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Show Volume XXI Issue IV The Ogden Valley news Page 11 June 1, 2013 SPECIAL BOND cont. from page 1 remaining open for public services. The new Southwest Branch will replace the too small and antiquated 11,000 sq. ft. building located in the fastest growing area of the County. Projections from the Governor’s Office on Planning and Budget estimate the population of the Southwest Branch service area will exceed 90,000 within the next 15 years. Shortly thereafter, this Branch will serve more people than the Main Library. The Feasibility Study team also recommended that support services, which take up the unfinished lower level of the North Branch, should be moved to the new Southwest Branch. Once vacated, the lower level will be finished and the main floor renovated, doubling the usable public space at the North Branch to a total of 23,000 sq. ft. The final recommendation from the Study team was to add safe parking along both sides of the street in front of the Ogden Valley Branch, so it can be better utilized in hosting large group gatherings in its role as a library and community center. Hot meals are served to seniors in this library, making safe parking a necessity, especially during snowy, winter months. In addition, the Branch technology infrastructure has been completely upgraded so businesses and not-for-profit groups can use the space for training meetings and small conferences, bringing additional economic development opportunities to the Valley. Although this was the final recommendation from the Study team, it will be the first improvement to be made with completion slated before year-end. According to Dave Hardman, “Now is a good time to invest in Libraries. Interest rates are at historical lows and non-residential construction has not yet recovered from the 63.3% decline suffered during 2009, encouraging competitive bidding by construction companies which also lowers costs.” The State of Utah reports that any time may be a good time to invest in public libraries as the average rate of return on each $1 invested is $7.35. According to Evelyn Bertilson, President of Friends of the Library, “It’s hard to imagine finding any place a community can put its collective resources that pays more than 735% over the life of the investment.” The Cost - In response to the Feasibility Study, and an outpouring of support during four public meetings and hearings held on the subject of library improvements, the Weber County Commission authorized a bond election for up to $45 million. The bonds will be sold over a period of five years and provide funding to: 1. Replace the Southwest Branch with a larger, modern Library constructed on donated land: $ 23,025,000 2. Renovate and upgrade the historic Main Library: $16,810,000 3. Modernize and double the space available to users of the North Branch: $5,000,000 4. Add safe, street parking at the Ogden Valley Branch: $165,000 Costs have been vetted by three separate architectural firms, a cost control service that specializes in building estimating, and Big-D Construction. Studies show that lower utility, building maintenance, and repair costs will be sufficient to open and run the new facilities without an increase in the Library operating tax rate. The County plans to structure the new Library bonds in a manner that will increase taxes on an average residence valued at $161,000 by approximately $13.50 per year, bringing the total paid on County general obligations bonds to $31.50 per year and keeping it at that level for 20 years, until the bonds are paid off. This structuring takes advantage of an $18 per year decrease that would otherwise result in 2018 when bonds that were issued for the Jail are paid in full. The increase on a business with the save value will be $24.43 for a total annual amount of $57.27. The Benefits - According to Karen Leonardi, Library Board Chair, “The Library improvement plan will take five years to complete and result in a new generation of libraries to serve new generations of users.” Toni Garvey, an experienced library design consultant with Providence Associates, a consulting group that works with library boards across the U. S., recently provided community groups with an overview of common elements considered crucial in new generation libraries. The library as a third space. The first space is where you live, a second space is where you work or go to school, your third space is where you go to be part of a community, a comfortable and welcoming place to read, work on a laptop, and engage with others. New technologies. People seek out technology-equipped spaces to share ideas with one another, learn how to make best use of their personal electronic devices, and gain access to equipment and software that is too technical or expensive for individual families to own. Dedicated spaces for children. Specialized areas appropriate to the learning needs of toddlers, preschoolers, and school-age children encourage reading-readiness, reading for fun and information, and cognitive development. Special services for teens and tweens. Spaces designed to promote learning as a group activity and encourage reading and discovery in a safe environment help prepare young people for success in life while honing social skills. Multi-functional spaces of all sizes. Areas that can accommodate senior movement classes in the morning, after-school clubs in the afternoon, and cultural presentations during the evening are in high demand in libraries. Spaces that inspire and enrich. Libraries can be places where ideas come together to spark completely new concepts and add value to the community, transforming functional spaces into value added areas. Areas that connect inside and outside. Community members benefit from extending the library to the outdoors for staging programming, small group gatherings, and reading. For additional information visit the Library web site <www.weberpl.org> Valley Basketball Players Named in All Star Lineup The Standard-Examiner recently named two Weber High School basketball players from Ogden Valley as members of their 20122013 All Area, All Star lineup. Jordan Jones from Liberty and Hayden Schenck Eden were named for the honor. Six-foot, three-inch point guard Hayden Schenck’s successes were also described. “Schenck, who helped lead the Warriors to their first Region 1 title in 16 years, led the 5-A ranks in scoring with a 25.6 average. Last year’s All-Area MVP also averaged 4.2 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3.7 steals a game. What made his performance more impressive was that he began play eight months after inuring this ACL. The first three games for the year and four out of the first five he scored 30 or more points (career-high, 37 points on Jordan Jones Both playing as seniors from Weber High School’s championship team this year, 6 foot, 8 inch Jones played center. The Standard reported, “Jones scored eight points per game, and led the team with seven rebounds and three blocks per outing. He recorded a double-double (12 points and 12 rebounds) in a key overtime victory at Davis on February 5. The victory helped the Warriors win the Region 1 title. He lettered three years, was a two-year starter, and was a co-captain.” Weber High Coach Mark Larsen stated, “What he did for us could not be measured by statistics. We scored so much in transition, and Jordan was the one who got things started most of the time. He’s such an unselfish kid who was just fine with his role. He was definitely our best defensive player, but he was also our best help player.” Jordan is the son of Robert and Jennifer Jones of Liberty. Hayden Schenck November 27 at Roy). A three-year starter and co-captain, Schenk was Region 1 MVP.” Hayden was the first Weber High basketball player to be a four-year letterman and was First Team All State his junior and senior years. He also received the Academic All State award. He was the Leading Scorer and led in Steals for the State, and was second in Assists. Coach Larsen stated, “He’s just a great kid that’s going to be missed. There’s no way you can replace him. Even though he is humble and quiet, people just gravitate to him.” Hayden is the son of Todd and Julie Schenck of Eden. Subscriptions available for out of area residents at $18.00 annually. Send payment with mailing address to: The Ogden Valley news P O BOX 130, EDEN UT 84310 |