Adopt a book for Burbank Central Library
Why buy the book when there is a perfectly good lending library in town? There is good reason.
If you are not aware, the Burbank Central Library recently had a major water pipe break that destroyed many shelves of books in the nonfiction section of the library (“Burst water pipe closes library,” April 13). Biographies on Martin Luther King Jr., John F. Kennedy and many other books on historical figures were ruined in the flood. Thousands of titles were lost.
This is a perfect opportunity for you, or your community organization, to help the library restock the empty shelves created by the loss. You can become a friend and adopt a book! The Friends of the Burbank Public Library offers valuable assistance through their Adopt-A-Book Program.
For $20 (or more if you can), you can adopt a book to put on the shelves. Your kind gift is tax-deductible, and a nice bookplate inscription is put inside the book’s cover denoting you or your organization’s donation.
To participate, check out Friends of the Burbank Library on the Web, or contact the Central Library at (818) 238-5600
With the limited funds and cutbacks being faced by our library, your consideration is very much appreciated by our library, and by our entire community. Thank you.
Mike Chapman
Burbank
Editor’s note: Chapman is a Burbank Library Board Trustee.
Baseball team was unjustly punished
We expect that teens have a propensity for wanting to congregate after hours and participate in some harmless mischief. (This is why we send chaperones on school trips to conduct room checks and monitor the halls after curfew).
We expect that a teen might feel coerced (“Alcohol incident ends baseball team’s season,” April 19) to drink alcohol if a coach hands him a beer. (This is why we have laws against coercion and laws that say there can be no meaningful consent between an adult authority and a minor).
We expect that teens might feel ostracized or threatened by peers if they tattle-tale information that adult supervisors already know. (This is why we have policies giving the person in authority the burden to report).
For the adults:
We don’t expect an assistant coach to purchase alcohol and provide it to the players. (This is why we have laws about contributing to the delinquency of minors).
We don’t expect the school principal to incriminate all the players in the media before all the parents were informed and had a chance to respond. (This is why we have an appeals process on suspensions.)
We don’t expect multiple coaches to participate in the purchase, transportation and serving of alcohol to students. (Adults chaperone in teams. A lone adult might make a mistake, but three coaches being complicit or culpable?)
We don’t expect the principal to simultaneously call the players victims of a crime and culpable participants worthy of punishment in the same public statement. (Announcing that an adult contributed to the delinquency of minors and then announcing the suspension of those very minors is admitting you are punishing the victims.)
We don’t expect the principal to take away the varsity baseball season. (Why punish the players for the adults’ failures? Why take away a positive activity that keeps teens away from drugs and alcohol? What a reprehensible action on behalf of the school administration.)
Several adults acted against our expectations, laws and policies, resulting in minors being: served beer, suspended unjustly, accused in the media and removed from the sport they love. When those who were charged with supervising these players have failed them so, what are we to expect from the players now?
What is expected of you now?
Steve Borgard
Burbank
Editor’s note: Borgard is pastor at First Christian Church of Burbank
Leaf blowers make walks unpeaceful
I have taken therapeutic walks in Burbank since 1992. These walks would have been perfect if it hadn’t been for leaf blowers.
Three bad things happen when these instruments of Satan are used: dust pollution, noise pollution and two-stroke motor pollution. Even when I cross the street there are still clouds of dust in the air.
If these instruments make work a little shorter, let’s have the “gardeners” work a little more and have them use brooms or (gasp) the water hose.
Axel Ovregaard
Burbank