As an elementary school student, I remember learning the Spring, or Vernal, equinox fell on March 21st each year. Apparently, that’s not always the case and now there’s also meteorological Spring that begins on March 1st. And then there’s the Groundhog who supposedly predicts when Spring will arrive. Whenever it comes, Spring is a welcome season and while it hasn’t felt much like it outside the past week, the library is sporting some seasonal décor not to mention new books on the shelves so come in to get your Spring vibe. There’s nothing like a good read while you wait for a Spring-like day so you can get started on your outdoor chores. more

Excerpted stories in Crawford County newspaper archives more

I hope everyone had a good St. Patrick’s weekend, although it was more than a little chilly. Checking the weather in Ireland where our friends live, I found their temperatures this week are just about the same as ours. I promised that this week I would follow up what I started last week with a story and information about the Historic Hook Lighthouse in Ireland. more

Excerpted stories in Crawford County newspaper archives more

Excerpted stories in Crawford County newspaper archives more

Excerpted stories in Crawford County newspaper archives more

As spring returns to SE Kansas, this excerpt from “Frogdancer,” Arma native Frank Jeler Jr.’s memoir, brings warm memories of seining for bait and fishing strip pits, ponds, and rivers with dad and grandpa. — J.T.K more

Excerpted stories in Crawford County newspaper archives more

Excerpted stories in Crawford County newspaper archives more

It’s that time of year when everyone’s Irish, if not genetically than certainly in spirit. Since the Emerald Isle has a rich literary history — think James Joyce, Oscar Wilde, W.B. Yeats, Seamus Heaney — there’s no scarcity of Irish reading material to be found. If you’re like me, you may look for less lofty reading; not to worry since there are plenty of mainstream books written about Ireland and its inhabitants. more

St. Patrick’s Day is a special day for the Irish and so many others. Once treated like the scum of the earth when the Irish immigrants arrived on American shores, they withstood the poor jobs, housing and much more and every year celebrated their Irish heritage being the strong, determined people that they were. more

Excerpted stories in Crawford County newspaper archives more

Excerpted stories in Crawford County newspaper archives more

Excerpted stories in Crawford County newspaper archives more

Here’s a recollection by 1964 PHS graduate Nancy Keller Kincaid that, for me, brought both joy and heartbreak. Experiencing Pittsburg, on both the whole length of Broadway and the downtown side streets, was really something back before the mall, big box stores and Amazon arrived. more

Excerpted stories in Crawford County newspaper archives more

Irish legend has it that there’s a pot of gold at the end of every rainbow. If that’s so, then I would expect to find a rainbow ending at 308 N. Walnut every day — because there’s no greater treasure than a library full of books. Here are some of the latest pieces of gold we recently added to the collection. more

Excerpted stories in Crawford County newspaper archives more

For the past several weeks I have been listening to high school and college basketball results and have even attended a few games on each level. As I watch the athletes, cheerleaders and the crowd at high school and college games, I think about how things have changed over the years. more

Excerpted stories in Crawford County newspaper archives more