MAIN STREET HARDY

Mayor Nina  Thornton spoke to the Sharp County Library Board about a possible expansion to the city’s library to accommodate a children’s library and requested the board’s permission to write the grant and apply for funding in the form of a grant. Thornton also provided the group with drawings from local architect Larry Bronson.

Thornton explained that, “There are grants out there and somebody is going to get them, it might as well be us.” She said statistics prove that the state’s literacy scores are going down, and this can be attributed to not building libraries as has been done in the past. She said in the past the summer reading program hosted by the Hardy Library has been very successful, resulting in the program having to be hosted in the Hardy Fire Station. She said White River Planning and Development needs two grants for the project, one for the initial grant and one for matching funds. She said one would be for $100,000 and the other for $200,000. She said the first would be for matching funds and the building only, while the other will be for anything else needed. She also told the board that the land behind the initial structure has been donated to the library by the land owner, Simmon’s First Bank. This in-kind donation of the property value at $30,000 will also contribute to the required matching funds for the grant.

Thornton said the Hardy City Council has agreed by resolution to pay the utilities in the event the grants go through and the project becomes a reality. She said because the area is 85 percent or below poverty, this provides the 100 percent funding of the project. The architecture will be as close as possible to that of the existing library. Thornton said the city will receive approval or denial of the possible grant within four months.

Thornton said in the past this type of opportunity has presented itself, but because the grants were historic in nature, the city council would not approve them. She said this is a wonderful opportunity for the city and stressed that the library expansion would benefit everyone. The drawings of the proposed library expansion are available at both city hall and the Hardy Library.

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