Mudgy the Moose and Millie the Mouse are almost one year older and area children are invited to join in the celebration by creating birthday cards for Coeur d’Alene’s favorite pair of hide-and-seekers.

Kids can create a card, and bring to the Seagraves Children’s Library at the Coeur d’Alene Public Library – 702 E. Front Ave. – by Friday, Sept. 10. The cards will be displayed during the “Mudgy & Millie Birthday Party” on Sunday, Sept. 12, beginning at 1 p.m. in the Community Room.

The celebration will include a group read of “Mudgy and Millie” led by author Susan Nipp; an appearance of the characters, birthday cake, and singing “Happy Birthday.” Copies of the book and other “Mudgy & Millie” items will be for sale.

The book was created by Nipp, in part, to benefit the Library Foundation. All royalties from sales of the book and of related products go to the foundation. The book was illustrated by Charles Reasoner, the illustrations were the basis for five “Mudgy & Millie” statues created by local artist Terry Lee.

The bronzes are placed along the “Mudgy Trail” winding from the base of Tubbs Hill, through downtown Coeur d’Alene and City Park, and ending at the lakefront. The statues and informational signs depict scene from the hide-and-seek game described in Nipp’s book.  

 Anyone who needs accommodation to participate in a library program is asked to contact the staff prior to the activity by calling 208/769-2315. For more information about the birthday party, contact the Library Foundation at 208/769-2380. News about the library and other city departments is also available on the City of Coeur d’Alene news blog: cdacity.blogspot.com.

The Coeur d’Alene Public Library and North Idaho College are part of a partnership to provide area residents the basic computer skills they may need to look for work on the Internet, create cover letters and resumes, fill out applications online or maybe just to send and receive e-mails with photos of their grandchildren.

The first free ‘help session’ for the ReToolbox program to be offered in the library’s Community Room, Wednesday, Sept. 15, 6:30-8 p.m., will focus on basic computer operations – using the mouse and keyboard, turning the computer on and off, opening windows, creating files, etc. The same session will be offered again on Thursday, Sept. 16, 2-3:30 p.m.

“The goal is not to make participants ‘computer experts’ but to help them be comfortable with the devices, especially if they have never used a computer before,” said Ruth Pratt, Executive Director of the Coeur d’Alene Public Library Foundation.

“We heard from the library staff that many patrons are coming to the library to use the Internet computers because they need to apply for jobs or to re-enter the job market,” Pratt said. “For whatever reasons, many of these patrons have few or no computer skills and are very frustrated. Their need to learn was exceeding the amount of time the staff can spend with individual patrons.”