Sunday, March 4, 2012

Senator Gary Kubly dies



The second event is much more difficult to reflect on.  Senator Gary Kubly passed away on Friday, March 2, after suffering from ALS.  Gary was first diagnosed in summer 2010 and lived his final years with grace and dignity.  I knew Gary from my work at the library and personally.  He was an inspiration to me.  He was a politician who represented all his constituents.  He was an advocate for rural issues and was easy to talk.  The Capital was a better place with his presence and he will be missed.  I will miss his common sense and down-to-earth attitude, but mostly I will miss him because he was just one of the good guys.   My prayers to his family. 

Library paid off



Two events happened this week that illustrated my connectedness with Olivia.  The first was a positive one.  At the February 27, 2012 Olivia City Council meeting the last payment was made for the library.  15 years of payments for that beautiful building and it is now owned by the city.  That building was opened in 1997.  It was renovated and expanded primarily because a grant was available for $235,000 from the federal government administered through the state.  It was an ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) loan.  The following year that loan program was capped at $50,000 per library.  It was through a lot of hard work we were able to bring that loan program to Olivia with the renovated and expanded library building the result.  I am truly pleased I was able to participate in the final payment of that building for the people of Olivia and Renville County. 
I believe that building illustrates our commitment to the future of our learning, our city, our county, and our citizens.  A community that builds whether it is a library or a school or infrastructure shows it is forward thinking and believes in its own future and its children’s future.  I am so honored to be mayor of such a community.