Ole Pappy
Everything is going up, they say ... food, gasoline, well, just about everything. So it wasn’t of a surprise on Tuesday at the Lyon County Board meeting when Michele Leininger, Director of the Marshall-Lyon County Library in Marshall asked for an increase of 4.8 percent in the library budget for the coming year. She asked for $327,522, which is about $15,031 more than the year before. “The county’s contribution, along with the City of Marshall’s contribution of $655,134 (also a 4.8 percent) increase from the previous year), would provide the library with a $982,656 budget for 2020,” indicated Leininger. The board will consider the increase during budget talks. What got me thinking was the fact it took the Minneota Library folks nine years to construct the new Minneota Public Library in the former Big Store building
. During her presentation to the board Leininger indicated, “We see a lot of casual use,” and “See more and more people who stay longer,” said Leininger. “They really appreciate the displays and creating browsing for them,” said Leininger. Same thing is happening in Minneota. I remember before they had the project finished there were folks who just didn’t believe enough people were still reading books anymore — so why is a library necessary? That’s a rather ignorant comment.
People still love to read — and there’s so much more to the library than books. “We’re continuing to shift to personal devices on wifi from the library’s computers,” said Leininger. She indicated the library has done more collaboration with the Tracy and Minneota libraries. County Commissioner Rick Anderson, hearing the report on the county library — and another report from Val Quist, Tracy Library director, wondered why Minneota wasn’t represented at this meeting. And he made the comment about what a wonderful library Minneota now has.
Leininger indicated Minneota Librarian Mary Buysse was often alone on Tuesdays (county board meeting dates) and couldn’t attend — but that Minneota was doing a lot of things at the new facility. She indicated “a small surge in all types of readers and users.” One really nice thing the county library has done is to create “Pop-Up” libraries.
The Pop-Ups are simply taking the library to small communities on certain days to allow residents to use the services. During the current year, the library will continue with the “Pop-Up” service and will be planning for the Sesquicentennial Celebrations in 2020 in Lyon County and 2022 in Marshall.
THE COUNTY board also responded to pleas to ad some playground equipment for kids at the Twin Lakes Park near Florence. “Many people have indicated a need for a playground for the younger kids,” said Park Director Roger Schroeder.
Tuesday the Lyon County Board approved a plan to landscape a playground area — among many other items that will continue the development of the park. The board approved electrical quotes, water line quotes, subsurface sewage treatment system quotes for the Twin Lakes Park bathroom and authorized the base work of a natural landscape playground area at Twin Lakes Park. The county board is building new facilities at Lyon County’s Twin Lakes Park near Florence. Hodges Construction and Electrical of Russell got the low bid for the electrical work at $32,750.
The water line installation quote was set at a cost not to exceed $8,500. The sewage treatment system low bid was from A&C Excavating for $17,000 and was approved by the county board. The natural landscape work comes at an estimated cost of $22,316. Commissioner Rick Anderson suggested this cost may be covered by a grant.
The county also has other funds from the Legacy Grant to help finance this cost, said Commissioner Anderson. The county board has made a commitment to continue development this recreational area in Lyon County.
LAUGH A LITTLE: Oh, brother!! What did one DNA say to the other DNA? Do these GENES make my butt look fat!
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK: As my Ole Pappy used to say, “You only live once. But if you do it right, once is enough!? You were right on Ole Pappy, right on! Thanks Ole Pappy!