Hallelujah! The Suffering is Over!

One of three new portable air conditioning units installed in the Library today.

It's the last day of July and quite appropriate that the month of August should start with a bang at the local library. After having to endure the place in the sweltering heat for almost a whole month we  finally have something really cool (pardon the pun) to talk about today. Upon opening it's doors at 1 PM today, library users for the first time in many days walked into a comfortable environment and were treated to the sight of three brand new portable air conditioning units that were still in the end process of being installed. The temperature is a comfortable 76.8 degrees and bound to get lower as the units kick into gear throughout the rest of the day. I think that a lot of activism by local residents since we first started to write about had a lot to do with  it. Calling our local politicians and the Library certainly worked. I doubt that without that action by local citizens we would have seen this day. Let's hope that they are working on a more permanent solution for next summer. 

Sunset Park Library Air Conditioning Issue finally getting traction in local press

The Sunset Park Library's lack of air conditioning is finally getting attention in other outlets outside of the neighborhood after three weeks. My first post after five days when I saw there was not going to be a fix may have been the impetus. But I won't take any credit for it. Yesterday a story appeared in the The Brooklyn Paper and today  DNAinfo a website that covers all of New York City picked it up. A temporary fix is due to be in place by next week when the "news" will already be old. However, it's nice to see that the neighborhood is finally getting some attention and people are beginning to realize that things are going on in the nabe besides just the library issue. Is there a chance that one of the three main newspapers will be next on the list? We can only hope..

Our Library Situation Makes The Brooklyn Paper

Our library situation made The Brooklyn Papers today. This blogger gets honorable mention in the article. At least we got some coverage and people beyond our little nabe will know what's been happening here.. You can read the rest of the story here..

Library Update: AC Coming First Week of August

Yesterday I got a call from Councilman Menchaca's office telling me that portable air conditioners have been ordered and if all goes according to plan they will be installed by the end of the first week of August on or about the 8th.. I also raised the issue in my conversation regarding pier 4. I was told that they are arranging a tour and will inform me of the when it will be set up. Under current plans only the southern part of the pier will be used to park barges. The northern half of the pier will still have unobstructed views of the bay and the Manhattan skyline. The story regarding the library seems to be getting traction. This morning I got a call from a reporter for the Community News Group and our family of weekly newspapers (Bay Ridge Courier, Bay News, etc..);so I suppose it will get coverage outside the nabe as well. Stay Tuned....