Come to the Fairwood Library and meet local Renton, Washington author Jeanne Matthews. Jeanne will discuss her Dinah Pelerin international mystery series, which includes Bones of Contention, Bet Your Bones, and Bonereapers.
Meet the Author: Jeanne Matthews
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D. Charles May 23, 2013 at 07:36 am
The whole library deal is a really sorry chapter in the history of the City of Renton government and…Read More we are far from resolution. The perpetrators continue to soil themselves time and time again oblivious to the long-term damage they are creating.
After the dramatic act of civil disobedience at the KCLS library design unveiling where 85% of the overflow crowd refused to go to the "Stations", KCLS and the City of Renton retaliated by voting to pass a design sent to the council late on a Friday, likely reviewed by the Council the following Monday for less than a couple of hours.
The fact that the revised design was not properly vetted with public input displays the appalling disregard the current City of Renton government has towards its citizens.
In a few months we will be able to remove those from office who refuse to allow meaningful public participation in matters of great concern to the public.
Richard Bray May 10, 2013 at 02:00 am
The City Council recommended to KCLS that a Library Entrance over the Cedar River be kept. I look…Read More forward to KCLS acting upon this recommendation about what our community has asked for all along--a library that we can be proud of.
Kendall Watson (Editor) April 19, 2013 at 04:46 pm
@rentonben it may be pleasing to the sense of aesthetics, but maintaining food at room temperature…Read More for too long (2 hours) is potentially dangerous, according to the CDC. The CDC also reports that each year, about 1 in 6 Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases — which it characterizes as a "preventable health problem" http://www.cdc.gov/features/befoodsafe/
rentonben April 19, 2013 at 03:19 pm
The one regulation that stood out to me as being particularly "American" is the one about…Read More noodles "not being cold enough." I've been all over Asia and Europe, and leaving noodles out in room temperature is generally considered the right way to protect their texture and flavor.
I almost don't want to comment on this story, as I don't want to bring a spotlight on these good people minor problems. I'm more that willing to give them a second chance.
Kendall Watson (Editor) April 18, 2013 at 06:42 pm
Very interesting, Rentonben. They sell food in a similar way in the Philippines at roadside places…Read More called "carinderias". But those places that are keeping food out with no control over temperature appeared to be very much "at your own risk" sorts of places (things tend to be very much less "regulated" in the PI). If we didn't see them bringing out the food from the kitchen to the table or tray at these places, we avoided them, as we had no idea how long the food had sat out in the afternoon shade. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) actually urges avoiding these establishments altogether. http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/philippines.htm
Richard Bray April 12, 2013 at 05:20 pm
Great letter David! As you said we expect that a reasonable priced, full size library basic design…Read More will be among the ones and that KCLS will present on Monday. Residents expect to be treated with respect by KCLS.
Sara M. DuBois April 12, 2013 at 07:56 am
Well put, David Keyes, well written. I sincerely hope that Renton's Mayor Law and the City Council…Read More are considering all that Mr. Keyes has stated, remembering that their constituents here in Renton are the most important ones to continue considering. That KCLS's Board of Trustees is only secondary to we citizens, because we arw the ones that must ultimately be satisfied with the results of these alternative plans.
Michelle Peterson April 12, 2013 at 12:33 am
The KCLS is a fabulous catalog and resource to our family. I never had access to any of the material…Read More I regularly access today, thanks to the anexation. I have borrowed books for research on Sanskrit and Yoga that have come from far reaches of the county. My family has enjoyed music and movies that we otherwise never would have. I have listened to many audio books while walking my dogs hours and hours around this beautiful city.
I love being a part of the King Co Library System and would be truely heartbroken were we to loose it. Renton has never had such resources alone as we do being a part of a greater system. Please, please, please, keep KCLS. It's the catalog, not the building that matters!!
Dave Beedon April 9, 2013 at 06:31 pm
Good letter, Stuart. I hope the City and KCLS can get together to solve this issue.
mthrship March 25, 2013 at 12:51 pm
Hi Kerrick,
Strangely enough, this plan looks like they took the BIG 5 plan and tried to fit it…Read More onto the deck of the current library. Many of the items talked about in the Renton Reporter article aren't the only way to go. And, that article seems to be a direct response to residents protesting KCLS' high-handed and money-wasting tactics. As usual, KCLS has given residents one solution. And, it's the one KCLS said they most feared! Why drizzle on and on about avoiding environmental impact and then produce a design that's not only a dead loss for residents in terms of service area and stack space, but will set off every flag KCLS wanted to avoid? Because they're not dealing in good faith with Renton. On the face of it this design looks like a very real attempt to walk away from what voters said they clearly wanted. KCLS is trying to make the possible impossible and has given no valid rationale to date.
Dave Beedon March 24, 2013 at 02:30 am
The City of Renton must pay for building or renovating its its two libraries. KCLS is in charge of…Read More developing new building designs. KCLS should be concerned about the opinions of the people paying for the new library, but it is ignoring the two critical design issues (space and entrance) mentioned repeatedly by residents. Is this “serving the public interest”?
The proposed design eliminates about 30% of the current floor space by demolishing the section abutting the pedestrian bridge. That eliminates the entrance over the river and affects the space available for services. What becomes of the delightful children’s area if that portion of the building is demolished? The building would better serve the community if it added meeting rooms and study rooms. More computers might also be beneficial. But how can these things be provided if the library is made smaller?
The City will either accept or reject the proposed building design next week, after KCLS’s Open House on the 26th. A majority of the City Council has not shown support for our concerns about the library. If you want your tax money spent well, please come to the City Council meeting on Monday, March 25 and tell the City that it must reject KCLS’s proposed building design.
If you don’t want the library’s wonderful character destroyed, come to KCLS’s Open House at the library on Tuesday the 26th and stand up to an organization whose motto could be “we have to ruin the library to improve it.”
David A. Keyes March 24, 2013 at 12:57 am
Kerrick is spot on with her points here! Her single letter describes accurately and eloquently more…Read More reasons for you to attend Monday's Council Mtg & Tuesday's "design presentation" than KCLS's Ptacek and his ill-informed 'communications' specialist could distort or diminish in twenty interviews to the local rag.
By the way, the drawings Kerrick references were delivered to the City three weeks ago on 3/1, and titled, in part, "...100% SD". "SD" standing for Schematic Design. These are scaled drawings the architecture and engineering consultants have workied on since at least early November. The submission is significant enough that, if accepted by our City Council, it will establish "Final Design" direction under the ILA, for the remainder of the project.
Ask yourself why KCLS Director Ptacek and his staffer, Ms. Brand, would claim in the Reporter interview that this work to be presented Tuesday is "nowhere near the design phase."? Is it possible that they simply want to assuage your concerns? Or that by doing so, imply you really need not bother to attend...?
ATTEND! ASK questions of the consultants! If the response given is no answer or makes no sense, say so and REPEAT THE QUESTION!. Ask what ALTERNATIVE solutions were explored! Do not accept for a moment any statement that your question will be answered at to a later date.
Presently we own this Library. It is still ours. As Taxpayers, WE are the ones paying for the decisions of KCLS & Council .