Short Takes Short Takes (May 11, 2005)

Mr. Barkley's field

It seems there's a little confusion about ownership in the contentious little corner of Woodside just east of Interstate 280 off of Farm Hill Boulevard.

The swath of open space includes the site of Woodside's future playing field, Barkley Field and Park, as well as the 22-acre wildflower preserve owned by Caltrans that was recently closed off, disappointing nature lovers and dog walkers.

Contrary to the belief of at least one person who frequents the site, Mr. Barkley is not the property owner.

Officially, the donor of the six-acre parcel is an anonymous Woodside resident who wished to memorialize his family's beloved dog, Barkley. Unofficially, there's scarcely a soul in Woodside who doesn't refer to it as "Noel Perry's property."
Library commissioners are reaching out

Have you been toying with ideas about how the Menlo Park Library can better serve the community? Would you like to meet some of the people who help oversee library programs and services?

Library commissioners will answer questions and listen to comments from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 14, in the library foyer.

The session is part of a community outreach program launched in April; commissioners plan to be available once a month to get feedback from the public and talk about library services, said commission chair Tom McDonough.

Although the Library Commission meets publicly every second Monday of the month, "people are so busy, so it's very difficult for them to make it to (evening) meetings," Mr. McDonough said.

The commission plans to set up outreach table at other venues in coming months, including the Belle Haven library branch and "high-traffic locations" in Menlo Park, he said.

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