Darlene Wroe

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

COBALT - A new Cobalt Paul Penna Public Library board is now in place.

There is a brief lull in activities at the library as it is closed for the March break, however, library board chair Trina Breault is assuring residents that it will be reopening its doors on March 21, and everything will be back to normal.

The reason for the week-long closure is "due to unforeseen circumstances" which "the board vetted as a whole and agreed but it is not something we can disclose at this time."

The new board chair is Breault, vice-chair Ken Lillie, treasurer Tamara Fishley, board member Jenny Adshead, Cobalt town representative Doug Wilcox, and Coleman Township representative Marilyn Lubbock.

The new library board held its first meeting March 11 and took the day to get to know each other with members "just trying to get connected as a board," said Breault.

The board's first objective will be "going through all our policies and procedures to make sure they're up to date."

She said all the board members have ideas for the library but the first step will be training.

"We have to strictly adhere to the Public Libraries Act," Breault noted, adding that Wilcox is the only person on the board with experience in the library board setting.

"We're all hoping to see the library grow," she said. "The people around that table are really strong."

During the March 11 meeting the new board members were "all very positive. Everybody was speaking up and asking questions and were very passionate about the library. We want to do it justice."

Breault operates a small business, is a parent, and has past experience working in a government setting, she said.

Darlene Wroe, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Temiskaming Speaker