Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Esplanade Avenue apartment building demolished


ABC 7 News, KGO TV/Lyanne Melendez, 1/30/16. "Crews demolish condemned Pacifica apartment complex." 

Crews are seen demolishing a condemned 20-unit apartment building in Pacifica, Calif. on Monday, January 30, 2017.
  Torn down 1/30/17
An apartment building at risk of falling off a cliff due to coastal erosion is demolished in Pacifica, California on January 30, 2017. Photo: JOSH EDELSON, JOSH EDELSON / SAN FRANCISCO CHR
Crunch
..... "After years of worrying about the safety of residents living on a crumbling bluff, the last building at 310 Esplanade Avenue was demolished. Years of storms and king tides contributed to the erosion of the cliff.

.... Crews carefully dealt with the unstable structure and bluff to avoid any pieces falling below. It was the last of three buildings on Esplanade Avenue that had started collapsing due to the continued bluff erosion. .... The city helped residents relocate earlier this year. Taxpayers will be left paying for the cost of the demolition, which is about $330,000.
 
.... Hazmat crews had already removed the lead and asbestos from its interior, but the air quality was still being monitored for any dangerous particles. "In terms of those materials being unsafe, they have been already taken away. As a precaution, we added that as a precautionary measure," director of public works Van Ocampo said. Pacifica will now get an influx of federal grants to help shore up the bluff and secure the road."  Read more, includes video 2:41 minutes.    Note photograph from the article video.

Related article. SF Gate/San Francisco Chronicle/Sarah Ravani, 1/30/17, "Demolition of building on eroding Pacifica cliff begins.".... Construction crews worked over the past two weeks to remove hazardous materials from the structure, including asbestos. The demolition and clean-up is expected to take until the end of the week, said Scott Helf, a project manager with SV Demolition Inc., the San Jose company the city is paying $218,650 to raze the building.     Note photographs. Crunch by Josh Edelson/SF Chronicle from the related article. Torn Down face to the video from ABC 7.  

Posted by Kathy Meeh

Immigrants, welcome to California


Public Policy Institute of CA, (PPIC)/Joseph Hayes Research Associate, January 2017. "Immigrants in California." 

Image result for California immigrants graph or picture
Trump!  Run.....
"California has more immigrants than any other state. California is home to more than 10 million immigrants—about one in four of the foreign-born population nationwide. In 2015, the most current year of data, 27% of California’s population was foreign born, about twice the US percentage. Foreign-born residents represented more than 30% of the population in eight California counties; in descending order, they are Santa Clara, San Mateo, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Alameda, Imperial, Orange, and Monterey. Half of California children had at least one immigrant parent.

Most immigrants in California are documented residents. Almost half (49%) of California’s immigrants are naturalized US citizens, and another 26% have some other legal status (including green cards and visas). According to the Center for Migration Studies, about 25% of immigrants in California are undocumented.

....  The majority of recent arrivals are from Asia. The vast majority of California’s immigrants were born in Latin America (52%) or Asia (39%). California has sizeable populations of immigrants from dozens of countries; leading countries of origin are Mexico (4.3 million), China (914,000), the Philippines (859,000), India (581,000), and Vietnam (507,000). However, most (53%) of those arriving between 2011 and 2015 came from Asia; only 22% came from Latin America."  Read more.

Related.  US Census Bureau chart (1870-2015) included in the above article, "California has had high shares of foreign-born residents for decades."   Note Photograh. Sign image to Breitbart/John Nolte, 8/7/14, "Record numbers renounce citizenship; corporations choose inversion."

Posted by Kathy Meeh

Sunday, January 29, 2017

City newsletter, protecting our City


City of Pacifica/Connect with Pacifica/City Manager's Office/Week of 1/23/2017.

Image result for thankful picture
Thankful for our competent,
savvy and efficient City Staff!

 

"On Wednesday we held a joint press conference with Congresswoman Jackie Speier to announce our success with State grants and with getting U.S. Army Corps of Engineers assistance with repair and mitigation projects.   See press release for more information. 

We also announced today that the demolition of the apartment building located at 310 Esplanade Avenue has been scheduled for Monday, January 30.  See press release for more information.

I'm looking forward to enjoying the sun this weekend while it lasts! I'm sure our Public Works, Police and Fire staff are also thankful for a stretch of sunny days following recent storm fronts. I also appreciate their hard work and long hours in preventing and responding to immediate storm impacts and keeping the community safe."  (Lorie Tinfow, City Manager).  Read more.

--------------------

Reference, City website.  Linked on the above report, scroll down: City Calendar.  Archives and easy sign-up for weekly emailed Connect reports and City sponsored events, here.    Related, news article, SF Gate/San Francisco Chronicle/Sarah Ravani, 1/27/17, "Pacifica granted $3 million for repairing storm damage."   Note photograph by Bella Najja, PinIt/Oddssey/Marywood University/Kaitlyn O'Meara, 11/23/15, "What I am thankful for.."


Posted by Kathy Meeh

Cliffside disaster relief funding secured one year later


SF Gate/San Francisco Chronicle/Sarah Ravani, 1/27/17. "Pacifica granted $3 million for repairing storm damage."

Image result for picture of Lorie Tinfow
Trying to save our City, one cliff at a time.
"The City of Pacifica announced Wednesday (1/25/17) that it received more than $3 million from state and federal funds to repair several sites that were damaged in 2016 due to the severe winter storms that ravaged the area.

The city declared a state of emergency in January 2016 and by the end of the winter season, city infrastructure in a total of 12 sites sustained destruction from the inclement weather, said Lorie Tinfow, the Pacifica City Manager and Director of Emergency Management. 'The word government has gotten a lot of bad rap as of late,' Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Hillsborough, said at a news conference. 'Rhetoric is hot. And oftentimes, it makes people think we don’t need government, but this is another example of how government does work.'

The estimated cost of repair for three different sites is about $3.65 million and will be allocated over the next few years, Tinfow said. Money was not allocated for all 12 damaged sites. Repairs will be covered by about $1 million from the California Disaster Assistance Act and $2 million in insurance, with about $600,000 to be put up by the City of Pacifica.  Additionally, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers granted the city $150,000 worth of staff time to assess the damage the city has sustained over the last year to determine whether additional funds will be necessary for the reconstruction, Tinfow said. Allocated funds will go toward infrastructure preservation on the 300 block of Esplanade Avenue to ensure the protection of the adjacent street and utilities, but does not include the demolition of the apartment building that’s teetering on the edge of the cliffside. ... "

Note Pacifica photograph.  Heavy equipment  image from NBC/Peninsula/Michelle Roberts, Pete Suratos and Staff, 3/7/16 includes 2.23 minute video,"High waves prevent Pacifica crews looking to repair sea wall damaged in Winter storms."

Posted by Kathy Meeh

Saturday, January 28, 2017

Tracking dictator Trump, first week not including today


Mother Jones/Inae Oh, 1/27/17, includes a 3:53 minute Meet the Press/Kellyanne Conway, Counselor to the Dictator President video. "Here's what week one in Trump's America looked like. Executive orders, Twitter meltdowns, and bald-faced lies."

Image result for Donald Trump photograph or graphic
Yep, Time for chaos president
"Devil Horns" to get caged, or leave.
"Friday marks the end of President Donald Trump's first week in office. In just that short time, the new commander in chief and his administration have managed to produce an extraordinary amount of alarm in the United States and abroad. 
Friday, Obamacare repeal.
Saturday, push to silence critics (first of several leaks within his inner circle).
Sunday, "alternative facts."
Monday, abortion funding ban; China escalation; obsession with nonexistent voter fraud.
Tuesday, pipeline return; Environmental Protection Agency freeze.
Wednesday, US-Mexican border wall; expected halting refugees and immigration; expected reduced United Nations funding.
Thursday, intentions to relocate US Embassy to Jerusalem; Senior State Department exodus."

Note photo/graphic. PetaPixel/Michael Zhang, 12/8/16, "TIME: Trump's 'Devil Horns' in Cover Photo Was 'Totally Coincidental'." .... "After seeing the cover design, people immediately began to point out that the “M” in the TIME logo appears to form horns on Trump’s head."

Posted by Kathy Meeh

Chinese/Lunar New Year, Saturday, January 28, 2017


The Telegraph News (UK), Rozina Sabur and Cameron Macphail, 1/27/17. "Then is Chinese New Year 2017 - the year of the Rooster?"
Image result for Year of the Rooster picture
Year of the Fire Rooster

Image result for Year of the Rooster picture
Happy New Year, and
good luck again!
"This year, Chinese New Year - The Year of the Rooster - begins on Saturday January 28 and lasts until February 15th, 2018. The new year, also known as the Spring Festival, is marked by the lunisolar Chinese calendar, so the date changes from year to year.  The festivities usually start the day before the New Year and continue until the Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the new year.   

Each Chinese New Year is characterized by one of 12 animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac. The Chinese zodiac is divided into 12 blocks (or houses) just like its western counterpart, but with the major difference being that each house has a time-length of one year instead of one month. This year it's the Year of the Rooster, the tenth animal in the cycle. The next Year of the Rooster will be in 2029.  Read more.

Related, San Francisco parade. Chinese Parade.com, "Chinese New Year Festival and Parade." "Named one of the top ten Parades in the world by IFEA, the Southwest Airlines Chinese New Year Parade in San Francisco is one of the few remaining night illuminated Parades in the country. Started in the 1860's by the Chinese in San Francisco as a means to educate the community about their culture, the Parade and Festival have grown to be the largest celebration of Asian culture outside of Asia. Since 1958, the parade has been under the direction of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce. Over 100 units will participate in the Southwest Airlines® Chinese New Year Parade. A San Francisco tradition since just after the Gold Rush, the parade continues to delight and entertain the many hundreds of thousands of people that come to watch it on the street or tune in to watch it on television on KTVU Fox 2 or KTSF Channel 26, 6:00-8:00 p.m., on Saturday, February 11, 2017.

Note graphics. Stamp from Pic Click stamps, "U.S. 2720. Chinese New Year of the Rooster. Mint. MNH, 1992.  2017 from. Anthurium/vector graphic, 11/11/16.

Posted by Kathy Meeh

Friday, January 27, 2017

City Council Goal Setting, Friday 2/3/17 and Saturday 2/4/17


Image result for We want nothing picture
Opinion from the expected audience:
"... two signs to the beach is an economic
plan."  I saw it on Nextdoor.
City Council retreat and goal setting session, Pacifica Police Station, 2075 Coast Highway, Pacifica,  location map.

Friday, February 3, 2017, 12:00 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Saturday, February 4, 2017, 9:00 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

Two-day Agenda.  Note Saturday, February 4th from 9:30 a.m - 5 p.m, includes some public participation following Item 3. Goals and Work Plan Update.
Item 4.  Planning and Goal Setting. (The public may be invited to participate in this part of the agenda.)
Also, public comments Items: 1, 5, 7.  
----------
Reference. City Council Goals and Work Plan. "Each year the City Council convenes in advance of the new fiscal year to develop a set of goals, projects, and initiatives to be implemented in the following fiscal year." Goals and Work Plan 2016-17.

Note graphic from Carnegie Mellon University/News/Erin Keane Scott and Pam Wigley, 9/24/15, "Anthony McKay to direct drama's performance of Shakespeare's 'Much ado about nothing'." Related Nextdoor caption comment on article, Nextdoor/Linda Mar. 

Posted by Kathy Meeh

Thursday, January 26, 2017

Low unemployment, San Mateo County


Image result for We're working picture
OMG, I'm working.  Now if
I only had an apartment.
San Mateo Patch/Staff, 1/23/17, "Unemployment below 3% in San Mateo County. Last month, only two counties in the Bay Area could say that!"

"SAN MATEO COUNTY, CA – Two Bay Area counties had unemployment rates below 3 percent last month, while all but one county reported rates under 5 percent, according to data from the California Employment Development Department. 
The counties of San Mateo and Marin reported rates of 2.7 percent and 2.9 percent. San Francisco reported unemployment of 3 percent, while Santa Clara County reported unemployment of 3.3 percent.
The next lowest rates were in Sonoma County at 3.7 percent and and in Alameda County at 3.8 percent. The highest unemployment rate in any Bay Area county was 5.1 percent in Solano County.
Contra Costa County reported unemployment of 4 percent while Napa County's unemployment rate was 4.4 percent."

Related, from the above article. Career Fair & Job Fair: San Mateo, 2/15/17.  Related unemployment, State of CA by County and City, Pacifica 2.5%.  Employment. State of CA Employment Department, 1/20/17, pdf pages 5, "Labor Market Information, San Francisco and San Mateo Counties, current month."     Note graphic from Council of producers and distributors of agrotechnology (CPDA), 12/11/16,"We're Working on It!!"   

Posted by Kathy Meeh

Alternative reality, Washington DC, Trump


The New Yorker/Andy Borowitz (satire), 1/24/17. "Trump creates ten million jobs for fact checkers."  

"WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)—In less than a week as President, Donald J. Trump has created ten million jobs for fact checkers, the Department of Labor has confirmed. Harland Dorrinson, the executive director of HonestyWatch, a Minnesota-based fact-checking organization, called the pace of hiring in the fact-checking industry since Trump’s Inauguration “blistering.”

Image result for Donald Trump pictures police state
Future: police state, or will he be impeached or implode.
'The nation’s supply of fact checkers is being stretched to the breaking point,' he said. 'There are not enough fact checkers to keep up with the exponential growth in alternative facts.' Dorrinson said that he expects hiring in the fact-checking sector to remain robust for the next four years, outpacing employment in manufacturing, agriculture, and technology.

'With Trump in the White House, recent college graduates are flocking to careers in fact checking,' he said. 'There’s guaranteed job security, and you basically just have to Google stuff.' In his daily press briefing, Sean Spicer, the White House press spokesman, touted the surging employment for fact checkers but said that the actual number of jobs created was closer to ten billion."

Related article today, oh the voter fraud.  CNN/Dan Merica, Eric Bradner and Jim Acosta, 1/25/17. "Trump considers execytuve order on voter fraud," includes 2:38 minutes. .... "I will be asking for a major investigation into VOTER FRAUD, including those registered to vote in two states, those who are illegal and ... even, those registered to vote who are dead (and many for a long time). Depending on results, we will strengthen up voting procedures!" Trump wrote in two consecutive tweets Wednesday morning." Those two states are New York and California ha! Stupid waste of taxpayer money.    

Related article today, build a south border wall. CNN/Daniella Diaz,1/25/17, "Mexican President: We will not pay for the wall." .... "Mexico offers its friendship to the people of the United States and expresses its wish to arrive at agreements with its government, deals that will be in favor of Mexico and the Mexicans," he (Mexican President Peña Nieto) said. Earlier in the day, Trump signed two executive orders directing the construction of a wall on the US-Mexico border, boosting border patrol forces and increasing the number of immigration enforcement officers who carry out deportations."   CNN Money/Chris Isidore and Jeanne Sahadi, 1/25/17,"Here's how much Trump's border wall will cost." "At least 1,300 miles long, 40 feet high, and containing 19 million tons of concrete. Donald Trump's much heralded wall along the Mexican border would be a massive undertaking. .... ... possibly as much as $25 billion, according to a report from Bernstein Research, which tracks materials costs."  Then again fly or jump over, dig under. More waste of tax payer money and good will.  

Related update. Trump administration on the media/Ethics Advisory appointments , Keystone pipeline and more. CNN/Money//Media/Brian Stelter, 1/27/17, includes a series of videos,"Media talks, loudly, about Steve Bannon's call to 'shut up'." 

Note:  photograph from an ABC News interview, 6/16/15, Raw Story, "Trump calls Egyptian president who created a police state 'fantastic guy' who 'really took control'."

Posted by Kathy Meeh

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Storm damage repair approval: press conference today, January 25, 2017


From the Pacifica Tribune/Jane Northrop, Staff Writer, 1/25/17, print version, section A1.  "Mother Nature still hanging around. Storms bringing overtopping waves and numerous power outages."

Image result for Pacifica sea wall damage picture
Remember this?  El Nino storms 2016.
Note the rusted metal straps that were used to hold in place the concrete slabs that make up the wall itself.
Temporary fix.
Image result for Pacifica sea wall damage picture
Beach Blvd seawall damage
..... "The City will hold a press conference today with Congresswoman Jackie Speier at 2 p.m. in the City Council Chamber to announce that the Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) has approved the City's request to have three (3) of its storm damage projects included in their Section 103 program.

The three projects are 1) replacement of the northern section of the beach blvd sea wall/promenade, 2) the Milagra Outfall, 3) the revetment of the bluff edge along the 300 block of Esplanade Avenue," said City Manager Lorie Tinfow."

--------------------
Reference, US Army Corps of Engineers/San Francisco District.  Overview of Regulatory Program, pdf pages 19.  Example Regional projects. Example  Section 103 seawall program, San Francisco. Further Section 103 explanation from the US Army Corps of Engineers, New England Continuing Authority programs, "The Corps’ Continuing Authorities Program (CAP) is a group of nine legislative authorities under which the Corps of Engineers can plan, design, and implement certain types of water resources projects without additional project specific congressional authorization. ... .... Section 103, River and Harbor Act of 1962, as amended (amends Public Law 79-727). Projects are planned and designed under this authority to provide the same complete storm damage reduction project that would be provided under specific congressional authorizations." 
--------------------
Note photographs. Workmen from ABC7 News/El Nino/Wayne Freedman, 1/18/16,"Crews make progress on repairing massive sinkhole in Pacifica." Sand view and rocks by Devon Low from California Coastal View, 3/1/16, "Pacifica Pier Damaged by El Niño Storms." 

Posted by Kathy Meeh

Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Moonraker wrecker


Massive wave crashes through Pacifica restaurant



A giant wave broke through a Pacifica restaurant's windows Saturday morning, flooding the room and causing thousands of dollars in damage.

The destruction at Moonraker Restaurant was caught on surveillance video. Thankfully, the restaurant was closed and no one was inside when it happened. 

The staff came to work Saturday morning to find the first floor flooded. Originally, they thought wind was responsible for breaking the windows, until they watched the surveillance footage, according to KRON 4

"The windows shattered. I mean glass just went everywhere and the room filled up with water pretty quickly," one of the restaurant's owners, Gary McNamara, told KPIX

A large part of the restaurant's appeal has always been its beachside views. Now, despite the damage and boarded-up windows, the restaurant is still open for business.

Read more...

Posted by Steve Sinai

Future of San Mateo County libraries: culture, community, self-learning


Image result for Pacifica, CA Library picture
What we've got: existing
library, right on Hinton Way.
The Daily Journal/Anna Schuessler, 1/24/17.  "Making space for makers: Residents reimagine creative spaces in county libraries."

Image result for Pacifica, CA Library picture
What we want:  proposed modern
library, right off Palmetto Avenue.
"San Mateo County residents now have a chance to weigh in on the creative spaces available to them at San Mateo County libraries.  At a community engagement workshop at the Belmont Library Wednesday, Jan. 18, creators of all ages gathered to share enthusiasm for projects they have been working on at their libraries and resources they hope to see in the future.  ....  “People are looking at libraries more and more as cultural institutions and community gathering points,” said Library Communications Manager Amanda Kim.

In step with a growing interest in the maker movement across the Peninsula, San Mateo County libraries have expanded their offerings to residents hoping to solve problems by doing. Wednesday’s meeting kicked off a systemwide effort to create a master plan for dedicated maker and digital media spaces throughout the 12 libraries in the San Mateo County system.

Exemplified by San Mateo’s annual Maker Faire, the maker culture encourages learning through do-it-yourself projects often involving engineering concepts and technical components, such as electronics or robotics. Three-dimensional printers — available at every library — and programs such as computer coding classes have allowed patrons to engage in the building process driving their projects, which have ranged from models of furniture to video production.  And staff see a unique opportunity for the library to foster new learning opportunities, convening makers of all ages.“One thing libraries have always been about is learning,” said Anne-Marie Despain, director of library services.  Read article.

Related, national vision.  The Aspen Institute, "Dialogue on Public Libraries" (scroll down): The Report, pdf pages 80, "Rising to the challenge, re-envisioning public libraries", pdf page 5. "What people and communities need to flourish in the knowledge economy: Lifelong access; the capacity and disposition to learn in small; quick doses; the ability to use, understand and process information in many different forms; places to gather; access to conversations among creative people. People and communities need public libraries." 

Reference, local libraries. San Mateo County Libraries.   Pacifica Library Foundation,  Facebook,  LinkedIn.  Proposed library. City of Pacifica, "The new Pacifica library." "The current phase of the new library design involves Group 4 Architects completing a schematic design. Steps toward the schematic design involve reviewing and updating library needs assessment, building and site programs, focus group meetings and community outreach."   Note photo/graphics. The modern library concept design is from Group 4 Architects/City of Pacifica reference. The current library is from Weymark/Pacifica Sharp Park Library. 

Posted by Kathy Meeh
San Mateo County residents now have a chance to weigh in on the creative spaces available to them at San Mateo County libraries.
At a community engagement workshop at the Belmont Library Wednesday, Jan. 18, creators of all ages gathered to share enthusiasm for projects they have been working on at their libraries and resources they hope to see in the future.
Library staff are hopeful this meeting, combined with focus groups and online surveys, will help them reimagine their spaces in a time when a growing number of patrons are turning to their libraries for technical tools and resources to build creative projects.
- See more at: http://www.smdailyjournal.com/articles/lnews/2017-01-24/making-space-for-makers-residents-reimagine-creative-spaces-in-county-libraries/1776425174757.html#sthash.fKBBgy9Q.dpuf
San Mateo County residents now have a chance to weigh in on the creative spaces available to them at San Mateo County libraries.
At a community engagement workshop at the Belmont Library Wednesday, Jan. 18, creators of all ages gathered to share enthusiasm for projects they have been working on at their libraries and resources they hope to see in the future.
Library staff are hopeful this meeting, combined with focus groups and online surveys, will help them reimagine their spaces in a time when a growing number of patrons are turning to their libraries for technical tools and resources to build creative projects.
- See more at: http://www.smdailyjournal.com/articles/lnews/2017-01-24/making-space-for-makers-residents-reimagine-creative-spaces-in-county-libraries/1776425174757.html#sthash.fKBBgy9Q.dpuf
San Mateo County residents now have a chance to weigh in on the creative spaces available to them at San Mateo County libraries.
At a community engagement workshop at the Belmont Library Wednesday, Jan. 18, creators of all ages gathered to share enthusiasm for projects they have been working on at their libraries and resources they hope to see in the future.
Library staff are hopeful this meeting, combined with focus groups and online surveys, will help them reimagine their spaces in a time when a growing number of patrons are turning to their libraries for technical tools and resources to build creative projects.
“People are looking at libraries more and more as cultural institutions and community gathering points,” said Library Communications Manager Amanda Kim.
In step with a growing interest in the maker movement across the Peninsula, San Mateo County libraries have expanded their offerings to residents hoping to solve problems by doing. Wednesday’s meeting kicked off a systemwide effort to create a master plan for dedicated maker and digital media spaces throughout the 12 libraries in the San Mateo County system.
Exemplified by San Mateo’s annual Maker Faire, the maker culture encourages learning through do-it-yourself projects often involving engineering concepts and technical components, such as electronics or robotics. Three-dimensional printers — available at every library — and programs such as computer coding classes have allowed patrons to engage in the building process driving their projects, which have ranged from models of furniture to video production.
And staff see a unique opportunity for the library to foster new learning opportunities, convening makers of all ages.
“One thing libraries have always been about is learning,” said Anne-Marie Despain, director of library services.
Despain is excited to work with community members as co-creators in the process of imagining dedicated maker spaces across all 12 libraries she oversees. To brainstorm ideas from a group already teeming with creative ideas, she has enlisted the help of Gyroscope, Inc., a group with success in designing learning spaces for museums and other libraries.
Steve Tornallyay, Gyroscope’s director of creative growth strategies, led some 50 community members through Wednesday’s community engagement meeting. Tornallyay has worked on other co-creation projects such as the San Jose Public Library’s TeenHQ space, which was co-developed with teens looking for hands-on learning opportunities at their library. For Tornallyay, what excites him about co-designing maker spaces in San Mateo County libraries is the challenge of finding engaging solutions that will work across all 12 libraries.
“We’re trying to balance the countywide approach with keeping libraries unique to patrons,” he said.
The patrons attending Wednesday’s meeting demonstrated the challenge and opportunity that lies before Tornallyay and library staff, citing a wide variety of uses for maker resources currently offered at the libraries. A grandfather described creating a name plaque with his granddaughter using a 3-D printer at the library, allowing him to learn more about 3-D printers and his granddaughter to use a keyboard and mouse for the first time. Others described projects where they made simple instruments to teach younger students about physics, or created missing parts to machines with a 3-D printer.
For Kim, the variety of ideas makers bring to libraries, combined with the diversity in the size and structure of the libraries themselves, means they are not trying to develop defined physical maker spaces for each library, but rather overall strategies for making maker resources available to all patrons.
“We have communities of different sizes, and libraries of different sizes,” she said.
Kim said redesigning existing space and revamping current maker programing and resources are options that might fit existing libraries. Libraries currently under construction, such as the Half Moon Bay or Brisbane libraries, may include physical maker spaces in their construction plans. Kim said that a mobile maker space is an option that has been discussed to possibly serve locations limited in their ability to make changes to their physical spaces.
Library staff are hoping to gather input from the community in the coming months, and to develop a master plan for maker spaces by the end of May. For Kim, the opportunities to expand cross-sectional learning can’t come quickly enough for a county ready to co-create.
“We want to hear from people of all backgrounds, to get a better understanding of the digital divide,” she said. “How can maker spaces help people bridge that divide?”
- See more at: http://www.smdailyjournal.com/articles/lnews/2017-01-24/making-space-for-makers-residents-reimagine-creative-spaces-in-county-libraries/1776425174757.html#sthash.fKBBgy9Q.dpuf
San Mateo County residents now have a chance to weigh in on the creative spaces available to them at San Mateo County libraries.
At a community engagement workshop at the Belmont Library Wednesday, Jan. 18, creators of all ages gathered to share enthusiasm for projects they have been working on at their libraries and resources they hope to see in the future.
Library staff are hopeful this meeting, combined with focus groups and online surveys, will help them reimagine their spaces in a time when a growing number of patrons are turning to their libraries for technical tools and resources to build creative projects.
“People are looking at libraries more and more as cultural institutions and community gathering points,” said Library Communications Manager Amanda Kim.
In step with a growing interest in the maker movement across the Peninsula, San Mateo County libraries have expanded their offerings to residents hoping to solve problems by doing. Wednesday’s meeting kicked off a systemwide effort to create a master plan for dedicated maker and digital media spaces throughout the 12 libraries in the San Mateo County system.
Exemplified by San Mateo’s annual Maker Faire, the maker culture encourages learning through do-it-yourself projects often involving engineering concepts and technical components, such as electronics or robotics. Three-dimensional printers — available at every library — and programs such as computer coding classes have allowed patrons to engage in the building process driving their projects, which have ranged from models of furniture to video production.
And staff see a unique opportunity for the library to foster new learning opportunities, convening makers of all ages.
“One thing libraries have always been about is learning,” said Anne-Marie Despain, director of library services.
Despain is excited to work with community members as co-creators in the process of imagining dedicated maker spaces across all 12 libraries she oversees. To brainstorm ideas from a group already teeming with creative ideas, she has enlisted the help of Gyroscope, Inc., a group with success in designing learning spaces for museums and other libraries.
Steve Tornallyay, Gyroscope’s director of creative growth strategies, led some 50 community members through Wednesday’s community engagement meeting. Tornallyay has worked on other co-creation projects such as the San Jose Public Library’s TeenHQ space, which was co-developed with teens looking for hands-on learning opportunities at their library. For Tornallyay, what excites him about co-designing maker spaces in San Mateo County libraries is the challenge of finding engaging solutions that will work across all 12 libraries.
“We’re trying to balance the countywide approach with keeping libraries unique to patrons,” he said.
The patrons attending Wednesday’s meeting demonstrated the challenge and opportunity that lies before Tornallyay and library staff, citing a wide variety of uses for maker resources currently offered at the libraries. A grandfather described creating a name plaque with his granddaughter using a 3-D printer at the library, allowing him to learn more about 3-D printers and his granddaughter to use a keyboard and mouse for the first time. Others described projects where they made simple instruments to teach younger students about physics, or created missing parts to machines with a 3-D printer.
For Kim, the variety of ideas makers bring to libraries, combined with the diversity in the size and structure of the libraries themselves, means they are not trying to develop defined physical maker spaces for each library, but rather overall strategies for making maker resources available to all patrons.
“We have communities of different sizes, and libraries of different sizes,” she said.
Kim said redesigning existing space and revamping current maker programing and resources are options that might fit existing libraries. Libraries currently under construction, such as the Half Moon Bay or Brisbane libraries, may include physical maker spaces in their construction plans. Kim said that a mobile maker space is an option that has been discussed to possibly serve locations limited in their ability to make changes to their physical spaces.
Library staff are hoping to gather input from the community in the coming months, and to develop a master plan for maker spaces by the end of May. For Kim, the opportunities to expand cross-sectional learning can’t come quickly enough for a county ready to co-create.
“We want to hear from people of all backgrounds, to get a better understanding of the digital divide,” she said. “How can maker spaces help people bridge that divide?”
- See more at: http://www.smdailyjournal.com/articles/lnews/2017-01-24/making-space-for-makers-residents-reimagine-creative-spaces-in-county-libraries/1776425174757.html#sthash.fKBBgy9Q.dpuf