Grafton sells lot to library for $1, awards grant for senior lunches

Grafton recommitted its support to its public library last week by awarding it a grant and selling a parcel of land for $1. The village presented the Grafton-Midview Public Library a $5,000 award that will support lunches for senior citizens and the deed to an adjacent lot of land. "In past years, the library was fixing to leave the village ... now they are growing where they are planted, wanted and needed right here, in the village of Grafton," Mayor Charles Duke said in a statement Tuesday. "We love our library and will continue partnering with our neighbor across the street for generations yet to come." According to Grafton Village Administrator Andrew Lipian, library officials came to the village looking to improve their "robust" senior programming — an idea that Village Council wanted to get behind. In a statement on social media, the Grafton-Midview Public Library said the funds would be used for the Always Learning at the Library program, which is a senior citizen program that encourages socialization. Library officials did not indicate what the land would be used for. Grafton-Midview Public Library Director Adele Infante did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Previously, Lipian said the Grafton-Midview library purchased another nearby section of land — a move that he said indicated its plans of remaining in the community. "The village then looked at that transaction as a strong indicator that the library was going to stay in the village," Lipian said. "And so we decided to help them fill that gap by making the transaction and getting them that land to link those two properties together." Lipian said last week's transactions were meant to solidify the community at its library. "The recent investment in our library is part and parcel of that effort to make it part of the cornerstone of our downtown revitalization," Lipian said. While speaking of what the Grafton-Midview Public Library means to the community, Lipian referenced a poll the village conducted in 2017, in which he said 80 percent of respondents indicated they would travel to the downtown area because of the library. "It was the largest draw to the downtown," Lipian said. Contact Garrett Looker at glooker@chroniclet.com.