Photo submitted to Times Observer BVFund Committee President Rick Brewster presents Rouse Children’s Center Director Penny Sampson with a grant check of $1,000 to assist with their plans for safety upgrades in the outdoor toddler play area, including poured rubber surfacing. From left, Chase Stec, Mason Carr, Gianna Mummolo, Griffin Dougherty, and Lilly Tarr are standing in front of the soon-to-be upgraded play area. BVF Committee member Jim Cowan is also pictured, far right. The Brokenstraw Valley Fund is a philanthropic fund endorsed by the Community Foundation of Warren County to provide grants which will support the Arts, Education, Health, and other Community related activities that will benefit non-profit organizations in the Brokenstraw Valley Area. The BVFund is able to issue grants based upon charitable donations. To make a donation to the Brokenstraw Valley Fund mail a check payable to the Community Foundation of Warren County with Brokenstraw Valley Fund in the memo line to the Foundation Office at 310 Second Avenue, Warren, PA 16365. For more information, visit www.OurBVF.org or www.cfowc.org.

Public library update

As mandated by Governor Tom Wolfe, there was a statewide closure of all public libraries in PA in alignment with school closures. Following a period of monitoring and evaluation (through Sunday, March 29), public libraries will then be informed, by the state, about whether mandated library closures will continue or not continue.

“During this mandated closing time, the Youngsville Public Library is relaxing our borrowing policy,” said Library Director Kristy Wallace. “For Youngsville Library all late fees will be suspended and due dates extended during the period we were initially ordered closed (March 13 to 29) and longer, if we are told to continue to remain closed by the state. We want to try to do our best to let patrons know that they will still be able to continue to enjoy items that they have already borrowed, without penalty. Our drop-box is also still open for the return of any library materials 24-7. But please no donations at this time through our drop-box.

“As always Youngsville Public Library and our other Seneca District Libraries continue to maintain a vast collection of digital material, including eBooks and downloadable audiobooks through Overdrive and Libby. These materials are free to access with any Warren County Library card and can be easily accessed through quick links on our website, YoungsvilleLibrary.org.” Wallace said. “You can also access quick links to AccessPA/PowerLibrary, which offers access to videos, emagazines, eBooks, and more on our website YoungsvilleLibrary.org under References/General Reference. There are also great free reference links to educational sites for children, tweens, and teens, such as pbs.org, duolingo, and KhanAcademy.

“If you don’t currently have a warren county library card but would like to try to access eBooks or eAudiobooks, don’t worry because we’re working on that dilemma,” Wallace said. “Our Seneca District has also contacted OverDrive and are in the process of making arrangements so that individuals that do not have library cards will be able to have temporary access to all OverDrive Materials — hopefully as soon as Thursday, March 19th. Patrons will receive an instant digital card that will only work within OverDrive until this crisis is over (and mandated library closure restrictions are lifted). Once our libraries are allowed to reopen, patrons just need to come into the library to get an actual library card so that they can continue to access free eMaterials through Overdrive. You can quick link to Overdrive through our website’s home page and our website’s community news page. We really appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding during this trying time and YPLibrary is trying our best to still provide an array of digital resources and digital access to materials and references via our website.”

Love Your Library raffle update

In lieu of the mandated closings, Youngsville Public Library will postpone drawing winners for its Annual “Love Your Library” raffle extravaganza until after it is allowed to reopen its doors and once all outstanding tickets have been collected. The library will post any updates regarding the drawing date on the Community News page of our website, YoungsvilleLibrary.org.

Postponed

(a) The Basket Fundraiser at the Irvine Church (previously scheduled for March 15) will be postponed until sometime in April. Exact date TBA. (b) YEMS ice cream social and basket raffle (was scheduled for Tuesday, March 24). (c) Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) has been postponed; call the borough office at (814) 563-4604 for rescheduling details.

Cancelled

The following items have been cancelled for March, until further notice: (a) Community meal nights (Wednesday nights) cancelled at the Youngsville Free Methodist church, (b) The Lenten Services/Luncheons have been cancelled, (c) Lenten Friday night Fish Fry Dinners at the Youngsville Free Methodist Church have been cancelled, (d) YEMS ice cream social and basket raffle cancelled, (e) All meetings, workshops, Tech Tuesday dates, and CareerLink workshops scheduled for Youngsville Public Library in March have been cancelled, and (f) The Brokenstraw Fish & Game Club’s Hunter Education Course scheduled for Saturday, March 28, has been cancelled. No news yet on a new date.

Borough hours

As the CDC and the PA Department of Health has instructed, the Youngsville Borough office is open by phone, email and through the Dropbox to the right of our front doors, as of Monday, March 16. The borough will still be available to bring you the services you are used to. To protect one another we are following the advice of the CDC and limiting human contact and we ask that you would do the same. Please be assured that we are communicating with our local officials and if any further information, beyond what is already being provided at the federal and state levels, becomes available we will share it immediately on the Youngsville Borough Facebook page. You may reach the Borough at (814) 563-4604, Kim Hall, Ext. 4, Jolean Ishman, Ext. 3, Mark Theuret, Ext. 1, Lisa Hagberg, Ext. 2.

Also, due to the current situations in our communities, the Youngsville Borough will not be sending out a Quarterly Newsletter containing information for April, May, and June. Visit YoungsvilleBoro.org.

Drug take back initiative

The National Take Back Initiative scheduled for April 25 has been cancelled. Regretfully, DEA must do so given the Center for Disease Control directive that there should be no events with 50 or more people for the next eight weeks.