Happily, Either a Correction or an Update

In my recent review of events at the Pleasant Valley Free Library during 2009, I wrote about our new sidewalk: " It is thought that a state grant obtained by Marc Molinaro will pay for part of this project, although the state has been in such bad financial condition that not all of the original grant is likely to be forthcoming." Today I got a phone call from Assemblyman Molinaro's office, where someone had seen the blog post and took issue with it.

What I had in mind was that we apparently were going to receive 25% of the $6,700 that Mr. Molinaro had obtained for the Library as a member item to improve the safety of our patrons and access to the Library building. At the time I wrote, the Trustees believed that New York State's finances were so bad that remaining money for member items--not just ours, but all of them--would not be distributed. It had taken longer than we had expected to get the competing bids on the walk replacement and have the work done, so we felt that we had gone over any time when we might have received the full amount.

But the woman who called (Kerry? Cary?) told me that she had checked with the disbursing agency, in this case the Education Department, and learned that after we complete some additional paperwork, the remaining 75% of the money should be passed on to us. This is especially good news as the budget for 2010 is very tight and we have used the Chapter 414 reserves from earlier years.

Let me remind readers of the history of this member item. After we completed the renovation of the Children's Room, our then president Steve MacNish invited Assemblyman Molinaro to tour the Library. After seeing the new work, we told Mr. Molinaro about the many other needs of the Library--more then than today, as we have since completed the soffits repair and made other improvements. Mr. Molinaro said that if we could pin down the costs and present them to him in a letter, he would see what could be done about getting a member item to help pay for what is needed. Trustee Ardith Orr gathered the costs and prepared the letter, a lengthy process because contractors are slow in getting estimates done in many cases.

If it ever stops snowing, I will photograph the new walk and post it along with photos I have of the old hazard.