Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Comment Library Recreation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Resident urges library changes for seniors; sailing camp seeks $100,000 for new boats
Summary
A longtime senior library patron urged Havre de Grace council to address noise and supervision at the public library that she says has driven seniors away. Separately, Captain Rick Wall updated the council on an 11-year sailing camp and requested help raising roughly $100,000 to replace boats.
At the citizens' comment period on April 20, Laura Hudson, 70, told the council she believes Havre de Grace’s library is failing senior patrons because a daycare operating inside has made the space too noisy and, in her view, inadequately supervised. "Seniors are disappearing all the time," Hudson said, describing puzzles and social activities disrupted by children and saying she asked library staff to intervene.
Hudson recounted instances of children running, head injuries among kids, and close physical contact from some patrons receiving support services; she urged stronger supervision, better spatial separation and respect for senior patrons who use the library for social connection.
The council thanked her for speaking; Council member Boker offered to sit down and do a puzzle with her and said her concerns were "well heard."
Also during public comment, Captain Rick Wall updated the council on the local sailing camp operating at Hutchins Park. Wall said the program has run 11 years, taught about 1,100 sailing sessions to date and currently has 90 enrollments for 2026, including 23 from Havre de Grace. He said the program has provided 11 scholarships totaling about $5,000 so far and that the fleet is aging: "We need about a $100,000 to buy 13 boats," Wall told the council, and asked for help identifying grant opportunities and fundraising contacts.
Council and the mayor thanked Wall for the program and for helping maintain docks during winter; they encouraged his fundraising efforts and recognized the camp’s value for youth development.
Next steps: council members and staff said they would follow up with library staff on Hudson’s concerns and offered support to the sailing program as it seeks grants and donations.
