Page 8 | Wednesday, February 5, 2014
Letters | FROM 5 County Library System’s proposed remodel of our library at the City Council meeting on January 21 and for taking the time to listen KCLS presentation regarding the library remodel during the City Council Retreat on Friday evening, January 24. We are also most grateful for the Council’s official action taken to try to negotiate a path forward with KCLS for our citizens to have meaningful input in the remodel process as well the selection of the temporary library site. Thank you for your tireless work on behalf of the Mercer Island citizens. Peggy Sue Juergens Citizen Group Concerned about Library Remodel
Library: Council leads by example This is a letter to publicly thank the Mercer Island City Council for stepping up to the plate and being a role model of community governance on the issue of the proposed remodel by the King County Library System (KCLS). The facts are these: 1. The 2004 Bond issue that was raised by KCLS to renovate the libraries
for which it is responsible stipulated $730,000 for “essential maintenance and upkeep, access to more books and materials and an automated materials handling system to speed delivery and reduce theft”. 2. What Mercer Island residents received was a $3.400,000 complete remodel of the library that does not included the automated materials handling system but that drastically changes the design which the community originally created through a collaborative design process. Moreover, it portends a closure of the library for up to a year without a suitable substitute facility. Residents believe that KCLS appears to be not only poor stewards of the taxpayer dollar, spending money just because they have it, but tone deaf when it comes to community objections, declaring that KCLS is in charge and KCLS know best, a complete contradiction of the process by which the Library was originally designed. 3. City Council Members Bertlin, Grausz, and Wong attended a KCLS meeting on January 7 where the new design was presented to the community. It would be difficult, and contrary to the affirmations of such comments by KCLS Design
MERCER ISLAND REPORTER | www.mi-reporter.com
Coordinator Ralph, to find anyone besides the KCLS staff and contracted architect, who were not stunned by the proposal. Wholesale gutting of the Library for what seems to residents little improved margin of improvement. 4. Community members were invited to the city council retreat on Friday night at the community center to hear a KCLS presentation to the city council regarding the remodel. 5. The City Council voiced its concern regarding the process by which the present design was created and asked KCLS for a 90-day delay while it appointed an advisory committee to take the issue under active study. The answer was that the City Council would have to take that up with the KCLS Board of Trustees this coming Wednesday, January 29th. KCLS reported they had followed its process and for them it was a done deal, citizens and City Council objections notwithstanding. When I say that City Council has been a role model for community governance I point to the following actions. Thank you Mercer Island City Council for your Leadership of our community. Gary Robinson
YFS ‘It’s all about community’
I
f you live on Mercer lead community service Island, then you know activities for eight weeks. that life here really is The VOICE Program was ALL about community. one of the things that Whether you moved here attracted me to the Island for the great schools, the community. It is rare to Island beauty or safety for have a community orgayour children or yourself nization that trains young as you age-in-place, Island people to use their talents life is about comand skills in betmunity. The tering our world. quality of life Sophie loved the of our commuother program nity is enhanced participants and by the work of the people she Mercer Island’s served through Youth and Family her projects. As Services (YFS). a mother, I saw My husband Kathryn Lerner her grow in comand I moved our passion, underfamily to Mercer standing and Island in 2008. We moved maturity. Her experiences here so we could raise our eventually lead to a paid children in a beautiful internship at a non-profit. community with people Both of these experiences who shared similar educa- developed her leadership tional and community val- skills, her compassion and ues. We have two daugh- her resume. My younger ters. One is in her second daughter, Emma, benyear of college and the efitted from the numerous other is at Islander Middle social and political conSchool. versations that took place My older daughter, around the dinner table Sophie, was a youth mem- during those years. ber of the YFS Advisory She is emphatic about Board for several years, participating in the midand participated in the dle school community community service pro- service program this sumgram VOICE throughout mer. high school. After her first A family in our circle year of college, she became of friends was struggling one of the paid staff to with their financial needs.
Because of our involvement with YFS, we told them about the food bank and assistance available to Island families. I joined the Board of the Mercer Island Youth and Family Services (MIYFS) Foundation in 2013. I did so to ensure that the quality of life for my family and neighbors will continue. There will always be times in our lives when we will need more than our families and faith communities are able to give. And for those times, YFS is here for all of us.
Giving from the Heart Breakfast The annual fundraising breakfast is set for 7 a.m., Feb. 12 at the Mercer Island Community and Events Center. The breakfast and program are free, but donations are accepted. To find out more about the event or the work of Youth and Family Services, go to: http:// events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event? oeidk=a07e8evkxy90636 67b9&llr=ev46abdab&sh owPage=true.
Help QFC Give Back to the Community While the holidays help us focus on giving back to the community, at QFC we try to keep the momentum going all year round. In 2013, QFC donated more than $250,000 to non-profit organizations in Portland and the Puget Sound and more than 2.7 million pounds of food to Food Lifeline and Oregon Food Bank through our Perishable Donations Program. We’re excited to continue our rich tradition of strengthening our community and we hope you’ll join us for these newly-sponsored 2014 events! Get a Little Crazy with us for Special Olympics Ever wanted to plunge into a frigid body of water in the middle of winter? Well, now you can do it AND raise funds to support more than 10,000 Special Olympic athletes from Washington! QFC is proud to be a presenting sponsor of the Polar Plunge events in Seattle and Redmond this year. So what exactly is the Polar Plunge? Crazy supporters of Special Olympics raise money for the privilege to plunge into a frigid body of water in February and March. QFC’s brave employee volunteers will be taking the plunge. Will you join us? Visit www. specialolympicswashington.org to sign up!
Seattle Wine and Food Experience
Love Your Heart
Join QFC for a luxury experience at Seattle’s premier showcase for food and wine in the Northwest! Just show your QFC Advantage Card and enter the QFC Advantage Lounge where you’ll enjoy sips of luxury Washington wines from Chateau St. Michelle while snacking on Boar’s Head Meats and Murray’s Cheese samples. The event will take place on Sunday, February 23, 2014 at Seattle Center’s Exhibition Hall. VIP begins at noon and general admission is open from 1-5pm. Visit www. seattlewineandfoodexperience.com for more details and purchase your ticket today!
Did you know that heart disease is the leading cause of death for women? It’s a major problem in the United States. Every year, 715,000 Americans have a heart attack and 600,000 people die from heart disease – that’s 1 out of every 4 deaths. That’s why February is officially heart health month. We want our customers and associates to be aware of the dangers of this deadly disease so that we can build healthier lives free of cardiovascular disease and stroke. At QFC, the coin boxes located at the checkstands will benefit your local American Heart Association from February 2 – March 1. Last year, your change helped raise more than $14,000 for your local AHA chapter. Visit www.heart.org/ pugetsound to learn more about ways you can prevent this disease in your life. Paid Adver tisement