Tuesday
’s event offers fun, food and facts
A local effort to keep the Morgan Hill Library open six days a week with actual new material will kick off Tuesday night with entertainment by the Poppy Jasper Singers, food and information for all.
The historic 1886 Hiram Morgan Hill House at Villa Mira Monte will open its doors to welcome residents who want to help or just find out what’s going on. Both are welcome.
Library fans who regret the failure of Measure B to pass in March 2004 are trying again to extend the once-a-year parcel tax of $33.66, that will expire in June. Voters will have a chance to approve the extension by mail-in ballot.
Ballots, to be mailed in early April and due back by May 3, will ask two questions:
n Do you want to extend the $33.66 for 10 years, with no cost of living increase possible? There would be no change in the current tax bill and the library would continue to be closed on Sunday and Monday only but have no further cuts to hours, staff or acquisitions at this time.
nWould you approve increasing the tax to $45. This would allow the library to be open on Mondays again, continue to increase the collection of books, movies and DVDs and not have to lay off more librarians.
To restore and continue services, both measures would have to pass.
The parcel tax, which provides 21 percent of the library’s budget, must be passed by two-thirds of voters, including Morgan Hill and San Martin, in the Santa Clara County Library system.
Between Feb. 28 and May 2 many volunteers will be asked to staff phone banks explaining the ballot. The major volunteer effort will be phone calling, not precinct walking. Guglielmo Winery on East Main Avenue will be the site of a campaign fundraiser on March 6. Volunteers also are needed to help with this event and with other fund-raising activities.
The Support Our Library committee stresses that a public library is important to the community with story times for small children, computers, books, magazines for schoolchildren plus music, DVDs and videos for all.
Morgan Hill’s library is part of the Santa Clara County Library System, that also includes Gilroy, Saratoga, Cupertino, Campbell, Monte Sereno, Alum Rock, Los Altos and Milpitas. Unincorporated (San Martin) areas served by county libraries also pay the parcel tax and will have a vote.
It does not include Los Gatos, Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, Palo Alto or any library in San Jose, except Alum Rock.
“Volunteer Kick Off” 7pm, Tuesday, Feb. 15, at the Old Morgan Hill House at Villa Mira Monte, 17860 Monterey Road, just south of Wright Avenue.
Details or to help: www.save sccl.org or Carol O’Hare, 782-9029.
