Five candidates run for four seats open on Belleville Area Library Board

Voters will be asked to fill four seats on the Belleville Area District Library Board in the Nov. 3 general election. There are three 4-year seats open and one 2-year partial-term open.
On the ballot for the four-year terms are three incumbents: Joy Cichewicz of Sumpter Township, Alma Hughes Grubbs of Van Buren Township, John Juriga of Belleville, and one newcomer James Chapman of Van Buren Township.
Filing for the two-year term is former board member Tanya Stoudemire-Phillips of Van Buren Township, who on July 14 was appointed to fill the seat recently vacated by Barbara Gates, who moved from the library district. Stoudemire-Phillips is running to retain that seat.
Joy Cichewicz
Joy Cichewicz of Sumpter Township is running for reelection to the library board.
She is married to Rick Cichewicz and their children are Melanie Bell, Andrew Cichewicz and Derek Cichewicz. They have five grandchildren.
Cichewicz, 59, has lived in the library district for 28 years. She is Librarian/Branch Manager at the Ypsilanti District Library, Michigan Ave. Branch. She graduated from Eastern Michigan University with a Bachelor of Science degree and Wayne State University with a Master in Library Science.
Cichewicz was appointed to the board when the library became a district library in 2010. She then was elected to office in 2012 and reelected in 2016. She also has served on the Sumpter Township Planning Commission for 10 years.
She is a member of the Kiwanis Club of Ypsilanti and Washtenaw Faces Race. She enjoys crafting, dancing, gardening, and home DIY.
When asked why she is running for office she said: “Libraries serve a very important function in our society! By providing our community with a new building, staffing, technology, and circulating materials, libraries level the playing field so that everyone has access to resources and assistance in using those resources.
“All public libraries provide access to the internet, books, magazines, movies, music, audio books and heavily-used downloadable books. In addition, libraries provide free opportunities for life-long learning, educational programs for youth, and, during normal times, community spaces for gatherings.
“I feel particularly qualified because of my background. I’ve been a public librarian for 23 years and understand the role that libraries play. One of my first library jobs was at the Fred C. Fischer Library. For the past 12 years I’ve been the branch manager of the very busy downtown location of the Ypsilanti District Library.”
As to her goals once elected: “The main priority in my 2016-20 term was to replace our old beloved but crumbling library with a new one and to add a media center in Sumpter Township. I’m very proud to have been on the library board and chair of the Building committee, assisting in making sure the goals of the community were realized.
“The Belleville Area now has a brand-new, state-of-the-art library in downtown and a media center with the latest technology in Sumpter Township. Unfortunately, the pandemic hit two weeks after the new library opened. The library staff is reaching out, providing services remotely and cautiously opening to the public. The next priority, keeping in mind Covid-19 safety restrictions, will be to engage the community in fully utilizing their new libraries, both remotely and in person, encouraging responsible use of the building and being good stewards of the taxpayer’s money and trust.”
Alma Hughes-Grubbs
Alma Hughes-Grubbs, 47755 Bentley, Van Buren Township, age 64 and divorced, is a retired sergeant from the Detroit Police Department where she served as a polygraph examiner.
She has lived in the library district for 20 years.
After retirement she worked for Wayne State University Library Services, and then began a polygraph practice.
Hughes-Grubbs graduated from Cass Technical High School and has a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Wayne State University and a Master’s degree in Administration from Central Michigan University.
Hughes-Grubbs is a current elected library board member, serves as board secretary, chairs the marketing committee, and serves on the art committee.
Hughes-Grubbs is an avid golfer, reader, and an original member of the African American Book Club at the Belleville Area District Library.
She has professional memberships with the Retired Police and Firefighters Association, the American Polygraph Examiners Association, and the Michigan Association of Polygraph Examiners. She’s also a member of Triumph Church.
“I’m seeking a second term on the Belleville Area District Library Board,” said Hughes-Grubbs. “I’m running to assure that all present projects initiated by our present library board are completed. I’m a strong supporter of the library and see the value a library adds to a community. Having a state-of-the-art library with updated technology is a welcome change.
“The community has embraced the newest jewel to our community,” she said. “The children are beyond excited, as well as the adults. During our book brigade many had an opportunity to tour the new library. Many of the children had to be pried away from the computers by their parents. The spark in the children’s eyes was priceless. Our community saw a need and filled that need for generations to come.
“My goal, if elected, is to continue the work and finalize pending projects. We are currently working to complete our new parking lot. We have stayed within the budget and have used the community’s money wisely. Our library staff has been outstanding in serving our community, and it is our plan to continue attracting staff that have a heart for service.
“Having a library downtown and a satellite location in Sumpter Township has benefitted the community by adding easy access for all residents. Our library is the jewel of our community and a dream come true. If re-elected I will continue to be vigilant in making sure that we continue to have the best library, best staff and best library board as we serve the best community,” Hughes-Grubbs said.
John Juriga
John Juriga, 327 E. Huron River Dr., Belleville, is running for reelection to the board to which he was elected in 2016.
He has lived in the library district for 49 years and he and his wife Deborah have three sons: Justin, Travis, and Jesse.
Juriga is a retired teacher from the Romulus School District after 30 years of service. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Education from Murray State University, a Master of Arts in Industrial Education from Eastern Michigan University, and has done post-graduate work on a Specialist Degree at Michigan State University.
Juriga has been an appointed member of the City of Belleville Planning Commission for the past 17 years. He served on the Van Buren Township Planning Commission, 1986-89. He also has served on the Belleville Board of Canvassers and the Belleville Downtown Development Authority’s Façade Committee. He also served on the Senior Transportation Committee for the past eight years.
Juriga also has been a board member of the Belleville Area Historical Society and Museum for the past 10 years, was founder and has been board member of the Romulus Boys & Girls Club for the past 21 years and was founder and board member of the Belleville Boys & Girls Club for the past 10 years.
He also was a Peace Corps volunteer in West Kingston, Jamaica, 1967-68; a Red Cross volunteer for Hurricane Katrina, Texas; and the United Methodist Church’s Volunteers in Mission member in Russia, 1991, and Haiti, 1986.
Juriga earned the Boys & Girls Club Outstanding Volunteer Leader Award, 1999; Belleville Area District Library Lifetime Achievement Award, 2013; and the Belleville Area Chamber of Commerce Community Service Award, 2017.
When asked why he is running for office, Juriga said: “I have been an elected library board member for the past four years and served on the new library building committee for the past three years. In that time the building committee has accrued 230 hours of meeting with lawyers, architects, and construction managers making decisions on the new library.
“We are pleased with what has been accomplished. Our library is a jewel in our community and adds so much to strengthening and growing the Sumpter, Van Buren Township and Belleville area. I look forward to a fully opened library. I would appreciate your support and vote so I can help finish this beautiful project.”
As to his goals if re-elected, “If I am re-elected, I will work toward the completion of the new library. I will continue working with board members and library staff to safely open the library. I am committed to supporting the library in providing materials and services to meet the needs of the community,” he said.
James Chapman
James Chapman, 60, of Van Buren Township is running for a four-year term on the library board. He has lived in the library district for 53 years.
He is a graduate of Belleville High School and attended Eastern Michigan University and Jackson Community College.
He operates a tree service and is a mechanic/engine technician.
In August, Chapman placed second in a field of five for State Representative in the Republican Primary.
He is a member of the Belleville Area Historical Society and the Society for Preservation of Old Mills.
He said he is running for the library board, “as an attempt to balance or counter certain left-wing oriented members of the board and to make sure the library maintains and expands its historical archives and resources.”
His goal, once elected, is, “To put a positive historical viewpoint on the board and to keep a closer eye on library expenditures and goals.”
Tanya Stoudemire-Phillips
Tanya Stoudemire-Phillips, 42755 Winding Pond Trail, Van Buren Township, is running for election to a seat to which she was appointed in July. There are two years left in the term and she is unopposed for the seat.
Stoudemire-Phillips has lived in the library district for 16 years. She is married to Adrian Phillips and they have three children, Kyron, Evan and Blake Phillips.
She serves as Deputy CFO/Budget Director for the City of Detroit and holds a Juris Doctorate and Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Wayne State University.
Stoudemire-Phillips was first elected to the library board in 2014 and she ran again in 2018 but was not elected. When there was a vacancy on the board earlier this year, she was appointed to the seat.
Her hobbies include boating on Belleville Lake, camping and traveling with her family.
“The reason I am running for office is because I want to actively contribute to my community,” she said. “I believe my experience as a previous BADL Trustee and professional expertise make me uniquely qualified for this position. I am looking forward to having another opportunity to serve and promote this community.”
As far as her goals once she is elected: “The library is one of our community’s most important assets. My goal is to provide sound financial advice, engage in community outreach and continue to promote the services available at our beautiful new library. Our library is a gem that enhances the lives of the people who live, work and visit our community. We should all be very proud of this accomplishment.”