Because of my nagging adherence to ethics and loyalty, I won't post my story on the revelations surrounding the document that could pave the way to take the former Mason Square Library back through eminent domain until Monday when it is published in the 16 Acres edition of The Reminder.
What I do want to say here is on the bombshell nature of the deal struck between the Urban League and the Attorney General's office to allow the sale of the renovated library to the Urban League in 2003.
Seldom have I covered a government meeting when a document is produced that literally stops a conversation and starts a new one. That is what happened on Thursday when City Councilor Patrick Markey presented the documents from the Attorney General's office. There was an unreal movie quality about the moment.
It was clear that Mayor Domenic Sarno had come to the meeting to defend his decision to seek funding from the Library Foundation to purchase another building for the library and that plan was derailed when the document showed the path to reclaim the building through the courts was possible.
The city needs to move forward quickly and re-establish the library in the building for which it was intended. The people of the four neighborhoods who use that library have gone long enough without a proper branch.
© 2008 by Gordon Michael Dobbs
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