Message:
Grand opening set for new Ida township, library building
By T.L. Whitaker
Ida Township Board and the Monroe County Library System will host a Grand Opening for the new Ida Township Municipal Building, located at 3016 Lewis Avenue, Ida, on Sunday, Aug. 24 from 1 to 4 p.m.
Along with the traditional ribbon-cutting ceremony scheduled to begin at 1 p.m., the August 24 open house will feature a magic show with magician Jason Hudy at 2 p.m. To join in the day’s celebration, staff from the Ida Post Office will be on hand to issue a special pictorial cancellation stamp depicting the new building. Visitors may wish to bring self-addressed stamped envelopes to take advantage of this special cancellation.
The new 7,686 sq. ft. facility will house the township offices, community room and the Ida Branch Library, replacing the portable classroom that served as the library for almost 30 years. The township offices have moved from their previous location next to the fire hall into the new building.
The library portion of the building was funded by a tax levy approved by voters in August, 2002. Private contributions from memorials, grants and donations to the library project totaled over $100,000. Additionally, money raised by the Friends of Ida Branch Library is being used for finishing touches such as comfortable reading chairs and clocks.
Funding for the township offices will be paid out of the general fund. The building was designed by David Arthur and Associates of Ida and built by the Spieker Company of Perrysburg, Ohio.
In addition to an enlarged collection of books and other materials, the new library will include a local history room. Jeremy Potter, Ida resident, teacher, and history buff, is providing a collection of textbooks from Ida area schools from the late 1800s to the present day and will be seeking to expand the local history collection through donations such as family histories, photos, yearbooks and other items dealing with the village and Ida Township.
Vintage photos of Ida selected by the Backyard History Club, a group of Ida high school students interested in local history, will adorn the walls of the building. Led by Mr. Potter, the club selected the artwork and had it enlarged and framed using grant funding.
The 24 black-and-white photos depict historic scenes and people from the Ida area. Among these is an old baseball team, old train depot and old high school building. Also pictured is Simeon VanAkin, Ida’s only senator.
“The pictures are wonderful,” said Township Treasurer Denise Horner. “They really are conversation starters. People see them and start talking about their memories.”
The township also donated old tax books to the history room, and residents can look up their ancestor’s land records.
Mark Andrews and Mike D’Agastino both will enter the ninth grade in the fall, and both are members of the Backyard History Club. They helped hang the artwork. Later, Trevor DeLand came to help, after band camp. Officially the club has 31 members, but only about 15 are very active. The members talk about upcoming projects, and go on field trips such as to the Monroe County Historical Museum. They also collect artifacts for the history room. In the fall, Mr. Potter will start organizing the archives for the club.
An exciting addition to the history room are copies of books written by the late Ida author Gertrude Crampton. She wrote the classic Little Golden Books, “Tootle,”which is a train, and “Scuffy the Tugboat,” as well as “The Large and Growly Bear” among other books. Mr. Potter has been able to acquire a first edition of “Scuffy,” and its artwork differs dramatically from later editions.
“Pictures of Tootle and Scuffy are on the back of the Little Golden Books,” said Mr. Potter, showing the compilation artwork. “Her characters rank right up there with the Pokey Little Puppy and the Saggy Baggy Elephant.”
Friday, Aug. 8, the library materials all had been put on shelves. Librarian Barb Drodt and clerk Denise Henry were using a cart to collect items from the shelves for patrons who had reserved them. The items will be put “on hold” until the new library opens.
Mrs. Drodt said she hoped the library would be open prior to the grand opening, but it depends on when the phones are hooked up. The township office and library both were without phones.
The library is receiving new items for its collection from the Monroe County Library System, now there is room for them.
“The library system increased our budget, so items are coming in,” said Mrs. Drodt. “We got four new boxes full today. It’s exciting.”
She said the library materials were arranged on the shelves so there is plenty of room to add books without rearranging the entire library.
The Ida Library Friends group donated money to purchase four wing-back chairs and a coffee table to create a cozy reading nook. Regular chairs and tables were on order, and were expected to arrive before the grand opening. Valances will dress up the windows. A special “children of the world” print will be on the window seats and valances in the children’s area.
“It’s a nice homey touch for the Ida Library. The reading nook will be nice for people to come and read the magazines and newspapers on a daily basis, which we hope they will do,” said Mrs. Drodt.
The library will offer increased hours as of Monday, Aug. 25 including Monday evening hours, additional hours on Wednesday and a shift in Saturday hours, keeping the library open an hour later on Saturday afternoons.
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