By Trevor Brasfield

April 25, 2007 | PROVIDENCE -- Ending a hotly contested issue that has spanned months, the Providence City Council voted 3-2 against a plan to provide access to the Logan library for all residents.

The issue at hand was a trial period set up by Logan and passed by its City Council to allow Providence citizens to frequent the library for 18 months. This trial period would cost Providence $25,000, a sum the city of Logan felt adequate and some Providence residents liked.

One such resident, Bruce Johns, got up during public comment time during Tuesday's council meeting and addressed his desire for the measure to be approved. He was instrumental in getting the library the town currently has, and also remembered the days when all county residents could frequent the library in Logan. He hoped the council "would consider the measure," and vote for the trial period.

"I think we have a library that is serving the people of Providence well," council member Deon Johnson stated. "I think the $25,000 is a throw-away."

Johnson has had many residents contact him on this issue, and they all did not want the library, they all felt the one currently in use in the town was sufficient and that they should vote on it before investing the $25,000, he said.

The vote was swift against the trial period, much to the bewilderment of the standing-room-only crowd. One person in the crowd was overheard stating, "Well, I guess that's that."

So for now the residents of Providence will have to frequent their own library unless they want to shell out $157 to use the Logan Library.

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