Talk about turning an eyesore into a sight for sore eyes!
A formerly abandoned library at PS 84 has become a beacon of literacy for its thrilled school community — complete with books, computers and bright wall art.
“It was dirty and gross, and an awful Pepto-Bismol pink before,” said parent Holly McDade, whose daughter Audrey is in Pre-K at the Williamsburg school on Berry Street, between Grand and South First streets, where the refreshed library was opened on April 22 with a ribbon-cutting and a visit by Ray Negron.
The author, one-time Yankees’ bat boy and former Williamsburg resident spoke about the joys of reading, and asked students to sing a song, or read a poem, as part of the celebration. He even feted them with a letter of well-wishes by Yankees owner George Steinnbrenner, plus an imitation of the team’s World Series ring.
The festivities naturally took place in the library, which had been left to decay in recent years by a succession of principals, until its savior came along in January in the form of new Principal Sereida Rodriguez-Guerra.
Rodriguez-Guerra and her grimebusters found shelves and furniture during a spring break clean-up at the school, coordinated a quick fundraiser and put the whole library together in about a month, said McDade adding, “The kids had no idea that we even had one! Now, we all can’t imagine not having a library!”
