Politics & Government
Ramona Library Opening Draws Enthusiastic Crowd
Officials praised the dedication of Elyse Kuhn and The Friends of Ramona Library, crediting the group with making the new library "a dream come true."
County Library Director Jose Aponte welcomed a crowd of 600 on Tuesday to the grand opening of Ramona’s new branch library, the 11th branch to open in the county in the past few years.
Elyse Kuhn, president of The Friends of Ramona Library who spearheaded the movement for the building project, was called “Queen of Ramona” by Aponte. County Supervisor Dianne Jacob presented Kuhn with a proclamation declaring Feb. 15, 2011 “Elyse Kuhn Day” throughout the county.
Aponte and Jacob were joined by state librarian Stacey Aldrich in addressing the crowd.
Find out what's happening in Ramonawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
“It’s truly a historic moment for us,” Aponte said, adding that the grand opening appropriately coincides with March being Library Lovers Month. “The staff of this library is the best staff of any library there is. This is one of the busiest libraries in the U.S.”
Supervisor Jacob expressed her appreciation to Kuhn and The Friends of Ramona Library, saying, “This is really a dream come true.”
Find out what's happening in Ramonawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
“What a grand day it is for all of us,” Jacob said. “It will be a new and exciting chapter in the history of Ramona."
In praising Kuhn, Jacob called The Friends of Ramona Library under Kuhn’s leadership the heroes at the end of a good story.
“She never quit,” Jacob said. Kuhn and the Friends “raised almost $1 million toward this library.”
The total cost of the new library was $11.6 million, with the county providing most of the funding.
Jacob called the library a cornerstone for future plans for an intergenerational community campus. “There is more to come,” Jacob said.
She also praised the design team and contractors for their work on the building. C.W. Driver was the contractor, working with Ferguson Pape Baldwin Architects and Manuel Oncina Architects.
The new library is expected to become the only library in the county to achieve Gold LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification, an international standard for sustainable design. Three solar panels on the roof cover 5,000 square feet and they are expected to produce about 20 percent of the energy the library will use. There is a digital display inside the library where the public can track the energy consumption and production levels.
Kuhn was moved by the presentations and the excitement of the day.
“I can’t believe it,” she said. “Isn’t this (library) the most wonderful gift Ramona has ever received? It’s more than I ever dreamed possible. It happened because of non-stop efforts of Supervisor Dianne Jacob. It also happened because of the enthusiastic leadership of Jose Aponte. And the tireless efforts of The Friends of Ramona Library since 2001, and with the generosity of hundreds and hundreds of Ramona citizens and a few outside of Ramona because of their love of libraries.
“I can hardly wait to see the looks on the faces of Ramona children when they see what’s in store for them in their own section of the library.”
The state librarian traveled from Sacramento to attend the grand opening.
“This library represents the commitment of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors and The Friends of Ramona Library,” Aldrich said. “It’s a quality of life here in Ramona. It’s a calm, comfortable place to hang out.”
A county spokesperson estimated the crowd to be 600 people. Counters on the two entrances to the library recorded 5,000 people entering and leaving the library throughout the day.
Special activities and musical presentations were ongoing, including face painting, children’s crafts, storytelling and video games.
Many people took advantage of signing up for the new plastic library cards. An automated system for books, DVDs and CDs made for quick and easy check-out by using the cards.
The computer lab, which had every station full by early afternoon, features 12 public computers and wireless Internet access for those who prefer to work on their own laptops.
“I’m thrilled to be able to use the computers,” Mary Wilder said, adding she was a frequent user at the old library which had about half as many computers. “The library is absolutely gorgeous. I’ve lived in the community more than 30 years and I think this is just a new era for Ramona. It will open so many minds here. People will just walk in, where they may never have in the other library. I am really, really thrilled to have this for Ramona.”
The new library with more than 21,000 square feet is four times the size of the old library. The parking lot will accommodate many more vehicles than the old library, which shared a small lot with other agencies in the county complex on Montecito Road.
