Gripka, Angie Sperandio and Regina Quintin.

The Aurora YMCA Founders Committee met last week and decided to suspend pursuit of a program here.

The decision comes in the wake of about 18 months of activity in deciding if there was enough interest for a YMCA program and enough financial commitment.

For many a family in southwest Missouri, quilts were something from the “use it up and make do” form of living in the 19th Century and early years of the 20th Century.

Women used the scraps leftover from making the family clothes or took the good pieces from a piece of worn clothing to make a quilt.

The quilts seemed more utilitarian in nature for many, rather than of the decorative nature of many of the quilts today, many of which resemble paintings more than bedding.

If you are looking for an adventure for your child completing kindergarten through fifth grade this summer, you might want to consider the local day camp program. 

This will be the third year for the Dawg Days of Summer Day Camp that is supervised through the Aurora Parks and Recreation Department. The camp is set for July 6 through 17.

Allison Pettit, a recent Aurora High School graduate, started this program in 2007 to “fulfill a need in the community.” After reviewing over 150 parent surveys, she developed this program.

“It's finally summertime and we can enjoy the beautiful Ozark outdoors.  The kids are out of school and the grill is hot!” said Janie Derby as she talked about this month’s offering from Angel Food Mission at First Presbyterian Church.

Residents of Lawrence County made a giant step toward a cure for cancer on May 29 when they walked throughout the night during the American Cancer Society Relay For Life.

Twenty teams and hundreds of people came together during this year’s Relay to raise in excess of $57,000.  Money raised during Relay For Life helps fund the American Cancer Society’s research, education, advocacy and service programs in the local communities.

The Aurora Park Board voted 6-0 to fill the old Aurora pool and convert it to green space at a special meeting May 20.

At the previous, regular meeting of the board May 11, a citizen had approached the board about paying architect Richard Werner to look at the pool, at no cost to the city. The city had agreed.

A summer food program is once again scheduled at the Verona School.

Officials note the program provides free breakfast and lunch for all children age 18 and under; anyone else may purchase breakfast for $1.50 or lunch for $2.50, said a school spokesman.

Ken Ackley has been spearheading Ye Olde Mining Days for five years in  hopes of establishing the event as Aurora’s spring festival and marking the city’s mining history.

While the first day of the festival dawned sunny, windy and mild of temperature, the second day saw much cooler temperatures and a bit of moisture. Early forecasts had predicted more rain for tha time frame.