Welcome to the Fibrary
Plans for the new Corona del Mar library and fire station received final approval from Newport Beach City Council members in early December. The unanimous approval of the "fibrary," the dual-purpose library and fire station on Marigold Avenue, comes after months of public meetings with library staff, firefighters, residents and Friends of the CdM Library, which formed earlier this year to advocate for a larger library than city officials originally drafted.
City staff in 2014 initially proposed an 8,000 square foot facility, which would have reduced the size of the library from 3,750 feet to 2,500 feet. The cost of the facility was expected to be about $6.5 million. The finalized project, which is expected to cost roughly $8 million, is now more than 10,000 square feet with a library that measures in at 3,872 square feet with a 635-square-foot outside patio.
The one-story fire station, next to the library at 410 Marigold Ave., has been in service since around 1950. The new station will be two stories and about 6,000 square feet, or about twice the space firefighters have there now.
City staff expect to break ground on the library and fire station by summer 2016. Construction could take between 12 and 14 months.
Taking to the Slopes for a Cause
Hunter Mountain in New York is where the most unusual ski race started back in 1973 and continues to host the FDNY Annual Ski Race for members of the NYC Fire Department. On Tuesday, March 8, teams of five firefighters dressed in full turn-out gear will attempt to navigate through a race course while carrying a 50-foot fire hose. This race is open to any New York City firefighter. Proceeds from this event will be donated to the N.Y. Firefighters Burn Center Foundation.
The winners of that race will have the chance to race in the East Coast Firefighter's Race the following day for the East Coast Championship. The East Coast Firefighters Race is open to any paid or volunteer fire company outside of New York City. Proceeds from the East Coast Race go to the charity of the winner's choice.
This Month in Fire History
Jan. 1, 1853, Cincinnati, OH—The first fire engine is tested
Jan. 5, 1985, Erath, CA—Texaco gas plant fire causes $51 million in damages
Jan. 6, 1961, San Francisco, CA—Thomas Hotel fire kills 20
Jan. 10, 1976, Fremont, NE—Pathfinder Hotel fire kills 20
Jan. 11, 1820, Savannah, GA—Fire damages 463 houses
Jan. 12, 1908: Boyertown, PA—Rhodes Opera House fire kills 170
Jan. 14, 1969, Pearl Harbor, HI—USS Enterprise carrier fire kills 24
Jan. 27, 1967, Cape Kennedy, FL—Apollo 1 launch pad fire kills all three crew members, including Command Pilot Virgil “Gus” Grissom, and causes $413 million in damages
Jan. 28, 1986—Challenger spacecraft explosion kills seven
Courtesy NFPA
