What’s happening today – including what’s NOT happening today

NOT HAPPENING, #1: Today marks the first day of Seattle Public Library branches’ one-week budget-cut-forced closure – even the SPL website (which now carries the header shown above). They’re scheduled to reopen a week from tomorrow (9/8).

NOT HAPPENING, #2: The 7-day-a-week summer schedule for Colman Pool is now over, so it’s closed today, and will shut down for the season after the upcoming three-day weekend (Saturday-Sunday-Monday). Remember that Southwest Pool is still closed as well, for another two weeks, because of drain-safety work.

SPEAKING OF POOLS: If you have an interest in White Center’s Evergreen Pool, scheduled to close as of tomorrow and to stay closed until and unless a deal can be worked out with a private operator to take it over, you might be interested in a rally planned at the pool tonight, 5-7 pm (more details at partner site White Center Now).

HAPPENING #1: Keeping up the water theme – the second-to-last summer community kayak tour of the Duwamish River leaves South Park at 6 pm tonight. Full details here.

HAPPENING #2: Delridge Produce Cooperative‘s wrapping up the third of four 4-day weeks for its Mobile Market demonstration program – free produce at a roadside stand, to gauge neighborhood interest in access to fresh fruits and vegetables. Today, it’s on the south lawn of Youngstown Arts Center (4408 Delridge), 3:30-7:30 pm.

Julie August 31, 2009 (9:02 am)

If you would like to comment on the libraries’ closure, please contact the mayor and city council:

http://www.seattle.gov/html/CITIZEN/city_officials.htm

The Friends of Seattle Public Library are gathering signatures on a petition today between 10 am and 4 pm at the downtown branch. I’m not sure if this petition will be available online or to print out.

Sue August 31, 2009 (9:08 am)

I see no reason to close down the library website while the library is closed, since it’s normally working on other library holidays and overnight when the premises is closed. The only thing I can imagine is that they want to upset us so we’ll be more inclined to complain about the closure. I noticed the email they sent to members reminding us of the closing ahead of time had a link to go and talk about how it affected us. It just feels to me like the library staff are (understandably) pissed off at the budget cut closure and want to drag us into their fight.

carraig na splinkeen August 31, 2009 (9:43 am)

Recently I commented on WSB (i.e., my opinion) that Seattle is becoming less family friendly and someone said that this “rang false” to them. Here are two pretty solid examples: closure of swimming pools and libraries—two very family friendly activities.

Gina August 31, 2009 (9:45 am)

Sue–normally an IT person is on call 24/7 to maintain the website. Links break on in constantly. They don’t want to have a broken site for a week.

cakeitseasy August 31, 2009 (9:48 am)

Sue, I agree. How does closing the website help? And is there really a reason to close the library for consecutive days just when school is starting?

MargL August 31, 2009 (10:08 am)

I think the only way you’re not going to see a library closure like this happen again is to pay more taxes. It looks like they actually thought about this and didn’t just say “Hey, let’s close the whole library for a week to piss people off.”
More info on the why and how here:
http://www.spl.org/closure/LibraryClosureNews.pdf

flynlo August 31, 2009 (10:14 am)

As the previous post by MargL shows, the Seattle Public Library web site is SELECTIVELY shut down!!!

glendafrench August 31, 2009 (10:36 am)

@crairaig –
I think that was me that said it “rang false”. I’m sorry, but closing swimming pools and libraries due to budget cuts does suck, but that’s still not very convincing since it is the exception – especially a lot of schools start back this week.

I think the only thing we REALLY should be ashamed of and trying to change in this town is our public school system. Otherwise we are spoiled with a normally great library system, farmers markets, children’s museums, over 400 public parks (including the excellent and recent “Ercolini” children-focused park just blocks from my house) tons of public shoreline and fountains to explore, bikepaths, etc . . . I seriously really want to know examples of other cities our size you would consider more “family friendly” than this one.

WSB August 31, 2009 (11:15 am)

I am still looking for a link on this but, having covered the original round of discussions about city budget cuts and their results, I believe individual departments did not get choices about how much money would be cut, but how they might save that money. This is supposedly historically the lowest-usage week of the year for the library system. Closing down for a week is supposed to save about $655,000, according to information we published earlier in the year:
https://westseattleblog.com/blog/?p=15831
.
The other option, according to some of what was written at the time elsewhere, was to selectively reduce hours at certain branches, or implement one-off spot closures here and there, which the library system felt would further confuse and inconvenience people.
.
If you think there are other areas of the city budget that should have been cut instead, or inefficiencies that could have been addressed to avoid this, a couple things to note: The mayor has the ultimate responsibility for the budget, and makes the cut/allocation proposals. Obviously, we are changing mayors, so this is something where you might want to stress your opinion to both candidates:

.
Also, it’s always worth letting city councilmembers know how you feel. The Culture, Public Affairs, etc. Committee
http://seattle.gov/council/committees/culture_comm.htm
oversees the library system among other things. Nick Licata chairs it – he’s up for re-election this year (running against Jessie Israel). West Seattle-residing Tom Rasmussen is vice chair; Jean Godden is the other member (neither of them is up for election this year). Council contact info:
http://seattle.gov/council/councilcontact.htm
.
-TR

WSB August 31, 2009 (11:17 am)

Also please note that the swimming pool closures are not something being done capriciously (not that the library budget situation is, either). The safety upgrades at Southwest Pool, as we have reported previously, are federally mandated – the Virginia Graeme Baker Act, named for a little girl who died after an accident involving getting entangled in a drain.
http://www.poolsafety.gov/vgb.html
You can feed back to Parks if you think the work was not timed well, but it’s work that has to be done. The Colman Pool closure is the same way it’s been handled every year. Hope we are not confusing things by reporting these in one item but they are all important reminders we wanted to get out since they all happen to take effect today – TR

homesweethome August 31, 2009 (3:54 pm)

I’m with glendafrench, I think. Closing the libraries for a week is not that big a deal – and I have a family. The library staff still have jobs – a one week furlough is nothing compared to what many people are suffering through. And yes, the website should be shut down as well – 24/7 IT support for a website is also a cost-center.

In addition – lots of other big library systems use volunteers for programs such as story time – but here, due to the budget there will be no programming throughout September. Perhaps we need more volunteers or some policy changes at the library that could help with the budget issues.

swimcat September 1, 2009 (9:39 am)

I would personally rather see the libraries closed for one day every two months rather than have a week straight. It wouldn’t be that hard to update their website or put advance notice on the library doors to warn of the closure dates. If I worked for the library, I’d think this would be more ideal as well, since you wouldn’t be missing a full week of pay in your September paycheck. Ouch! I’d rather take a day here and a day there.

Regarding the pool closures, most pools schedule their annual maintenance in late Aug/early Sept. I’ve been swimming for 25 years and that’s just what I’ve noticed, no matter where I have lived.

Sorry, comment time is over.