(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic City Council, Wednesday evening, accepted without comment, the resignation of Parks and Recreation Director Wyatt Adderton, retroactive to June 26, 2023. Adderton had taken over the Parks Director position in February, 2023. He submitted his resignation in May, citing a hostile work environment and issues of harassment. After much consideration and discussions with the Mayor and others, he had agreed to try and work things out, but is now moved on and left the City

The City Council Wednesday, heard a presentation from Library Director Michelle Andersen, with regard to her efforts to obtain grants and other funding opportunities to enhance the services and public accessibility to the Library. Andersen said they have received a $20,000 “Libraries transform communities accessible small and rural libraries” grant to improve library services for people with disabilities. The Atlantic Public Library, she said, was one of 240 nationwide, to receive the grant.

She wrote the grant with the idea of modernizing the library’s aging elevator, in-mind. The Library’s Board of Trustees has since signed a contract with Schumacher Elevator Company, out of Denver, Iowa. Work on the elevator is expected to begin this fall. Anderson said there may be times the library needs to close, to allow that work to take place. The grant funds, she said, will be applied to the $93,000 total project cost.

Another grant the Atlantic Public Library received, was from the American Libraries Association’s “The Great Stories Club,” with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Atlantic’s Library was one of 58 selected nationwide, to participate in the club, which is a reading and discussion program for teens. Youth Services Librarian Sue Petersen will work with small groups of teens to read and discuss stories that explore questions of race, equity, identity and history.  Family Crisis Network is the local partnering agency. The Atlantic Public Library, Andersen said, will receive a programming stipend of $500 and 11 copies of each of the books which will be gifted to book club participants.

And finally, the Library is participating in an American Heart Association (AHA) program, “Libraries with Heart,” in cooperation with Cass County Public Health. Andersen applied for, and was awarded three blood pressure monitors for home use. The BP cuffs and monitors will automatically measure a person’s blood pressure, and there are three sets, each with two-sizes of arms cuffs that will be available to check-out soon, from the library, and for weeks at a time. The monitor’s/cuffs have an option to run on a battery or through a wall outlet. A kit that comes with the units will have information from the AHA about how to take accurate BP readings, when to contact your doctor, and a log to record the readings.

She says the kits will hopefully be available for check-out, by the end of this month.