Friday, September 25, 2009

The End Is Nigh


This Monday, September 28th, will be the last Monday in which the Pleasant Hill Library will be open. Starting October 1st the library will have its new schedule which includes it being closed both Sundays and Mondays.

If you would like to attend the PH library's final Monday for the foreseeable future (possibly ever) the hours are 11-6. I suggest wearing black and maybe leaving a wreath of flowers and perhaps a card by the front door.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Quick Question

I have been reading a few hardbacks recently and have wondered if everyone takes the jacket off when they read one or if its just me. For some reason it really bothers me. I feel like the book is slipping out of my hands when I try to read one while the jacket is still on. I also hate (but understand) that seemingly every book I get from the library is a hardback and the jacket is taped on.

Anyone else?

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Movie of the Month...No More!!


That's all folks! The club members have come to the agreement that we will no longer be continuing our movies of the month due to a lack of interest from within the group. Hope no one mourns too long over this decision.

September Book of the Month


September's book of the month is "The Little Book" be Selden Edwards. "The Little Book" was published in 2008 and was apparently inspired by our last book of the month "The Time Machine" by H.G. Wells.

To preview the book you can visit the limited preview on Google Books at this address:
http://books.google.com/books?id=kJE4Qk0jDf4C&pg=PP1&dq=%22the+little+book%22#v=onepage&q=&f=false

Enemy Mine. Ae. Gavey!


Thanks to the September meeting of the PHBC being pushed back a week due to scheduling conflicts, I was able to pick up and finish one of the secondary book selections from August...Enemy Mine. I'm not going to lie and say it was the next War and Peace but for a fluff sci-fi novel it was pretty good. Written in 1985, the book, which is based on the movie with the same title which itself is based on a short story with the same title (author of the book and short story are the same), tells the tale of two soldiers from rival cultures who are forced to depend on each other for physical and mental survival on an alien planet and grow to be the best of friends. I believe that while there are clear allegories to the Cold War and the relationship of the US and Soviet Union the book is still compelling enough to be enjoyed from start to finish (which may be as short as taking off in SF and landing in NY).

One thing I must say though is that if you have had the misfortune to have seen the God-awful abomination of a movie that this book is based on please do not let that keep you from reading this book. The movie version of Enemy Mine, which plays as though you are watching a demented homeless man's alcohol fever induced nightmare, has very little in common with the book. The final thirty of minutes of the movie specifically (including the ending) are completely different from the book. There are a million other things I can say about why the movie is bad (including the fact that apparently when an alien speaks English it doesn't sound as though they are speaking with the accent they had when they were speaking their own language, but with an accent as though they just got off a plane from East Africa or maybe India) but I have yet to build a time machine that will allow me to finish list all of its problems and still have enough time to go back and celebrate my 115th birthday.

Again, I can not recommend this book enough. If you are a fan of science fiction and have a few hours to kill please pick up this book. You won't regret it...gavey?

Reminder!

Book Sale at the Pleasant Hill library today! Its from 10-3 and is happening in their back loading dock at 75 Santa Barbara Road. Even though it was raining this morning I'm sure it'll still be happening. See you there!

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Interview With Local Authors: Fran Wojnar

1. How long have you lived in the Bay Area? Which parts?

Since 1964, I lived first in Vallejo where I taught junior high music in the Unified School District. After I married in 1967, my husband and I made our home in Pleasant Hill.

2. When did you get your first book published?


Eliza, an Iowa Pioneer was first published in 1991, with reprints in 1992 and 2005.

3. What type of books do you write?

Eliza, and Iowa Pioneer portrays pre-Civil War stories starting in 1836 in Lower Saxony. (before Germany was unified) Eliza, 16 and brother Heinrich 14, were put on a ship to America. Eliza’s narrated stories describe their adventures from landing in New Orleans to her final settlement in Iowa in 1850.
Magdalena’s Conflict is a mystery that occurs when the Mother Superior’s death appears natural to everyone except Sister Camille who along with a family detective friend find the murderer.

4. Why do you write?

Putting one’s thought and words on a page for anyone to read requires honesty and guts. I felt I had the discipline to write a book, after preparing for solo piano recitals often requiring a whole year’s practice.

5. How involved are you with the community?

I’m involved in Social Justice through Christ the King Church. We provide a pizza/salad supper once a month at the N. Concord Homeless Shelter. I meet with a student in a program called, Invest in Kids. I’m also historian and board member of the California Writer’s Club, and an usher at the San Francisco Symphony.

6. What challenges have you faced as an author?


Getting visibility. I expected my second book to be as successful as my first book.

7. Describe “print on demand” some of our readers.

“Print on Demand” POD allows the author, at their own expense, to become a published author with a professional book. It gives authors control of their work as well as a finished book to offer to agents and publishers.

8. What inspired you to write Eliza an Iowa Pioneer?

After reading stories that Eliza, my great grandmother, left, I felt consumed to study the period and enlarge on these tales and make them the back bone of this book.
It is a fine line between fiction and nonfiction.

9. Who were some of the influences as a writer.

Clair Gustafson, an instructor of Creative Writing at Diablo Valley College and my critique group of writers.

10. What type of book would you recommend for young readers?

Eliza, an Iowa Pioneer has been used in schools in Iowa, California and also in an adult class in Germany. Young readers enjoy mystery and adventure in historical novels.

11. What is the best way to get young people excited to read?

Exposure to reading in the home. My parents subscribed to book clubs that brought books into our home not always suitable to youngsters, but I remember reading them anyway and declined librarians book lists for young readers as too babyish.

12. Who are your favorite authors?


I haven’t a favorite. I like to read mysteries, stories about families in other cultures, non-fiction books on current events and past historical. figures.

13. Do you have a website we can visit?

Xlibris.com
mtdiablowriters.org

14. Where can we find your books?

Amazon.com
Xlibris.com
Myself (925) 933-9248

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Interview with Mayor Michael Harris



The interview two months in the making is finally here! I would like to thank Mayor Harris for his participation and for his help in giving some clarity to the many issues surrounding the Pleasant Hill Library's current financial woes. I would also like to thank City of Pleasant Hill Public Information Officer Martin Nelis for all his great work in making this interview happen. Without further ado...the interview...

Since this is an interview for a book blog, lets start with some book questions.


1. Who are some of your favorite authors?

I am an avid reader and have many favorite authors. Among my favorite authors are: Doris Kearns Goodwin, Walter Isaacson, David McCullough, David Liss, Isabelle Allende, John Grisham, Brad Meltzer, and Mitch Albom

2. What are some of your favorite books?

Doris Kearns Goodwin: Team of rivals ; Wait till next year

Walter Isaacson: Einstein ; Benjamin Franklin

David McCullough: 1776 ;The path between the seas

David Liss: A conspiracy of paper

Isabelle Allende: Portrait in sepia ; The sum of our days

Mitch Albom: Tuesdays with Morrie


3. What was the last good book you read?

The book of lies by David Meltzer

Moving on to the library budget issue...



4. Can you explain for our readers a little about the library money for green zone trade off that was proposed by the county?

As part of the County's Fiscal Year 2009/10 budget, the County reduced funding for the Contra Costa County Library system and recommended transferring most of the cost for facility management to the cities in which the libraries are located. If cities did not agree to fund the facility costs, library services would be severely curtailed at that location. In the case of Pleasant Hill, this cost amounted to $147,718 for the 2009/10 fiscal year. This presented a challenge to the City of Pleasant Hill because it is also struggling to maintain public services with limited financial resources. Because of its desire to maintain the maximum amount of library services as possible, however, the City of Pleasant Hill proposed a creative solution for an alternative funding source. In exchange for the County continuing to fund the facility management costs that otherwise would be the City's responsibility, the City proposed to fund a Waste Reduction Information & Outreach Program (also known as the "Green Zone") at the Library for the same dollar amount utilizing funds from the City's recycling fund. This solution was hailed by library staff as an innovative and effective way of keeping the library open while, at the same time, providing valuable education and information to citizens regarding the importance of recycling.

5. It seemed as though the City Council had mixed reasons for their decision to vote down the budget proposal. It was unclear to those of us in attendance if the reason was because the city had a lack of funds or if the city thought that the bill should be paid by the county. Which one is it? If the city had the money, would they have paid for the library or would they have pushed that this was a county problem?


The City Council did not vote down the library budget proposal. Rather, at its meeting on July 13, 2009, the City Council voted to approve the funding level as mentioned above to establish the "Green Zone" at the library. The Council also voted to provide additional funding of $25,733 to keep the library open for 7 hours on each Monday through the end of September. As a result of these actions, the Council was able to ensure that the library in Pleasant Hill would remain open for 6 days a week for a total of 35 hours. Otherwise, the library hours would have been cut back to 28 hours. Both of these options were recommended to the City Council in the staff report presented at that meeting and the Council did not vote on any other budget proposal in relation to the library. It is not possible to project what the City would have done if it had additional funds in its General Fund as that issue was not before the City Council.

6. If it is a county problem, what steps are we taking as a city to get more county funding for our library?

The County has made it very clear to the City Council that due to the current budget crisis facing the County, it is not possible for the County to provide additional funding to bring back library hours to the levels prior to July 1, 2009. These cuts in library hours are occurring at most libraries throughout Contra Costa County - this issue is not isolated to Pleasant Hill.

7. Continuing with it being a county issue, with the library literally across the street from the Walnut Creek city line, and roughly 25% of the library's circulation coming from Walnut Creek residents, has the city attempted to join with Walnut Creek to help with funding?

The numbers of Walnut Creek residents using the PH Library should decline once their new library opens in downtown Walnut Creek. Nonetheless, the City of Walnut Creek has recently implemented severe budget cuts and is having problems finding the money for operational and maintenance costs for its new library. It is highly unlikely that the City of Walnut Creek will contribute any funds towards the operation of the PH Library.

8. If it is a money issue, has the city considered proposing a bond measure to pay for the library like it did recently for the teen and senior centers?

The recent bond measure, known as Measure E, was placed on the ballot by the PH Recreation & Park District, which is a completely separate entity from the City of Pleasant Hill. The City has no plans currently for any bond measures.

9. Finally, I would be remiss if I did not ask this last question. In regards to the vote itself, at the time some community members in attendance remarked that it was in poor taste to have third grader Kevin Vasgerdsian call for the vote that limited the library's hours and staff. Looking back, would you have done anything differently in this regard?

By your question, I think you may have misinterpreted what actually happened. As indicated above, the City Council did not vote to limit the library hours, but rather voted to provide additional funding so library hours could be increased to 35 hours per week. (The City Council did not vote on staffing.)

Please allow me to provide a little background on the ceremonial "Mayor for the Day" program. This program was designed as a way to support local schools and raise additional funds during their annual auctions. We try to give the "Mayor for the Day" the opportunity to participate in the Council meeting in a meaningful way to make the experience as valuable as possible. One of the "ceremonial duties" is to call the roll for items on the council agenda.

As ceremonial "Mayor for the Day, " Kevin Vasgerdsian called for a vote to provide

$147,718 in City funding for the library so that the library could remain open for 35 hours a week. Additional funding of $25,733 allowed the library to remain open 42 hours a week during July, August and September of 2009. This vote helped guarantee continued operation of the library at the maximum number of hours fiscally possible and the provision of a new recycling program at a time when both the County and the City are struggling to provide essential public services to its citizens. I believe it was appropriate for the "Mayor for the Day" to call the roll on a vote that allows children and their families greater access to the library than they would have had otherwise.


10. Thank you very much for your responses. They were very helpful in clearing up some misconceptions. I guess on some issues it is a case of seeing glasses half empty versus half full. One last question though that remains is what does the future hold for the Pleasant Hill library? When, if ever, do you expect it to regain its former staffing and hours? Does it all relate to what happens with the economy? Is there the possibility of further cuts next year? What kind of creative solutions is the city and/or library coming up with to help the library?

Good question, but not one that is easy for the City to answer. Since the County funds and runs the Library, it's hard to know what their financial picture and plans will be in the future. We will certainly continue to work cooperatively with the Library staff and administration to try everything we can to keep the Library open at its current level. We are also working on other creative ideas like the "Green Zone." Unfortunately, it all does relate to the economy-which no one seems to be able to figure out. Thanks again for your continued interest in our Library. Take care.

Please leave your comments, I'd love to know what you think.

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Interview update...

Sorry for the tease. I have a few follow up questions for the Mayor. Once that is ready I'll post the entire interview. Sorry again.