By Lou Bernard

Sports

Pennsylvania is trailing in the first month of the Clinton Challenge, back now for its third summer. As of the final week of the month, New Jersey was leading with 1,319 hours and New York in a very close second place with 1,298 hours. Pennsylvania followed behind with 501 hours.

The Clinton Challenge is a match between the rivals of Clinton, New York, Clinton, New Jersey, and Clinton County, Pennsylvania. This challenge dates back to 2021, when New York and New Jersey battled to see whose patrons could read the most hours. In the summer of 2022, Pennsylvania was invited, and went head to head with New York until New Jersey won in a surprise last-minute upset.

The exciting thing about the Clinton Challenge is that any patron over the age of twelve can join the game. Patrons can become part of the team by requesting a form at the library’s main desk, or e-mailing ross13@rosslibrary.org. The form is used to keep track of the hours the patron reads every week, and then turned in at the end of the week, the hours sent in and tallied up.

The competition will run until Labor Day, at which point the winner will be announced. Pennsylvania needs recruits, so get a form and join the game!

For more motivation, Adult Services Coordinator Lou Bernard has reiterated his agreement from last year. “If Pennsylvania wins,” he states,”I’ll let me co-workers pour Gatorade on me in the parking lot. We can film it and put it on social media. Hopefully it’s the blue flavor; that’s my favorite.”