Upfront
Library cuts (continued from page 3)
als and leave quickly, while others use the library system remotely. Accordingly, the budget cuts her department identified seek to strike a balance among the collection budget, the hours of operation and the available library services. Jennings also emphasized that most of the cuts in the department’s budget are things that could be restored if the economic climate improves. A few, such as deferring opening the College Terrace branch, are clearly temporary. Still, she said some residents, including former City Council member Dena Mossar, said they were worried about the proposed deferral. “People are very eager to get into their libraries,� Jennings said. “They don’t want to see their libraries not being available for an extended period of time.� Jim Schmidt, president of Friends of the Palo Alto Library, told the Weekly this week he has not yet seen a credible argument for deferring the opening of the two branches. He also said he expects the proposed cuts to the library budget to hit new books particularly hard. Because new materials are the ones that attract the most interest, the cuts would likely lead to an overall decline in library use. But Schmidt, who also sits on a committee that oversees expenditure of Measure N funds, said it’s important not to mix up the city’s yearly budget woes with the bondfunded capital project, which appears to be proceeding smoothly. On Monday night, the City Council is expected to authorize staff to sell $60 million in bonds for renovations of Downtown, Main and Mitchell Park libraries and for the new Mitchell Park Community Center. This past Monday, the council also heard a report from project architects and city officials involved in the Measure N projects. Mike Sartor, assistant director of the Public Works Department, said the city has been hurrying along to take advantage of the favorable construction-bid climate. Under the current timeline, the new Mitchell Park Library and Community Center are scheduled to open in the middle of 2012, with the Main Library following a year later. The council also approved a new “naming� policy to acknowledge major donors to the library project. The Palo Alto Library Foundation, a nonprofit group that spearheaded the Measure N drive, is now leading a campaign to raise $4.3 million for library furniture, equipment and fixtures — items not funded by Measure N. The naming plan, presented by foundation President Alison Cormack Monday, calls for those who donate between $1 million and $2 million to have their names displayed in more prominent areas (including the new wing at the Main Library and the prominent meeting room shared by the Mitchell Park Library and the Mitchell Park Community Center), while those
who donate between $100,000 and $200,000 would have their names attached to some of the smaller rooms in the new facilities (including the teen room at the Main Library and the study room in the Downtown Library). The rooms themselves would be named after local neighborhoods and landmarks (Midtown Room, Barron Park Room, Ventura Room, El Palo Alto Room). The donors’ names would be displayed next to the room names. Cormack said the foundation has already raised more than $500,000, which includes verbal commitments, formal pledges and money in the bank. She called the library renovations the “largest project in the city in many decades� and encouraged residents to support the foundation’s fundraising efforts (information is available at PALF.org). N Staff Writer Gennady Sheyner can be e-mailed at gsheyner@ paweekly.com.
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A Guide to the Spiritual Community FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, UCC £™nxĂŠ ÂœĂ•ÂˆĂƒĂŠ,Âœ>`]ĂŠ*>Â?ÂœĂŠ Â?ĂŒÂœĂŠUĂŠÂĂˆxäŽÊnxĂˆÂ‡ĂˆĂˆĂˆĂ“ĂŠUĂŠĂœĂœĂœÂ°vVVÂŤ>Â°ÂœĂ€}ĂŠ -Ă•Â˜`>ÞÊ7ÂœĂ€ĂƒÂ…ÂˆÂŤĂŠ>˜`ĂŠ-Ă•Â˜`>ÞÊ-V…œœÂ?ĂŠ>ĂŒĂŠÂŁĂ¤\ääÊ>°“°
This Sunday: Head of Household Rev. David Howell preaching An Open and Affirming Congregation of the United Church of Christ
THE WOMAN’S CLUB OF PALO ALTO
Please join us for our
Spring Kitchen Tour S a t u r d a y, M a y 1 5 , 2 0 1 0 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
We Invite You to Learn and Worship with Us.
Timothy R. Boyer. A place of caring, sharing and growing Worship Service 10:30 AM.
Tour ďŹ ve fabulous Palo Alto kitchens Ticket orders received before May 8 - $30 After May 8 - $35 Ticket orders received after May 8 and tickets for sale at the door will be available at 125 Southwood Drive on Saturday, May 15th. For your comfort and safety, we request low-heeled shoes. Please no cameras or children. For questions, visit www.womansclubofpaloalto.org or call 650.269.3517.
www.fpcmv.org 1667 Miramonte (Cuesta at Miramonte) 650.968.4473
INSPIRATIONS
A resource for special events and ongoing religious services. To inquire about or make space reservations for Inspirations, please contact Blanca Yoc at 326-8210 x6596 or email byoc@paweekly.com
‘What’s
your
The Pa lo Alto Sto ry Pro je c t
story?’
Stories about Palo Alto, as told by local residents as part of the Palo Alto Story Project, are now posted on the Internet. Watch them at www.PaloAltoOnline.com
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