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TWO, AND THREE.HI, THIS IS PARISH PRESIDENT CYNTHIA LEE SHANG HERE ON THE FIRST DAY IN OUR GRAND OPENING OF OUR 17TH LIBRARY IN OUR LIBRARY SYSTEM, THE AVONDALE LIBRARY.
IT'S BEEN A DAY WE'RE REALLY ANTICIPATED FOR A LONG TIME.
THE LIBRARY IS ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL.
WE HAVE A RESOURCE FOR THIS COMMUNITY, FOR NOT ONLY OUR KIDS, BUT ALSO FOR OUR YOUNG ADULTS, OUR MIDDLE AGE FOLKS AND OUR SENIORS.
MY PARENTS DEDICATED THEIR LIVES TO ADVOCACY AND BUILDING COMMUNITIES ACROSS JEFFERSON PARISH.
THIS BUILDING THAT WE ARE SITTING IN FRONT OF, IT'S A HOUSE OF KNOWLEDGE, A HOUSE OF WELCOME.
WE KNOW THAT LIBRARIES ARE THE GREAT EQUALIZER.
YOU CAN GO IN THAT BUILDING ANYTIME AND GET WHAT YOU NEED.
OUR BRANCH IS A BRANCH WHERE WE CAN EXPAND OUR SPACE BY SHIFTING OUR SHELVES SO WE HAVE MORE SPACE FOR PROGRAMMING.
WE HAVE MADE A CONCERTED EFFORT TO MAKE SURE TECHNOLOGY AND WIFI, YOU KNOW, IS AVAILABLE TO THE COMMUNITY SO THAT OUR COMMUNITY IS NOT UNDERSERVED, BUT HAS EQUAL ACCESS.
WE HAVE A JOB CENTER WHERE PEOPLE WHO APPLYING FOR WORK CAN BE ABLE TO COME OVER HERE AND APPLY, OR PEOPLE WHO HAVE AN INTEREST AND START THE BUSINESS, THEY'LL BE ABLE TO COME AND GET ON THOSE COMPUTERS AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE ACCESS.
AND WE'RE GONNA OPEN THESE DOORS AND THEY'RE GONNA OPEN THE DOORS TO A BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR AVONDALE.
AND WE'RE GONNA PLANT THE SEEDS OF KNOWLEDGE RIGHT IN THERE.
IT WAS A LITTLE HOT OUT THERE WHEN WE DID THE GRAND OPENING.
SHE WAS STANDING NEXT TO ME THE WHOLE TIME AND WHEN WE ACKNOWLEDGED ALL THE LIBRARY STAFF TO RAISE THEIR HANDS, MYLA RAISED HER HAND LIKE THAT.
SO I THINK SHE'S GOT A FUTURE IN THE LIBRARY FOR US.
SHE'S REALLY EXCITED TO BE HERE.
ARE, AREN'T YOU EXCITED TO BE HERE, MYLA? YES.
SO COME SEE OUR BEAUTIFUL NEW AVONDALE LIBRARY.
IT'S, IT'S AN OCCASION THAT WE'RE REALLY HAPPY ABOUT.
IT'S THE 75TH YEAR OF OUR LIBRARY DEPARTMENT AND OUR 200TH YEAR OF JEFFERSON PARISH.
SO IT REALLY IS A SPECIAL DAY FOR US HERE IN AVONDALE.
YOU CAN TELL ABOUT A LARGE CROWD HIT TODAY, THAT THEY'RE VERY EXUBERANT, THEY'RE VERY EXCITED.
THIS IS GONNA BE A BEACON AND THIS IS GONNA BE A GREAT PLACE FOR ALL OUR CITIZENS.