…Day 44…Marie Smith still MIA

By Patric Hedlund, TME

“Where does it stop?” is the question many were asking at the Friends of the Library meeting on Saturday, Oct. 8 in Frazier Park. They voted unanimously to send an invitation to Kern County Library administrators Nancy Kerr and Sherry Wade to come to a community meeting to explain the absence of Librarian Marie Smith and the county’s process to restore her to the community.

This discussion was about the absence—entering its 44th day this week—of the imaginative woman who turned the Frazier Park Branch Library into the vision of what a…(please see below to view full stories and photographs)

Photo captions:

Top: Friends of the Library Secretary Clifford Brunk with Mel Schrempp, who brought a letter from his wife, Marie Smith’s mother. Top left: Frazier Park Branch Librarian Marie Smith who has been “reassigned” for 44 days so far, after setting boundaries for Gunnar Kuepper who has used the library for three years as his place of business. Left: Kuepper in 2012 with Cuddy Valley Artist Stephanie Darling, who secured a temporary restraining order against him in 2013 for alleged stalking and threats. Above (l-r): Friends of the Library Board Mel Weinstein, Joy LeBaron, William Hopper, Judith Brunk, Clifford Brunk, Dennis Penna and Bethel Billesbach voted unanimously to invite Kern County officials to come explain to the community the administrative procedure now underway.

Above: The Friends of the Library, Frazier Park Branch board voted Saturday, Oct. 8 to send this letter to Kern County Library administrators. Below: Like a scrapbook of a sad downward spiral, these are clips from legal documents for three of Gunnar Kuepper’s court cases in the last three years. Two are for evictions, one is a temporary restraining order for alleged stalking and threats against a woman.

The discussion about how to reverse the absence of Librarian Marie Smith was deadly serious Oct. 8. Above left (l-r): Judith and Cliff Brunk read Kern County Library Director Nancy Kerr’s letter out loud to the meeting. Above right (l-r): Terry and Cliff Kelling (front) listen with Mel Schrempp and Jim Smith to the Brunks. Below: Members of the public ask questions along with members of the board.

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This is part of the October 14, 2016 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

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