Central Library

The Newport Beach Public Library has a series of free family-friendly music events to keep residents busy this fall. The Central Library, 1000 Avocado Ave., is hosting three Sunday Musicales for adults and teens, and two family concerts Sept. 11 through Nov. 20 in the Friends Meeting Room. All events are free, but seating in on a first-come, first-served basis. The first Sunday Musicales, the Modus Novus, a classical guitar duo, will perform at 3 p.m. Sept. 11. Elixir Piano Trio will take the stage at 3 p.m. Oct. 30. The Soprano Synergy will perform at 3 p.m. Nov. 30. The first family concert will feature the Southland Opera performing the "Adventures in Song and Story" at 11 a.m. Oct. 1. Paul Tracey will perform "I Found it in a Book" at 11 a.m. Nov. 19. For more information, call the library at (949)

When a thousand people each give $1,000 that equals $1 million. This major capital support campaign of the Costa Mesa Library Foundation — to raise a substantial sum of money for a new central library in Costa Mesa from a large number of residents in our community — gives everyone an opportunity to make a statement that they know and appreciate the importance of libraries in their education, employability, and relaxation. Why do we need a central library? A number of studies completed since 1998 show that there are unmet library needs in our city.

Glimmers, at last, of a dream come true! On Jan. 31, the Costa Mesa City Council's study session included planning for the next five years. In that planning is a Library Master Plan for Costa Mesa, and a marker for debt financing to pay for a new library. Also to be studied is a better way to finance the operational expenses of the libraries in Costa Mesa. Presumably, this will be further discussed and voted upon in upcoming council meetings. I encourage all of you who are interested in library service in our town to show up at council meetings to let your desires be known.

GET READY at the City’s Disaster Preparedness Expo The Huntington Beach Fire Department, coordinating with the Emergency Operations Center, is sponsoring a Disaster Preparedness Expo on Saturday, February 20 at the Central Library from 10:00 am-2:00 pm. Learn from experts what types of City resources are available, at this first of an annual event.  The event is free and will include fun and exciting demonstrations, information about local disaster volunteer organizations, disaster preparedness vendors (no sales only literature)

NEWPORT BEACH — To save $520,000 in interest payments, the City Council voted Tuesday night to refinance its 1998 Central Library construction bonds. It plans to combine the outstanding balance, $3.9 million, with the upcoming bonds for the Civic Center. This "piggybacking," the city says, would allow it to lower the interest rate from 5.15% to 2.1%. —Mike Reicher

I support Bill Ficker's plan to put a new city hall on part of the vacant city-owned land uphill from the Central Library between MacArthur Boulevard and Avocado. Most real estate decisions start with, and are most heavily weighted by, location. Unless there is another city hall site within our city limits that the city has missed, the Central Library site is the best location for a new city hall, which should serve our residents the next 50 years. When viewed on a city map, the site is located almost in the middle of our city boundaries, which are not likely to change in the future.

Kris O'Donnell The Newport Beach Library Foundation donated $144,507 to the Newport Beach Public Library system for future upgrades, programs and events on Tuesday. The foundation's President, Tom Edwards, presented the check to the Newport Beach City Council on Tuesday night. The foundation boasts more than 2,000 members who financially contribute to the . "Through fund-raising events like the 'Distinguished Speakers Series,' our members enable us to support a variety of programs," said Tracy Keys, the foundation's executive director.

Mathis Winkler NEWPORT BEACH -- The Friends of the Newport Beach Public Library will donate $127,000 next week for the purchase of children's books, audio books and popular titles. It will be the fourth consecutive year the group has raised at least $100,000 for the city's libraries, which include the Central Library and Balboa, Corona del Mar and Mariners branches. The money comes from book sales in the organization's store at the Central Library.

Here's a piece of news you can file away under the letter "E" for "expected." Newport Beach's library system is the best in its class in the state. Now, that this bit of news isn't exactly shocking (that would have been put in stacks with the other "Ss," of course) doesn't take the shine away. It's just that anyone walking into the city's libraries -- especially the Central Library -- could not miss the time, care and money that the city puts into the library. So the results from Hennen's American Public Library Rankings that showed Newport's libraries at the top of California cities with populations between 50,000 and 99,999 residents aren't going to become a topic at the Martin W. Witte Distinguished Speakers Lecture Series.

At the pace of everyday events, sometimes it is easy to miss a significant event. A case in point is the June 7 Costa Mesa City Council meeting where the council unanimously adopted a resolution setting aside Civic Center Park for a 10-year period for future construction of a Central Library. This library will be of great benefit to all segments of the community -- those benefits include increased property values for homeowners and helping people start new businesses.

If you are reading this, somewhere right now, a librarian is smiling in satisfaction over a job well done. To further promote the love of reading — a chief tenet of the librarian code — in all age groups, the Newport Beach Public Library is hosting a full week of free programming in observance of National Library Week, Sunday through April 14, at branches throughout the city. "The goal for any of our programs is to bring people into our branches and make them aware of what we have to offer," Youth Services Manger Debbie Walker said.

Glimmers, at last, of a dream come true! On Jan. 31, the Costa Mesa City Council's study session included planning for the next five years. In that planning is a Library Master Plan for Costa Mesa, and a marker for debt financing to pay for a new library. Also to be studied is a better way to finance the operational expenses of the libraries in Costa Mesa. Presumably, this will be further discussed and voted upon in upcoming council meetings. I encourage all of you who are interested in library service in our town to show up at council meetings to let your desires be known.

Brrrr, the winter season is inching closer even in sunny southern California. Children and their parents might be looking for creative projects they can do inside. Luckily, imaginations can be limitless when discovering fun, new activities, and a visit to the Newport Beach Public Library will stimulate creative young minds. The children's departments' shelves are bursting with ideas for entertaining games and crafts. Here are just a few of the hundreds of children's activity books found at your Newport Beach Public Library.

The Newport Beach Central Library will be closed for construction Monday through Oct. 30. As part of the city's Civic Center project, the library is undergoing an expansion. This phase of the project requires crews to build a temporary wall and realign shelves and library materials. Patrons will still be able to visit the Balboa, Corona del Mar and Mariners Branch libraries during regularly scheduled hours. Those who have materials placed on hold at the Central Library can schedule a pickup at another branch by using the account management tools on the library website, or by calling (949)

The Newport Beach City Arts Commission is taking a trip next month up to the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena. Residents can sign up to visit the museum to see its collection of 14th to 19th century European, Asian and modern art. The trip will also include a viewing of Johannes Vermeer's "Woman with a Lute," which is on loan from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The event is $75, which includes transportation, a private tour and a boxed lunch from the museum's Garden Café.

The Newport Beach Central Library, 1000 Avocado Ave., is slated to open late Monday for building maintenance. The Central Library will open at 1 p.m. for work to be completed on its water lines. The maintenance requires the library's water turned off and its doors shut. The library will be open until 9 p.m. Monday. The Balboa Branch, 100 E. Balboa Blvd., and Mariners Branch, 1300 Irvine Ave., will be open during their regular hours, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. — Britney Barnes

The Newport Beach Public Library has a series of free family-friendly music events to keep residents busy this fall. The Central Library, 1000 Avocado Ave., is hosting three Sunday Musicales for adults and teens, and two family concerts Sept. 11 through Nov. 20 in the Friends Meeting Room. All events are free, but seating in on a first-come, first-served basis. The first Sunday Musicales, the Modus Novus, a classical guitar duo, will perform at 3 p.m. Sept. 11. Elixir Piano Trio will take the stage at 3 p.m. Oct. 30. The Soprano Synergy will perform at 3 p.m. Nov. 30. The first family concert will feature the Southland Opera performing the "Adventures in Song and Story" at 11 a.m. Oct. 1. Paul Tracey will perform "I Found it in a Book" at 11 a.m. Nov. 19. For more information, call the library at (949)

When a thousand people each give $1,000 that equals $1 million. This major capital support campaign of the Costa Mesa Library Foundation — to raise a substantial sum of money for a new central library in Costa Mesa from a large number of residents in our community — gives everyone an opportunity to make a statement that they know and appreciate the importance of libraries in their education, employability, and relaxation. Why do we need a central library? A number of studies completed since 1998 show that there are unmet library needs in our city.

NEWPORT BEACH — That annoying person talking loudly on a cell phone may one day be barred from using the Newport Beach Public Library. Librarians want new regulations that allow them to discipline unruly patrons, and the Board of Library Trustees gave them the go-ahead Tuesday to draft penalties. A truly public space, libraries have to balance the needs of orderly patrons with the reality that some people smell, make too much noise or stay on the computers for too long.

NEWPORT BEACH — To save $520,000 in interest payments, the City Council voted Tuesday night to refinance its 1998 Central Library construction bonds. It plans to combine the outstanding balance, $3.9 million, with the upcoming bonds for the Civic Center. This "piggybacking," the city says, would allow it to lower the interest rate from 5.15% to 2.1%. —Mike Reicher