VENTURA : $33,000 Raised to Keep Library Open
Ventura residents have raised enough money to keep the Ventura Avenue Library, which has been targeted for closure because it is so expensive to operate, open for two more years, City Councilman Gary Tuttle said Thursday.
About $33,000 was raised in a telethon Wednesday evening, Tuttle said, and the Ventura City Council will donate an additional $15,000.
“I was so proud of this community. The phones were ringing off the hooks,” said Tuttle, who is heading the campaign to save the library from shutting its doors.
The four-hour telethon was broadcast from the City Council chambers and hosted by Tuttle and Mayor Gregory L. Carson. Singing, dancing and magic tricks were featured throughout the evening, as well as speeches from business owners and government officials.
About two months ago, county officials threatened to close the Avenue Library because they say it is too costly to operate. The Board of Supervisors decided instead to give the library a 60-day reprieve so residents could raise money.
“This gives us some real breathing room to find a permanent site,” Tuttle said.
Tuttle said he had informally renegotiated the rent with the landlord at a lower price, and hopes to raise an additional $25,000 so the library can stay open at the site for three years.
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