Letters to the editor: 05/29/03

Everyday citizens would lose if library moves

To the Editor:

I attended the public meeting about removing the Jackson County Public Library from Sylva to the Southwestern Community College campus. I must congratulate the county commissioners, Fontana Regional Library executives and Cecil Groves for their impressive and cohesive presentations.

The entire show was linked in every way with all three parties in total agreement as to how beneficial this arrangement would be for all of them. All agreed it will be what is best for the community in general.

Actually, the only ones who didn't agree were the people who are to be the recipients of these benefits. These vocal community members were trying to illuminate one simple fact: By removing the library from its physical location in the community and onto the campus of a college you take away something from that community. By not having the library in the county seat, one significant part of this community is missing. What will be the next thing to go? The post office?

If a sense of community is to exist, there has to be a place for it to exist. A place where we all gather on the Fourth of July and for the Christmas parade and for festivals. A place where we go to shop, an experience that is more than the need to obtain items. It's to communicate with others and support the existence of the economic life of our town so that we do have a place that is "our town."

That sense of belonging and identity with something larger than ourselves if vital to the human spirit. Removal of the library is assisting the removal of yet another vital aspect of our community.

It is obvious the three institutions stand to gain a lot by this move. The county can stretch its dollars; the library gets more space; and the college gets a bigger brochure. The everyday people of Jackson County are the losers because they must sacrifice their library, a vital organ of their town.

However grand the claims are of this new facility, it is not the claim that it will further the sense of having a town to come home to. At this meeting it felt to me that this was more of a formality than an actual willingness to listen to the desires of the everyday people. I did not hear that the commissioners were moving in any way to reconsider their direction.

My sincere hope is that whatever happens it is carefully noted by the public on both sides of the issue and that we all learn about one another and live better together as neighbors.

Sincerely,

Dottie Hoche

Sylva

Officials abusing the public trust

To the Editor:

Oh, what a tangled web we weave

When first we practice to deceive.

- Sir Walter Scott

About 12 years ago, official evaluations of the Jackson County Public Library concluded the facility was woefully inadequate to meet the needs of our community. Cramped by severe space limitations and an inadequate budget, the facility has continued to deteriorate while plans to renovate, expand and/or relocate were repeatedly postponed due to the absence of appropriate funding.

In addition, the Jackson County Board of Commissioners continued to relegate the library's need to "the back burner" as they dealt with what they considered to be "more pressing priorities."

However, this state of affairs abruptly changed a few weeks ago when commissioners acknowledged they have tentatively endorsed plans to construct a new library at Southwestern Community College.

Taken by surprise, local citizens (including The Sylva Herald) immediately requested additional information. Who had made this decision and when had it been made? In response, the commissioners assured the public that all of the prerequisite planning had been made in conjunction with SCC and the Fontana Regional Library after a lengthy period of planning.

Under the press of demands for more specific information, the commissioners scheduled a public meeting at SCC for last Thursday (May 22). At that time the proposed new facility would be discussed and public comment (limited to 3 minutes per speaker) would be welcomed.

Within days, a grassroots organization, Keep Our Library Downtown, announced opposition to a plan that would move the library from its current location. Petitions appeared in many local businesses and a vigorous letter-writing campaign was initiated.

Sylva Mayor Brenda Oliver announced the town board's opposition to the proposed relocation. KOLD posters appeared opposing the "combined usage" library, while the Letters to the Editor section of The Herald expanded in order to accommodate individual opinions on the issue, pro and con.

For the county citizens (approximately 150) who assembled in Myers Auditorium at SCC last Thursday to discuss the proposed, controversial "combined-use" library, the events were certainly well orchestrated. SCC had its act together.

A huge screen at the front of the room provided a visual agenda for the audience, and the assembled coalition of SCC dignitaries, Jackson County commissioners and administrators of Fontana Regional Library sat in a unified block in a section flanking the stage and facing the audience. From the time Chairman Stacy Buchanhan called the meeting together until the last heartfelt speech 4 hours later, events moved with a kind of stately, predestined precision.

Aided by an impressive set of visual aids, SCC President Cecil Groves presented a slick tour of things to come. The audience was treated to an overview of the "campus of the future" and looked at aerial views of the college, the county, Western North Carolina and the state.

While President Groves adroitly manipulated a tiny red dot that skated and soared over maps, highways and extensive listings of funds, populations and chart that compared the meager and inadequate resources of our present library to the abundant possibilities posed by the $6 million facility-to-be, the audience sat like obedient, attentive students.

Performing like Leopold Stokowski conducting "Flight of the Bumblebee," Groves made his little laser dot race through an awesome assemblage of images: a wellbeing center, a senior center, classrooms, parking lots, periodical collections, helpful suggestions for effectively utilizing the old library, underground passages and even a dramatic campus waterfall that fell in a picturesque cascade amid phalanxes of buildings, parks and greenery. All in all, it was a vision of a kind of academic Eden, presented with technical skill. Unfortunately, the accompanying narrative was curiously bland and boring.

Next came the testimonials. Dutifully, the designated representatives filed forward to endorse the proposed facility. Gail Findlay, the director of Fontana Regional Library, spoke of the combined-use facility as "a dream realized," and gave a history of the planning and dedicated work that has preceded this venture.

Michael Cartwright, the current librarian of the Jackson County Library, presented his credentials and gave his commitment to making this facility a reality. Finally, after one-and-a-half hours of carefully prepared facts, endorsements and projections of anticipated rewards, the combined entities of SCC, the Jackson County Board of Commissioners and the Fontana Regional Library rested their case.

Essentially, the evidence appeared to be overwhelmingly in favor of the combined-use facility. Who could argue with such a ponderous, united front? Well, in fact, the majority of the 40 speakers who now rose to speak found the proposed facility unacceptable.

For almost two hours, an amazingly diverse roster of speakers expressed their concerns. Local business owners, teachers, retired librarians, the elderly, children, writers, summer residents, attorneys and housewives - all spoke with conviction and feeling.

Although the issues and reasons were varied, a common theme emerged: Leave the library downtown where it is valued as an essential part of our community.

Without the aid of visual images or technology, the speakers elicited attention by their sincerity. On behalf of KOLD, Joyce Moore presented the compiled petitions, which opposed the closing of the current library and noted that the 2,400 signatures represented 10 percent of the registered voters of Jackson County.

There was another recurring issue that became increasingly apparent as these individuals rose to speak. Again and again, the question came. Who made this decision and when was it made? How did this multi-faceted plan evolve without the public's input?

Although SCC and the commissioners made references to a task force that had been instrumental in putting this plan together, who was on it? Why had this intensive process been conducted without the knowledge of the media and/or the public and most of the staff of the library?

However, this public hearing did not provide the opportunity for debate. There were no question-and-answer sessions. In essence, SCC, the commissioners and Fontana Regional Library presented the facts. The attending public gave their opinion.

We are left with conjecture about the reason for the covert nature of the plan's origin. The purpose in denying the citizens of Jackson County due process or a role in participating in the planning that lead to this $6 million facility may possibly be reduced to this: Public participation was perceived as irrelevant or as counterproductive. 

Perhaps the architects of this venture decided to omit "public input" for the sake of convenience and efficiency. Why impede action by inviting controversy? However, the consequences of that omission may have far-reaching effects.

As the audience filled out of Myers Auditorium following Stacy Buchanhan's final assurance that the commissioners would certainly consider the public's opinions in reaching their final decision, many stood in the parking lot discussing what had happened. In general, a feeling of frustration and uncertainty prevailed.

"I think they made up their minds a long time ago," said one citizen. "Nothing we said will change it."

Another noted, "Well, I'm disillusioned. This spectacle reminds me of that statement that was made in the Watergate hearings. Each time I see those people in the future, I'll wonder, 'What did he know and when did he know it.'"

Gary Carden

Sylva

'Change, growth' not inevitable

To the Editor:

At the public hearing May 22 on the possibly of moving the public library to the Southwestern Community College campus, county commission chairman Stacy Buchanan used the phrase, "Change is Inevitable and Growth is Unavoidable" (or something to that effect) several times. It seems to me that his idea of "change and growth" does not take into consideration what a treasure the small towns of this county are.

To use the fact the Ingles, Wal-Mart and the State Employees Credit Union are near the SCC campus as a reason to also put the library out there because many people use these stores or services is absurd. I, for one, find downtown Sylva to be a bastion from urban sprawl and all the other things that seem to go with the "change and growth" of larger towns and cities.

People love Sylva and Jackson County for its natural beauty, neighborhoods, close knit communities and downtowns where you can get out and walk. Chain stores, subdivisions, urban renewal and highways are not the things people come here for.

I think the "change and growth" Sylva needs is downtown; in small businesses, in public spaces, in people meeting each other on the street to make Sylva a better and more friendly place. These things will be hurt a great deal if the library is moved out of town.

The change in lifestyle and urban planning Mr. Buchanan seems to be so in favor of has been a proven death sentence for many other once thriving downtowns. Commissioners, please don't let that happen to the magical town of Sylva.

Jade McWilliams

Sylva

Public hearing was 'a great vaudeville revival'

To the Editor:

The public hearing on May 22 and the show the County Commissioners and Chairman Buchanan orchestrated was a grand spectacle, a great vaudeville revival in fact! They tried to convince us, the people of Jackson County, how much better off we'd be if the county library was relocated to the Southwestern Community College campus.

I did, indeed, expect them to break out in dance with their song, as musicals are making a come back nowadays. However, there's nothing entertaining about elected officials betraying the public trust. Their logic displayed at the public meeting was still as bizarre as the logic in "Alice in Wonderland."

The good people of Sylva and Jackson County turned out to let their voices be heard. That's democracy in action; when the people who put you in office let you know how you're doing in your elected public trust position.

I was proud to be present and to hear the heartfelt requests by city, town and county residents from all walks of life. Including several newly-arrived citizens of Jackson County who made their desires known - that moving the Jackson County Public Library is not an answer. We all want to see this very special place we choose to call home remain intact with a fully-functional downtown public library now and forever.

Frank Katz

Sylva

Proud of citizens; disappointed in elected officials

To the Editor:

On Thursday of last week I attended the public hearing on the proposal to move the county library from downtown Sylva to the Southwestern Community College campus. It was one of the most gratifying meetings I have ever attended, and at the same time it was one of the most discouraging meetings.

I have never been more proud to live in Jackson County than I was that night witnessing the passion, the intelligence, the courtesy and the genuine concern of our local citizens speaking out in favor of keeping our library in Sylva, which is still the county seat. You should have heard the children, the lifelong residents, the transplants, the former residents, former commissioners, university librarians, former SCC librarians, experts, business people, preachers, lawyers and authors, all passionately and convincingly defining why they believed we need a new library but that the library should be situated in Sylva and not on the campus of SCC.

The meeting was discouraging because many of us had read in a local paper that at least one commissioner had made up his mind and would not change it no matter what. When the meeting began, we were told that each speaker would have three minutes. But the meeting began with an hour-and-a-half presentation by the Fontana Regional Library Director Gail Findlay, a PowerPoint presentation by Commissioner Stacy Buchanan, and another fancy PowerPoint presentation by SCC President Cecil Groves.

You could see people sinking down in their seats as they saw the big guns rolled out in defense of the proposal to move the library. In their presentation we learned there have been two task forces involved in trying to address the need for a new library. The first one had representatives from a broad citizen group. They were never disbanded and never presented a final report because the county was not committing money and there were no real options.

Somehow another task force was formed, composed of employees of the Fontana Regional Library and SCC. Not surprisingly, this task force presented a plan to move the library.

After the meeting I learned that Fontana Regional Library has announced that they will be moving their headquarters from Bryson City to SCC. There may be nothing fishy about that move, but it smells funny to me. I appreciate the concern expressed by Gail Findlay, Cecil Groves, Stacy Buchanan and the other commissioners. They genuinely want what they think is the best thing for our library, and they have worked hard to come up with a plan and provide some resources to build it. For those of us in the audience, it looked like the deck was stacked.

We wanted to be heard and we wanted our concerns to be listened to and considered. But during the proceedings I was offended by the facial gestures, the shaking of the head and dismissive sneers by Commissioner Roberta Crawford. At the end of the meeting, almost 10 p.m., Commissioner Buchanan seemed very willing to consider the people's voice.

But then he told us what was to happen next. The commissioners will meet Tuesday, June 3, to consider appropriating $50,000 for an architectural plan for a building at SCC. Then, after the plan is drawn up, there would be time to consider whether the county citizens want the library to move from downtown to SCC or some other idea.

I left the meeting terribly depressed, realizing that once again our elected officials think they know what's better for the citizens than the citizens do. It reminded me of the warnings of the citizens about the airport, which has not brought the industry the commissioners promised and has been crumbling down on us ever since.

However, I take heart that our citizens cared enough to speak out. I doubt this will be the end of it. I encourage you to come to the commissioner's meeting on the 10th and let them know we are watching how they spend our money and how they act in our interest.

Newton Smith

Tuckasegee

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