By John Maruskin

Clark County Public Library

The 2017 Adult Summer Reading Program begins this coming Thursday,.

Any adult with a current, valid Clark County Public Library card is invited to sign up for the program. When you do, you’ll receive a new cotton/canvas library bag in which you can tote the books, movies, music and magazines you’ll be reading, watching and listening to this summer.

You’ll also receive a ticket on which you’ll write your name and phone number and circle one of six categories of book baskets we’ll give away as grand prizes at the end of program. The six book basket categories are: Backyard Homesteading, DIY, Cooking, Writing, Games and Puzzles, and Kentucky. These baskets are packed with new, enlightening and entertaining books.

The program will run from June 1 to July 31. During that time, patrons who are signed up for the ASRP will receive 1 ticket for every five adult or young adult items checked out (books, magazines, films and music). Sign those tickets and circle the category of the basket you’d like to win.

Each ticket will be placed in a box for that category and the winner will be pulled at random at the end of the ASRP. The more items you check out, the greater your chances of winning. You can place tickets in more than one prize category, but you can only win in one.

Patrons signed up for the ASRP will also receive two prize tickets for every adult services program they attend during June and July.

There are some great programs planned for the summer.

For example, there will be two free concerts on the Library’s front lawn. Each concert will start at 7 p.m. Please bring a blanket or lawn chair for seating. Free drinks and snacks will be provided, but you can bring your own refreshments if you like. These concerts are free and open to the public.

On Friday at 7 p.m., this year’s ASRP gets off to an exuberant start with a performance by Kentucky’s premier percussionist, Tripp Bratton. Along with leading his own troupes, Tripp has performed locally with the March Madness Marching Band, the Patrick McNeese Band, Tin Can Buddha and Ozone. He has accompanied international percussion groups like Afrikania Drumming and Dancing, and The Great Okukuropong Cultural Troupe from Ghana.

Tripp can conjure a beat from a breeze. There will be an open drumming session at the end of the performance, if you have a drum, bring it along and join in.

The second Free Concert on the Library lawn will beat 7 p.m. Friday, June 16 featuring Bruce Lewis playing gypsy jazz. In the 1990s, Bruce, a Lexington guitarist, lyricist and singer who played it all from bluegrass to fusion jazz, moved to Romania and spent about 10 years traveling with various European gypsy jazz ensembles.

For the ASRP’s second concert, Lewis will awaken the gypsy in your soul playing original tunes and gypsy jazz classics byartists like Django Reinhardt and Bireli Lagrene. This will be an evening of the sweetest and swingin’-est sounds this side of Danube.

Come in to the Library Thursday and sign up for the 2017 Adult Summer Reading Program. While you’re here, pick up both the June and July calendar/newsletters so you can plan to attend some of the other wonderful programs.

There’s a lot to do in Winchester and Clark County this summer and much of it will be happening right here at the Clark County Public Library where the motto is, “You don’t have to go to the beach to read.”

John Maruskin is director of adult services at the Clark County Public Library. He can be reached at john.clarkbooks@gmail.com.