EDITOR:

This second letter of mine is just to personally thank the citizens of Escanaba and surrounding areas for really stepping it up and making it to the Escanaba City Council meeting to show support for the Escanaba Public Library. The fact that the people of Escanaba turned a board meeting into a standing room only, no parking places left, local news station taping just says so much about our wonderful city, employees, and most of all our citizens. That is the exceptionally great part about it, the fact that we made our voices peaceable heard on this particularly important issue. But also, that everyone took time out of their already busy schedules to actually attend the meeting, speak at the meeting or write into the Daily Press to show how important our Escanaba library is to us.

I would also like to thank the Escanaba board members for hearing us and not cutting the library’s budge by 40%, because we all know that would lead to the eventual closing of the library completely. This second letter of mine is not to bash, condone, or ridicule the city board in any way shape or form. I know, and I am sure the people of Escanaba, know you have to do what you have to do for the betterment of Escanaba and there are many positive and very helpful things you do for this city all the time that go unnoticed. I know those awesome librarians work hard but they do not work for free — besides taking up a lot of space the books and all the other mediums there do not stock themselves or answer the hundreds of questions daily that are presented to the librarians every day. We need to heat and cool the library, work all the lights, computers, and copiers there; and many other expenses that it takes to provide the citizens with such an awesome place. Thank you, Escanaba board members.

So, in closing again thank you Escanaba citizens for getting out there and speaking your mind and helping to save the library! I can’t imagine what I would have done as a passionately devoted library user without it. And I can’t even imagine what a city without a library would be like.

Travis J. Thetford

Ford River