Should your public library be open 7 ays a week? North Shore News survey of 495 residents, Thursday, danuezy 15, 1998. Library service cuts bug West Vanc Andrew NicCredie Editor andrew@nsnews.com rth Shore News — 3 " ot i x “John Quinn cet s “. Emily-Alden NEWS photos Mike Waketield / News Graphic Mark Fencher Areduction in operating hours at West Vancouver Memorial Library has made many patrons concerned. DESPITE boasting over half-a-million customers a year, the West Vancouver Memorial Library continues to cutback its ser- vices. In addition to recently chopping their hours of operation to a Lower uverites “J think it stinks,” West Van's Penny Persons said Thursday afternoon of the library's diminishing hours. “Flow are vou supposed to know when you can bring back a book with all these funny hours?” Jennifer Bonneville, who often brings her young children to the library, agrees: “I would prefer extended hours, especially in the morning.” But for others interviewed Thursday outside the bustling library, the decreased hours haven’t been as disruptive. “It doesn’t really matter co me because I only go after school,” said student * Alden, who added she didn’t even know the library had cut back on its Mainland low, the Marine Drive public institution was closed tor nine straight days during the Christmas holidays. The new hours of operation are Mondays, 1 to 9 p.m.; Tues.-Thurs., 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 10 a.m. to 5 p.m; and I to 5 p.m. on Sundays. In the fall edition of the library board’s Library Times, the board’s chairman stic about the future, reporting thar the reduction in Barbara Cupit was pes: si hours means the West Vancouver library is open the fewest hours of all Lower Mainland libraries. “This is a sad reflection on one of Canada’s wealthiest communities,” Cupit writes in the newsletter. The West Vancouve: library is now open just 49 hours a week. In comparison, North Vancouver City library is open 69 hours a week and North Vancouver District’s three libraries — Lynn Valley, Capilano and Parkgate — are open 73, 62 and 62 hours, respectively. ‘Pappas heads push for WY arts centre Drive to raise $12m for world-class community facility Catherine Barr Contributing Writer MAGGIE Pappas is looking to break new ground, literally — and when she’s through, West Vancouver will get the gift of a lifetime. TI _ exuberant West Vancouver resident is heading, up an initiative to raise approximately $12 million to build the municipality of West Vancouver a world-class, community oriented, arts centre. . She sv the precedent-setting idea was born of necessity She knows the municipality will not endertake a project a this kind at this time and sees private funding as the only way the dream will ever come true. Pappas is president of the W Society (soon to be the West Vancouver Arts and was a major player in the municipali force. “We don't have enough facilities in this community tor 4 Pappas, who also wrote the task force’s art of thought that council would come for- mething about it, either build an arts centre bur they weren’t prepared to do that.” ts the fact that the municipality is struggling under the effects of provincial downloading and feels that this new approach She willingly donates all of her time to head-up a group of volunteers dedicated to raising, 100% of the funds to build, equip and endow the new arts centre. Vancouver Visual Ans entre Society) The group is seriously looking at building the centre on a site near Inglewood and 17th that used to house the old YMCA. Pappas is quick to emphasize that nothing is official yet and thar at this time, it is only a proposal. mended to Pappas as part of the school r the New Millennium” proj which would sce district schools sharing land with arts cen- i ntres and other similar facilities. hool district) superintendent, as well as the province, is interested in pursuiy that site as one of hwo pilot projects to show other school districts how they can n nize the use of their own land by putting a school with a feil- ity,” said Pappas. The proposed arts centre will be approximately 42,000 square feet and will contain a main theatre (400-500 seats), a studio theatre, a “Class A” art gallery, classrooms, studio space, dance studios, and several common areas that can double as performance space. Groups will be able to rent the centre for all kinds of fimne- tons, Pappas says the revenue raised will be fiscally managed and maximized to the fullest “There will be no white elephants | sh . Pappas says the group has already received some endow- ment money trom an anonymous donor but emphasizes the need to find more. “Et’s very important that the community is aware that we are secking an endowment to keep the fees in the municipal See Byrd page $ se, retired West Vancouver banker John Quinn says he can work neonsistent hours. “But I know my kids don’t like it because they come down here to study,” he said. “You know they (the municipality) have a monetary problem and everybody wants something,” Quinn added. “Unfortunately, libraries are never on the cop of people's list. f think corporate sponsorship is the answer.” In the 1998 provisional budget, West Vancouver council has earmarked $2,550,100 for the library, an increase of $15,400 over last vear’s alloument. In addition to this financing, the library receives monies via governm: bequests, which in 1996 toralled $181,458 NEWS photo Mike Wakefiel WEST Vancouver's Maggie Pappas is trying to raise $12 million to build an arts centre in the upscale community.