August 21, 2010
Saturday AM

I truly appreciate and use the Ketchikan public library. I am curious how the building of a new library at the Copper Ridge site, with potential outside financial assistance (other than our taxpayer dollars) can be held hostage by a group of self serving downtown business owners? What do they do to promote local use of the downtown area? On a recent Saturday, with no cruise ships in town, several of these key players in the ABC group were closed. What a coincidence! Here I thought they were all about serving the community of Ketchikan! Good thing I have now reconsidered my shopping options and will only purchase goods at stores owned and run by locals that are open year round, and are not open only for the tourist trade.

I am curious how this group thinks the library would qualify for money from the Commercial Passenger Vessel (CPV) fund. This library would then be clearly earmarked to have to, in some way, promote or aid in the tourist trade. Is this the purpose of a public library? Not to my way of thinking. This is OUR public library.

The Copper Ridge site has easy access by bus, will have plenty of available parking, and for all of us regular library patrons -- peace and quiet away from the downtown core. On more than one occasion I have had to wait a long time to check out or ask questions while a librarian's valuable time is wasted explaining why there is such a long wait for a FREE computer and that there are pay computer cafes in town. The library should not be in competition with these businesses anyway; leave the computers to library card holders and let the tourists do as they have to do everywhere else in the world and pay a little for some computer time! The Copper Ridge site is ideal. It is not just in a rock pit, but in a lovely location with a potentially gorgeous view. I can only imagine the architect would take advantage of the views of Deer Mountain and all that lush green, while the ABC group tends to spin it like all the windows will face a rock wall!

I hope that enough people will take a little time and care enough to vote for the obvious choice -- YES on prop 1 and NO on prop 2. Please make your voice heard and vote on the 24th.

Glenna Bauer
Ketchikan, AK

Received August 17, 2010 - Published August 21, 2010

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