District Library counts 600 people attending Harvest Fest on Oct. 8

Belleville Area District Library Director Mary Jo Suchy said 600 people were at the library for Harvest Fest on Oct. 8.
At the regular meeting of the district library board, Suchy said the tractor parade brought extra people to the city and, “I was filled with joy all day.”
Marketing committee chairwoman Alma Hughes Grubbs said the event was a huge success.
Board chairwoman Sharon Peters said the events were outside last year but the apples brought bees and wasps and angst to those taking part.
“Inside the building was really fun. Harvest Fest was a wonderful thing,” Peters said.
“I’m saddened the museum didn’t take part this year,” said board member John Juriga.
Peters agreed and said the Van Buren Township supervisor said it was for the three communities to agree on the museum. There was one meeting with Van Buren, Belleville, and Sumpter, but nothing since and no news about when it will reopen.
“I keep bringing it up,” Peters said. “A lot of us at the library are anxious for it to move forward.”
She said the Harvest Fest was a signature event and, “Hopefully we’ll have a cultural partner in the future.”
Juriga reminded the board that it was Joy Cichewicz’s idea to have a Harvest Fest originally and Cichewicz agreed it was her idea, noting her family used to have harvest activities and games at home. She suggested it for the library, the museum joined in, and it grew over the years.
Cichewicz said she really, really appreciated how the library staff worked together putting on the activities for the children this year. Cichewicz said this was the first time she just had to do the shopping for materials and the staff did the activities.
Board member Linda Priest said the staff didn’t just talk with people, but got them involved.
There was some discussion about how to bring the petting zoo back, since there is little grassy area at the new library.
Suchy said the staff wants to sit down with the Harvest Fest committee because there are new ideas.
“We’ll look at everything with fresh eyes next year,” Suchy said.
Also at this year’s Harvest Fest outside in Fourth Street Place, the Belleville Central Business Community put on a Harvest Farmers’ Market and the Historical Society held a Nickle Dig and gave lessons on use of a corn sheller and a scrubbing board for washing clothes. Coldwell Bankers Professionals hosted a FMAR pet adoption event.
In other business at the 58-minute meeting, the board:
• Heard Suchy report on the three-hour meeting she attended two weeks earlier on the library’s new humidification controls / HVAC. Present were the library’s architect, O’Neal Construction, the architectural engineer, and Long Mechanical, MEC. She said the controls should be able to move seamlessly between heating, cooling, and humidification. Once the outside temperature dips below 30 degrees, the humidification system will turn on. The humidification level is set to 35%. The library will notify O’Neal Construction once the humidification system turns on for the season. The group also discussed preferred settings for pulling outside air into the building as well as proposed adjustments to the radiant heating in the storytime room;
• Heard Suchy list other “last little details” on the building, including the quiet study room lights. She said she requested an extension to the length of time the lights remain lit. She said people are studying and not moving and the lights go out;
• Was advised that the Roys Street sidewalk have forms set but the concrete still must be poured. Juriga said it still has to be determined if the mystery pipe was a drain from the baptismal font at Grace Baptist Church;
• Noted a policy committee meeting will be held within the next few weeks to consider updating of policies as the library attorney recommends;
• Learned the library has agreed to host a student art show for the Van Buren Public Schools in January. It also will display winning pieces from the recent Community Art Show in November and December;
• Heard Juriga ask if they are going to cut down the vegetation in the bioswale. Cichewicz said no, that isn’t done. It is bee and bird friendly, she said. She said, however, she does go into her bioswale at home to pull out the weeds that get in there;
• Reviewed the charts put together on use of the Sumpter Media Center over the past three years. In general, it shows a steady increase in use of the branch. Juriga asked if the media center is cost-effective since it has to have two, full-time staff members. Suchy said the library is committed to this for ten years under the agreement. She said it’s a fantastic place to do classes. She said they plan to extend their tech tutoring classes there, to teach how to use a new iPhone, and other things. Peters said she would be in touch with Sumpter Township official to promote the media center;
• Was advised by Suchy that the replacement millage that was approved by voters in August was not subject to a Headlee rollback. However, since the board approved the slightly lower amount (0.6831 mills) in September, that is the amount that will be on the December tax bill. The difference between the two rates amounts to about $5,700;
• Was reminded the Friends of the Library Used Book Sale will be Nov. 12-14 and the next meeting of the district library board is on Election Day, Nov. 8. Also, the library will be open from 1 to 5 p.m. on Sundays beginning Oct. 16 and on Oct. 17 will open at 9:30 a.m., Mondays through Saturdays; and
• Welcomed Dan Fleming to the meeting. He was seated in the audience, but in the future he will be seated as a board member. He is among the four candidates running for four library board seats in the Nov. 8 election, so all are due to be elected. Fleming will replace Mary Jane Dawson, who is not running for reelection.