Brandon Twp.- Several community ‘key players? have been invited to a meeting intended to update them and the public on efforts to reduce vandalism and high numbers of children in the Brandon Township Library during after-school hours.
The Community After School Task Force will have a meeting from 2:45-4:45 p.m., Nov. 16, in the community room at the library, 304 South St. The public is invited to attend. The group has also given letters of invitation to Brandon Schools Superintendent Tom Miller, Brandon Fletcher Intermediate School Principal Don Patrick, Brandon Middle School Principal William Snyder, Ortonville Baptist Church Youth Pastor Ken Tison, Senior Center Program Developer Martha Tooley, Gail Innis of Brandon Groveland Youth Assistance, Brandon Township Supervisor Ron Lapp, Brandon Recreation Director Fred Waybrant, Brandon Fire Chief Bob McArthur, and Oakland County Sheriff Brandon Substation Sgt. Tim McIsaac.
‘Our intent in having this meeting is to get as many key players in the same room at the same time so we can take a look at what’s been going on, what can we do, how can we all work together as a community and help each other out,? said Nancy Rossi, task force chairwoman. ‘We want to look at what would be the most effective measures to take from this point on and who should take them.?
The special taskforce meeting comes six months after a public forum to discuss the problem and solutions. The Community After School Task Force was created following the May 5 forum, attended by approximately 60 members of the community, including township and village officials, library and school board members, clergy, parents and children.

The library has had problems almost since the day it opened in December 2000, by some accounts. Vandalism and rowdy kids became commonplace between 2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m., when as many as 150 kids were in the library at one time. The situation came to a head March 10 when library personnel began requesting names and addresses of all students entering the library that day.
In addition to the task force, other community efforts to combat after school problems at the library have included ‘The After School Thing,? a program offering activities at Ortonville Baptist Church on Tuesdays, as well as the Mind and Motion Club, a daily after school club that emphasizes academics and physical fitness for fifth and sixth-graders. The M & M Club was to start Oct. 3 at Brandon Fletcher Intermediate School, but fizzled after only two students enrolled. Miller has made some changes and plans to try again with the club.
Brandon deputies began making regular stops at the library less than two months ago after being called to the location three times in a 1-week period.
But Library Public Relations Director Zoe Pearson says things have been going fairly well recently, with the exception of restroom vandalism, which staff are working to address.
‘There doesn’t seem to be as many children, we have better-behaved children and I think parents must have gotten the message,? she said.
For more information on the Community After School Task Force, e-mail Nancy Rossi at nrossi@earthkids.org.