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Little ones ring in the new year at Boardman library
BOARDMAN
You could say that Elle Barnes, 3, is a night owl.
She and her mother, Kristin Barnes, are frequent participants in Night Owl, the Boardman branch of the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County’s weekly nighttime reading program, which on Tuesday featured a New Year’s theme.
Young children and their families listened to stories, played games and made time capsules together, led by youth-services librarian Allie Graf.
The program, at 6 p.m. every Tuesday at the Glenwood Avenue facility, is all about “enjoying reading and seeing that the library is a fun place,” Graf said. It aims to serve working parents who can’t make it to daytime library events with their children.
It works out well for Barnes, who is a teacher.
“This program is absolutely wonderful. It’s nice because they took into consideration moms who have to work during the day,” she said, helping Elle decorate her potato-chip can time capsule with star stickers.
“It’s so fun and interactive for the kids. So we’re here every week,” she said.
Marta Evans, also a working mom, agreed about the program’s convenience.
“It’s something for them to do, and the literacy aspect is great,” she said.
Evans attended Tuesday with her four children: Jewels, 3; 2-year-old twins Marilyn and Martin; and 3-month-old Jacob. Also in tow was her mother, Bobbie Simcox.
“How can you go anywhere with four kids by yourself? I need backup,” she laughed.
In their time capsules, kids made notes of their favorite and least favorite aspects of 2015, recorded their resolutions and traced their hands for posterity. Parents were instructed to hold out until at least 2017 before taking a look back in time.
The group also rang in the new year by counting down from 10, then blowing bubbles, ringing bells and popping bubble wrap before the traditional shout of “Happy New Year!”
Children also were encouraged to make another resolution after listening to Graf read “The Little Engine That Could.”
“For this new year, anytime you think you can’t do something, think about this little engine,” Graf told her captive audience. “That can be your resolution.”