By Peggy R. Shearin
Observer Correspondent

It appears Warren County will finally be moving forward to build a new library at the former A&P site, though the project commissioners approved Monday is for a scaled-down version of plans that had gathered widespread support in the community.
The board unanimously approved the 13,276 square foot facility, at a cost of nearly $2.4 million. The wood frame structure was chosen over a somewhat cheaper steel frame building commissioners were considering. That would have cost the county a little more than $1.6 million
The vote came after three Commissioners killed the original $4.5 million plan to build a better facility that would have included a basement, a meeting room, and office space for some county administration employees.
Monday, Commissioner Barry Richardson moved to approve that original plan, and Commissioner Ulysses Ross seconded the motion.
Commissioners Ernie Fleming, Bill Davis and Chairman Clinton Alston voted against the larger facility, leading to the approval of the smaller building.
Diane Gibbs, of the architectural firm of Ramsey, Burgin and Smith Architects responded to a question by telling the commissioners a drainage system has been included in the plans to alleviate concern with water draining from the site. She even said the neighboring Southern States dealer, Carriage Fuel and Supply Inc., would probably benefit with less water run-off from the site.
Several people spoke out on the library during the citizen’s comment of the commissioners’ meeting.
Mary Brodie Jones Raiford requested that the new building include a meeting room large enough to accommodate at least 108 people so that the Friends of the Warren County Memorial Library could have larger audiences for their programs.
Raiford ended her comments by asking the commissioners to not settle for less than she said the county should have.
Judy Baker of Lake Gaston thanked Shelley Fearn for the more than ten years of dedication she has given the Warren County Library, as well as the citizens of Warren County. Baker noted the improvements Fearn had brought to the library.
Fearn, who resigned Jan. 24 to take a position of director of two branches of the five-branch Union County Public Library System, also spoke to the assembled group during the commissioners’ meeting.
She explained the circumstances surrounding her resignation. She had received a reprimand from County Manager Linda Jones, and had been forbidden to discuss the pending library project with groups, or with library patrons other than on a one-to-one basis.
Fearn said Monday that on Dec. 21 she notified the Jones in writing that she wished the letter of reprimand be removed from her personnel file.
After waiting 30 days with no response, she said she felt that she had no recourse but to resign.
She went on to state that she felt that there was a lack of leadership and no regard for her as an employee of Warren County from the county manager’s office.
She said she hopes her resignation will mark the beginning of greater respect for the employees of Warren County.
Fearn also thanked Ross and Richardson for their loyalty and faithfulness in pushing for the new library, and chastised Alston for being too worried about public opinion.
She went on to thank her library board and the Friends of the Library for their support during her time as Warren County’s Librarian.