Chelsea library sees busiest summer yet in 2016
The Chelsea Public Library has been non-stop for the summer of 2016, library director Dana Polk told the Chelsea City Council tonight.
Polk presented summer program enrollment numbers to the council during its meeting at Chelsea City Hall, noting there were more than 833 program attendees in their kindergarten through adult programs.
“This has been the busiest summer we’ve had,” Polk said.
There were over 3,000 visits to the library in June and over 2,600 in July, Polk said, and the library also saw a boost in teen involvement. Most summers, around 12 students sign up for the teen summer program, but 45 signed up for this year’s A Minor Film School program, Polk said.
Students in the program learned how to shoot and edit video on their mobile devices, and they created their own movie trailers for their final assignment.
“It was amazing what these kids did,” Polk said.
The three winning trailers were shown during the City Council meeting, and Polk recognized the winning students. Betsy Samuelson, who created the trailer which won in the science fiction/fantasy category as well as viewer’s choice, was at the council meeting and received her prize during the meeting. Samuelson worked with fellow student Rachel McRae on the trailer.
Polk thanked the City Council and Chelsea Kiwanis Club for their support of the library’s many programs and said she hoped the library would be able to continue to add to its resources through grants for which she recently applied.
“We’re doing a lot. We’re bursting at the seams,” she said.
Also during the meeting, Chelsea Citizen Observer Patrol director Jim Thornton introduced past directors of the volunteer-based program and thanked Mayor Earl Niven and the council for their continued support.
Chelsea’s COP program started 17 years ago, three years after the city was incorporated. At that time, the city had no money, and participants drove around in their own vehicles with magnetic decals, Thornton said. Thornton thanked Niven for taking a chance on the program all those years ago and presented him with an award from the participants.
“After 17 years, we’re still at it; we’re not driving our own cars anymore,” Thornton said. “We have five [COP vehicles], and the mayor pays the bills. We’re thankful for that.”
Niven thanked the COP participants for being the eyes and ears of Chelsea without having any “cowboys,” or individuals who thought they had more power than they actually have, in the program.
Also at the meeting:
- Chelsea Fire & Rescue Chief Wayne Shirley updated the council on Fire Department news, including steps toward extra safety precautions for paramedics during EMS transport. Council member Dale Neuendorf also thanked the department for helping a Chelsea resident who stopped by the fire station with chest pains. Firefighters on duty realized he was having a heart attack and took him to the hospital, Neuendorf said. Without their quick action, the man might not have survived, he said.
- The council approved the annexation of a 69.1-acre property on Shelby County 336. The property is owned by Scott and Elizabeth Weygand, and Weygand said it will be used for a residential development that is in the planning stages.
- Niven gave a snapshot of city finances in response to requests of people running for office this August. The city has about $3.8 million in total funds and about $13.3 million in debt. “Anytime you see a growing city that provides for its people, you’re going to have debts,” Niven said.