by Dennis Dalman
editor@thenewsleaders.com
Sartell Mayor Sarah Jane Nicoll gave a personal defense for her and her colleagues about what she characterized as personal attacks against her from people who support a library in the city.
Her comments came at the close of the Dec. 14 Sartell City Council meeting.
Just previously, council member Amy Braig-Lindstrom said library supporters have always been positive but an anonymous letter published as a submitted, paid insert in the Dec. 11 Sartell Newsleader had created an “us vs. them” divisiveness. The insert from “Friends of the Sartell Community” entitled “Enough is Enough,” defended the council’s decision to build a community center, without a library, in south Sartell and questioned those who insist the center must have a library.
In her comments to the council, Nicoll took issue with Braig-Lindstrom’s contention the members of Friends of the Library have always been positive. She said some have used mistruths, assumptions, much negativity, personal attacks and name-calling against her and two council members, calling them such adjectives as arrogant, immature and even corrupt.
Nicoll said she was happy a “silent majority” in Sartell decided to defend the council’s community-center decision, including via the anonymous insert letter. That letter was written, Nicoll said, because of people fed up with personal attacks by library supporters.
“I am super happy to see some positivity,” she said, referring to the insert letter and community-center supporters.
Nicoll also emphasized how unfair it is she should be accused of being anti-library.
“To keep saying I’m killing a library is ridiculous,” Nicoll said.
She said she has long valued libraries, education and literacy but she has serious issues with the parameters set by the Great River Regional Library system for a branch library in Sartell. She said she remains in favor of a compromise for a library in Sartell, especially books for children and technology access. There is, she added, no need to duplicate a $30-million asset (St. Cloud Library) that is so close to Sartell.
“I am and will probably always be against a 12,500 square-foot traditional branch library (as proposed by GRRL) that would cost all kinds of money,” she said.
