Thursday, April 23, 2009

Good News from Marc Molinaro

Last summer when we completed the renovation of the Children's Room, made possible by a grant from the Sherman Fairchild Foundation and Charles Pierce, we invited New York State Assembly representative Marc Molinaro to visit the library and see the improvements.  He visited the Library for the tour, and along the way he suggested that if we need further improvements in the Library building, we should approach him directly with a list of specific projects.  It took some time for Ardith Orr to gather the bids on our various needs, but when she had the necessary information a letter went out from our Board President, Steve MacNish, to Mr. Molinaro along with a similar letter to State Senator Saland. 

We soon got a reply from Mr. Molinaro.  Grants, known as "member items" would not be allocated until after the State budget for the year was approved.  The budget this year was approved early in April.

Today we received a letter from Mr. Molinaro awarding us a grant of $6,700 to pay for safety improvement for the handicapped.  We had identified several safety improvements and ways to improve handicapped access, so the Board will need to decide which specific projects this grant will fund.  The Library is also getting grants from the Friends of the Pleasant Valley Library for safety improvements, so these monies may be combined to make major changes.

Unrelated to these improvements, work is due to start any day on the repair of the soffits. In another unrelated development, on May 2 the Library is offering a tour to Town leaders. Perhaps some good will come from that tour as well. 

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