Highgrove New Library Open: Yeah

Highgrove has gotten a new public library, and that is good for them and good for us.

We should all go and share and appreciate the services of the library. Some have reported that Grand Terrace residents are "jealous" because tiny Highgrove has a better library than we do in Grand Terrace. I for one am not jealous. RDA funds are paid by California Taxpayers so that library is as much mine as it is yours, or "theirs". In addition Highgrove, and or the Riverside City/County Library System have always extended a welcoming open door to residents of San Bernardino County, in particular those of us who boarder their service areas.

For many of us in GT our first "Library" experience was the Book Mobile that would stop at the GTI on a weekly basis. We could also utilize the services of the Colton Library, or the Riverside Library. Then Highgrove was provided library services in what was formerly a Post Office, then the building at the Elementary School. Thanks to Betty Mason, the Woman's Club, and the Citizens of GT, and the CJUSD, GT Schools eventually had library services at each campus, and much more recently, the City of GT provided a small space for the San Bernardino County Library Services to provide a limited service branch at City Hall. All the while we continue to have access to the libraries out of Grand Terrace.

Jealous that Public Funds, were used to build a Public Building? Nope. The RDA of Riverside County provided the Citizens of Highgrove a Library without the games that Former City Manager Tom Schwab put GT citizens through. His dangling carrot that the Jacobsen / Stater's would have a new library was always a fraud. Sure Jacobsen would build a space. But it would never have been owned as a public building. The intent was to pay a costly long term lease for a space for the Library. Neither the City of Grand Terrace, nor the County of San Bernardino Library Services had or have such funds to pay for a long term lease for high cost space for a library he was dangling out there to garner support. Neither did the County of San Bernardino Library Services have in its budget to move the existing library, or provide more books, fixtures and equipment to a new space. As a matter of fact OUR Redevelopment Funds were NEVER targeted for a true PUBLIC Building, even the Senior Center/Housing has a Commercial Interest Tie that is still contractually a fog.

Our Redevelopment Agency was being used to find, fund and finance a home for City Manager Tom Schwab. As a matter of fact, that transaction has only recently been paid back to the RDA or accounted for appropriately. It was after all Schwab's intent that the City Never Pay Back the RDA for the "Loans" the City Received. So when he paid off his house, he paid the City not the RDA. The transaction was not correct at the time, and not corrected until Current City Manager Betsy Adams came on board. Of course he was in no way qualified to receive a RDA home, YET he did... YOUR GT RDA FUNDS AT WORK should be a sign on his front lawn.

Jealous of Highgrove? Not in the least. IF all RDA funds were so appropriately spent there may not be so much support to the demise of RDA on a state level.

IF Grand Terrace had any interest in being a good neighbor to Highgrove and perhaps portion of Colton, rather than duplicating the services of having a Library we could provide free Wireless Internet Services for Grand Terrace, Highgrove and Colton South of the 10 freeway. I wonder if anyone has thought of asking how much this would cost compared to the cost of Library Operations, and contrast that to the available material to the web users to what is available in the limited Grand Terrace Branch of the County LIBRARY. Existing funds may be transferred to this purpose rather than support the limited stacks, and services of our County Branch Library.