Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
ELAINE ERICKSON, former Ironwood library director, second from left, receives a certificate of appreciation from Mayor Annette Burchell Monday. Also shown from left are commissioners Jim Mildren, Kim Corcoran, Rick Semo and Brandon Tauer.
By RALPH ANSAMI
Ironwood - Elaine Erickson was honored Monday by the city commission for her more than 10 years as director of the Carnegie Library.
After remarks by Mayor Annette Burchell, Erickson was presented with a certificate of appreciation for her years of service to the city.
"You have been a champion for library access for all people," Burchell said.
The mayor praised Erickson for her efforts in upgrading the 115-year-old library through her grant-writing for renovation projects.
It's the oldest Carnegie Library in the state and her efforts to upgrade the library through renovation efforts have extended to a project that has continued into the fall, with the front doors included in the final work.
"Thank you for making it a better place," said commissioner Kim Corcoran, who served as mayor during much of the inside and exterior renovation work.
Commissioner Jim Mildren praised Erickson for the kids' programs she has helped initiate at the library.
Among those attending the meeting was current library director Lynne Wiercinski, who was unanimously appointed to the job by the library board of trustees on Oct. 3, after Erickson resigned.
"The library will be reorganizing a bit as it seeks to maintain the same stellar services that the community has come to expect," Patti Jahn, vice-president and secretary of the library board, said in announcing Wiercinski's appointment.
In other business Monday, the city commission introduced an ordinance adopting the 2015 National Fire Protection Association code. Ironwood Public Safety Department Director Andrew DiGiorgio explained the necessity for the action.
"This doesn't mean we're going out and writing tickets, but it gives us the bite if they don't comply (with the fire code)," he said.
The commission will likely adopt the ordinance at its next meeting.
Commissioners approved a payment of $43,742 for the summer street paving project to Angelo Luppino Inc., of Iron Belt, Wis. It was the seventh project payment, with only around $19,000 owed to the company.
City manager Scott Erickson said there's a small amount of work to be completed next spring.
"They did a nice job," he said.
