Library needs new homeTown council learns dentist is leaving

By Ken Johnston
Editor

Rainy River Town Council held a busy meeting last Tuesday, a day later than normal, due to the Easter holidays.
Library needs new home
The first item on the agenda was a visit from Rainy River Public Librarian Penny Shumaker. She presented council with the libary’s annual budget which has gone up from $44,045 in 2006 to $45,898. Shumaker said the taxpayers will not be asked for any more than the annual $30,000 they gave last year. “We have some fund raising to do but we think we can do it.”
Mayor Deb Ewald who sat as a councillor on the library committee last term asked Shumaker about the space the library is in.
Shumaker noted that they have severely outgrown the space they are in. “We have 850 sq. ft. and the OLS says 2,200 sq. ft. would be ideal.
There is also the problem of the building they are in having mold in its basement. “We have books that smell musty and some people can not come into the library because of allergies,” said Shumaker.
Shumaker also said they have power problems. “In the summer we can not run the air conditioner and the photocopier at the same time without tripping breakers.”
“We need to get you out of there,” said Councillor Gord Armstrong.
Shumaker said they have some money in reserve for a new building and hope to put some more away this year for such a move.
Councillor Marilyn McAlister suggested the now vacant Village Green building on Main. St. might be a good place to move the library, but others on council felt it is too small with limited property potential.
Money Available from SAPT
RR Dist. Substance Abuse Prevention Team Coordinator Hugh Dennis visited with council to talk about his program and what it has to offer Rainy River groups.
“We are working on projects that reduce or eliminate alcohol and drug abuse. We support (financially) Chem Free Grad and the Moose Lake Camping trip here (already),” said Dennis. He wants to encourage the community to apply for money to do more projects of similar nature. Anyone interested can call Dennis at 274-9827.
Other business
•Councillor Marilyn McAlister reported that the town officially received word that the dentist, Dr. Zhang, will be leaving his practise in Rainy River at the end of June.
•Council purchased a 1994 Ford Snow Plow Truck from Stratton Equipment at a cost of $40,000.
•Council granted a charitable tax rebate for the Northwestern Health Unit in the amount of $700.
•Council hired Corey Dyck as the Administrative Assistant to Town Clerk Veldron Vogan.
•Councillor Gord Armstrong reported that the Rainy River Strategic Plan has been completed and that council will be holding public meetings on it in the near future. He also noted that an economic development trip to Morden and Winkler, MB. will be held in early May to see if Rainy River can learn from what has been done there to stimulate economic development.
•Councillor Gord Armstrong reported that the Rec. Bd. will be having their annual meeting and elections May 2nd. He also noted that new regulations are going to see the need for higher plexiglass to be put on the east side of the arena ice surface. At present it is 2 feet high. That will have to be increased to 6 feet at a cost of about $12,000-$14,000.
•Council decided to forgo the normal tendering process in obtaining an engineering firm to do the planning work for the town sewer repair project. Since they had a firm, Burnside Engineering, do the work before, they opted to retain their services rather than drag things out longer.