Longtime College Terrace resident Pat Robinson, 88, passed away last week at her home, surrounded by loved ones. A drive/walk-by tribute will occur this Friday, September 25, from 3pm-5pm outside her home at 2389 Amherst. Masks and social distancing required.

Read Pat’s obituary here.

Here are some recent announcements and news stories of interest to College Terrace and the surrounding area.

New College Terrace Parking Permit System
The City has launched a new parking permit management system, testing it initially in College Terrace. This new system is online now and will eventually allow for 24/7 account access, purchasing or renewing permits online, receiving automatic program updates and reminders, and purchasing and printing daily permits.

Delivery and Shopping from Munger Market
Munger Market, the Stanford convenience store managed by former JJ&F manager John Garcia, is doing delivery and curbside pickup of ready-to-eat meals, fresh produce, and groceries to neighborhoods near campus. Download their app to place an order.

Stanford Goes Online for Autumn Quarter
After initially planning to bring back half of its undergraduates to campus, Stanford has decided to move nearly all undergraduate instruction online for the fall.

Thanks to the many neighbors who have written to the City Council these past few weeks in support of the College Terrace Library. The good news is that the latest budget proposal, released on Thursday, restores funding for a number of programs, including the College Terrace Library.

Under this new proposal, the College Terrace Library would be open three days a week, as would the Downtown and Children’s libraries. Rinconada and Mitchell Park would each be open six days a week.

Of course, nothing is certain until the budget is officially adopted. We encourage residents to continue writing to the City Council, focusing on the four council members who voted against Greg Tanaka’s motion to save the College Terrace Library during the initial budget discussions: Alison Cormack, Eric Filseth, Adrian Fine, and Liz Kniss.

The City Council will discuss the updated budget proposal starting at 1pm on Tuesday, May 26th. As before, residents can watch (and comment) via Zoom. Here are the details:

https://zoom.us/join
Meeting ID: 958 3084 9418
Phone: 1-669-900-6833

If you’re on the Zoom app or website, click the “Raise Hand” button to signal that you want to talk and you’ll eventually be given two minutes to speak. If you’re dialing in by phone, press *9.

The College Terrace Library is most than just a library – it’s a gathering place and hub for residents of College Terrace, Evergreen Park, Southgate, Mayfield, Ventura, Barron Park, Stanford, and beyond. And as we begin to slowly emerge from the isolation of shelter-in-place, we’ll need community centers like the College Terrace Library more than ever.

On Monday night, the City Council began its discussion of the City’s revised budget proposal, which includes the staff recommendation to close the College Terrace Library. (See our last post for details.) Several College Terrace residents spoke at the meeting to urge the Council to reject this recommendation and keep the library running.

But this process isn’t over and it’s important to speak up NOW if we want to save the College Terrace Library. Here are two things you can do to help:

1. If you haven’t already done so, please email the City Council at city.council@cityofpaloalto.org and let them know what the College Terrace Library means to you and our community. The CTRA’s letter to the Council can be found below (and was read at Monday night’s meeting by the CTRA president, Chris Saccheri).
2. Attend tonight’s City Council meeting around 5:45pm (estimated) via Zoom and speak when the floor is open for public comment. Update: According to the agenda published this afternoon, Community and Library Services budget will be discussed from 5:45-7:45pm tonight.
   https://zoom.us/join
   Meeting ID: 958 3084 9418
   Phone: 1-669-900-6833
   If you’re on the Zoom app or website, click the “Raise Hand” button to signal that you want to talk and you’ll eventually be given two minutes to speak. If you’re dialing in by phone, press *9.

Thanks to everyone who has written to the City Council so far, and everyone who spoke on behalf of the library at Monday night’s meeting. It’s clear from the emails and messages we’ve seen that the College Terrace Library is more than just a library – it’s a gathering place, a hub, and a pillar of our community. Let’s keep it that way.

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CTRA Letter to the City Council

May 10, 2020

Dear City Council,

The College Terrace Residents’ Association (CTRA) has reviewed the May 7 City Council City Staff report outlining amendments to the proposed FY 2021 budget and urges the Council to reject the proposal to close the College Terrace Library.

Built in 1936, and fully renovated just ten years ago, the College Terrace Library is the oldest and smallest of the Palo Alto library system’s five branch libraries. As the City’s only community center located west of El Camino Real, the College Terrace Library is a vital hub and gathering place for residents on this side of the city.

Families with young children listen to storytime and escape the heat on warm summer days, students stop in after school to do homework in the reading room, neighbors catch up while passing through, and, of course, people come to check out books. (Enough that, according to the library’s own report, it’s the only branch where checkouts increased year over year.)

As our community begins to slowly emerge from the isolation of shelter-in-place, we will need more places to gather and reconnect, not fewer. It would be incredibly heartbreaking and short-sighted to lose this long-standing civic gem at the very time when we need it the most. We implore you to keep the College Terrace Library open.

Sincerely,

Chris Saccheri
President, College Terrace Residents’ Association