Mayor Sarno Invites the Community and Local Students for a Special Preview Tour of Their Future Library
Mayor Domenic J. Sarno hosted preview tour of the new East Forest Park Branch Library today at 136 Surrey Road in Springfield. Mayor Sarno led project donors and East Forest Park community members through the building to get the first glimpse of their almost-completed library. The tour featured the new library’s first-ever storytime, held by Mayor Sarno for students of the Mary. A Dryden Veterans Memorial School. The Mayor read “The Book With No Pictures,” by BJ Novak to the students. Florence Savings Bank also presented a $25,000 check to the Promise Realized Campaign.
Mayor Sarno stated, “This continues my administration’s efforts to enhance all our neighborhoods – today it’s our East Forest Park neighborhood. A stand-alone branch has been talked about for well over 40 years – I’m proud to say that this is another major accomplishment of the Sarno administration. This library is so well deserved, especially coming off the devastating EF3 tornado of June 1, 2011. It was the resiliency of our residents that not only kept me and my administration going 24/7, but just as important planning for the future rebuild of our affected areas. I am very grateful to all our benefactors, whether large or small, especially to retired Mayor Charlie Ryan and our Library Foundation’s generosity.”
Library Director Molly Fogarty expressed her enthusiasm. “We’re at the final stages of completion now and it’s truly amazing to see the years of hard work coming together. The positive impact this building will have on city residents will be immeasurable so it’s great they will be among the first to see it. We’re so grateful to everyone who has made this project possible.” According to Fogarty, the new library is expected to be a “model for the future”.
