Dear Editor, This week, Oct. 18 to 24, is National Friends of
Libraries week, making it a good time to publicly thank The Friends
of the Morgan Hill Library, who contribute so much of their time
and expertise to significantly enhance our library services. Our
Friends group began in October 1974 and so is also celebrating its
35th anniversary this week.
Thank Friends of the Library at 35th anniversary celebration
Dear Editor,
This week, Oct. 18 to 24, is National Friends of Libraries week, making it a good time to publicly thank The Friends of the Morgan Hill Library, who contribute so much of their time and expertise to significantly enhance our library services. Our Friends group began in October 1974 and so is also celebrating its 35th anniversary this week.
Over the course of the past 35 years the Friends have donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to the library to cover the costs of the Summer Reading Club, children’s and teen programs, author events, the Best Seller Collection, library materials, equipment, furnishings and much more.
In addition, the Friends raised $230,000 for art and furnishings for the new library that opened in 2007.
I know that the Morgan Hill Library is a source of pride for our community. Our Friends group is a source of pride as well as without their support many of the programs and materials the library has to offer would not exist.
I hope everyone will take this opportunity to thank the Friends and to show support for this outstanding group. The community is invited to join the Friends 35th anniversary celebration at 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, at the library.
Peggy Tomasso, acting community librarian, Morgan Hill Public Library
Well written story about rape could encourage others to come forward
Dear Editor,
Thank you Sara Suddes for writing and the Morgan Hill Times for publishing the article on ‘Man convicted of rape will serve life sentence.’ The article was hard to read with so many graphic details about a horrible case but I’m hoping other victims of domestic violence and rape will find courage to speak up after reading this article.
I’m thankful to see our justice system worked this time before someone was killed by this man but saddened that so many had to suffer before he was put away.
I also wanted to thank the woman that came forward with the information and testified against him. If she hadn’t he would still be free to torture other women. A well written article like this on such a hard subject can help to educate the public on the realities that can occur in a ‘relationship.’
The only suggestion I have is to maybe have local rape crisis hotlines and domestic violence support contacts attached to the end of this type of reporting. I’m guessing many women will read this and realize for the first time that they do not have to stay and put up with that kind of treatment. I am not a victim of either of these crimes but have friends who have been and know that it occurs more often than we want to believe.
Teresa Sharp, Morgan Hill
Editor’s Note: The rape Crisis Hotline at Community Solutions is 1-877363-7238
Police department seems to be less than user-friendly
Dear Editor,
Our police department is less than it ought to be. I came into the Morgan Hill office to report vandalism when I was confronted by a plate glass window. I rang a bell and the woman in the next room presented herself as deaf.
I was instructed to use the phone where everyone in the lobby was informed of my business. The answering service informed me I must go to the computer to report the incident; she buzzed the electric door device and I entered a room with a computer.
My answers were not politically correct so the program insisted that I had not filled in the blanks. I had to leave the building for my car registration, return into the room, using the phone again and waiting for that buzz.
Attempting to finish the report with additional information, it virtually disappeared off the screen. “What happened?” I then had to use the receiver to call Mrs. Oz once again from behind the curtain who asked a few questions in which I retorted like an automaton. Instead of handing me a form to fill out by hand, she insisted on using tax dollar time to lick the envelope and send it by mail across the country, informing me it would take two to three weeks!
To top off this man-in-the-moon, science-fiction epic, a young American-Latino man standing in the lobby, looking distressed, said: “I was beaten by police officers. I have a lawyer representing my case.” It wasn’t the first time I heard of this situation and it won’t be the last. If we remain apathetic and do not take the time to report to someone higher than the Wizard of Oz’s smoke screens, our lives will continue to be less than human and more like a Halloween masquerade party without the sweets.
Janice Becker, Morgan Hill
