Central Library

Buck Wargo CITY HALL -- Glendale will have its first Sunday library service in more than two decades. The Central Library, 222 E. Harvard St., will be open from 1 until 5 p.m. on Sunday. The City Council voted in June to budget $100,000 for the hour expansion. The Central Library will offer regular services of circulation, reference and the children's room. In 1993, library hours citywide were trimmed from 235 to 188 because of budget cuts caused by the recession.

Gary Moskowitz GLENDALE -- The Glendale Public Library will host several activities and events throughout its celebration of National Library Week April 14 through 20. All events are free, open to the public and sponsored by the Friends of the Glendale Public Library. Events take place at The week of April 14 to 20 will be a fine-free week. Library materials returned during the week to any Glendale Public Library will have no late fines. Rental, lost materials ad collection agency fees remain in effect.

Buck Wargo CITY HALL -- The king of computers just added Glendale to his kingdom. Well, sort of. Billionare software mogul Bill Gates has given a $97,241 grant to the Glendale Library through his Gates Library Initiative. The Microsoft founder's iniative makes public libraries with a poverty population of more than 10% eligible for the grant. Computer work stations, software, hardware, computer lab equipment, and training and technical support are included in the grant.

Karen S. Kim SOUTHEAST GLENDALE -- Writer Alice Navasargian will speak at the Glendale Public Library's central branch at 7 p.m. on Feb. 15. Navasargian, a Glendale resident, will discuss her book "Armenian Women of the Stage," which traces the contributions of 63 Armenian actresses from 1840 to 1999. Actress and singer Cher, opera singer Hasmik Papian and actress Arlene Francis are included in Navasargian's book. The event will also include the performances of three Glendale musicians -- violinist Ani Bukujian, singer Helena Melikyan and violinist Jennifer Mayer.

The Friends of the Glendale Public Library unanimously support Senate Bill 659 to extend the deadline to dissolve redevelopment agencies from Feb.1 to April 15 (“Support for SB 659,” Jan. 27). This additional time would allow for the orderly unwinding of California's redevelopment program. The Glendale public library system has benefited from redevelopment funds. Most recently, it was hoped that that such funds would support a major renovation of the Central Library. We urge all residents to write their legislative representatives to support SB 659. John Steele Glendale Editor's note: Steele is president of the Friends of the Glendale Public Library.

CITY HALL ? Proposed projects in central Glendale ? including a face lift for the Central Library and a new soccer field at Columbus Elementary ? could receive financing through a nearly $29-million bond the City Council will review Tuesday. When the governor approved a $1.7-billion take-away of local redevelopment funds in July, city officials said they would have to postpone the proposed bond, which was incorporated into the city?s five-year Capital Improvement Program. While two of the projects intended to be funded with bond proceeds ?

Always a cornerstone of our democratic society, a strong public library system has become an even more vital necessity in the Information Age. Inarguably, knowledge is the key to success even to survival in a world where those with it have power and money while those without it are doomed to poverty and hopelessness. Information technology is transforming our lives in myriad ways, both those of which we are aware and those we'll know about only years from now. Already a concern of those we elect to shape public policy, equal access to the technology required to access the vast information warehouse known as the Internet is rapidly becoming a major social issue.

LCUSD board members to discuss bond and parcel tax LA CANADA FLINTRIDGE -- Members of the La Canada Unified School District board Wednesday will make a presentation to the Palm Crest Elementary School's Parent-Teacher Assn. of the bond and parcel tax it voted to place on the March 2 ballot. Board members will explain what the bond and parcel tax are, why they voted to place them on the same ballot, and what each will be used for. They will also answer questions about the measures.

Buck Wargo CENTRAL LIBRARY -- A tradition in Glendale since the late 1970s will soon be broken, but library patrons aren't complaining. Starting in September when school reopens, Glendale will have its first Sunday service in more than two decades when the Central Library is expected to open between 1 and 4 p.m. The City Council tentatively voted Tuesday to budget $100,000 to expand library hours. The library will offer regular services of circulation, reference and the children's library room.

Buck Wargo CAPITAL BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS $2,030,000 -- Brand Boulevard improvements. $1,550,000 -- street resurfacing. $1,500,000 -- bus maintenance facility. $1,400,000 -- gutter improvements. $1,300,000 -- acquisition of county building. $1,250,000 -- new park development and upgrades. $1,180,000 -- street reconstruction. $1,092,000 -- replace police computer-aided dispatch system. $1,000,000 -- open space aquisition.

The Friends of the Glendale Public Library unanimously support Senate Bill 659 to extend the deadline to dissolve redevelopment agencies from Feb.1 to April 15 (“Support for SB 659,” Jan. 27). This additional time would allow for the orderly unwinding of California's redevelopment program. The Glendale public library system has benefited from redevelopment funds. Most recently, it was hoped that that such funds would support a major renovation of the Central Library. We urge all residents to write their legislative representatives to support SB 659. John Steele Glendale Editor's note: Steele is president of the Friends of the Glendale Public Library.

Officials today encouraged residents to seek relief from oppressive triple-degree heat at several "cooling stations," especially given air quality warnings issued this morning. In Burbank, the public can stop in at the city's three libraries -- Central Library, 110 N. Glenoaks Blvd.; Buena Vista Library, 300 N. Buena Vista St.; Northwest Library, 3323 W. Victory Blvd. -- during daytime hours. For a complete list of hours of operation, visit the city's website . In Glendale, the Adult Recreation Center, 201 E. Colorado Blvd., is a Los Angeles County-designated cooling center and open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

CITY HALL — On the heels of residential protests, the City Council this week took the Casa Verdugo and Chevy Chase branch libraries off the budget chopping block as council members continue to grapple with a projected $18-million budget gap. Closing the Casa Verdugo branch and converting the Chevy Chase Library to a community center that would host fee-based programs and maintain a “minimal” library presence was part of a nearly $500,000 proposed...

Hooray for Louise Phelan and Franklin Ruehl (“Casa Verdugo library must survive,” May 19) sticking up for Casa Verdugo Library and pointing out the solid grass-roots base of support and need for that library! When I lived in that part of Glendale, that was my library too. OK, there is need for economizing in the city budget, but come on, city of Glendale, we all know there are plenty of unnecessary and unproductive weeds in the budget whose elimination can create the necessary savings.

I am responding to the proposal to further cut — if not kill — our Chevy Chase Library, a branch that has already hemorrhaged hours, books and services (“Libraries could shoulder brunt of budget cuts,” May 12”). Glendale public library officials have presented the City Council with a proposal to transfer management of the Chevy Chase branch to Community Services and Parks, to develop it as a community center and rental venue, and continue a “minimal library presence.” Read “minimal” as the library’s death knell.

Why buy the book when there is a perfectly good lending library in town? There is good reason. If you are not aware, the Burbank Central Library recently had a major water pipe break that destroyed many shelves of books in the nonfiction section of the library (“Burst water pipe closes library,” April 13). Biographies on Martin Luther King Jr., John F. Kennedy and many other books on historical figures were ruined in the flood. Thousands of titles were lost. This is a perfect opportunity for you, or your community organization, to help the library restock the empty shelves created by the loss.

CITY HALL — Several Glendale Public Library branches this spring will roll out grant-funded programs aimed at a range of target audiences — from families of young children to adult English learners. The City Council on Tuesday approved the receipt of $30,000 in state grant funding for four library programs, including “Family Place,” which matches parents of children up to 3 years old with local community services on areas such as speech and physical development.

CITY HALL ? Proposed projects in central Glendale ? including a face lift for the Central Library and a new soccer field at Columbus Elementary ? could receive financing through a nearly $29-million bond the City Council will review Tuesday. When the governor approved a $1.7-billion take-away of local redevelopment funds in July, city officials said they would have to postpone the proposed bond, which was incorporated into the city?s five-year Capital Improvement Program. While two of the projects intended to be funded with bond proceeds ?

The world of professional sports is full of rivalries ? Yankees vs. Red Sox; Lakers vs. Celtics; Barcelona vs. Real Madrid ? but few have the history and devotion to match the Dodgers vs. the Giants, one of baseball?s oldest grudges. To celebrate this historic rivalry, the Baseball Reliquary is presenting a special exhibition at the Burbank Central Library in Burbank. ?Love to Hate: The Dodgers-Giants Rivalry? represents more than 120 years of baseball history through the lens of these two great teams.

CITY HALL — One of the city’s marquee historic buildings could be the recipient of a major face lift under a nearly $1-million contract the City Council is scheduled to consider this evening. The proposed $900,000 contract with Gruen Associates for development, design and construction documents would pave the way for long-awaited renovations at Brand Library and Art Center, located at Brand Park on West Mountain Street. “They will do everything to get us shovel-ready,” said Cindy Cleary, director of libraries.