Time is running out for the kids participating in the Summer Reading Program at the Spirit Lake Public Library. The last day to bring in your Monopoly board reading log is Thursday, July 31. The treasure chest still has a lot of great prizes if children would like an immediate reward; or kids can choose to put their tickets in a drawing for a chance to win a bigger prize at the end of the SRP. If you would like to participate, just stop in the library to sign up. 

It seems that in addition to our traditional holidays like Christmas, Easter, and the 4th of July, we now have so many lesser known “holidays” on our calendars.

National Glazed Spiral Ham Day, National Hug a Plumber Day, International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day … there’s a day for everything. I have to admit, I don’t celebrate (or even know about) most of these random “holidays” but recently one of them caught my attention.

Questions by Managing Editor Russ Mitchell

Answers by music historian and Okobojian contributor Tom Tourville

Tom Tourville, The Okobojian’s Rockin’ Retro columnist, has filed nearly 500 stories about bands that crisscrossed the Midwest and came to stop at the legendary Roof Garden ballroom.

Would you like to have a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card just for reading books? Keep reading to learn all about it! The Spirit Lake Public Library has just begun its fourth bi-monthly book challenge for 2025. 

It’s pretty simple: read four books that fulfill four of the given prompt choices and turn in your completed challenge book mark by Saturday, Aug. 30. 

I am a resident of Okoboji but I spend significant money in Arnolds Park.

Arnolds Park is considering charging for parking in the amusement park area. When families vacation in our area, they spend considerable money for hotels, motels or rentals, amusement park admission, Nutty Bars, restaurants, bars, etc., etc., etc.

The city spends money on streets — are toll roads in their thinking?

Join MML for our weekly Building Bookworms Story Time on Mondays at 10:30 a.m. Take a look below for our themes. Materials and services are provided by the library free to participants. All kids and their adults are welcome to stay after story time and mingle. For more information contact the library or check out our Facebook page.

• July 7 – Take a Chance: Create a Game with ISU Dickinson County Extension 

• July 14 – Let’s Ride a Bike with The Okoboji Cyclist

Different than its predecessors, as 28 years difference would suggest, the third in the zombie-like “28” movies moves ahead almost three decades after the virus apocalypse, “28 Years Later” delivers in a very different way.

The first full week of July is cram packed with activities that you will not want to miss! 

At 10:30 a.m. Monday, July 7, Miss Krista will be conducting a fish-themed Story Time in the Community Room of the Spirit Lake Public Library. There will even be a special musical guest from the Lutheran Lakeside Camp! 

The Okoboji Summer Theatre has been bringing top quality theatrical productions to the Lakes Area for a very long time. The staff and cast opened the summer stock theatre’s 67th season Tuesday evening with a totally different musical from any we have seen in the past six decades. 

The Dickinson County Trails Board invites you to join us for an exciting evening in support of our beautiful trail system on Friday, July 18, at the Maser Monarch Lodge. Enjoy delicious bites from Back Alley BBQ, live music, and a selection of brews, wine, and bourbon tastings, all while celebrating the impact of our growing trail network.

The first question a person should ask before writing is memoir is pretty simple: Would other people be interested in reading about my life?

For Susan Huehn, author of A Widow’s Guide To Becoming A Handyman, the answer is a resounding YES.

Milford Memorial Library will be closed on Friday, July, 4, and Saturday, July 5, in observance of the Independence Day holiday. We look forward to seeing everyone at 9:30 a.m. Monday, July 7, when we reopen.  MML wishes you a happy and safe weekend. 

The Bible has hundreds of names, titles and descriptions of God: Jehovah, the Almighty, the Ancient of Days are just a few of them. In the book of Psalms God is called a Shield, a buckler, a strong tower, a Rock, our Defender, our Shepherd. 

Many of the names of God describe his role in the life of his people. For example, Jehovah-Rapha – the Lord who heals and Elohim is the Mighty God. Jehovah-Nissi – God is my refuge and El-Elyon – the God Most High. 

April 19, 1926 — June 11, 2025

A funeral service for Doris Martin, age 99, of Spirit Lake was Wednesday, June 18, at the Turner Jenness Funeral Home in Spirit Lake. Interment was at St. Margaret Cemetery in Spirit Lake.

Readers of this column over the years probably understand that it’s been pro-agriculture and pro-business most all of the time. But the umbrella over all of that has always been the support for individual rights. Our founding fathers demonstrated brilliance in adopting a series of individual rights that were designed to protect people from the propensity of government to become tyrannical.