New York Mills Lions group aids in library construction effort

A threat to the New York Mills Public Library's foundation has been overcome due to the hard work of the New York Mills Lions Club.

The recent volunteer effort brought forth nine Lions Club members, who each volunteered at least 10 hours of hard work, manpower and reconstruction efforts.

Over the last two decades, bricks outside of the New York Mills Public Library began to deteriorate due to ice buildup and weathering. The bricks had begun to erode and sink, giving water the opportunity to seep into the foundation of the library and damage the main infrastructure of the building,

Also damaging the area were tree roots that had moved the bricks apart as they spread across the area.

Old bricks were removed so the area could be leveled and bricks re-laid on a smoother and more level surface. The brick circle around the base of the tree was also expanded, giving the tree more room to grow without damaging its root system or the bricks.

Julie Adams, director of the NY Mills Public Library, said that Mayor Larry Hodgson spotted the problem when he noticed water pooling in front of the building.

On August 26, bricks had already been removed. By 4 p.m. that day, Lions Club members were finishing leveling the sand.

Julie Adams praised the volunteers for their work, "The Lions Club members do a lot of work around town. They don't just offer money, but they also offer hard work and labor. This wouldn't have happened without their volunteer work."

The estimated cost of the bricklaying project was $2,500, not including water damage prevention to the library's foundation.

"We would have had to do extensive fundraising efforts without their help," she said.

Tim and Rich Ericksrud provided equipment and gravel through their landscaping business. Both made certain to point out that their work and donations were made as two members of the Lions Club, not as local area businessmen.

The renovations were also supported by the city by the providing of a tractor and a dump truck, said Adams. The washed sand was provided by Camas in Ottertail.