Community Commentary -- Carol Franzen
I am writing in response to the letters in the Daily Pilot regarding
the newly proposed joint-use Mariners Branch Library (Readers Respond,
“Parents express joint-use library concerns,” May 21). From your
newspaper, it would appear that the community is not supporting the new
library. On the contrary, the library is well-supported by the community,
including parents such as myself who have students at Mariners Elementary
School. There are more than 450 individual donors so far. There is
tremendous support in the community.
I believe the new library to be a safe, friendly and educational
environment for my child. I believe that my child will benefit greatly
from the additional resources that the new library will provide. I
believe that the community as a whole will benefit greatly from the
expanded resources of the new library.
Thank you for the article by the library trustees in an attempt to
clear up misinformation published in prior letters (Community Commentary,
“Trustees wish to clear the air on Mariners library,” May 21).
Unfortunately, considerable damage is done when incorrect information is
printed. Factual information is available by contacting any of the many
resources available to the public, including a visit to the Newport Beach
Public Library or by calling (949) 644-3150.
The misinformation campaign continues -- it is important to know that
the tennis courts will be rebuilt at city expense. This was agreed to
from the beginning. It is not Proposition 14 funds; it is not money being
raised for the library -- it is separate and will be taken care of by the
city. Also, the city will pay to relocate the batting cages that were
built by the Newport Harbor Baseball Assn. and will pay to move the fence
for one of the baseball diamonds.
I doubt the Newport Beach City Council and the city staff (including
Newport Beach Public Library staff) see all the time and effort that they
have put in on this project over the past 13 months as “offhanded
dismissal of safety concerns.” The new library will be far safer than the
current branch library or the school library.
No children at Mariners Elementary School will miss out on having a
school library. On the contrary, they will have a newer, larger, safer,
more secure, nicer facility to use on a daily basis. They will interface
with a professional librarian in addition to the teacher’s aide that we
refer to as our school “librarian.”
No one has been misled. If people don’t understand that this is to be
a joint-use facility, then they have not read the lengthy pieces of
library literature that has been printed, published and distributed
widely in the last three months.
* CAROL FRANZEN is a Newport Beach resident.
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