February 12, 2013

The Osgood Public Library board of directors met Tuesday, January 29, with all members present.

Librarian Vicky Butz announced that the library is coming up on its 100th anniversary and she would like to make it a special event.

Butz gave some history of the library to the board members and said the library actually started in 1912. However, in 1913, the board asked the Carnegie Corporation for a library building. That building was completed and the dedication service held on August 21, 1914.

Some of the ideas discussed included having people read 100 books between August 21, 2013, and August 21, 2014; have prize drawings, banners, reading a book from 1913 and more, along with media coverage.

The meeting of the finance board was called to order with treasurer Richard Parks passing out copies of the library investment policy for members to look over and approve with their signatures.

The policy has no changes from last year, with the exception of the name of the bank. Members were also given a report of investment earnings for the past year. With no questions, a motion was made to accept the renewal of the investment policy for 2013.

Parks distributed the treasurer's report. He reported the amount spent for the month was $21,637.56. One of the claims presented was for the life insurance renewal. Board member Melodie Busch asked if the amount could be deducted for an employee who is no longer working for the library. Parks said that he would check into it.

The first item of new business was the approval to hire a part-time employee at the Osgood library. Butz reported hiring one other person a few weeks ago and said that he is doing a great job. However she still needs one more person. This was approved by the board.

Butz reported a non-working monitor and requested approval to dispose of it. She said that they have extras and will not need to purchase another one. The disposal request was approved.

Appointment of officers was held. It was unanimous that all officers will remain the same for the 2013 year. Appointed were Sheri Cunningham, president; Lisa Bradshaw, vice president; Richard Parks, treasurer; and Connie Coyle, secretary. Attorney Larry Eaton was approved to remain as legal counsel for the library.

Butz informed board members the preliminary budget approval has been received and expects to receive final budget approval in the coming weeks

Butz reported coming in to work to find the electricity out in several offices. She called Scott Rinear, a local electrical contractor, to take care of the problem. She said that some water had gotten in to one of the outside outlets and shorted some things out.

Butz also reported a water leak in her office. Rinear looked at that, but said he didn't really see anything. He recommended holding off until warmer weather and he will come back and roll some special paint to fix the issue.

Next, Busch brought up concerns she had regarding the bank statement reconciliation procedure. She expressed that someone other than Parks should reconcile the bank statement since he is the one paying the claims, adding that this is for his protection in case any money would come up missing.

"It's nothing against Richard. I'm just thinking it's a protection actually for him. If no one else wants to do it, I'll be glad to volunteer," Busch said. She added that the reason for bringing this up was in reference to alleged illegal activities involving town clerk treasurers and some churches.

"I do them by hand, as auditors do them. I've always done them that way. The State Board of Accounts likes the way that I do them. I have more detail in what I do. We have good internal controls here. People who handle money don't make bank deposits. People who make bank deposits, don't handle books. People who handle books don't have access to money," said Parks.

Parks said that he doesn't have a problem with anyone looking at what he does with the books or the bank statement.

Gene Pitts said the State Board of Accounts is very thorough. Vicki Bradshaw questioned whether or not there have ever been any problems with this at the library. Busch said there has not, but still felt it would be a good business practice to have someone else do the bank reconciliation each month.

"We've never had any problems at all and we've always had exemplary workers here. I think we just need to hire the best people, trust them and trust the system and support them," said Bradshaw.

Butz distributed the annual report, pointing out that circulation was actually down in 2012 over 2011. She said that the numbers didn't seem right to her, adding they seemed a lot busier. They did update the circulation software in August to Evergreen, which Butz said maybe there is something different about the way Evergreen totals renewals.

The E-book circulation was 1,163. Butz said she sees this as a number that will keep going up. She reported the numbers did go down for the computer room, as well, but feels that is accurate due to the new Internet use policy stating parental consent must be given for a minor to go online

Butz reported that someone will be coming into the library on Saturday to do a demo of the Ancestry Database. She also reported that the GED classes that were being held at the library four days a week, will now only be available there two days a week.

Classes will now be offered in Osgood on Mondays and Wednesdays and in Batesville on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Butz also told members that she renewed the contract for monitoring the fire alarm system.

The next meeting of the Osgood Library Board of Directors is set for Tuesday, February 21, at the Milan Branch of the Osgood Public Library.

Keep Walking: that's what Lee Bohner, 72 of the Osgood area recommends as a way to look at life daily.

Bohner has walked 25,000 miles, meaning that he has walked the equivalent of the circumference of the earth. It only took him 11 years, ten months, and 29 days to complete this task.

He began his epic walk January 2, 2001, and it ended November 29, 2012. In the very beginning, he told his mother he planned to walk 1,000 miles consecutively around home. When he hit that goal, he just didn't stop. He has completed the entire Appalachian Trail, which is no easy feat. During that walk, he fell and broke his leg. Did that stop him? No! While still on crutches, recovering from the fall, he was out walking. He actually walked for six years, seven months and 19 days without missing a single day.

When asked what the purpose of his journey of so many miles, Bohner simply said, "I like to walk." He likes to walk so much that he has walked in 15 different states, some more than once. According to Bohner, he loves the outdoors and hiking. But, for him, it's more than that: it's about setting a goal out in front of him like a "carrot on a stick". He recommends that everyone should always have a goal and set it a little higher each time.

Bohner has been interested in walking and hiking since the days when his son was in Boy Scouts. Even now he walks at least two miles a day and some days he has been known to walk as many as 20 miles in one setting. Bohner walks in bad weather as well as the good.

Once when he was still walking on crutches, his friend, Ernie Selke, drove up alongside him long enough to say, "Bohner, you ain't wrapped too tight!"

Bohner, however, maintains one has to have goals which are within reach and realistic. Walking the Appalachian Trail had been a dream for Bohner for 40 years. When he retired, his children said, "Do it, Pop!" So he did.

The story Bohner tells about his fall when he broke his leg on the trail at Jug End Mountain is proof of just how difficult it can be to hike the Appalachian Trail. He said it took five hikers and 24 rescuers to carry him out, taking about 5½ hours in the rain to complete the walk.

Jug End Mountain is a section of the trail that is very dangerous. But, Bohner didn't give up and went back to complete the trail. He did all this while wearing a backpack that averaged 55 pounds. He said he mostly slept in a tent, but there were shelters along the way for hikers. He said these shelters are three-sided lean-to's, open across the front with space for 6-8 people to lay side by side.

Bohner said he carried six to seven days worth of food on his back and has gone as long as three days on the trail without seeing anyone. He said he was burning between 4,000 and 6,000 calories per day and lost 22 pounds on the journey.

While walking in Maine, he carried 10 days worth of food, which equals 20 pounds. He did this because there is 100 miles of wilderness with no place to buy food.

On the trail, everyone has a trail name and Bohner was no different. He was called "Loner Bohner."

Fay Wagner of Osgood, Bohner's sister, added that she is proud of her brother who did this at his age. She relayed how she would help Bohner from time to time by sending care packages to the post office closest to where he was. They both had a trail guide to follow and Wagner had a map of the Appalachian Trail on her office wall so she could track her brother's where-abouts. He called in often to keep her aware of his coordinates. She proudly announced that her little brother is a "keeper."

Bohner concluded, "If you like adventure, hiking is a good thing to do." His message is goals can be reached through hard work and persistence!