EDITORIAL

There remain only six more weeks for fund-raisers to come up with

nearly $800,000 to build a new Mariners Branch Library.

Library proponents say the current facility -- more than 40 years old

-- has outlived its use and needs replaced. The proposed

14,000-square-foot structure would be located on city property adjacent

to Mariners Elementary School.

The library would be a joint effort between the city of Newport Beach

and the Newport-Mesa Unified School District and would serve as the

school’s library as well as the public’s.

But there’s a catch. Organizers, including former state Sen. Marian

Bergeson, need to raise $1 million by June 10 to qualify for $2 million

in state funds. So far, they have roughly $220,000.

However, Bergeson, you may recall, helped raise funds for the current

library in the late 1950s. And we have all the faith that she’s still

capable of raising funds for a new library.

There’s somewhat of another catch, though. Some parents have raised

concerns about the safety of the children who would use the facility. As

it’s been set up so far, the library would have both a separate

children’s room and a separate school entrance. Additional safety

measures include video security cameras.

Adding to the concerns, though, was last week’s arrest of a Newport

Beach recreation coordinator whom city officials suspect of engaging in

lewd conduct with children involved in the city’s recreational programs.

We don’t know if the suspect arrested is guilty, of course, but we do

know that these sorts of incidents unfortunately happen in our society

and, sometimes, cannot be avoided.

We urge the city and school district to continue their efforts to

raise the necessary funding to build the new library, though we encourage

the two entities to do whatever is necessary to appease those concerned

parents and straighten all safety matters.

The library is much needed in helping bring this community into the

21st century and we have all the confidence in Bergeson and friends in

raising the necessary funding. Now build it and they will come -- wearing

huge smiles on their faces.