MEDIA RELEASE

Gov. David Y. Ige has announced the release of $550,000 in Capital Improvement Project funds for the Puna Regional Public Library.

In his release of funding for the library project, Ige said, “Mahalo for your work on behalf of the residents in your district to secure these funds. Projects such as this are critical components of the public infrastructure and contribute to building better a better home for our kupuna, keiki and all residents of Hawaii.”

Sen. Russell Ruderman has made the Puna library project one of his top priorities.

The Puna Regional Public Library will play a vital role as one of the cornerstones of our community by transforming lives through nurturing lifelong learning and promoting increased community engagement by delivering new services that connect closely with user needs.

Additionally, it will improve our quality of life and provide unlimited educational opportunities.

“The Puna district has long loved and consistently made good use of its libraries. I am very happy and grateful to Gov. Ige for releasing these funds for the Puna Regional Public Library in such a timely manner,” Ruderman said.

“For rural and economically challenged areas like Puna, projects like the library are a much-needed and highly anticipated resource. We are excited to learn that the Public Library System is also considering a pair of libraries in both upper and lower Puna areas to serve our large district,” he said. “I look forward to working for continued support and funding of key projects like the library, and these newly released funds will help bring our goal of a state of the art community gathering place to fruition.”