Cobb Library Fills Summer with Reading Programs

1. Just when you thought you had heard enough about basketball. (Seriously, does the NBA playoffs last for an eternity?) the is already offering a way for your children to earn tickets to an Atlanta Hawks game for the NEXT season.

The seventh annual Atlanta Hawks' "Check It Out Reading Challenge" runs through Aug. 19. By reading at least five books, a participant can earn a free ticket to a regular season 2011-2012 Atlanta Hawks home game. After reading their selected books, participants can visit checkitoutreading.com to register for the program. An email will be sent after Sept. 1 with reward details. 

2. And for even more reading challenges and encouragement, the Cobb libraries are also sponsoring a contest to win free tickets to "The Wiggles Big Birthday Party" at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre for July 12. To enter, a child should read a book, then complete a book report form and turn it in at a library by July 6. The forms are downloadable at www.cobbcat.org/wiggles. The Wiggles are known worldwide and will be celebrating their 20th "birthday" as group. 

3. For your civic duty enjoyment, consider going to a Cobb Citizen Oversight Commitee and weighing in on some of the biggest issues facing Cobb County today. (Um.. budget?) The committee meets at 9 a.m. today at 100 Cherokee St.

4. Congratulations are in order for the Marietta Daily Journal, which won 11 awards recently from the Georgia Press Association.  These included three first-place awards and third place for General Excellence. More available here.

5. Today is Magna Carta Day. On this day in 1215, King John I was forced by English nobility to sign the "great charter" of English liberties.