Thank you Fran for calling attention to this "Play" on taxpayers - and the destruction of our cultural heritage - speak out and Save the Telling Museum - tell Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald and CCPL Director Sari Feldman to stop with the contract steering and misuse of public funds.  

Save the SE-L Mansion Library Public Hearing: Mark your calendars for Thursday, August 22nd. The South Euclid Planning Commission is holding a Public Hearing about the proposed new library on Green Road. This is a continuation of the Public Hearing that was held on April 22nd, so there won't be a public notice (though a a letter arrived yesterday for people who either live really close to the project or signed in at the April meeting). With the Plain Dealer and Sun Newspapers adjusting to changes, this news probably won't show up there, either. So pass the word. Tell people, post it on Facebook, and email those you know, who would care the most. Since April, the Planning Commission and the architect have moved forward in the process. Now it's time to publicly gather again, and raise concerns one more time. And this one's close to home. 7 pm. The South Euclid Community Center. Details and reminders will follow.

  I really hope that these great folks prevail - 

http://www.savethemansionlibrary.org/what-you-can-do/

Please see the list and take a minute to help save a building that should remain a public library.

We have reached the 2,500 mark for signatures on our petition! 
Thank You to Everyone who cares about this library!!!

In addition to this online petition, we have gathered over 1,000 signatures on paper petitions. We had a booth at Lyndhurst Home days where we gathered 433 additional paper petition signatures and residents filled out 250+ postcards with their message that were sent to state Senator Turner and Rep. Budish. Children created an Art Banners featuring 250 feet of comments, drawings and doodles. These are powerful documents and are making an impact!

Now down to business.

2 VERY important events are happening in the next week: 
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Monday, Sept. 23 
South Euclid City Council Mtg 8:00 pm 
Council Chambers (2nd Floor), South Euclid City Hall, 1349 South Green Road.

It is expected that the Council will approve the conditional use permit that is needed for the NEW library at this meeting.

South Euclid City Council needs to SEE that residents do care about this issue. No matter what we SAY via petitions or postcards, they now need to SEE us. Residents need to BE THERE to show their disapproval of this event. Please take an hour of your time to attend the meeting. Your presence is all that is needed.

Please take time to call the people listed below BEFORE the meeting and say 'The residents of South Euclid and Lyndhurst want to meet with the board. We do NOT want a new library. We want our library to stay at the Telling Mansion.'

CALL!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dr. Miller (Council president) (216) 291-0451 
Mayor Welo (216) 381-0400

If you get a human to answer the phone for the person you are calling, request them to make a record of the fact that you called. 
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Tuesday, Sept. 24 
Cuyahoga County Public Library Board Meeting 6:00 pm 
CCPL Administration Building (Behind the Parma-Snow Branch Library), 
2111 Snow Road, Parma, OH 44134

It is expected that the sale of the Telling Mansion to Mr. Barone will be approved at this meeting.

Attendance at this meeting is CRUCIAL. We need people there! Please take a few hours of your time to join us at this meeting. We are also getting a car 'convoy' together to ride over. If you are interested in joining this, email us at savethemansionlibrary [at] gmail [dot] com" target="_blank" href="mailto:savethemansionlibrary [at] gmail [dot] com" style="text-decoration: underline; color: rgb(40, 98, 197); outline: 0px;">savethemansionlibrary [at] gmail [dot] com. Driving directions are at the end of this email.

Please take time to call the people listed below BEFORE the meeting and say 'The residents of South Euclid and Lyndhurst want to meet with the board. We do NOT want a new library. We want our library to stay at the Telling Mansion.' 
Rep. Armond Budish (614) 466-5441 

CALL!!!!
Senator Nina Turner (614) 466-4583 
Ed Fitzgerald (216) 443-7178 
Nancy Fuerst (216) 443-8687

If you get a human to answer the phone for Fitzgerald or Fuerst, request them to make a record of the fact that you called. 
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Thank you everyone for your on-going support!

Driving directions from the library (19 miles, 25 minutes): 
Mayfield Road to I271 South to 
I480 West/Toledo (exit 27B) to 
I77 South/Akron (exit 20A) Keep right at the fork and follow signs for Rockside Rd/Independence/7 Hills 
Turn right on Rockside Road 
Continue 2 miles on Rockside Road (It becomes Snow Road after you cross over Broadview Road) 
It will be on the left behind the Parma - Snow Branch Library

Link to Google Maps: 
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF&msa=0&msid=215734968922772576502.0004e6ad16c14cf66ad89

From FB Page - https://www.facebook.com/MansionLibrary:

Brush High faculty.

Lyndhurst City Councilmen.

A west-side dwelling Brush grad.

A county resident angered by other library replacements.

Brush's National Honor Society President.

Descendants of William Telling.

Facebook friends.



Those listed above are only some of the supporters of the Telling Library who spoke at the CCPL Board Meeting this evening. Others lent a hand holding long rolls of children's art asking for the library to stay put. Some spoke volumes by their presence alone.In spite of this moving show of support, after over an hour of deliberation in Executive Session, The Cuyahoga County Public Library Board voted unanimously to sell the Telling Mansion Library and proceed with plans for a new library on Green Road. We lost this round, but the bout isn't over. Stay tuned!

I truly hope that the highly organized Save the Telling Mansion effort will overcome.  This is not just a black eye on the Cuyahoga County Library System - it is criminal.   Remember these names and commit them to the Hall of Shame :

Sadly, the Cuyahoga County Public Library board has abused the public trust by allowing public monies to vacate a beautiful historic building as part of the unmonitored and unvoted for library  building expansion and construction program - a highly questionable use of bonds by Cuyahoga County - monies that could and should have been used for more pressing infrastructure needs - LIKE our failing BRIDGES and ROADS.  And these monies are paid back by ALL Cuyahoga County residents - whether you live in one of the communities served by Cuyahoga County libraries or NOT.

So far - the only real coverage of this story - unfortunately involves a hair incident between two women - perhaps the national and local media should instead focus on the two editorials that appeared in the Patch online reporting service:

http://clevelandheights.patch.com/groups/fran-mentchs-blog/p/bp--cuyahoga-county-public-library-system-suffers-fro8b8b9e9856

http://clevelandheights.patch.com/groups/sari-feldmans-blog/p/bp--saving-money-through-efficient-building-design

  Remember mid-year we posted: 

"Despair not! Our strategy is in place, and our next move occurs depending upon the library's course of action. You'll like it."

Well, we've made that move. Ten days ago, our attorney filed a second lawsuit. This is the "big" one, that will take advantage of our extensive research.

This is in addition to our initial lawsuit, which is on appeal. We will keep you informed as we can share information.

The Save the Mansion Library group has been extremely dedicated in time and money during their efforts to fight this injustice. We appreciate the strong support we have received to date from our supporters and the money that has been donated for this fight. THANK YOU! 

As we enter into legal proceedings the costs will again begin to mount. We would appreciate ANY support you can spare. Even $5 will help GREATLY! It adds up!

And it is easy!

Just go to our website at www.savethemansionlibrary.org and click on the DONATE button on the right side of the page. It will only take a minute. You can be assured that every penny will be spent towards the fight on your behalf.

Also…another very important event. Election Day!!

South Euclid Residents: We need a change of guard at our City Hall. Let’s begin by voting non-performers out of office. One of our supporters informed us that, instead of voting for her unopposed, and unhelpful South Euclid councilman, she'll be writing in the name of William E. Telling instead!

City of Cleveland Residents: The Save the Mansion Library group supports Issue 79, for the Cleveland Public Library (CPL), and we urge eligible voters to do the same.

As you know, the Cuyahoga County Public Library (CCPL), of which our beloved Telling Mansion Library is a member, is being a bully, and not taking into account the opinions of taxpayers, nor are they being good stewards of the historic gem that they control. But Cleveland Public Library (CPL) is a well-run, socially conscious, and responsive system.

We urge those of you who live in the city proper to vote Yes on Issue 79. It's a renewal levy and won't even raise taxes

Please spread the word, so no one gets confused. CPL shouldn't lose out because of CCPL's mistakes.

As Always, Thank You for Your Ongoing Support!

Lyndhurst City Council approved a resolution Tuesday asking the county library to remove from the county's tax rolls all Lyndhurst properties contributing to the library levy, which was passed in 2008.

They are making a statement to the Cuyahoga County Public Library board that '...when they consider such decisions (as selling the Telling Mansion and constructing a new building) they should engage the public.' Earlier this year, they passed a resolution requesting CCPL to remove their name from the new library that is planning to be built. They have never received a response from the CCPL board.

Residents attending the meeting were refreshed to witness their elected officials acting on their behalf.

Here is the article summarizing the meeting: 
http://www.cleveland.com/lyndhurst-south-euclid/index.ssf/2013/11/lyndhurst_library.html 
=================================================== 
Thursday, 11/21, there is a meeting all South Euclid residents should attend: 
South Euclid Master Plan Community Open House 
Thursday, November 21, 2013 6:30 - 8:30 pm 
Locn: Notre Dame College Administration Building in the College's Performing Arts Center

The Open House is presenting the City's Comprehensive Master Plan Update. Residents should attend, ask questions, gather information and give feedback.

Be involved in the future of South Euclid.

Link to the South Euclid posting: 
http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?ca=0a73e974-f496-4e83-b511-9e8285eb6b71&c=fe982f20-2091-11e3-bab8-d4ae5292c2ac&ch=fef28420-2091-11e3-baed-d4ae5292c2ac

Have a great day!

www.savethemansionlibrary.org

Here is the link:

http://www.cleveland.com/opinion/index.ssf/2014/02/cheers_and_jeers_editorial_8.html#incart_river_default



This is our opportunity to talk about selling Telling and the fiscal irresponsibility and violation of the public trust  of the CCPL Board--the real crime.



Please consider posting a comment and passing the link along via email and on Facebook.



PLEASE ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO COME TO THE TRIAL so that they can talk to the media that will be there. I hope we can get some media attention over this--we really need media attention and people like this kind of story. 



PLEASE CONTACT ANY MEDIA  that you know and encourage them to attend the trial. 

Thank you for your help....I really appreciate it.  Fran







Below are some talking points:

Telling Mansion Library is walking distance from a junior high and high school with student bodies that are majority  African-American and poor. The site for the new library is on Green Rd, not walking distance and no bus goes down Green Rd in the evening or on the weekends. 
They also moved the Mayfield Library from its former site, next door to the high school and junior high school down to 500 SOM Center Rd. 
Are there racial issues at work?

There is no economic gain for the community. Barone is leasing Telling back to the library with the stipulation that he pays no taxes.The Green Rd property CCPL  is now permanently off the tax rolls.

Sari Felman is running for American Library Associaton  President--one of their main initiatives is community engagement.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP.

A member of the Save the Mansion Library group individually voices, from a unique perspective, her comments on this unbalanced position of the two sides to this major decision:

I am writing to you from Parma Jail where I am serving a 30 day sentence. I was found guilty on 3/4/14 of a misdemeanor simple assault charge for pulling Sari Feldman’s hair. She is the director of the Cuyahoga County Public Library.

I was convicted of a single tug; Ms. Feldman signed a legal document stating that she was not harmed.

I am 62 years old, have no criminal record, have never been charged with a crime, have never sued anyone or been sued. I don’t even have any points on my license!

I am incarcerated, but please understand that my sentence is a message…

The message? 
Don’t question the decision made by or for the Cuyahoga County Library. They have made it clear that the county and its resources are theirs, not ours. Other than paying taxes and voting… citizen participation is not wanted. They intend to chill public discourse…

The county library board was given independence and broad powers by the Ohio legislature many years ago.

It’s hard for me to imagine that those legislators would support the violation of the public trust that we and other communities in Cuyahoga County have endured from the CCPL Board. Legislators must have envisioned a benign board otherwise wouldn’t they have provided some form of oversight?

Even if you do not care about the Telling Mansion property, I think you’ll agree that selling it was fiscally unwise. CCPL’s consultant stated it would cost 5 million dollars to renovate all three Telling buildings, not just the current library; this included an elevator. The estimate for the new library is 12.6 million dollars.

Let it be known that the CCPL Board was presented with the following list of compromises at the November 2013 appeals meeting by concerned citizens and the committee’s lawyer regarding the sale of Telling Mansion, but that all of them were rejected by the CCPL Board.

1. Part of Telling Mansion remains in operation as a CCPL library branch in perpetuity.

2. CCPL establishes a preservation easement with the Cleveland Restoration Society for Telling Mansion.

3. CCPL establishes a conservation easement with Friends of Euclid Creek for the rain gardens and property along Euclid Creek.

4. CCPL pays for or provides a statistically valid survey of the residents of South Euclid and Lyndhurst asking them whether or not they want a new library.

5. CCPL develops and adopts a corrective action plan that will insure, by use of statistically valid surveys, that citizens from each and every community are included in the planning of any future capital improvements.

6. CCPL requests that the Cuyahoga Soil and Water Conservation District review the site plan for the proposed library on Green Rd.

Finally, many of you heard the Board and director promise that if sold, Telling would be preserved. Truth is that Telling was sold with NO historic preservation. There is language in the purchase agreement that sounds like protection, but it is empty legalese.

Please help the “Save the South Euclid-Lyndhurst Mansion Library Committee”…

Thank you, Fran Mentch

http://www.cleveland.com/lyndhurst-south-euclid/index.ssf/2015/12/woman_accused_of_pulling_count.html