Library funding is in state budget

The legislators delivered the very welcome news Friday afternoon and evening.

“Ralph called me Friday afternoon and said the library was in the budget,” said Mayor Charles L. Hardy Jr. “We’re just delighted to get it. I called our new library director, Miguel Vicente, then I called Susan (Harper, recently retired library director) and left word on her answering machine.”

“Tommy called me Friday night,” said Harper. “The legislature was taking a supper break. I was so excited.”

Harper called Anne Rogers, vice chairman of the library board and its longest-serving member, and told her.

“Then I spent a few hours with a friend and when I got home there was a message from Buzzie,” Harper said. “Then I knew it was really, really true. Then I called everybody.”

“I heard this before I started, the possibility of having the money,” said Vicente, who is in his second week as library director. “I didn’t know they would approve it so fast. It’s a great thing.”

Benton called Tricia Massey, chair of the fund-raising effort, Friday night to give her the good news that the $1,515,000 is in the budget.

“I cried,” she said. “I have been so amazed and pleased at what this community has done. It’s been thrilling. All of the pieces of the puzzle have fit together.”

It didn’t come easy, and it required a little political initiative at the Capitol.

Benton was frustrated to find that after submitting all of the supporting data to the appropriate committee chair, the Commerce library was not among those to receive funding in the House version of the budget.

“So, I went to the Senate and talked to Ralph and Bill Cowsert (from Athens) who is on the Appropriations Committee. They had even cut the Athens library out and they were working on that. Ralph said he would try to get Commerce included (in the Senate version). He was successful.”

For the complete story, see the April 8 edition of The Commerce News.