Kern County supervisors point to coronavirus and oil industry budget woes

By Patric Hedlund, TME

The beautiful Frazier Park Library—the crown jewel and beating heart of the Mountain Community—is on a list to be permanently closed by the Kern County Board of Supervisors.

A long list of coronavirus-linked budget woes were reviewed Tuesday, June 30, at the supervisors’ public meeting in Bakersfield. Among other measures, they said they plan to downsize the budget for the Kern County Library System.

The current president of the local Friends of the Library (FOL) chapter, Susan Chaney of Lebec, was quick this week to send out the alarm. “I was devastated, just devastated,” she said, when she saw Frazier Park Library was not on the county’s list of seven libraries to be left open. She said the…(please see below to view full stories and photographs)

Photo captions:

The Frazier Park Branch Library has become the cultural center of the Mountain Community. It is a vital hub for community meetings, cultural events and computer access for people of all ages.

The Frazier Park Library is a critical cultural center for the Frazier Mountain Communities. Top: Author Robin Holmes reads her story ‘Graytown’ as children dance and act out the tale. Right: Chumash storyteller Alan Salazar tells of his people’s folktales and customs. People of all ages and interests use the facility as a meeting place to exchange ideas, art, music, crafts and community participation.

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This is part of the July 3, 2020 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

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