District Library gets chokeberry bushes to replace boxwoods

The Belleville Area District Library now has a row of black chokeberry bushes lining the Charles Street edge of the property along the library parking lot.
At the Oct. 14 regular meeting of the library board, Library director Mary Jo Suchy said that Randy Brown Landscape had just replaced the boxwood bushes that were dying.
At the July 8 meeting, she reported that she was told the shrubs were dying possibly due to a boxwood disease and they should try another kind of bush.
According to gardening sites on the internet, black chokeberry is a dependable small-to-medium-sized shrub that is upright and mounded. Small clusters of white flowers in the spring are followed by glossy black, edible fruit, which are great for jellies, pies, and wine.
It is an adaptable shrub native to Minnesota with hardiness and wide tolerance to a variety of soil textures, densities, pH levels and moisture conditions.
In other business at the 45-minute meeting on Oct. 14, the board
• Heard Suchy report that since last May she has been running into roadblocks in getting Otis Elevator to schedule an elevator test required by the state. She said Matt Ratzow of O’Neal Construction is assisting her in finding alternative elevator vendors. Also, in speaking with Ratzow, she discovered that the library elevator most likely does not need the door lock monitoring system for which Otis sent a quote of $27,000. The elevator was installed in 2019 and the state code that mandates the system went into effect in 2016. She said they may have another company do the required state test;
• Learned library staff member Jennifer Richardson will present a workshop on how to start a memory café at the Michigan Library Association Fall Conference at the end of October. Suchy said this memory program has been greatly successful and is partially funded by the Friends of the Library. Artist Kathryn Wood assists with a communal art piece that the group works on during each café and then the artwork is displayed;
• Heard Suchy report about 500 people attended the many programs in the library during Harvest Fest on Oct. 11. She said the weather was great and it was, “a magical day” with so much activity. Board member Joy Cichewicz captivated people with her information on bees;
• Was informed about 50 people attended the Michigan Birds of Prey outdoor program that wrapped up the library open house at the Sumpter Media Center. Board chairperson Sharon Peters said those attending greatly enjoyed seeing the red-tailed hawk, owl, and eagle up close;
• Heard Suchy say as a result of the library’s successful program on learning how to play Mahjong, the library is now holding a Mahjong Meetup on Fridays at 11 a.m. Peters said the game is very challenging. The library also is adding an informal, one-hour English Conversation group at 1 p.m. on Tuesdays. This is intended for those who are learning English and will also be attended by some of the literacy volunteers. Also, Jazz Night at the Library features the Dawn Giblin Quartet at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 29;
• Was informed the winners in the weekend’s community art show are being displayed at the library, along with other art from the show. Some of the artwork is for sale, but they will stay on display until the exhibit is over;
• Learned long-time book vendor Baker & Taylor, one of the country’s largest book vendors that was founded in 1828, is shutting down operations. Suchy said they have served as a very important vendor for the library and she is sorry to see them go. She said they continue to use Brodart and Ingram. She said Amazon is making a bid for library services, including providing processing and brief catalog records. She said Amazon sends individual bills and individual deliveries when the library buys books from them and that is difficult for the library to process one by one. Amazon is working on fixing that problem, she said;
• Heard board secretary Alma Hughes-Grubbs thank board members for their prayers during her illness. Board members said they were happy to see her back;
• Welcomed visitor Thays Harris, a library user since she moved to this area 17 years ago. She said she wanted to see what went on at a board meeting so she decided to visit the meeting.