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43 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, January 27, 2005 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Opportunities Moving to Southern Oregon? MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend December 26, 2004 Construction is two weeks away from completion on the Prospect branch library, part of the $38.9 million bond measure passed in 2000 to rebuild or remodel the libraries in the Jackson County Library System. Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli Prospect library nears completion Construction will finish in two weeks, and the branch should open in late February By MEG LANDERS Mail Tribune PROSPECT — Library Number 9 is about to be completed. Construction of the Prospect Library is expected to be finished in two weeks. "We should be able to open late February," said Ted Stark, Upper Rogue regional manager for Jackson County Library Services. The Prospect Branch library project is part of the $38.9 million library bond measure that Jackson County voters approved in 2000. The White City branch library was built with county urban renewal funds, and the other 14 branches have been or will be rebuilt or remodeled with the voter-approved bonds. Stark said the bookshelves are scheduled to be delivered at the end of January, and furniture in early February. The plan is to open soon after. Advertisement The new 2,400-square-foot building is on the corner of Mill Creek Drive and First Street on Prospect School property. He said the project is about three or four weeks ahead of schedule because Adroit Construction has put a large crew on to complete work before heavy snowfall hits the high-elevation town. He said the dominant feature of the building is the lodgepole pine. He said the U.S. Forest Service let Prospect School Superintendent Don Alexander cut down the trees, and some high school students stripped and sanded them. County Library Director Ronnie Budge said the buildings and their features are funded separately from the operation costs. Library officials are exploring future funding options for staff and hours of all county branch operations because of uncertain county revenue after an expected decline in federal timber subsidies in two years. Residents have questioned the need for new buildings with such an uncertain future, but Budge asserts that buildings and operating costs are two different issues. "The operational problems are the same whether we have new libraries or old libraries," said Budge, adding that some of the enlarged branches may have additional custodial costs, but that’s minimal. She said the bond measure just paid for "plain vanilla" buildings, and extra features — such as the granite countertop at the new Eagle Point library — are paid for with private gifts. Central Point and Gold Hill libraries also are under construction and scheduled to be complete in the next several months. Groundbreaking for the Talent library building and the Shady Cove remodel is scheduled for 2005. Reach reporter Meg Landersat 776-4481 or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Student Loan Consolidation Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers