gdp's Comments

GazetteOnline.com : Letter sent to Prairie Point parents regarding injured student

Sat, 1 May 2010 04:44:51 +0000

I have to say I agree with hawk159. The school district is trying to figure out what happened, and to level a groundless accusation that the principal is trying to cover something up is not a responsible, constructive use of the Internet. However, the school district's commitment to student privacy will have little impact on the flow of information about this case. Police are also investigating what happened, and what they discover will be made public. Adam Belz The Gazette

GazetteOnline.com : Linn County auditor sues the supervisors

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 16:29:23 +0000

All right guys, no problem.

GazetteOnline.com : Linn County auditor sues the supervisors

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 20:59:31 +0000

Caveman, I'm grateful for the insight you provide in your comments, but don't you think it would be appropriate for you to identify yourself? It would give people a better idea of where you're coming from, and I don't see how it would hurt anything.

GazetteOnline.com : Want First Avenue expanded to eight lanes? Say so!

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 22:24:34 +0000

Yeah, gotta get 'em in here somehow. Guess it didn't work too well. :)

GazetteOnline.com : A Connecticut model for the new Cedar Rapids library

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 22:20:36 +0000

Good point, Elias. It is a wealthy community.

GazetteOnline.com : Longtime First Avenue coffeehouse in trouble

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 22:13:10 +0000

Have you ever been to Brewed Awakenings, Mr. Commonsenseguy? A cup of coffee costs $1.55, and it's good coffee. They also serve an excellent lunch that runs about $6. Sure, many people in Cedar Rapids would rather go through the drive thru at Arby's and buy a gallon of Pepsi and bucket of curly fries. That's free enterprise. But calling out Brewed for pushing $5 cups of "flavored coffee" doesn't quite cut it.

GazetteOnline.com : Looking ahead: What kind of library does Cedar Rapids need?

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 19:21:44 +0000

One more link: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/11/nyregion/nyregi... I just got off the phone with Bob Pasicznyuk, and he mentioned the Darien, CT, library. It sounds like this library, described pretty well in the above 2007 news story, is a good forecast of what the Cedar Rapids library will be like.

GazetteOnline.com : Looking ahead: What kind of library does Cedar Rapids need?

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 17:23:37 +0000

Thanks jschnip. I'm working on trying to figure out what the 21st century library does look like. Some people argue that librarians, or information guides, are more necessary now than ever: http://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/show_story.php... Some argue that the shift from old-fashioned research library to information/entertainment center is a bad thing: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704... Your point about how fast technology is changing today is a good one. How many of us got e-mail on handheld devices five years ago? Now it seems like everyone does. iPods almost seem old-fashioned, and who wants to spend time buying and storing DVDs. I wonder what you and others think about the question of literacy, and how important it is to sit down with a book (electronic or physical) now and then, and grapple with the contents. Dana Gioia, former chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, wrote and said a few years ago that everyone should worry that the specific intellectual skill of advanced reading is declining. http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinio... I wonder sometimes if the people who argue we don't need a library full of books aren't sometimes the same people who never read books in any form, and who don't understand how important it is for our society that people be able to read and understand complicated texts. It's just one piece of the discussion, I realize, but worth mentioning.

GazetteOnline.com : Library director explains need to build new library

Mon, 1 Feb 2010 19:43:20 +0000

Yeah, Pasicznyuk's case -- considering the FEMA mandatory relocation -- is difficult to refute.

GazetteOnline.com : Analysis: TrueNorth library site

Sat, 30 Jan 2010 19:30:48 +0000

What you say has merit, 23streets. Thanks to MrsNicole for pointing that out. I certainly agree that the federal government shouldn't subsidize unnecessary risk. I'm just pointing out that in the eyes of FEMA and the law, building up out of the flood plain can constitute adequate flood mitigation. That's what plans for a library at the TrueNorth site call for. While it doesn't mean the TrueNorth site is the answer, it's worth mentioning in this discussion. Hope you got all your comments posted, 23streets. Sorry for the hassle.

GazetteOnline.com : Analysis: TrueNorth library site

Sat, 30 Jan 2010 08:24:14 +0000

23streets, your analysis is a little hysterical. What constitutes the flood zone you refer to? Everything that was flooded in 2008? Should nothing be built in that entire area? Not even if it's built above the 500 year flood plain?

GazetteOnline.com : Demo costs are negligible in library project

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 22:20:56 +0000

Components that have value? Like my stapler? The numbers are just estimates for what demolition would cost the library. Not sure what the current owners' responsibilities will be.

GazetteOnline.com : Analysis: TrueNorth library site

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 16:18:11 +0000

The architect's plan for the site calls for fill and a building built above the floodplain, the ground would slope upward from Fourth Avenue SE to the building, to give the building a feel of being on ground level. The library board doesn't want people to have to climb a flight of stairs or take an elevator to get to the main floor of the library.

GazetteOnline.com : Analysis: The Gazette/KCRG library site

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 22:50:56 +0000

Fair point, thumbsup. No question about it, the money comes from somewhere, and it ain't been picked off a tree.

GazetteOnline.com : Analysis: The Gazette/KCRG library site

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 22:08:59 +0000

Thanks for contributing, Terry.

GazetteOnline.com : Analysis: The Gazette/KCRG library site

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 21:05:35 +0000

Got an answer. The cost of a parking ramp at The Gazette/KCRG site could be anywhere from $1.7 million to $4.7 million, depending on what plan the library goes with. Add that number to the cost estimate for the site, and total cost is anywhere from $48.2 million to $51.2 million. Bear in mind, these numbers are estimates, and the lion's share of the total cost would be covered by FEMA and I-JOBS.

GazetteOnline.com : Analysis: The Gazette/KCRG library site

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 20:42:32 +0000

BD, I just fired off an e-mail to get an answer to your question about the cost impact of the Gazette/KCRG parking ramp's deficiencies. Good question.

GazetteOnline.com : Analysis: The Emerald Knights library site

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 05:20:28 +0000

This is a good question that several people have asked. The library board considers free, library-specific parking to be a chief priority. They say parking was the most common customer complaint with the old library. Not everyone had a problem with it, but apparently enough did to pound it into the heads of library board members.

GazetteOnline.com : Analysis: The Emerald Knights library site

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 23:03:46 +0000

It seems to me most of the problems Aunt Aggie refers to happen further east on First Avenue, up beyond Coe College. It's actually seven blocks from the proposed library site to the police substation.

GazetteOnline.com : Analysis: The Emerald Knights library site

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 22:16:28 +0000

Thanks Brady. It's important to note that the idea of commercial space along First Avenue is basically not on the table any more. One property owner and city officials told me that negotiations are complicated enough without the public/private partnership. So the goal now is for the library simply to buy the land and build a library/parking ramp.