Heather Hoyt and Rene Bue, Hedberg Public Library Ground Floor Shop and Book Mobile – General Meeting, February 11th, 2026

Blackhawk Golden ‘K’ General Meeting
Minutes
February 11^th, 2026

President Elect Tom Neumann presided, and called the meeting to order with a ring of the bell at 9:30AM.
33 members were in attendance today.

Tom Neumann led with the singing of America, the National Anthem and the Pledge of Allegiance.

Invocation: Dave Calverley, mentioning the children.

Raffle: John Janes oversaw the ticket sales and drawing this week.
The weekly pot was $10 and the big (Joker) pot was $176.
Mel Lemirande drew a ticket from the bucket, ticket number 106. Congratulations to the winner, Jenny Turco.
The deck of cards has 36/53 cards remaining. Jenny Turco drew the 3♥.

Tom Neumann thanks greeters Bob Knudson and Dale Henning, invocator Dave Calverley, rafflemaster John Janes, and server Bob Knudson.

Happy Box: Jenny Turco announced she is happy because she won the raffle, and is donating the winnings to the Truck on Ice!

Jokes: Joker Carl Cramer had a good joke about his dog, who got into the Scrabble box, and ate a bunch of tiles. Carl had to take him to the vet. “No word yet.”

Member Health: Tom Neumann had a status update on Bruce Jorenby, who fell. He is at Mercy.

Other Announcements: Greg Turco spoke upon the need for a second signatory on the bank account and box after a previous member is no longer with us.

Committee Reports: John Janes announced a blood drive is approaching, and the need is great. See the fliers.

John Janes announced the Truck on Ice now has $7,700 from sponsors, and another $10,000+ from members’ sales. Special thanks to April Wright and Ray Szczepaniak for filling in while a ToI Team Captain was away.

April Wright introduced the day’s speakers, Heather Hoyt and Rene Bue. Heather Hoyt runs the coffee shop on the ground floor of the library, and Rene is the chair for the Bookmobile program. Heather and then Rene presented upon the many facets of the Hedberg Public Library and the Friends of HPL program.
Hedberg has many things to offer beyond book and media rentals. They include sports equipment rentals, and free garden seeds from the Seed Library.
The library has a large puzzle selection, and hosts Puzzle tournaments! Teams of two to four players can sign up to compete. Prizes include gift certificates and other prizes.
Free bookmarks are available from the coffee shop, which have a free book coupon, and a list of the year’s used books sales.
The coffee shop sells Torque coffee, and Dark Nestle hot chocolate.
The shop has the same hours as the library, aside closing 15 minutes sooner to allow time for cleaning.
Rene Bue began to present. She had a plethora of information about the old and new Bookmobiles, as well as other library programs.
The library offers everything for free, aside a $1 charge for replacement library cards.
If you are new to the community, the library is the first place to go!
This year, a new Bookmobile was commissioned. Kiwanis member Tom Neumann asked, “What is the progress of the new Bookmobile?” Rene responded, “It is under construction, and should be delivered in May or June.”
Kiwanian Steve Skelly asked, “What sponsorships are available? What is asked for having a name on the vehicle?” Rene, “A name or logo on the vehicle is $10,000. Other options exist, including on screens.”
Kiwanis member Jim Farrell asked, “What are some of the advantages to the library vs. schools’ libraries?” The HPL is available during summer and times the schools’ are not. It is better funded, meaning more materials are available. The Bookmobile goes places w/ people who can’t make it to a library.” Heather added she previously worked for Harrison in the library, and, “the students are limited to two titles per week. Some could finish them in the first day, and have no option.”
Kiwanian April Wright inquired about art at the library. Rene said she was previously the Art and Exhibit Coordinator. The HPL is currently just beginning “jurying” for the next art season (June). Some quite impressive pieces are lined up. Many would surprise you – they’re done by 9^th-graders, and younger! The library includes other art forms, including regular live music in the fireplace room.
Kiwanis member John Janes asked, “Is technology assistance available?” “Yes! One on one technology assistance is provided. If more than twenty minutes is needed, it is an option, reservations preferred.”
John Janes asked, “Are audio books available?” Rene, “The HPL has books on CD and MP3, and MP3 players available for rental, so long as you have your own speakers or headphones.” Heather added, “The coffee shop has titles for $2, or you can see the library’s digital options with ‘Libby.’”
Kiwanian Greg Turco inquired, “eBooks?” Rene responded, “The HPL utilizes OverDrive. The HPL’s director is spearheading an initiative shared by members of the (previously Arrowhead) Prairie Lakes Library System, some 29 libraries banded together, to alter OverDrive’s model or move to another system that allows no-reservation rentals similar to the previous system named Hoopla.
Tom Neumann asked, “Is the ‘no fines’ system working out?” Rene, “Yes, and well. It is a myth that any library makes money on late fines. Most libraries are going fine free.” Rene gave an example of a single mother who wouldn’t bring her children to the library because of an outstanding $25 balance. “Fine free has done worlds of good.”
Kiwanis member Carl Cramer inquired, “What is the history of the library?” Rene, “The library was started by a group of men with a reading room, who received a grant from the (Andrew) Carnegie Foundation and moved into the Senior Center. The Carnegie Foundation just recently provided another $10,000 grant to the HPL, one of the few remaining Carnegie-founded libraries.”
Hedberg Public Library, known as ‘the Crown Jewel of Janesville.’

April Wright thanked Heather Hoyt and Rene Bue for speaking and presented them each with a Kiwanis Parker pen.

Tom Neumann adjourned the meeting with a ring of the bell at 10:47AM.

On this day:
660 BC Traditional date for the founding of Japan by Emperor Jimmu
385 Siricius, bishop of Tarragona, elected as Bishop of Rome; first to style himself Pope
1753 Pennsylvania Hospital, the first hospital in the United States, began admitting patients; it was cofounded by Benjamin Franklin.
1808 Anthracite coal is first burned as fuel experimentally in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
1809 American inventor Robert Fulton patents the steamboat
1847 Inventor Thomas Edison, who, singly or jointly, held a world record of 1,093 patents and who played a critical role in introducing the modern age of electricity, was born in Ohio.
1878 First US bicycle club, the Boston Bicycle Club, forms
1878 First weekly weather report is published in the UK
1942 “Archie” comic book debuts
1954 6th Emmy Awards: I Love Lucy, Donald O’Connor & Eve Arden win
1963 The Beatles record 10 of the 14 tracks for their first UK album “Please Please Me” in marathon recording session
1963 Julia Child’s The French Chef premieres – On this day in 1963, Julia Child’s cooking show The French Chef debuted on Boston’s public TV station as a regular series. Public television was rather dull at the time, but viewers were instantly charmed by Child’s demeanor and warm energy. Though she made mistakes, Child did not bat an eye, and she embraced any missteps as part of the one-take filming process—which was all that the crew could afford at the time. By the end of 1965, The French Chef was airing on almost 100 stations across the country as an instant classic.
1964 The Beatles’ first concert appearance in the US is at the Washington Coliseum in Washington, D.C.
1965 Braves propose to pay 5 cents from each ticket to bring a new team to Milwaukee
1973 First sub-17-minute 1,500m female freestyle swim is achieved by Australian swimmer Shane Gould in 16m 56.9s
1977 20.2-kg lobster caught off Nova Scotia (heaviest known crustacean)
1978 China lifts a ban on works of Aristotle, William Shakespeare and Charles Dickens
1979 43 million watch “Elvis!” on ABC
1983 “Weird Al” Yankovic records “Ricky” and “Buckingham Blues” to complete his debut LP, at Scotti Brothers Studio in Santa Monica, California
1983 4th largest snowfall in NYC history (18″(46 cm))
1983 Single “Total Eclipse of the Heart” sung by Bonnie Tyler and composed by Jim Steinman is released
1984 10th NASA Space Shuttle Mission (41B): Challenger 4 returns to Earth
1989 US Episcopal Church Diocese of Massachusetts installs Barbara Harris (59) as 1st female bishop of a US Episcopal church
1990 Nelson Mandela is released after 27 years of imprisonment in South Africa
1993 President Clinton selects Janet Reno to be first female US Attorney General
1994 Space Shuttle STS-60 (Discovery 18) lands
1995 Danyon Loader swims world record 400m freestyle (340.46)
1995 Sandra Volker swims European record 50m backstroke (27.67 sec)
1995 Space shuttle STS-63 (Discovery 19), lands
1997 STS 82 (Discovery 22) launches
1999 Pluto moves further away from the sun than Neptune regaining its status as solar system’s outermost planet, a title it will retain for 228 years
Be Electrific Day – It was started by professional speaker, body language expert, and speech pathologist Carolyn Finch. She defines electrific as “an abbreviation for an electrification project – which means to put light where light has not been before.” In a sense, this was done by Thomas Alva Edison, whose birthday it is today, when he invented the modern light bulb. Be Electrific Day celebrates Edison’s birthday, but also, according to Finch, “the electricity within us.” It is to be a day to discover the electricity within our own bodies.
Get Out Your Guitar Day – Guitars are taken out of closets and cases today, to be played for oneself, and for family, friends, and strangers. Why? Because it’s Get Out Your Guitar Day! Guitars can be transported without difficulty, and are one of the easiest instruments to learn, meaning they can be taken out and brought to any place where music is welcomed or needed, and that many people have them sitting around their homes, and can get them out and at least play a few chords. The guitar is believed to have got its start in Spain in the early sixteenth century. Over the centuries, the number of strings on guitars changed, until a guitar with six strings—tuned to E, A, D, G, B, and E—became the standard. Still, guitars with other numbers of strings are made, such as with four, seven, eight, ten, and twelve strings. The strings are usually made of steel or nylon and are plucked with fingers, fingernails, or with a guitar pick.
Grandmother Achievement Day – Being a grandmother is a great achievement. Grandmothers have decades of life experience behind them and have raised their own children. They’ve put in years of hard work and are now at the point in their life when they can relax and spoil their grandchildren with cookies and treats and do just about whatever they please. On Grandmother Achievement Day, grandchildren give recognition to their grandmothers for all they do for them and tell them how proud of them they are.