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.