Date: June 18, 2012 2:42:39 PM PDT
To: Athertonians Athertonians
Subject: [Athertonians] Important Agenda items for Wednesday's meeting
Reply-To: charles marsala
All,
This Wednesday's Council meeting has two serious items on it. Agenda Items #14 and 21 involve our First Amendment Rights and the second is the long term design and use of our park. Please consider attending and speaking or writing a letter to the town expressing your viewpoint.
Item #14 involves council action regarding the resident blog Athertonians. A letter is on the consent agenda from the town to the moderators of the Athertonians. However, Moderators had previously posted a response to prior accusation made, which are rather illuminating at:http://www.athertonians.blogspot.com/2012/06/answers-to-various-accusations.html#comment-form. What the council is doing can best be described from a May 30, 2012 Editorial: Critique of Athertonians blog is off base by the Alamanc Newspaper.
The council majority of Mayor Widmer and members Jim Dobbie and Kathy McKeithen seems determined to make life as painful as possible for the Athertonians, directing city staff to urge its anonymous moderators to change the group's name, and if they don't, prepare to take legal action. At the council's April l8 meeting, Mr. Dobbie said, "It's high time we do something."
But to myself and many others in Atherton, the name "confusion" is a red herring. The real problem the blog presents to the council majority is its throwing light on the town's plan to build a new library in Holbrook-Palmer Park and get people not to notice or think they can't do anything. In this case, the First Amendment rights of the Athertonians clearly trump any upset felt by the council members or city officials about the blog's content or the possible confusion from the similarity of names to The Athertonian.
Any judge would want to know why the city is just now objecting to the confusion, eight years after the blog was created. In this situation, it appears that the council majority is rowing upstream against an increasingly vociferous group of residents who appreciate the Athertonians as an effective communications tool.
Item #21 is to spend $18,000 to do a phone survey of 200 residents regarding placing the library in the park and other park issues, perhaps removing the tennis courts. The words in the survey will likely have to be approved by a council, of which three members have already stated their support to move the library to the park. But will a survey do the job at this point? I think not.
Let both sides write their statements in favor of a county library in the park or opposed to a county library in the park. Does the council expect to learn anything new from calling 200 residents? For months hundreds of residents have been expressing themselves through council meetings, writing letters, online surveys, and signing petitions, which they have chosen to ignore. Why not listen to the opinions already expressed or call a special town meeting to address demands for a vote? Use the $18,000.00 for this town wide vote on the November ballot, which will resolve all the controversy. Candidates for council can make the library in the park part of their platform.
Regards,
Charles Marsala
__._,_.___
From: DebraHolvick@aol.com ]
ReplyDeleteSent: Wednesday, June 20, 2012 11:31 AM
Subject: I am opposed to new library.
I will make 200 calls for $100 fee.
Dear Council Members: I am opposed to building a new library. Libraries are dinosaurs. Leave our park alone. Give the money to Menlo Atherton High if it has to go somewhere. $18,000 for 200 phone calls! I"ll do it for $100, or better yet, have volunteers come one evening to your chambers or a local real estate co, after business hours, and make the calls. Done in 20 minutes.
It is a one question survey, "are you in favor of a new library being built in the park?" Either they are in favor or opposed. That's it. One answer to one question. Simple, easy, done. Don't make a mountain out of a mole hill.
I think a town wide vote would be better and more accurate, or, you could save money, and have your 200 calls be 800 calls and then you'd have a much better result.
You could advertise in the newspaper that the calls will be made on such and such a date so residents know it is coming and can be home if they want to weigh in.
Debra Holvick
398 Fletcher Drive,
Atherton, CA *941027
From: galberti377@comcast.net
ReplyDeleteGail Alberti
To: "."
Sent: Wednesday, June 20, 2012 1:33:34 PM
Subject: library issue
Dear Council Members,
I have lived in Atherton for 26 years as an adult, and was an Atherton resident for my entire childhood. Though I rarely visit our park I have been, and continue to be, a regular visitor at our library. For many years I have visited the library at least once a month, often more. I am there at varied hours, on varied days and NEVER have I had any sense that the library was overcrowded or over- utilized. The library structure itself is such an important part of our history, and very much in keeping with the character of our town. It is OUR library, and I don't understand the Town's quest to attract a wider audience by expanding and moving the library, especially when what we have in place means so much to so many residents. There is a dearth of public places in our town and nowhere else where one can go and find a peaceful haven for browsing, reading, and borrowing a vast expanse of reading materials. Our library has the wonderful feel and ambiance of a small town treasure. It is so very user-friendly and sized correctly for the number of residents we have here in Atherton.
My vote is to leave the library where it is and leave it as is. If there are minor changes that would improve it, for whatever reason, make those changes but please do not change the character, usability or ambiance of our town treasure.
From: Suzanne Mohan
ReplyDeleteDate: 19 June 2012 16:38:04 GMT+01:00
To: charles marsala
Cc: Suzanne Mohan
Subject: Re: [Athertonians] Important Agenda items for Wednesday's meeting
Dear Charles,
Thank you for forwarding this information. I will be in the UK until mid/end July and can provide a telephone number if I am required to participate in a telephone ballot (+4477954_____).
However I do no believe that telephoning 200 people will be representative of the view of Atherton residents.
This is a very serious issue with long term consequences for our town. The way that certain individuals seem to wish to rail-road it through without proper consideration of the views of the residents makes me somewhat concerned about the motives behind this proposal.
Are we certain that there are no vested interests at play here and that none of the supporters of the proposed relocation stand to gain in any way by forcing this through?
I believe strongly that this matter should be the subject of a town-wide vote and that all the pros and cons should be aired fully and openly. All the implications should be fully understood.
I would not be at all happy at the loss of our tennis courts.
Please feel free to pass this on to the appropriate parties.
Kind regards
Suzanne Mohan
Results,
ReplyDeleteThe Mayor pulled the Freedom of Speech item off the agenda. The council did not approve the survey.
Charles Marsala
From: Suzanne Mohan
ReplyDeleteDate: Wed Jun 20, 2012 3:30 pm
Subject: Re: Important Agenda items for Wednesday's meeting
I think it would be helpful to have an objective review, setting out the
relative pros and cons of the options.
This would also help outreach to our entire community, many of whom may not be
fully conversant with what is being proposed, and would want to be more involved
in the decision process if they were aware of the ramifications.
Regards,
Suzanne Mohan