My blogging has been pre-empted by my new job as coordinator for the Haines Borough Energy & Sustainability Commission. I have been buried in numbers. I know exactly how many gallons of heating fuel municipally owned facilities consumed over the past 2.5 years; and exactly how many kilowatts were used. And exactly how much it costs. Next stage: how to reduce that use by 5-7% percent. Stay tuned.But right now, let's consider the "rack," because Thursday, October 16, at 9:05 AM I have to introduce the rack to the Haines Borough Library Board of Trustees. Not that they aren't already well aware of the rack. They have, in fact, rejected the rack. At the September Board meeting, the Board declined to allow Cooperative Extension materials to be available, in the rack, at the Haines Borough Public Library. The reason: if one organization is allowed to disseminate materials at the library, then all organizations should be allowed a similar privilege. Then it follows that the library may be overwhelmed, and, perhaps, even forced to become host to some unacceptable broadsides.
There's a little history here. Interest in Cooperative Extension services and information was re-awakened in Haines as a result of the Master Gardener's class that was held in May, minting 17 new Master Gardeners, adding to the group graduated about 5 years ago. We re-discovered the volumes of Alaska-centered growing, gathering, and preserving information published by the University of Alaska, Cooperative Extension Service. It used to be that you could browse these publications in Enid Verbon's Community Education Office, or in the Garden Shed at Haines Home Builders. No longer, no more.
After leaving Haines, the Cooperative Extension service notified me that they had received a grant to buy pocket shelves to put materials in outlying sites. Would Haines like to put a shelf in its library? I checked with the former director, who checked his policies, and said, "Sure. That works." Time passed. The rack and materials arrive. The director moves on. The status of the rack is brought before the Board in September and the Board says, "No, that won't work," for the reason stated above.
What am I to do with the rack? I would like the Library Board to reconsider. I think making University of Alaska Cooperative Extension materials available in the Haines Borough Public Library signals a linkage between the University and the Library - a sensible linkage, perhaps even the beginning of a meaningful partnership. I think that the offer of the rack by the Cooperative Extension Service is an opportunity and it would be a shame to miss it. What do you think? Take the survey. Thanks.
7 comments:
Perhaps you should have the facts straight before you post them on the Internet.
Dear Anonymous,
Please tell me which facts I need to correct. That would be helpful!
The former director did not check his policies and say, "Sure. That works."
Dear Anonymous,
Are you "the former director"? I hope so because then you can truly set the record straight! If not, then you probably don't actually "know" what the former director said or didn't say, did or didn't do.
Most of the communication was verbal and therefore probably "lost" in terms of absolute confirmation, memory being as fickle as it is. But there may be an email. I'll search.
Different Anonymous says;
With our town that surprises me not! I don’t know if I should laugh or yell in outrage at some of the stupid people in this town! Yes I am for the rack. Limiting or denying the public information, no matter what the reason is wrong and unethical. Its almost Stalinist to deny people that information in the Library.
Just as some locals fight new businesses being brought in because of their greed, I see the same thing with energy conservation. APT would not like loosing customers and cash from alternate power sources despite what they may say. Then there are the knuckle heads who would throw a fit if wind power structures were build in the valley. The greenies despite their cries to save earth will throw a fit and say wind power will kill all our eagles etc.
The problem with Haines is well known through the panhandle, they know how we argue and fight with each other and seldom get things done. The “rack” is a perfect example of the stupidity we have to digest in Haines.
Dear Other Anonymous,
You are right - we are a fiesty bunch. But we are improving. As a community we are able to entertain graciously many many more ideas than in the 70s. In the 1970s I was basically run out of the school for teaching yoga in the PE class I was hired to conduct as a long-term sub. That wouldn't happen now. That's progress!
Different Anonymous says;
I think the Yoga thing was from a lack of understanding. People often fear what they don’t understand. However from the 70’s till now the kids in town have not had enough adult guidance overall; thus the problems in town with underage drinking sex and drugs. Here again…. shows the foolishness in town as the kids afore mentioned problems being ignored but God forbid them learning Yoga! Yoga hasn’t killed a soul but we have had numerous underage girls become pregnant and too many kids killed in auto accidents while under the influence or drugs and alcohol. That money for our fancy library could have built a teen center. Our kids need some clean fun and adult supervision with real world education thrown in, instead of letting them run wild.
We do have many intelligent good people in town. It’s just the uneducated opinionated fools that muck it up for the rest. I applaud your efforts to help the community. Maybe if enough people can educate the town about alternate energy options we can sway the folks to become more involved in such endeavors.
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