Because of a late application, Richmond will lose approximately $44,000 next year in automatic Public Library Funds routinely available form the California State Library. The filing deadline was December 1, 2003. All California public libraries are eligible to apply, and 174 of them submitted applications on time, but Richmond and four other libraries missed the boat.

For more information, contact Sharon Gomez, Bureau Analyst, California State Library, Library Development Services Bureau, PO Box 942837, Sacramento, CA 94237-000, Phone: (916) 653-6492, Fax: (916) 653-8443, Email: sgomez@library.ca.gov.

Unfortunately, this money would have gone a long way toward keeping one of our branch libraries open.

My first impulse was disappointment and resentment, but then I realized now busy our City leadership is conducting secret negotiations for ChevronTexaco to steal Point Molate, trying to find an Indian tribe to build a casino and trying to figure out how to move the Civic Center to lower Macdonald. Then I realized how trivial a $44,000 library grant is and felt a lot better.