Byron-Bergen Public Library and Richmond Memorial Library are pleased to co-host a virtual event; Steeped in Secrecy: The Boston Tea Party, 250 Years Later. 

The program will be held via Zoom on Wednesday, Jan. 31 at 7 p.m. To register, visit batavialibrary.org/calendar. This is a chance to attend a library program from the comfort of your own home!

The story of tea has always been infused with intrigue, particularly when it became a flash point for tensions between England and Colonial America. 

Learn about the brewing political problems tea presented in its history with Anglophile and former UK resident Claire Evans. Next, author, genealogist, librarian, and former UK resident Debra Dudek examines the history of the Boston Tea Party’s most famous partiers (and phonies), as well as how to trace bona fide participants through lineage societies and historical groups.

Registration is required at batavialibrary.org/calendar. A recording of the program will be available to view for one week following the event. Those who register will also receive an informational resource packet via email.

About the presenters: 

Claire Evans is an author, former journalist, attorney, and college lecturer who started her love of most things British as she and her mother watched countless Britcoms on PBS. She studied abroad in London and, against the odds, she married a Brit she met in Peoria, Illinois. They lived in England for several years. Her business, Tea with Claire, grew from friends asking for travel advice. Her memoir, High Tea and the Low Down is the true story of what it's really like to marry a witty Englishman and move to Britain.

Debra M. Dudek is Head of Adult and Teen Services at the Fountaindale Public Library District in Bolingbrook, IL. She holds a post-graduate certificate in Genealogical, Palaeographic & Heraldic Studies from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland.

For more information about Byron-Bergen Public Library, byron-bergenpubliclibrary.org. For more information about Richmond Memorial Library, visit batavialibrary.org.

Library Board President Sally Capurso clarified that with a statement Wednesday evening. She first thanked all voters who supported the proposal on behalf of the board of trustees. 

“We are especially grateful to the residents of the Town of Bergen, where the proposal was passed, affording us the opportunity to become self-sustaining,” Capurso said. “Although the proposal did not pass in Byron, we were heartened by the support in that area. The Library will now receive the 55 cents/1,000 assessed value from the residents of the Town of Bergen. The BBPL Board of Trustees will continue to make annual requests to the Byron Town Board. The Byron Town Board has included a $6,200 contribution to the library in their 2024 budget.”

The Batavian had previously listed a total vote from both towns of 689 yes to to 618 no. Byron’s no vote outweighed the yes by 303 to 255, and since each town is counted separately, the new tax will not go into effect for Byron residents. 

As president of the Byron-Bergen Public Library, Sally Capurso has a tough job, not only in making ends meet but more recently in pitching an idea to raise revenue through the creation of a 414 municipal library. Other options have been researched, and this seemed to be the most viable choice for ensuring a sustainable public library, she said.

The upside is that it would establish a regular operating budget through an ongoing, no-surprises tax to property owners — one that Capurso and trustees believe is well worth the cost to have solid library programs, staff, hours, and materials without the concern that the library might one day be in danger of existing or losing services due to lack of funding. 

“And this way, taxpayers will earmark a specific amount of their tax dollars for the library. So this funding will make it sustainable for us, and dependable, so that we will always know the amount of money that we will be having in our budget,” Capurso said during an interview with The Batavian.

The Town of Bergen and the Byron-Bergen Public Library will host a virtual ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday, Sept. 26 at 3 p.m. to celebrate the renovations that were completed last spring at the 13 S. Lake Ave. building.

The ribbon cutting was originally scheduled for April but had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While officials will be in attendance at the library for the ceremony, the public is asked to join the celebration remotely via the Byron-Bergen Public Library Facebook page.

The purpose of the renovations was to remove the architectural barriers that prevent people with physical disabilities from fully participating in the numerous social, educational, recreational and civic activities provided at the facility.

The building also houses the offices of the Town Assessor and Town Code Enforcement Officer.

The work included: renovation of restrooms and kitchenette; new carpeting; new electric and fire alarm system; accessible doors; new entryway; new circulation desk; new lighting; renovation of offices, multipurpose and storage rooms.

The project was funded by a SAM grant through Senator Ranzenhofer, a NYS Library Construction grant and the Library itself. The renovations were designed by Architect David Strabel and the general contractor was Whitney East.

“The Byron-Bergen Public Library has long been a valuable asset to our community,” said Bergen Supervisor Ernie Haywood. “Now it is a facility that is accessible and modernized. The public will be able to enjoy it for many years to come.”

• The Bergen Historical Society will meet beginning at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 5th, in the Library Meeting Room. The public is invited to hear a presentation by Gina Schelemanow on the history of the Cook family of Byron and Clarendon. Refreshments will be served following the program. 
• Maker Space Saturday is 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sept. 7th. Come and try an experiment! No registration needed.
• Monthly Book Discussion Group meets at 7 p.m. on Sept. 12th. This month's book is "The Little Paris Bookshop." Come and enjoy the fun.
• Toddler/Preschool Storytime will run Fridays starting at 10:30 a.m. beginning Sept 13th. Join Miss Bailey for stories, a craft and a treat! For ages 2-5, but younger children are welcome with a parent/guardian. Registration appreciated.

Dave Burke finished the mural on the back of the Byron-Bergen Public Library, dedicating it to Eileen Almquist, better known as "Tally."

Almquist was the director of the Byron-Bergen Public Library before she retired in 1993 and she was also the town historian for 21 years.

The Bergen Town Board approved the mural and gave Burke the idea of depicting a train, because it is a part of Bergen. 

Nancy Bailey, the manager of the Byron-Bergen Public Library, said when she walked in the building every morning the parking lot was boring. She originally just wanted flowers painted on the wall, but said she is really excited about the final product. 

The Byron-Bergen Public Library is seeking a Community Development Block Grant, with the hopes of making the library handicap accessible.

Don Cunningham, the Bergen town supervisor, said the project is estimated at a total of $267,630.

“There would be a matching portion on the town’s obligation,” Cunningham said. “The library is also looking at possibly getting Nioga grant support for the same project, but that has yet to be determined.”

Cunningham said the plan includes significant renovations to the bathrooms, access to the library and the library counter.

“This is a win-win situation for the town and us,” said Nancy Bailey, the library manager. “It will help not only handicap people, but also young people with children in strollers.”

Bailey said the grant is in the beginning stages, but she is optimistic that construction could start next fall.

“I’d love to have the ability for easier access to the library,” Bailey said. “Just changing the scope of that and redesigning the space to meet the needs of the community is a great thing.”

Bailey said if they don’t receive the grant this year, they will apply again.

“I’m excited, but apprehensive,” Bailey said. “I don’t think we have a plan B if we don’t get the grant, so that might be why.”

Nancy Bailey, the manager of the Byron-Bergen Public Library, said when she walked in the building every morning, the parking lot was boring and uninviting.

The parking lot was remodeled about a year ago and there was a big empty space on the wall. She said it was the perfect space for a mural. 

She applied for a Decentralization Grant from New York State through the Council on the Arts. Once the grant was approved, local artist Dave Burke got to work designing a mural that would reflect the community.

“The board members said we definitely needed a train because it was a big part of Bergen,” Burke said. “It also has farmland, birds and a swamp, and will have a part of the trail.”

Burke has been an artist all his life, but this is the first mural he has done. He usually paints on canvas or boards using watercolor or acrylics.

“The last couple years, I just started painting all the time,” Burke said. “Work and other things just got in the way. I wish I had done this 30 years ago and totally concentrated on painting.”

Burke mixes his own colors with acrylic paint and will seal the mural with clear varnish when it is completed.

The mural is dedicated to Eileen Almquist, the director of the Byron-Bergen Public Library, before she retired in 1983. Her picture is also painted on the mural, surrounded by children and books.

“Somebody suggested to put her up there,” Bailey said. “It looks really neat with her up there.”

Bailey said once the mural is completed, she would like to put park benches and chairs behind the library.

“It seems like a pleasant place to sit,” Bailey said. “It gets enough shade here in the late afternoon and some early morning sunshine.”

Bailey said there will be an unveiling when the mural is completed. 

This event will take place at the library, at 13 South Lake Ave. in Bergen. For further details, call the library at 494-1120.

This program is made possible by the New York State Council for the Arts' "Decentralization Program." It is free, open to the public, and lasts from 7 until 8:15 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 10.

For more details, please call 494-1120.