Closing library: Will benefit outweigh the loss of services?

I was as surprised and upset as many others when we learned that the county planned to close the main library for 18 months in order to expand and renovate it. In my mind, that doesn’t make sense.

The reason for the project in the first place, is to improve the library’s service to the community, in effect to create additional public good. However, when this added public good is weighed against the loss of public good (or public bad) that will result from closing the library completely for 18 months, it doesn’t seem to be a reasonable trade-off. In other words, it seems likely that it will take many years for the benefit/loss to balance out.

I speak from a lifetime of experience when I say that it’s certainly possible to do what needs to be done safely and with a minimum of disruption of services. There is no question that additional costs would be incurred in keeping the library substantially open during construction, but surely there are ways to offset them. For example, what is the sense in demolishing the McChesney room? This room has been enormously successful in providing a venue for many community events. When it was built 40 years ago, it was greeted with great pride and satisfaction and won awards. Is it being demolished solely on the whim of a few powerful people?

I urge the Legislature to reconsider what they are doing, and I urge concerned citizens to make their opinions known. We can prevail over this imperious Legislature, if not now, at least in the next election.

Philip Adams

Scotia

Despite grey day, community spirit shone through for annual clean-up day

Annual Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Clean-Up Day was held Saturday, May 3. It may have been rainy but it did not stop over 65 volunteers from picking up trash on the road sides and streets in Ballston.

I want to thank the sponsors for this event, Town of Ballston, Burnt Hills/ Ballston Lake Business and Professional Association and Ballston Lake Improvement Association. I especially want to thank our residents for coming out on a cold, damp and rainy morning to make this event successful. All types of trash from. Beer cans to car tires were removed. Karney’s Restaurant supplied hot dogs and soft drinks to the rain soaked volunteers. This event shows that the residents of Ballston have a great volunteer spirit and community pride.

I want to thank everyone who helped make this clean-up day possible. We are all lucky to live in such a fine town as Ballston.

Patti Southworth

Ballston

The writer is supervisor for the Town of Ballston.