Building Progress Update
By Kara Bauman
Some of you may have noticed that the construction trailer used as an on-site office was removed the first week of April. That means the Owner/Architect/Contractor Team was able to hold the very first meeting in the new library on April 10th! While it was a momentous occasion, there is still a lot of loud work taking place and none should be too jealous just yet. The progress is really something with many exciting milestones to report. The Library was able to square away everything with its transformer and now has permanent power. The natural gas line will be completed during the week of April 15th and will fuel both the hot water heater and our gorgeous stone-faced fireplace located in the Quiet Reading Room. Book shelving has been ordered and many of the furniture finishes have been determined and ordered. Following the necessary application of a moisture-mitigation product to our concrete slab, carpet for the main collections space and the luxury vinyl tile chosen for the large Community Room will be laid during the week of the 15th. Restrooms throughout the building are looking much more official now that toilets have been installed.
Probably most exciting on the list of recent orders, however, are the individual letters that will be placed over the entrance. The Board of Trustees recently voted that our building will officially be known as the Lyons Community Library, and handsome bronze letters spelling out such with be affixed to the beautiful wood beam that traverses the south-facing entrance side of the building. During our capital fundraising push, Dale and Christi Katechis purchased the naming rights for the new building for a very generous $500,000. Many of you were fortunate enough to meet and know Dale Katechis’ mother, Shirlee, who was known far and wide as Ya-Ya (the Greek familiar term for “grandma”). Lyons lost a treasure when Ya-Ya passed away in 2016, but Dale chose to honor his mother’s memory by designating “Ya-Ya’s Place” as the secondary name for the project. We cannot wait to share Ya-Ya’s personal motto, “be your wild, courageous, brilliant, cheerful self EVERY SINGLE DAY–no matter what!” while offering the community a safe space in which to do just that.