“I’m bored!” was a pretty common refrain through my childhood and teen years, and maybe it was in yours, too. Growing up here in the Valley, there never seemed to be anything to DO. Of course, looking back from an adult’s perspective, I wonder how I ever managed to fit everything in; living on a farm in the woods near the strip pits, with cousins nearby, horses, dogs, bikes, and the best treehouse in a ten-mile radius, it seems as though I could not possibly have ever been bored.

As an active member of several community groups, and Director of a community hub like St. Clairsville Public Library, it’s overwhelming sometimes how many things actually are going on in the Ohio Valley. We’re approaching the best time of year for fun events, too: in the spring and summer, there are things happening every week! Many events are free or cheap, and many are fundraisers for various civic groups, so you’re giving back while you have a good time.

Thursday, April 23 brings the biggest event in the Rotary of St. Clairsville’s calendar: Taste of the Valley! If you’ve never attended, it’s worth every penny of the $25 entry fee. More than 20 area restaurants set up shop in a perimeter around the Carnes Center and serve all of the delicious food you can eat; everything from pizza to sushi to ice cream. More adventurous souls can try items like goat kebabs or duck lasagna. There are auctions and raffles too. Stop by and check it out; let me know if you need tickets!

St. Clairsville High School is presenting a musical, “Footloose,” at the middle school auditorium for two consecutive weekends; April 30-May 2, and May 7-9. If you loved the Kevin Bacon movie, you’ll have a great time watching the musical version, performed by the very talented St. Clairsville students. Tickets are only $8 at the door.

There’s always a lot going on at the Ohio Valley Mall. The library will have a craft table set up at Mom and Me on May 2 and a table at the Caregiver Support Fair on May 5. These events are free, and you can get some good freebies and great information by stopping and chatting with staff from area organizations at their tables. There are often door prizes and giveaways; there’s even a fashion show at the Caregiver Support Fair.

The St. Clair Ruritan Club hosts several fundraisers throughout the year, often centered on delicious food made on-site by the talented members. On May 7 they are having a Roast Beef Dinner at the Ruritan Building on the old Fairgrounds, next to Red Devil Stadium. Nine bucks gets you a huge amount of food, including dessert! You have to buy your tickets in advance, but I just so happen to be able to help you out there.

Another fun event hosted by St. Clair Ruritan is the annual car show, this year held on June 7th at St. Clairsville Central Park. A $5 entry fee provides you with access to the cars, concessions, door prizes, and DJ Johnny O from KOOL 105 radio.

Of course, nearly every day there’s something awesome happening at the library. On April 25th we’ll hold our last Lego Club and Lego Robotics Club meetings before Summer Reading. Twice a month, the teen Tabletop Gaming group meets to play some really cool games, like “Ticket to Ride” and “King of Tokyo.” We’re currently running a series with Source Fitness, which is a combination of nutrition and wellness programs interspersed with free yoga sessions. We also have a monthly book club; in May they’re discussing Robert Goolrick’s “A Reliable Wife.” There are weekly computer classes on a variety of topics, and even one-on-one tech sessions if you learn better that way.

Besides the programs, we have a great collection of books, audiobooks, DVD’s and magazines. We even have virtual materials through the Ohio Digital Library and Zinio for those days when you need something to read, watch, or listen to but don’t want to leave the house.

As you can see, there’s really no reason to be bored. Like comedian Louis C.K. says;

“‘I’m bored’ is a useless thing to say. I mean, you live in a great, big, vast world that you’ve seen none percent of. Even the inside of your own mind is endless; it goes on forever, inwardly, do you understand? The fact that you’re alive is amazing, so you don’t get to say ‘I’m bored.'”

The St. Clairsville Public Library is located at 108 W. Main Street. We are open Monday- Wednesday 10-8, Thursday-Friday 10-6 and Saturday 10-2. We can be reached at 740-695-2062 or www.stclibrary.org.