Library patron encourages parents, children to read

June 17, 2015 at 5:00 a.m.

by Randy Moll

Photo by Randy Moll Curtis Herron, retired from the U.S. Army, was reading a book about the Civil War at the Gentry Public Library last week. He spends time reading at the library almost daily and hopes others, too, will take up reading.
Photo by Randy Moll Curtis Herron, retired from the U.S. Army, was reading a book about the Civil War at the Gentry Public Library last week. He spends time reading at the library almost daily and hopes others, too, will take up reading.

Gentry -- A generous donation of $2,000 was given to the Gentry Public Library by Curtis Herron, a library patron, to purchase new materials and a few items on the wish list of the library, according to head librarian Darla Threet.

Herron, who is retired after a career in the U.S. Army, visits the library almost every day and is reading his way through much of the material there. Last week, he was studying books on the Civil War.

Herron said he hoped that his donation might be an encouragement to others to give of their time and volunteer and help out at the library or to support the library financially. He said he is concerned by the fact that Gentry has such a beautiful library and so few children or adults spend much time there reading or checking out books and materials.

"I would like to see kids check out and read a book," Herron said, adding that he is disturbed that parents don't read books to their children anymore and that children don't read.

Herron said he would like to tell parents: "Amaze your kids; read a book." He suggested that reading parents might lead to reading children and a better educated youth.

General News on 06/17/2015